Noah’s Ark, Jesus’ Body, My Salvation

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 6:11-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 6:11-13 (NIV)
11  Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.
12  God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
13  So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

On verses 11-13:  In Genesis 1, God saw that the earth He made was good.  Here, however, in verses 11-13 God saw how corrupt the earth had become due to the sins people would commit and the violence they would inflict on one another.  We’re only six chapters into the Bible, but we are now half way through the overarching story of the Bible:  “God made us.  We blew it.  Jesus came.  We need Him.”  This is the “we blew it” part.

餘地繪圖以備鬮分

〈約書亞記〉 18:1以色列的全會眾都聚集在示羅,把會幕設立在那裡,那地已經被他們制伏了。

閱讀經文:〈約書亞記〉 18:1-28

示羅是希伯來聖經中提到的一座古代城市,位於以法蓮山地,位於伯特利東北的小山岡上,城的四周都是高山,東有大泉,從伯特利到示劍的大路由此經過。以色列人攻佔迦南後,在此安營,會幕也設在示羅,成為固定的建築物。在很長時期中,示羅是以色列人活動的中心,每年在此都舉行一個特別節日。

約書亞從示羅派出各支派的代表,勘察迦南地的詳細狀況,然後按城邑分作七份,拈閹分給便雅憫、西緬、西布倫等七個未曾在約但河東岸取得土地的支派。其遺址是今伯特利東北 16公里、示劍東南18公里的賽依侖廢墟。(資料來自以斯拉百科網)

示羅在以法蓮境內,撒馬利亞在瑪拿西境內,可見這兩族在以色列中舉足輕重的地位。眼看五個宗族都有自己的領土了,為何其他七個支派還在觀望等待呢?難道是約書亞忘了給他們拈鬮?從雅各的十二個兒子來看,從大小排序是:流便、西緬、利未、猶大、但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設、以薩迦、西布倫、約瑟、便雅憫。流便因為與雅各的妾有染,玷污了他父親的床,失去了長子的位置。雅各把長子的名份給了約瑟,讓他得兩份的家產,又立以法蓮在瑪拿西之上。但是君王和彌賽亞從猶大而出,因此在約旦河東邊,猶大、以法蓮和瑪拿西先得分地權,在吉甲分地;然後才輪到其他七個支派在示羅分地。

God Cares and God Is Watching

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 6:1-10.  Let’s go!

Genesis 6:1-7 (NIV)
1  When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,
2  the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
3  Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days–and also afterward–when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5  The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
6  The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
7  So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth–men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air–for I am grieved that I have made them.”

On verses 1-7:  At first glance verses 1-7 read to me like a fairy tale, speaking of a whimsical, romantic time when the “sons of God” mated with the “daughters of men” (v1-2), a time when the Nephilim, known to be a race of giants, lived.  According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, what could actually be happening here in verses 1-7 is that the author of Genesis (many scholars say it was Moses) was addressing the widely held beliefs of pagan nations which taught that you could attain god-like immortality by engaging in great immorality  Along this line of teaching,

第一封信:給以弗所(上)

基督照各教會靈性的程度來牧養

  基督復活之後,對祂的教會的吩咐、差遣到底是什麼,我們要仔細傳講耶穌給每個教會的信息到底是什麼。每個教會有它不同的地方,有的教會非常滿足主的心意,有的教會不討神的喜悅,照著各地靈性的狀況對他們宣講。當你真心謹慎聽,你會發現這個話是對我講,是我自己要遵行、順服、聆聽,自己修改自己,我們的靈性才會進步。每個教會領受上帝的護理都是獨特的,針對他們所要改正而發出勸戒。

  這位曾經死過,現在活著,並且活到永永遠遠的基督,監察、照顧、牧養他的教會,用當講的話警戒、安慰、照顧教會,這位生命的主、教會的元首發號施令,賜下應許。基督不是死了就死了,主清楚知道我們每個教會的毛病在哪裡、失敗在哪裡、我們的需要在哪裡,然後按照各個教會的需要,一個個來監督、來教導、來警戒,我們對我們所做的好事、對的事情,祂都知道,我們要愛上帝,因為一個愛上帝的人,是上帝所知道的人。上帝不但知道我們做的好事,也知道我們的敗壞、錯誤,因此基督發出警戒、教訓,使我們在他面前預備自己,領受他要給我們的指責、審判、責備,使我們不至於將錯就錯,以致於遠遠離開他,走在滅亡的道路上。

  教會是主的身體,主一定用他的督責把我們帶回正路。如果我們所做的是上帝所喜悅的事情,那麼,上帝一定會賜福;如果我們所做的是違背上帝旨意的事情,他一定要刑罰、管教我們,帶我們回到正路。這是耶穌基督作為教會的元首所做的事情。

Life Beyond The Ordinary

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 5:1-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 5:1-20 (NIV)
1  This is the written account of Adam’s line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
2  He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man.”
3  When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
4  After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
5  Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
6  When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh….

On verses 1-20:  How could human beings live such a long time, in some cases almost 1,000 years (see for example Methuselah in verse 27)?  One theory is that God’s original plan was that God made man to live forever, but as sin came into the world, gradually lifespans would get shorter over time.  As the Quest Study Bible explains, “The Creator made men and women to be immortal.  Nevertheless, death – the result of sin – progressively decreased human longevity until 70 or 80 years became a normal life span (see Psalm 90:10).” (Quest Study Bible: New International Version. Zondervan, 2003).  Another explanation is that life spans remained this long during the first several generations of human beings as shown in Genesis 5, but in Genesis 6 we see that God intentionally limits the lifespan of human beings to 120 years (see Genesis 6:3).

約瑟的子孫求分地

〈約書亞記〉 17:18 山地也要歸你,雖是樹林,你也可以砍伐。靠近之地必歸你。迦南人雖有鐵車,雖是強盛,你也能把他們趕出去。

閱讀經文:〈約書亞記〉 17:1-18

這裡說約瑟的子孫,主要是講到瑪拿西。瑪拿西是個大族,共有五萬二千七百名。他們在約但河東分到基列和巴珊地;在河東河西也分到不少地。瑪拿西的孫女們指的就是西羅非哈的女兒們,摩西曾為她們的哀告求問神。她們為了讓父親留名而要求承受父親的產業。摩西也因而訂下了女性承受產業的條例,她們不可以嫁給別的支派;若是要嫁給別的支派,就得放棄土地。免得自己宗族的土地成為別人的,自己的土地就會減少。

從瑪拿西得到的分地來看,他們拿到了很好的地方,包括約旦河東大部份的耶斯列平原,還有十足輕重的米吉多。「米吉多(Megiddo),是連貫非洲 與亞洲的古代著名地方,位置連貫兩洲軍事與貿易路線的要衝。米吉多的希伯來文意思是集合地點或軍隊的結集,這地方亦是歷史上一古戰場。現今米吉多有一 座可俯瞰山谷的70英呎山丘,是米吉多城的故址所在。米吉多城是基順河流域的古城。(摘錄自維基百科)」

以色列北國的首都撒馬利亞就在瑪拿西的境內。分到了這樣又多又好的地,但他們還是不滿足。他們對約書亞說:「 耶和華到如今既然賜福於我們,我們也族大人多,你為什麼僅將一鬮一段之地分給我們為 業呢?」我個人非常喜歡約書亞的答覆,真是可圈可點:「你們如果族大人多,嫌以法蓮山地窄小,就可以上比利洗人、利乏音人之地,在樹林中砍伐樹木。」是 的,還有許多未得之地,焉能期望約書亞為他們把所有的地都打理好嗎?

以法蓮所得之地

〈約書亞記〉 16:10 他們沒有趕出住基色的迦南人,迦南人卻住在以法蓮人中間,成為做苦工的僕人,直到今日。

閱讀經文:〈約書亞記〉 16:1-10

在〈民數記〉26章裡,神要摩西按著人名的數目分產業給他們。人多的,要把產業多分給他們;人少的,要把產業少分給他們。要照被數的人數,把產業分給各人。要按著所拈的鬮,看人數多人數少,把產業分給他們。根據在摩押平原數算的人數如下:猶大的各族,共有七萬六千五百名。以法蓮子孫的各族,共有三萬二千五百名。瑪拿西的各族,他們中間被數的,共有五萬二千七百名。便雅憫的子孫,共有四萬五千六百名。 魯本的各族,共有四萬三千七百三十名。但所有的各族,共有六萬四千四百名。以薩迦的各族,共有六萬四千三百名。西布倫的各族,共有六萬零五百名。亞設子孫的各族,共有五萬三千四百名。拿弗他利的各族,共有四萬五千四百名。迦得子孫的各族,共有四萬零五百名。西緬的各族,共有二萬二千二百名。

這也解釋了為何從猶大支派的分地開始記錄,因為猶大支派的人最多,共有七萬六千五百名。所以他們的分地看起來也最大,甚至在〈列王記〉裡,當耶羅波安分掉了以色列的十個支派之後,所羅門王的兒子羅波安仍然可以自成猶大南國。

Marked By God For Protection

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 4:13-26.  Let’s go!

Genesis 4:13-15 (NIV)
13  Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.
14  Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15  But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

On verses 13-15: Realizing that the punishment for his sin is that he will be hidden from God’s presence and vulnerable to attack, Cain cries out to God.  Was Cain asking for forgiveness or just complaining about his punishment?  While some commentators think Cain was asking for forgiveness, it would seem to me based on the text probably the latter.  Yet God has mercy on Cain, placing a mark on him so that no one would kill him (v15).  

押撒和俄陀聶

〈約書亞記〉 15:19 她說:「求你賜福給我,你既將我安置在南地,求你也給我水泉。」她父親就把上泉下泉賜給她。

閱讀經文:〈約書亞記〉   15:1-63

在拈鬮分地後,猶大支派所分到的地界,大部分是在迦南地的南部,包括了現在著名的希作崙、伯利恒和耶路撒冷等地。雅各祝福猶大:「你弟兄們必讚美你,你手必掐住仇敵的頸項,你父親的兒子們必向你下拜。猶大是個小獅子。我兒啊,你抓了食便上去。你屈下身去,臥如公獅,蹲如母獅,誰敢惹你? 圭必不離猶大,杖必不離他兩腳之間,直等細羅來到,萬民都必歸順(創49:8-10)」。約書亞介紹的第一個支派就是猶大支派,因為猶大支派出了一個信心的偉人迦勒,然後又出了另一位英雄俄陀聶。

在這一章裡,我門會發現一件不尋常的事,信心偉人迦勒居然把他至愛的女兒當獎品,要懸賞給攻下基列西弗(底璧)並奪城的人!底璧距希伯崙以南十英里,曾被約書亞打敗過,但是迦南人趁虛又住進去,因此迦勒需要再把它收回。這是為了宗族的利益,而不是為了他自己利益。因為他已經從他所要求的地,趕出了三個亞衲族長,他大可休戰享受,但是因為底璧地處中央山脈的邊緣,可雄視非利士平原,是一個重要的軍事據點,是兵家必爭之地,所以為了猶大族,此地不能不奪取回來。

雖然在古代,子女的婚事多數由父母定奪,可是這樣的決定算不算草率呢?曾經讀過一段有關押撒和俄陀聶,說來給大家參考。有一本猶太人的歷史小說《迦勒的女兒》中說道,押撒是迦勒的獨生女,她還有三個兄弟。迦勒很愛這個女兒,往往問她:「你要什麼?」可能從小和兄弟們一起成長,她的性情非常自由開放,還愛上了一個風流且貪婪的軍官。迦勒屢勸不聽,非常生氣。在一次和押撒溝通無效之後,便下了這道以押撒為懸賞的命令。

Blood That Cries Out

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 4:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 4:1 (NIV)
1  Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”

On verse 1:  Adam and Eve welcome their first child, a son.  Even after they had sinned against God in Genesis 3, here we see Eve’s faith in the Lord as she name her firstborn “Cain” (which means “brought forth”), saying “with the Lord’s help I have brought forth a man.”

Genesis 4:2 (NIV)
2  Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

On verse 2:  Abel (“hebel” in Hebrew) means “breath”.  Especially considering that his life was cut short, Abel’s name reminds me of Psalm 144:4, which says “Man is like a breath (hebel); his days are like a fleeting shadow”.  To me it’s a reminder that we have no control over the day of our birth and very little control over the day of our death, but what is up to us is how we live in that hyphen between the day of our birth and the day of our death.  No matter how long or short our days on earth, like Abel may we live each day giving our best to God.  When we do, it’s a life worth living, no matter how long or short it ends up being.