以笏和珊迦

/in , /by

〈士師記〉 3:28a    對他們說：「你們隨我來，因為耶和華已經把你們的仇敵摩押人交在你們手中。」

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 3:12-31

摩押人是羅得的大女兒和羅得的後裔，羅得是亞伯拉罕的侄子，以色列人是亞伯拉罕的後裔，所以摩押人和以色列人有親戚關係。他們之間的關係時好時壞，在〈路得記〉裡記載當伯利恒有饑荒時，有的以色列人就跑到摩押地避災；大衛逃難時，也曾把父母放到摩押地去避難。但是在這章裡，摩押人約了亞捫人和亞瑪力人一起去攻打以色列人，占據了棕樹城，也就是耶利哥城。棕樹城是耶利哥城的別名，因為在耶利哥城裡有許多棕樹。

這三族人戰勝以色列人，以色列人就服侍摩押王伊磯倫十八年。以色列人何時離開神，何時就失去力量，被敵人所勝。我們也是一樣，我們何時離開神，就會失足，或失敗。主耶穌說：「因為離了我，你們就不能做什麼。（約15:5c）」〈士師記〉裡的以色列人，正像有些相信主耶穌的人，雖然身在迦南地，卻不一定肯遵行神的話去生活，反而偏行已意，以致常被試探所勝，跌入苦難之中。但是愛我們的神卻從不曾離開我們，總是等著我們回轉，等著向我們伸出援手。

神會使用誰去拯救以色列人呢？在我們的心中，能拯救一個民族的豈不是超人嗎？現在電視電影上不僅有男超人、女超人，還有蜘蛛人、蝙蝠俠，不勝枚舉。在人的心中，能拯救人的必然有超凡的力量，一隻手可以舉起一架坦克，一跑可以快過飛機，但那些都是假的，是人幻想出來的。以色列的「超人」，都是神興起的。

Read more

God’s Plan Is Greater Than Our Mistakes

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 13:1-18.  Let’s go!

Genesis 13:1-2 (NIV)
1  So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2  Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

Verses 1-2:  Remember who Lot is.  Lot was Abram’s nephew, the son of Abram’s deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:27).  After Haran died, Lot and Abram lived together in one household under care of Abram’s dad Terah (Genesis 11:31).  When Terah died, Abram took Lot under his wing and became a father figure in Lot’s life.  Practically speaking, because they lived so close to each other for much of their lives, Abram saw Lot like a younger brother and cared for him that way (see verse 8).

Genesis 13:3-4 (NIV)
3  From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4  and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Read more

第一封信：給以弗所(2)(上)

/in , /by

主對以弗所教會的責備（啟2:4-7）

當一個教會什麼都有，卻缺乏愛

　　以弗所教會有眾多的榜樣，是亞細亞最大的城市，是政治、娛樂、文化、經濟中心，但以弗所教會在這些大城市許多不同的人之中，在行為、勞碌、忍耐、不能容忍惡人上都做信徒的榜樣。主看見以弗所教會的好處，也看見她的缺點，因此主說：「有一件事，我要責備你」，這件事使主心裡難過，「你已經離棄了起初的愛心」。當一個教會什麼都有，卻缺乏愛，在最重要的事情上有了錯失，那麼，他愛心的生活是主動的？還是被動的？

你經常覺悟什麼？

　　你失去起初的愛心，但你不容易覺悟。在人生過程中，我們有些很難覺悟的毛病，無法單單透過悟性察覺。有些事情，我們很容易覺悟，有些事情，我們不容易覺悟。

　　我們生病的時候，我們很容易覺悟，我們痊癒的時候，我們不容易覺悟。我們飯後打嗝，我們很容易覺悟；但五分鐘後，當你不再打嗝，你卻沒有覺悟，因為你感到打嗝是不正常的，沒有打嗝才是正常的，你對感到是不正常、帶給你痛苦的事，馬上覺悟，這表示我們常常在恩中不知恩，在福中不知福，等到恩典失去了，福氣減少了，突然感到生活很不舒服，「我正在困難中，受疾病的纏擾」，這種只對艱難有敏銳的覺悟，是相當不正常的，因為我們應該常常覺悟的是恩典，這樣我們才能常常感恩。

對恩典的不覺悟

　　我們不覺悟的事情有哪些？第一，對恩典不覺悟。很多人不感恩，因為對恩典不覺誤，卻對患難深有所悟。今天早上五點我起來思想一個問題，今天有很多神學生在這裡住、在這裡吃，他們不覺悟他們住的樓是世界最新式、最漂亮的樓，他們住的房間是有冷氣的房間，而他們付的價錢是全世界最便宜的價錢，這是一個恩典，

Read more

Don’t Give Into Fear

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 12:10-20.  Let’s go!

Genesis 12:10-20 (NIV)
10  Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
11  As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.
12  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
13  Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14  When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman……

On verses 10-20:  One of the things I appreciate about Genesis is its honesty; that is, when it comes to characters like Abram or Noah, the Bible tells it like it is.  Rather than pretending that these great figures in the Bible did not have their share of flaws and weaknesses, Genesis openly talks about their flaws and weaknesses, not to smear their name but to show that all of us are sinners who need a Saviour.  Here, Abram, whose faith is in many ways an example for us, does something here that no man of faith would be proud of:  fearing what the Egyptians might do to him if they found out he was married to the beautiful Sarai, Abram lies to everyone he meets in Egypt about his marriage to Sarai, saying that they are siblings rather than husband and wife.  He also tells Sarai to do the same.  As a result, Pharaoh king of Egypt takes Sarai into his palace, presumably to be his concubine.  While Abram seems to profit initially from his lie (v16), eventually God sends diseases on Pharaoh and his household, evidently to protect His plans for Abram and Sarai.  Angry at how Abram lied to him, Pharaoh returns Sarai to Abram and sends them away from Egypt.

Read more

When God Speaks to You

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 12:1-9.  Let’s go!

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)
1  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
2  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

On verses 1-3:  Everything that Abram might otherwise use to anchor his identity before – his country, his people and his family – God asks Abram to leave in order to go to the land that He will show him (v1).  The only assurance God gives Abram is a promise that God will bless Abram and make Abram into a great nation, and that through him all peoples on earth will be blessed (v2-3). 

How would all peoples on earth be blessed through Abram (v3)?  In a number of ways:  

–        Abram (later known as Abraham) would be regarded as the father of the Jewish people (Mark 12:26; John 8:39; Acts 3:13).

–        From Abram’s blood line Jesus Christ would be born (Matthew 1).   

–        Abraham’s example shows that we are justified (that is, declared righteous and not guilty in God’s sight) simply by having faith in God’s promise, not by the good things we do (Romans 4:1-15).  In this way, Abraham is a father in faith to all who have trusted in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:6-7).  

Read more

第一個士師俄陀聶

/in , /by

〈士師記〉 3:9 以色列人呼求耶和華的時候，耶和華就為他們興起一位拯救者救他們，就是迦勒兄弟基納斯的兒子俄陀聶。

閱讀經文: 〈士師記〉 3:1-14 

在《聖經》裡，我們處處可看到神的主權和權柄。正如神說的：「你們如今要知道，我，唯有我是神！在我以外並無別神。我使人死，我使人活，我損傷，我也醫治，並無人能從我手中救出來。(申32:39)」神可以幫助以色列人趕出迦南地所有的外邦人，也可以留下幾族不趕出去。看起來似乎是以色列人不遵從神的旨意，缺乏信心；但是作者卻讓我們看見，凡事都有神的旨意。即使人不遵從神的旨意，神也可以使壞事變好事。

例如，以色列人在約書亞死後各自為政，不再像以前那樣同心抗敵，神也可以藉著他們趕不出去的外邦人去達到一些目的。其一，可以使用這些外族人來試驗以色列人肯不肯遵行神的道；其二，可以讓以色列人的後代學習戰事。所以從巴力黑門山直到哈馬口，都有零零落落的外族人居住其間。黑門山在舊約時是巴珊王噩的屬地，迦南人把它認為是敬拜巴力的聖山，因此被稱為巴力黑門山；但是在耶穌登山變像之後，它就有了新的意義，變成跟從耶穌之人的聖山了。

哈馬口曾是亞蘭（敘利亞）境內的一座城，在利巴嫩山脈和安替利巴嫩山脈之間的谷地中，是自南方進入哈馬地區的惟一孔道。也就是說，在迦南境內由南至北，神留下非利士五個首領，也就是五座城；還有西頓人、希未人，等等。

以色列人不僅和外族人立約，去拜他們的巴力和亞斯她錄，並且與迦南人通婚，侍奉他們的神。在《聖經》裡我們經常會看到這句話：「以色列人行耶和華眼中看為惡的事」。你可能會不以為然。因為現在和異族通婚簡直是司空見慣，怎麼會變成神眼中的惡事？神難道不希望全世界的人都彼此相愛，成為一家嗎？可能有的人會覺得神的心胸太狹隘了。

Read more

波金的信息

/in , /by

〈士師記〉 2:16  耶和華興起士師，士師就拯救他們脫離搶奪他們人的手。

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 2:1-23 

波金，是一個地名，意思是weeper哭泣者，因為這名字只在《聖經》裡出現過一次，現在已無法證實它確實的地點在哪裡。不過，如果七十士譯本正確，那大概就是在伯特利附近。因為直到〈士師記〉的末了，約櫃都放在中央山地的伯特利 ，伯特利有一顆樹叫亞倫巴古，就是「哭泣的橡樹」之意，與波金似乎有相當的關係。從吉甲上到波金，意味著當時敬拜中心的轉移。從約書亞死後到耶和華的使者來波金傳信息，這當中應該有幾十年了。因為諸支派都已逐漸穩定下來，並且接納了迦南地的原居民，給他們當中有的人做苦工雜役。現在我們曉得，神對這種情形極為不滿，因為百姓把神的話打折扣了。因此神差遣使者從吉甲到波金向以色列人傳信息。

波金的信息有哪些重點呢？

1, 神是帶領以色列人從埃及出來，到祂所應許以色列祖先之地的神。

神永不廢棄和以色列人所立的約。(這讓以色列人放心了)

3.神是守約的神，可是以色列人卻沒有遵行與神所立的約。

因為以色列人沒有聽從神的話，所以神不將他們趕出。他們必成為以色列人肋下的荊棘，他們的神必做以色列人的網羅。

你假如不明白「肋下的荊棘」是何意？可以拿幾根樹枝放在肋下幾個小時，感覺一下。「網羅」就是被困住之意。你可以觀察一下，在信主之前，很多人都被迷信和一些傳統信仰困住。最近在台灣有孕婦因為流產而被責備，因為按民間說法，懷孕三個月之前不可以說出來，不然會流產。所以有醫生出來打破這個迷信。動輒得咎便是一種陷在網羅裡的感覺。

Read more

God Cares About The Fruit You Bear

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 11:10-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 11:10-26 (NIV)
10  This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
11  And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12  When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.
13  And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14  When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.
15  And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16  When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg……

On verses 10-26:  In what the author of Genesis calls the account (i.e. the story or genealogy) of Shem (v10), we find a family tree linking Noah’s oldest son Shem to Terah, the father of Abram (later to be known as Abraham).  Verses 10 to 26 help us to see the connection between two very important figures in the Old Testament: Noah and Abraham.

In this list of ancestors, a pattern recurs where it says “When this person had lived X years, he became the father of Y, and after he became the father of Y, he lived Z years and had other sons and daughters.”  Notice that the author of Genesis starts counting years of a person’s life based on when they became a father to their first born.  What can we learn from this?  For me it’s a subtle reminder that God made us to bear fruit.  I’m not just talking about reproducing children of your own; rather I’m talking about what kind of fruit you are reproducing with your life.

Read more

The Power of a United Team

/in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 11:1-9.  Let’s go!

Genesis 11:1 (NIV)
1  Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

On verse 1:  How could the whole world, or at least the whole world as the author of Genesis had known it, have one language and a common speech when Genesis 10:5 already says that certain maritime peoples had their own languages?  One theory is that there may have been one common language by which all people groups communicated, though each group may have also had their own dialects.  Another theory is that Genesis 10:5 is referring to events that took place after what we read about here in Genesis 11:1. 

Genesis 11:2 (NIV)
2  As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

On verse 2:  According to some scholars, Shinar was likely located in modern day Iraq.

Genesis 11:3-4 (NIV)
3  They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
4  Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Read more

心靈上的鐵車

/in , /by

〈士師記〉 1:19 耶和華與猶大同在，猶大就趕出山地的居民，只是不能趕出平原的居民，因為他們有鐵車。

閱讀經文：〈士師記 〉1:1-36

有人說〈士師記〉是整本《聖經》中最悲哀的一卷書，描寫神的子民離開神，倚靠自己的力量去生存，不但無法奪取未得之地，甚至喪失已得之地，成為異族蹂躙的對象。這也是形容信徒離開神的光景，不但無法過得勝的生活，反而被罪惡所勝，再度成為罪的奴僕，被罪奴役。約書亞帶領以色列人進入迦南，打下了基礎，以色人卻無法完成神的託咐、剩下的使命；正如基督為我們完成了救恩，我們也接受救恩成為神的兒女，但是卻未能倚靠神去戰勝老我，以致老我居首，又把聖靈關到地下室。

因此我們明白，信心和行為相輔相成的必要。約書亞死後，以色列人的信心開始逐漸轉移。以色列人的團結性也逐漸分散，各打各的仗，以致於力量分散，無法像約書亞在世時，集中一氣去打戰的氣勢。一開始，彷彿還是有點信心，以色列人去求問神，誰應該先出戰。猶大邀請西緬一起作戰，因為西緬的地域就在猶大的領域之內。「猶大就上去，耶和華將迦南人和比利洗人交在他們手中」，意思是，猶大一上去，神就把敵人交給他。猶大有憑著信心而出的行為，神立刻回應。這就是神對我們的要求，好像過約旦河時，祭司的腳必須先踏入水中，水才分開。倘若祭司害怕，要神先把水分開，那麼他們就無法過河了。猶大採取行動，神就祝福。

猶大和西緬打了個大勝仗，在比色擊殺了一萬人，又抓到亞多尼比色。亞多尼比色是個頭銜，指他是「比色的王」之意。他是一個勢力強大且凶狠的統治者，他曾經擊敗七十個王，並砍去他們手腳的大拇指。在古代希臘和近東的戰役裡都有類似的習俗，就是砍去戰俘的大拇指，讓他不能再拿劍執矛，卻可以划船。但是亞多尼比色卻故意屈辱他的戰俘，讓他們在他的桌下拾取零碎食物，苟延殘喘以度餘生。因此，他覺他所受的懲罰是個報應。

Read more