大卫和米非波设

撒母耳记下九章7节    大卫对他说:「你不要惧怕,我必因你父亲约拿单的缘故向你施恩,把你祖父扫罗的一切田地都归还你,你也可以常与我同席吃饭。」

当扫罗和约拿单战败的消息传到王宫后,所有的人都恐慌起来,害怕得四处奔逃。那时约拿单儿子米非波设才五岁,他的奶妈抱着他逃跑;因为跑得太急,孩子掉在地上,双腿就都瘸了。(撒下4:4/9:3)

在跟随扫罗的人心里,不仅害怕非利士人,也害怕大卫。害怕非利士人乘胜追击,赶尽杀绝;也害怕扫罗长期追杀大卫,大卫会回来报仇。他们不知道大卫和约拿单是至交,也不知道他们之间有约定,更不知道大卫对约拿单的爱是何等真切。倘若他们有人知道大卫,他们的心就不至于那么恐惧害怕了。

大卫做王后,特地挀人去寻找约拿单的后裔,结果找到一个曾在扫罗家做事的仆人洗巴,他把米非设的情况告诉大卫。大卫立刻把米非波设一家接到耶路撒冷,并且邀请他常和王一同吃饭,以示大卫对他的恩典和照顾。因为人若可以常常看到王的面,其他人就不敢欺负他了,因为他有事可以随时告诉王。这就是大卫恩待米非波设的证据。

When Idolatry Becomes Adultery

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 16:15-34.  Let’s go!

On verses 15-34:  Here in verses 15-34 the love story between God and the city of Jerusalem takes a tragic turn.  God recounts how Jerusalem’s love for God grows cold and Jerusalem chases after other lovers instead.

Here God compares Jerusalem’s idolatry to adultery.  That’s because Jerusalem had made vows to the Lord and had a relationship with the Lord much like married people do, and then Jerusalem cheated on Him by running to other gods, such as the gods of Egypt (v26), Philistia (v27), Assyria (v28) and Babylonia (v29).

God also compares Jerusalem’s idolatry to prostitution, for Jerusalem was taking her beauty as well as the gifts and treasures that God had given Jerusalem and was giving them away to other nations and other gods to use (v15-19).  The only difference between Jerusalem and a prostitute is that instead of these other nations paying Jerusalem in exchange for her affection, Jerusalem incredibly pays other nations to take her affection (v33-34).

夫妻间沟通不良

不想被强迫受洗

大卫秉公行义

撒母耳记下八章6/14节    大卫无论往哪里去,耶和华都使他得胜。

在〈撒母耳记下〉8章里,作者给了大卫几个点评。一是大卫东征西讨,成了当地的覇主,是因为「 大卫无论往哪里去,耶和华都使他得胜。」其二,「大卫作全以色列的王,又向众百姓秉公行义。」所以大卫对外所向披靡,对内则秉公行义,整个以色列国,直到此时,才真正走上轨道。这也是以色列终于安定和大治的时期。

这里我们要来对照一下两节经文,可以帮助我们理解其内容。

〈撒母耳记下〉8章1节:此后,大卫攻打非利士人,制伏了他们。大卫从非利士人手中夺取了京城的治理权。

〈历代志上〉18章1节    此后,大卫攻打非利士人,制伏了他们,从非利士人手中夺取了迦特和所属的乡镇。

这两节经文都在讲同一件事,只是用词有点不同。〈撒下〉的「京城的治理权」,原文音译「米特‧雅玛」,意思是「母城的嚼环」,对照〈历上〉,原来指的就是「迦特和所属的乡镇」。在大卫逃亡时,曾经两次去迦特寻求非利士王的庇护,可见在当时迦特是非利士的京城,大卫打下迦特和所属的乡镇,自然也取得其治理权。

大卫攻击摩押人,使他们躺卧在地上,用绳来量,量二绳的杀了,量一绳的活着。摩押人曾让大卫年老的父母度过最后一段人生,不必随大卫东奔西逃,此时大卫也手下留情,让年轻的摩押人可以生存下去。不至于灭族。

有时大自然生存的法则就是如此。昨天外子在院子里看到有只蜜蜂误入一张蛛网,结果就被等在那里的小蜘蛛一口一口吃掉了。本来想救那只蜜蜂,可惜牠己经死了。一旦救出蜜蜂,蜘蛛又会饿死,

When Jesus Rescued Us

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 16:1-14.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 16:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me: 
2  “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices
 
On verses 1-2:  In chapter 16, the Lord gives Ezekiel a second parable with which the Lord wants Ezekiel to confront the city of Jerusalem.  The parable is about Jerusalem and her unfaithfulness toward God.  The next 12 verses (verses 3-14) describe the initially beautiful part of the love story between the Lord and the city of Jerusalem. They also reflect what God did for us through Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 16:3 (NIV) 
3  and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
 
On verse 3:  The reference to Jerusalem’s ancestry and birth being “in the land of the Canaanites” is probably a reference to how the city of Jerusalem was not originally founded by Israelites, but by Canaanites.  The same goes for the reference to how Jerusalem’s “father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite” (v2).  The point here is that originally Jerusalem was not entitled to God’s special love or attention.  Rather God supernaturally chose Jerusalem.

大卫为圣殿预备

撒母耳记下 七章2节   王对拿单先知说:「你看,我住在香柏木的宫中,神的约柜却停在幔子里。」

今天这节经文是令我深为感动的一节经文。世界上多的是父母为儿女购屋置产,会想到在自己住家附近为父母购置住处的人甚少。大卫纵使有百般不是,但是他对神的心却是那么真诚。他经常会想到:「 我能为耶和华神做何事?  」

有些人在谈恋爱时,会天天为对方预备早餐,有的会替对方洗脚按摩,有的人会送花,预备假日出游的行程,准备一些惊喜,等等。但是结婚之后,就一切从简,送鲜花不如送塑胶花,一劳永逸;更别说会经常想到生他养他,什么都给他的父母。但是大卫不是这样,神恩待他,他铭刻于心,时时想念。

当他向先知约拿单谈这件事时,约拿单立刻说:「你可以完全照你的心意去做,因为耶和华与你同在。」这件事让我们明白,有时候神的仆人也会按着人的心意去判断事情,但是神的心意和人的心意不见得会一致,因此我们自己要凡事求问神,确定是出于神的带领,才不会后悔。

当晚神就向约拿单显现,表明祂自己的心意。因为大卫是个战士,流血太多,所以神要让大卫的儿子,生在太平时代的所罗门为他建殿(代上22:8)。大卫听后虽然感到遗憾,却并不气馁。反而更积极地为建殿的事工做各方面的准备。圣殿建好后,没有人记念大卫的功绩,但是大卫不介意,他的心只想讨神的欢喜。

我们有时也可能爱慕某些事奉,但是没有神的托付。我们要学习大卫,只为了讨神喜悦,自己的得失都不计较,尽力与他人配合,做幕后工作也开心,只愿神的名被高举,神得到荣耀。

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 15:1-8.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  Here Ezekiel senses the Lord give him the first of three parables concerning the unfaithfulness of the people living in Jerusalem.  In this parable, the Lord compares the people living in Jerusalem to a fruitless vine whose wood is unusable (v2-3) especially after having been burned in a fire (v4-5).  The people living in Jerusalem had already “come out of the fire” of one Babylonian attack in 597 B.C. (v7).  However, the Lord warns that a similar “fire will yet consume them” again (v7), meaning that they would be subject to another Babylonian attack.  As history would show, this “fire” would take place in 586 B.C. due to the Israelites’ unfaithfulness to God (v8).

What can we learn from this?  These verses remind me of what Jesus says about the disciple who does not bear fruit.  God made us to bear fruit for Him.   As Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last.” (John 15:8, 16a)

What kind of fruit does God make us to bear? 

安息日的意义

20世纪著名希伯来语作家Asher Ginsburg说: 『不是犹太人持守-保存了安息日,而是安息日「扶持-保存了」犹太人』

每个星期五的傍晚,当太阳落下、漆黑的夜晚出现明亮之星时,就是进入安息日那圣洁,又欢愉的美好时刻。

因为这一天,是「家人团聚」的家庭日,在外地工作或当兵的儿女们,在安息日的时候,一定会回家吃这一顿安息日晚餐,和父母亲聊聊天、话家常,分享过去一周生活的点点滴滴、酸天苦辣。而作父母的也会预备丰盛的佳肴,等著儿女们归家,当每一位家庭成员全数到齐,确认阖家平安,于是就开始安息日的晚宴,这样的场景就好像华人过的农历春节一般,只是犹太人每周都要「全家团聚」个一次

安息日,当然也是一周六天辛勤劳苦工作后的「休息日」,安息日希伯来文(שבת) 读音Shabbat,这个字的字根意思就是「停工、罢工」,而且是「有意识地停止」手边的任何工作。所以,在以色列的星期五,过了下午四、五点之后,你会发现:路上行驶的车辆变得越来越少,马路上的行人也寥寥可数,整座城市似乎变空城一般,那是因为,大家下班后都急着赶回家「要过安息日」。

安息日,除了是一个家庭日、休息日之外,也是犹太人要守的一个「宗教诫律」,前面提过,安息日是一个「有意识地去停止」工作的一个日子。因为在希伯来圣经中的《创世记》2:1-3节记载:「天地万物都造齐了。到第七日,神造物的工已经完毕,就在第七日歇了他一切的工,安息了。上帝赐福给第七日,定为圣日」所以,犹太人守安息日,乃是纪念上帝的创造,并且承认神是世界的主宰,一切都是借由祂所创造的。因此,犹太人守安息日,是对于神祂的真实存在,以及伟大创造的「见证」。