以笏和珊迦

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〈士师记〉 3:28a    对他们说：「你们随我来，因为耶和华已经把你们的仇敌摩押人交在你们手中。」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 3:12-31

摩押人是罗得的大女儿和罗得的后裔，罗得是亚伯拉罕的侄子，以色列人是亚伯拉罕的后裔，所以摩押人和以色列人有亲戚关系。他们之间的关系时好时坏，在〈路得记〉里记载当伯利恒有饥荒时，有的以色列人就跑到摩押地避灾；大卫逃难时，也曾把父母放到摩押地去避难。但是在这章里，摩押人约了亚扪人和亚玛力人一起去攻打以色列人，占据了棕树城，也就是耶利哥城。棕树城是耶利哥城的别名，因为在耶利哥城里有许多棕树。

这三族人战胜以色列人，以色列人就服侍摩押王伊矶伦十八年。以色列人何时离开神，何时就失去力量，被敌人所胜。我们也是一样，我们何时离开神，就会失足，或失败。主耶稣说：「因为离了我，你们就不能做什么。（约15:5c）」〈士师记〉里的以色列人，正像有些相信主耶稣的人，虽然身在迦南地，却不一定肯遵行神的话去生活，反而偏行已意，以致常被试探所胜，跌入苦难之中。但是爱我们的神却从不曾离开我们，总是等着我们回转，等著向我们伸出援手。

神会使用谁去拯救以色列人呢？在我们的心中，能拯救一个民族的岂不是超人吗？现在电视电影上不仅有男超人、女超人，还有蜘蛛人、蝙蝠侠，不胜枚举。在人的心中，能拯救人的必然有超凡的力量，一只手可以举起一架坦克，一跑可以快过飞机，但那些都是假的，是人幻想出来的。以色列的「超人」，都是神兴起的。

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God’s Plan Is Greater Than Our Mistakes

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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.

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第一封信：给以弗所(2)(上)

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主对以弗所教会的责备（启2:4-7）

当一个教会什么都有，却缺乏爱

　　以弗所教会有众多的榜样，是亚细亚最大的城市，是政治、娱乐、文化、经济中心，但以弗所教会在这些大城市许多不同的人之中，在行为、劳碌、忍耐、不能容忍恶人上都做信徒的榜样。主看见以弗所教会的好处，也看见她的缺点，因此主说：「有一件事，我要责备你」，这件事使主心里难过，「你已经离弃了起初的爱心」。当一个教会什么都有，却缺乏爱，在最重要的事情上有了错失，那么，他爱心的生活是主动的？还是被动的？

你经常觉悟什么？

　　你失去起初的爱心，但你不容易觉悟。在人生过程中，我们有些很难觉悟的毛病，无法单单透过悟性察觉。有些事情，我们很容易觉悟，有些事情，我们不容易觉悟。

　　我们生病的时候，我们很容易觉悟，我们痊愈的时候，我们不容易觉悟。我们饭后打嗝，我们很容易觉悟；但五分钟后，当你不再打嗝，你却没有觉悟，因为你感到打嗝是不正常的，没有打嗝才是正常的，你对感到是不正常、带给你痛苦的事，马上觉悟，这表示我们常常在恩中不知恩，在福中不知福，等到恩典失去了，福气减少了，突然感到生活很不舒服，「我正在困难中，受疾病的缠扰」，这种只对艰难有敏锐的觉悟，是相当不正常的，因为我们应该常常觉悟的是恩典，这样我们才能常常感恩。

对恩典的不觉悟

　　我们不觉悟的事情有哪些？第一，对恩典不觉悟。很多人不感恩，因为对恩典不觉误，却对患难深有所悟。今天早上五点我起来思想一个问题，今天有很多神学生在这里住、在这里吃，他们不觉悟他们住的楼是世界最新式、最漂亮的楼，他们住的房间是有冷气的房间，而他们付的价钱是全世界最便宜的价钱，这是一个恩典，

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Don’t Give Into Fear

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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.

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When God Speaks to You

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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).  

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第一个士师俄陀聂

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〈士师记〉 3:9 以色列人呼求耶和华的时候，耶和华就为他们兴起一位拯救者救他们，就是迦勒兄弟基纳斯的儿子俄陀聂。

阅读经文: 〈士师记〉 3:1-14 

在《圣经》里，我们处处可看到神的主权和权柄。正如神说的：「你们如今要知道，我，唯有我是神！在我以外并无别神。我使人死，我使人活，我损伤，我也医治，并无人能从我手中救出来。(申32:39)」神可以帮助以色列人赶出迦南地所有的外邦人，也可以留下几族不赶出去。看起来似乎是以色列人不遵从神的旨意，缺乏信心；但是作者却让我们看见，凡事都有神的旨意。即使人不遵从神的旨意，神也可以使坏事变好事。

例如，以色列人在约书亚死后各自为政，不再像以前那样同心抗敌，神也可以借着他们赶不出去的外邦人去达到一些目的。其一，可以使用这些外族人来试验以色列人肯不肯遵行神的道；其二，可以让以色列人的后代学习战事。所以从巴力黑门山直到哈马口，都有零零落落的外族人居住其间。黑门山在旧约时是巴珊王噩的属地，迦南人把它认为是敬拜巴力的圣山，因此被称为巴力黑门山；但是在耶稣登山变像之后，它就有了新的意义，变成跟从耶稣之人的圣山了。

哈马口曾是亚兰（叙利亚）境内的一座城，在利巴嫩山脉和安替利巴嫩山脉之间的谷地中，是自南方进入哈马地区的惟一孔道。也就是说，在迦南境内由南至北，神留下非利士五个首领，也就是五座城；还有西顿人、希未人，等等。

以色列人不仅和外族人立约，去拜他们的巴力和亚斯她录，并且与迦南人通婚，侍奉他们的神。在《圣经》里我们经常会看到这句话：「以色列人行耶和华眼中看为恶的事」。你可能会不以为然。因为现在和异族通婚简直是司空见惯，怎么会变成神眼中的恶事？神难道不希望全世界的人都彼此相爱，成为一家吗？可能有的人会觉得神的心胸太狭隘了。

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波金的信息

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〈士师记〉 2:16  耶和华兴起士师，士师就拯救他们脱离抢夺他们人的手。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 2:1-23 

波金，是一个地名，意思是weeper哭泣者，因为这名字只在《圣经》里出现过一次，现在已无法证实它确实的地点在哪里。不过，如果七十士译本正确，那大概就是在伯特利附近。因为直到〈士师记〉的末了，约柜都放在中央山地的伯特利 ，伯特利有一颗树叫亚伦巴古，就是「哭泣的橡树」之意，与波金似乎有相当的关系。从吉甲上到波金，意味着当时敬拜中心的转移。从约书亚死后到耶和华的使者来波金传信息，这当中应该有几十年了。因为诸支派都已逐渐稳定下来，并且接纳了迦南地的原居民，给他们当中有的人做苦工杂役。现在我们晓得，神对这种情形极为不满，因为百姓把神的话打折扣了。因此神差遣使者从吉甲到波金向以色列人传信息。

波金的信息有哪些重点呢？

1, 神是带领以色列人从埃及出来，到祂所应许以色列祖先之地的神。

神永不废弃和以色列人所立的约。(这让以色列人放心了)

3.神是守约的神，可是以色列人却没有遵行与神所立的约。

因为以色列人没有听从神的话，所以神不将他们赶出。他们必成为以色列人肋下的荆棘，他们的神必做以色列人的网罗。

你假如不明白「肋下的荆棘」是何意？可以拿几根树枝放在肋下几个小时，感觉一下。「网罗」就是被困住之意。你可以观察一下，在信主之前，很多人都被迷信和一些传统信仰困住。最近在台湾有孕妇因为流产而被责备，因为按民间说法，怀孕三个月之前不可以说出来，不然会流产。所以有医生出来打破这个迷信。动辄得咎便是一种陷在网罗里的感觉。

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God Cares About The Fruit You Bear

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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.

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The Power of a United Team

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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.”

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心灵上的铁车

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〈士师记〉 1:19 耶和华与犹大同在，犹大就赶出山地的居民，只是不能赶出平原的居民，因为他们有铁车。

阅读经文：〈士师记 〉1:1-36

有人说〈士师记〉是整本《圣经》中最悲哀的一卷书，描写神的子民离开神，倚靠自己的力量去生存，不但无法夺取未得之地，甚至丧失已得之地，成为异族蹂躙的对象。这也是形容信徒离开神的光景，不但无法过得胜的生活，反而被罪恶所胜，再度成为罪的奴仆，被罪奴役。约书亚带领以色列人进入迦南，打下了基础，以色人却无法完成神的托咐、剩下的使命；正如基督为我们完成了救恩，我们也接受救恩成为神的儿女，但是却未能倚靠神去战胜老我，以致老我居首，又把圣灵关到地下室。

因此我们明白，信心和行为相辅相成的必要。约书亚死后，以色列人的信心开始逐渐转移。以色列人的团结性也逐渐分散，各打各的仗，以致于力量分散，无法像约书亚在世时，集中一气去打战的气势。一开始，仿佛还是有点信心，以色列人去求问神，谁应该先出战。犹大邀请西缅一起作战，因为西缅的地域就在犹大的领域之内。「犹大就上去，耶和华将迦南人和比利洗人交在他们手中」，意思是，犹大一上去，神就把敌人交给他。犹大有凭著信心而出的行为，神立刻回应。这就是神对我们的要求，好像过约旦河时，祭司的脚必须先踏入水中，水才分开。倘若祭司害怕，要神先把水分开，那么他们就无法过河了。犹大采取行动，神就祝福。

犹大和西缅打了个大胜仗，在比色击杀了一万人，又抓到亚多尼比色。亚多尼比色是个头衔，指他是「比色的王」之意。他是一个势力强大且凶狠的统治者，他曾经击败七十个王，并砍去他们手脚的大拇指。在古代希腊和近东的战役里都有类似的习俗，就是砍去战俘的大拇指，让他不能再拿剑执矛，却可以划船。但是亚多尼比色却故意屈辱他的战俘，让他们在他的桌下拾取零碎食物，苟延残喘以度余生。因此，他觉他所受的惩罚是个报应。

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