诗篇五十三篇

/in /by

大卫的训诲诗，交于伶长。调用麻哈拉。

1 愚顽人心里说：「没有神！」他们都是邪恶，行了可憎恶的罪孽，没有一个人行善。
2 神从天上垂看世人，要看有明白的没有，有寻求祂的没有。
3 他们各人都退后，一同变为污秽；并没有行善的，连一个也没有。
4 作孽的没有知识吗？他们吞吃我的百姓如同吃饭一样，并不求告神。
5 他们在无可惧怕之处，就大大害怕，因为神把那安营攻击你之人的骨头散开了。祢使他们蒙羞，因为神弃绝了他们。
6 但愿以色列的救恩从锡安而出！神救回祂被掳的子民，那时雅各要快乐，以色列要欢喜。

在这诗篇里，大卫不是说愚顽人才会行可憎恶的罪孽，他在第二节说神从天上察看世人的角度，来让我们明白，在神的眼中世人所行所为何等愚顽。2016年在俄罗斯发生一起谋杀案，有位19岁的姐姐因为嫉妒17岁的做模特儿的妹妹比她漂亮，不只是谋杀妹妹，还剜出她的眼睛，割下她的耳朵，杀了她妹妹189刀，手法十分残忍。

再看最近香港的动乱，不管是警察或是示威者都有受到非常伤害的例子；台湾在选举总统这段期间里抺黑说谎，让人奇怪那些在高层的政客为何如此低级？当神从天上查看世人时，我们的所作所为是令祂痛心，还是觉得光荣呢？

人做愚顽的事是因为心里觉得没有神。他们不是没有读过书，不是不知道是非好恶，而是他们觉得人都上到太空了，在月亮那里没有看到嫦娥，也没有吴刚，更没有神，因此他们越发高傲，以为没有神就可以胡作非为。

Read more

4 Ways the Enemy Tries to Attack You and How to Defend Yourself

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 32:1-22.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  King Sennacherib of Assyria invades King Hezekiah’s nation of Judah, laying siege to various fortified cities.  So Hezekiah takes several steps to prepare for battle and to make it difficult for King Sennacherib of Assyria to attack the capital city of Jerusalem:

Hezekiah cuts off King Sennacherib’s water supply (v2-4)
Hezekiah repairs the broken sections of Jerusalem’s walls (v5)
Hezekiah erects new towers from which he can see Sennarcherib from far away and defend the city (v5)
Hezekiah builds a second wall outside the first wall (v5)
Hezekiah strengthens supporting terraces (v5)
Hezekiah makes large numbers of weapons and shields (v5)
Hezekiah prepares his soldiers and military officers for battle, speaking encouraging words to them and reminding them that God is on their side, while the Assyrians are merely men (v7-8).
What can we learn from this?  Don’t make it easy for the enemy to attack.  Don’t wait for the enemy to attack before doing something to defend yourself.  Realize that attacks from the enemy will come and prepare yourself in advance for them.  

Read more

Don’t Settle for Mediocrity

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is on 2 Chronicles 31:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 31:1 (NIV) 
1  When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

On verse 1:  Notice that after the worship festival ended, the Israelites continued their worship by destroying the things that had been used to worship idols.  What can we learn from this?  A natural outflow of revival, a natural fruit of the Holy Spirit working in your heart, is that you want to tear down the things that don’t give God glory.

Read more

诗篇五十二篇

/in /by

以东人多益来告诉扫罗说：「大卫到了亚希米勒家。」那时，大卫作这训诲诗，交于伶长。

1 勇士啊，你为何以作恶自夸？神的慈爱是常存的。
2 你的舌头邪恶诡诈，好像剃头刀，快利伤人。
3 你爱恶胜似爱善，又爱说谎，不爱说公义。（细拉）
4 诡诈的舌头啊，你爱说一切毁灭的话！
5 神也要毁灭你，直到永远。祂要把你拿去，从你的帐篷中抽出，从活人之地将你拔出。（细拉）
6 义人要看见而惧怕，并要笑他，
7 说：「看哪！这就是那不以神为他力量的人，只倚仗他丰富的财物，在邪恶上坚立自己。」
8 至于我，就像神殿中的青橄榄树，我永永远远倚靠神的慈爱。
9 我要称谢祢，直到永远，因为祢行了这事。我也要在祢圣民面前仰望祢的名，这名本为美好。

这诗篇的背景故事是在大卫逃避扫罗的追杀时，他跑到挪伯祭司亚希米勒那里，向祭司讨吃的。祭司给了他一些撤放下来的陈设饼，然后又把大卫当年杀歌利亚的刀给大卫。那时有一个以东人多益也在场，他是扫罗的司牧长，他看到这件事，后来就把这事告诉扫罗。

扫罗便下令杀掉挪伯城所有的祭司，但是没有人敢下手。只有以东人多益去杀祭司，那日杀了穿细麻布以弗得的八十五人。又用刀将祭司城挪伯中的男女、孩童、吃奶的，和牛、羊、驴尽都杀灭(撒上21-22章)。后来只有亚希米勒的儿子亚比亚他逃出去，逃到大卫那里接受庇护。

Read more

诗篇五十一篇

/in /by

大卫与拔示巴同室以后，先知拿单来见他。他作这诗，交于伶长。

1 神啊，求祢按祢的慈爱怜恤我，按祢丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯！
2 求祢将我的罪孽洗除净尽，并洁除我的罪！
3 因为我知道我的过犯，我的罪常在我面前。
4 我向祢犯罪，唯独得罪了祢，在祢眼前行了这恶，以致祢责备我的时候显为公义，判断我的时候显为清正。
5 我是在罪孽里生的，在我母亲怀胎的时候就有了罪。
6 祢所喜爱的是内里诚实，祢在我隐密处必使我得智慧。
7 求祢用牛膝草洁净我，我就干净；求祢洗涤我，我就比雪更白。
8 求祢使我得听欢喜快乐的声音，使祢所压伤的骨头可以踊跃。
9 求祢掩面不看我的罪，涂抹我一切的罪孽。
10 神啊，求祢为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵。……

这是一篇很著名的诗篇，也是很感人的诗篇。它是大卫王和拔示巴发生奸情，拔示巴怀孕，大卫设计谋杀她的丈夫乌利亚之后，神差遣先知拿单去责备他。当大卫醒悟自己犯罪得罪神之后，痛心疾首地忏悔时所写下的诗篇。

Read more

Love Beyond Borders

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 30:1-27.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 30:5 (NIV) 
5  They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. 

On verses 1-9:  Hezekiah is getting ready to lead his people in celebrating the Passover Feast (also known as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread) for the first time in many years.  In doing so, Hezekiah reaches out not just to his own people of Judah but to all of Israel.  Notwithstanding the previous tensions between the people of Judah and the Israelites living to the north of them, Hezekiah invites all the Israelites to assemble together to celebrate the Passover and to worship the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem. 

Read more

诗篇五十篇

/in /by

亚萨的诗。

1 大能者神耶和华已经发言招呼天下，从日出之地到日落之处。
2 从全美的锡安中，神已经发光了。
3 我们的神要来，决不闭口。有烈火在祂面前吞灭，有暴风在祂四围大刮。
4 祂招呼上天下地，为要审判祂的民，
5 说：「招聚我的圣民到我这里来，就是那些用祭物与我立约的人。」
6 诸天必表明祂的公义，因为神是施行审判的。（细拉）
7 「我的民哪，你们当听我的话；以色列啊，我要劝诫你。我是神，是你的神！
8 我并不因你的祭物责备你，你的燔祭常在我面前。
9 我不从你家中取公牛，也不从你圈内取山羊。
10 因为树林中的百兽是我的，千山上的牲畜也是我的。……

在犹太人的塔木德里有一段拉比们的对话，拉比们互相对问，神是从哪里开始塑造了全世界？有一位拉比以利以谢说，神是从世界的中心开始的；拉比约书亚说，是从一边开始的；伊扎克拉比说，神把一块石头丢进海洋，就变出整个世界；但是圣者说，神从锡安开始祂的塑造，所以锡安全然美丽，是全世界最完美之处。就是诗人所言：从全美的锡安中，神已经发光了。

这诗篇是一篇神对以色列人将有的审判之预言。有的人认为这诗篇写于阿摩司先知或弥迦先知的时期，也有人认为是在犹太人被掳到巴比伦之后写的。虽然那时圣殿己经被毁，但是在犹太人心中锡安依然是全世界最完美的地方。

Read more

Sing an Old Song

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 29:20-36.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 29:30 (NIV) 
30  King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. 

On verses 20-33:  Hezekiah, the priests and the Levites reopen the temple and hold the very first worship service at the temple in years.  Sacrifices are made (v21-24), music is played (v25-28), and the people worship the Lord together.  The famous old worship songs of David and Asaph are sung for the first time in what seems like forever (v29-30), and the worship of the Lord is Judah is renewed.    

What can we learn from this?  Once my son Bradley and I were having our GAME time together and he suggested that we listen to a worship song.  So I got on my phone and played an old album that I used to listen to many years ago.  As we listened to these old but beautiful worship songs, I not only remembered the lyrics, but the places where I was at spiritually when I first heard those songs.  

Read more