Seek God and Find Life

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Amos 5:1-17.  Let’s go!

Amos 5:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lament I take up concerning you: 
2  “Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up.”

On verses 1-3, 16-17:  Having been given a preview of Israel’s eventual demise because of her continual idolatry (v3, 16-17), Amos laments for Israel.  As Amos says in verse 1, “Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lament I take up concerning you”.  I believe Amos’ lamenting heart here is in line with God’s.  God is not one who delights in our destruction, even when we get what we deserve for our sin.  A loving Father who cares deeply for His children, God grieves and weeps for His children when they make wrong choices and suffer as a result.
 

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耶稣在耶路撒冷_为门徒洗脚

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约翰福音13章14节     我是你们的主、你们的夫子，尚且洗你们的脚，你们也当彼此洗脚。

当我在寻找这段耶稣为门徒洗脚的经文时，很惊讶地发现，只有约翰记录了这件事。为何马太、彼得和路加没有记录此事呢？马太和彼得都是在现场的人，不记录此事实在不合理。但是换个角度想，这件事是否让他们觉得很丢脸呢？以致于不写了？彼得和约翰是负责预备筵席的人，竟然忘了找个人给大家洗脚，真是太不周到了。

在耶稣的时代，不像我们现在有很美观舒适的鞋子穿，只有类似拖鞋般的鞋子；巴勒斯坦又很干燥、到处泥沙灰尘，脚上的鞋履亦只不过是用带子把鞋底绑在足上。因此进到屋子，主人必预备水，亲自或让奴仆为客人洗脚。

以前在巴勒斯坦，男人们吃饭时并不坐着进膳，而是斜躺着，大家躺在矮小的卧榻上，身体靠在左肘，腾空右手，双脚最后伸展；进膳的时候，则把鞋子脱掉。可以想像，若不洗脚就上卧榻吃饭，是一件何等令人倒胃口的举止。

但是耶稣和门徒吃晚饭，没有奴仆跟随，那么，谁要负责洗脚？谁都不想去做那样卑微的工作，谁也不想去闻别人的臭脚，因此就假装没那一回事。耶稣看到没有人出来为大家洗脚，就离席站起来，脱了衣服，拿一条手巾束腰， 随后把水倒在盆里，就洗门徒的脚，并用自己所束的手巾擦干。

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Don’t Box In Your Worship

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Hi GAMErs,

Amos 4:1 (NIV) 
1  Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”

On verses 1-3:  While Israel was experiencing great economic prosperity during this time, there was a wide discrepancy between the rich and the poor in Israel.   Here Amos accuses the rich, upper class women, and indirectly their husbands, of oppressing the poor and taking advantage of the needy in order to satisfy their expensive tastes.  Playing off the fact that Samaria, Israel’s capital city, had a lot of lush fields and fattened cattle, Amos calls these women “cows of Bashan” (v1).  This is followed by a promise from God that these upper class women would be cast out of their own city one day, like fish being taken away on hooks (v2-3).

What can we learn from this?  It angers God when the rich take advantage of the poor, or when those who have more materially show no concern for those who have less.  God has no issues with people having wealth, but He watches what we do with our wealth.  Justice is a big theme in the book of Amos.

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