Let Jesus Take It Over

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 15:45-63.  Let’s go!

Joshua 15:45-63 (NIV) 
45  Ekron, with its surrounding settlements and villages;
46  west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod, together with their villages;
47  Ashdod, its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.
48  In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
49  Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir),

On verses 45-63:  These verses conclude the list of towns and villages given to the tribe of Judah.  When I read this list the following things jump out at me:

1.     Ekron, Ashdod and Gaza (v45-47) were all cities occupied by the Philistines (see Joshua 13;3), but they are allotted here to Judah.  Judah would need to go in and take over these cities.

2.     Jerusalem was one of the cities that was allotted to Judah.  But notice what  verse 63 says: “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.” 

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为什么信耶稣得救?

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约翰福音14章6节     耶稣说：「我就是道路、真理、生命。若不借着我，没有人能到父那里去。」

如果我今天到你家去，你说：「来来来，请你喝一杯茶。」我说：「不不不，我不喝」「你不喝茶，那我拿杯咖啡来请你喝」「不不不，我也不喝咖啡」「那请你喝柳丁汁」「不不不」你给我喝什么，我都：「不不不」。后来你想：什么都不要，水也不要，牛奶不要，柳丁汁也不要。你就说：「请你喝燕窝」我说：「这我也不要」。你心里会想：「这人到底怎么回事？」我若说：「你的东西都有毒。你的柳丁汁有毒，你的椰浆有毒，你的苹果汁有毒，你的燕窝有毒，你的咖啡也有毒。」这个时候你就不再对我客气了。刚才还客气地说：「请喝，请喝」，现在则拍桌子怒吼：「你给我滚！你怎么可以侮辱我，以为我给你的都有毒！你这样侮辱我，现在我不要接待你，你给我走！」

为什么我这样作是得罪你呢？因为我曲解你善良的心意，拒绝你对我的好意，用不信的态度去对待你给我的东西。不信基督的人犯了最大的罪，因为他把上帝在基督里的救恩，当作是上帝恶意对待他而不相信祂。所以不信基督不是小事情，不信基督是最大的罪，因为你用不信拒绝祂的时候，你就是侮辱祂，以为祂用恶意对待你。上帝差遣祂的儿子到世界上来是要拯救世人，担当人的罪恶。这从天上到世界上来伟大的爱，最大的牺牲，你不信祂，你的不信就变成你最大的罪。最大的罪不是犯奸淫。一个犯奸淫的人悔改的时候，上帝还可以赦免他。最大的罪不是杀人。一个杀人放火的人，当他谦卑在上帝面前哀哭痛苦求赦免的时候，上帝的恩典还可以临到他。但一个拒绝耶稣基督的人，他犯了最大的罪，因为他不信上帝儿子、上帝独生子的名。这是圣经清楚的教导。

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Known By What He Did

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 15:20-44.  Let’s go!

Joshua 15:20-44 (NIV) 
20  This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, clan by clan: 
21  The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the boundary of Edom were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 
22  Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 
23  Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 
24  Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ……

On verses 20-44:  Here we start to get a list of the towns and villages that were included in the southlands and western foothills given to the tribe of Judah.   While some of these towns are only ever mentioned here in Joshua 15 and not anywhere else in the Bible, other towns would become famous because of what David would later do in these towns.  For example, when King Saul was on a hunt to kill David, David went into hiding in the Desert of Ziph (v24; see 1 Samuel 23:14).  When running away from Saul, David found favour with the Philistines and was given control of the town of Ziklag (v31), which at the time was under Philistine control (1 Samuel 27:6).   When Keilah (v44) was under attack by the Philistines, David inquired of the Lord and then went with his men to rescue Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1-5).

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