The Comfort of God’s Presence and God’s Word

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 32:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 32:1-12 (NIV)
1  Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2  When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

On verses 1-2:  As Jacob continues his journey back to his homeland, he is met by angels, although we are given no details of what those angels looked like or what the angels did or said.  He calls the place “Mahanaim”, which means two camps, which is perhaps a reference to the fact that Jacob’s camp was now met by what Jacob described as “the camp of God”.   

What can we learn from this? 

First, when you move forward in faith trusting in the Lord, you’ll find that you move as two camps. There’s the visible camp consisting of you and the people you are with, but there’s also the invisible camp consisting of the Holy Spirit and God’s angels whom God sends to be with you.  Blessed are those who recognize that wherever they go there are two camps (2 Kings 6:16-17).

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掃羅尋驢

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〈撒母耳記上〉 9: 17 撒母耳看見掃羅的時候，耶和華對他說：「看哪，這人就是我對你所說的，他必治理我的民。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 9:1-27 

在茫茫人海中，你怎樣知道神為你揀選的對象呢？很多人對神的帶領都有很大的好奇心。從神對撒母耳的帶領裡，我們不難發現，要明白神的心意有幾個原則。第一，要保守自己在神的心意裡，像撒母耳一樣留心傾聽神的聲音。假如你很喜歡聽人的聲音，一天到晚都去問別人的意見，那麼你可能聽不見神的聲音，因為你的心已經被人的聲音填滿了。

第二，若是出於神的揀選，神必然有預備，有帶領，讓你不會搞錯，不會感到迷糊或混亂。假如你覺得是出於神的帶領，你一定要求印證。唯有清楚明白神的帶領，才不會三心兩意，患得患失。神在掃羅到達的前一日，就已經指示撒母耳了，所以撒母耳就可以先做預備。

我們再一次看到神奇妙的作為，和祂那無微不致的幽默感。祂用幾頭遺失的驢把掃羅引到撒母耳面前。當掃羅在找驢時，他越過以法蓮山地，又走過以利沙地，又過了沙琳地，再過便雅憫地，一直走到蘇弗地。他以為他是在找驢，其實是神的靈一直讓他往前走，要把他帶到撒母耳那裡去。撒母耳住的拉瑪就在蘇弗地。

所以我們看到，若是出於神的帶領，必然是兩邊的帶領，而不會只有一方有感動。在團契裡，有時自己也會有感動想要做某件事，若是出於神的帶領，神也會準備其他人的心。所以出於自己的熱心和出於神的帶領，是兩回事，我們要把它分清楚。有時我們覺得某件事或某個想法很好，可是別人都沒有同樣的看見或感動，那麼自己就要冷靜下來，再繼續禱告，不要強迫別人跟你有同樣的感動，這是強迫不來的。

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以色列人求立王

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〈撒母耳記上〉 8:6 撒母耳不喜悅他們說立一個王治理我們，他就禱告耶和華。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 8:1-22

撒母耳在年老時，碰到了一件很不高興的事。他終年奔波，在以色列四境巡行審判，終於把四分五裂的以色列人團結起來，並且國泰民安。原以為以色列人會很感謝他，卻沒有想到，以色列人不要他的兒子繼續做士師，反而想要立王。但是撒母耳處事的方法和摩西一樣，他雖然不高興以色列人的要求，還是把事情呈到耶和華神的面前，讓神去定奪，這就是對神的敬畏。

以色列人想要立王有兩個原因，其一是他們很羨慕別人的國家有王的治理；其二，因為撒母耳的兒子們不行撒母耳的道，所以他們不服。所以人很難完美。撒母耳如此敬畏神，殷勤事奉神，但是他卻看不到兒子們的倒行逆施，就像以利和他的兩個兒子一樣。他的兒子們貪圖財利，收受賄賂，屈枉正直，以色列人怎麼能對他們產生信心？撒母耳在這事上也循私了，每個士師都是神所興起的，怎麼他竟想世襲了呢？

撒母耳和以利一樣，兒子都不爭氣。本來以為撒母耳看到以利和兒子們的關係，他會有所警惕而有所改進，但是他顧得全以色列，就顧不了自己的兒子們了。在老一輩的傳道人家庭裡也偶有這樣的事情發生，因為父母親太專注於教會事工，以致對兒女疏於管教。例如葛培里的兒子就曾經因而叛逆，走入歧途，而身陷囹圄。還好，他後來悔改，現在已經接下了葛牧師的工作。現在的傳道人也因而更加注意到這個問題，不能只顧外面的工作，而忘記自己是丈夫和父親的本份。若是自己的家庭亂七八糟，事工做得再好，也會落入魔鬼的網羅。

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Refined By Hardship

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:45-55.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:45-48 (NIV)
45  So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
46  He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
47  Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
48  Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed.

On verses 45-48:  Getting ready to make a covenant with Laban, Jacob and his relatives pile stones in a heap.  (I find it funny that later Laban says that he did it in verse 51.)  Laban calls the heap “Jegar Sahadutha”, which means “witness heap” in Aramaic.  Jacob calls the heap “Galeed”, which means the same thing – “witness heap” – in Hebrew, Jacob’s mother tongue.  It’s a reminder that Jacob and Laban came from two different cultures and spoke two different languages, which likely contributed to the misunderstandings between them.

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以便以謝

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〈撒母耳記上〉 7:12     撒母耳將一塊石頭立在米斯巴和善的中間，給石頭起名叫以便以謝，說：「到如今耶和華都幫助我們。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 7:1-17

在〈士師記〉裡的最後一個士師是參孫，接下來的士師是以利，再來是撒母耳，撒母耳是最後的一位士師。參孫生前和非利士人單打獨鬥了廿年，做了以色列人的士師廿年。但是參孫死後，以色列人依然去拜迦南人的偶像。我們不知道以利做四十年士師（撒上4:18）時有何作為，只知道他放縱兩個兒子行惡，搶奪神的祭物，又和會幕前伺候的婦人苟合。有這樣的祭司，百姓也不想去會幕獻祭了，怎能敬拜神呢？因此情況就像〈士師記〉裡說的：「那時以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。」當以色列人任意而行時，神就把他們交在仇敵手中，而此時的仇敵還是非利士人。

參孫死後，雖然非利士人元氣大傷，但是最怕的參孫已經死了，他們當然更加肆無忌憚了。因此在以利的時代，非利士人成為當時壓制以色列人的仇敵。經過約櫃一事，非利士人有點顧忌了，但還是虎視眈眈，想要找機會修理以色列人。約櫃留在基列耶琳的時間有廿年之久（英文是it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.）「過了二十年，以色列全家都傾向耶和華」，這句話會讓人誤會以為以色列人都歸向神，不拜偶像了，那麼撒母耳又何必叫他們除掉外邦的神？在新譯本裡譯為：「有二十年之久，以色列全家都痛悔尋求耶和華。」

這時撒母耳長大了，以利和他的兒子都死了，以色列全境的人都知道神揀選了撒母耳為先知、大祭司和士師。士師中同時擁有這三種身份的只有撒母耳。撒母耳開始執行任務，對以色列全家說，若想一心歸順耶和華，就要除掉外邦的神，包括巴力和亞斯她錄，如此神才會救他們脫離非利士人的手。現在世界上有很多人主張萬宗歸一，意即所有的宗教都是一樣的，所以一起敬拜就可以了。但是撒母耳說了一個很重要的原則，要歸向耶和華神，必須「一心歸順」，不可以三心兩意，又拜這個又拜那個，好像妻妾成群。

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The God Who Searches for You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:33-44.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:33-34 (NIV)
33  So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent.
34  Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

On verses 33-34:  Laban painstakingly searches in the tents of his daughters and their maidservants for his household gods but is unable to find them.  Little did Laban know that his daughter Rachel, who had stolen the household gods, was hiding them inside her camel’s saddle and sitting on them.

What can we learn from this?  Here we find Laban frantically searching for his household gods and unable to find them.  But earlier the one true God was searching for Laban and found him, speaking to Laban in a dream (see v24).  That’s a major difference between the God of the Bible and the gods of many other faiths.  With many other faiths, philosophies and religions in the world, it’s about human beings searching for God.  But in the Bible, God searching for human beings.

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What Passes Down

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:17-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:17-18 (NIV)
17  Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,
18  and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

On verses 17-18:  When Jacob first arrived at Paddan Aram, he was single and had nothing to his name except the clothes on his back.  Now he is leaving and going back to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan a married and very wealthy man.

Genesis 31:19-23 (NIV)
19  When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.
20  Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.
21  So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead.
22  On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.
23  Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

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送約櫃獻陪罪祭

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〈撒母耳記上〉 6:19 a    耶和華因伯示麥人擅觀他的約櫃，就擊殺了他們七十人，那時有五萬人在那裡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 6:1-21

約櫃在非利士地七個月，非利士人受盡了折磨，一點也沒有得勝的歡樂。他們也有祭司和占卜的，來幫他們詢問屬靈的怪事。非利士人的祭司和占卜的能夠明白神的心意，可見靈界之間是相通的。當年主耶穌趕鬼時，鬼也認得主耶穌是誰。神可以控制術士巴蘭，也可以讓非利士人的祭司和占卜者知道祂要的是什麼。因此有時我們會讀到：「你們要稱謝萬神之神，萬主之主（詩136:1,2）」，這並不是說其他的靈也是神，而是說在萬人中所崇拜的眾多之靈（人口中的神）中，只有耶和華神才是萬「神明」中的唯一真神。人雖以為自己拜的是「神」，其實都是一廂情願罷了。它們何嘗自認為神呢？就好像大袞一樣，在約櫃的面前斷頭斷手，它豈能稱得上是「神」？不過是一些叛變的天使出來驚嚇人，欺騙人罷了。

非利士人雖然戰勝，卻哪有戰勝的氣勢，不但自己拜的「神」折頭斷手，現在還要付上賠罪禮，真是賠了夫人又折兵，真希望沒打贏那場仗啊！得罪以色列人的神，真不是好玩的，原想把祂搬來祝福自己，沒想到這下不但要送回去，還要賠禮？正在著磨之間，祭司和占卜的說了：「你們為何硬著心像埃及人和法老一樣呢？」言下之意，不聽這個神的話，就會像埃及人那樣吃大虧的。這個小虧就認了吧，金痔瘡和金老鼠，都是小事情。自家的田地被那些老鼠已經鬧得莊稼不像話了，每個人也都生了痔瘡，難道還要等待更大的災難來臨，像埃及一樣嗎？何苦呢？

這些人的話很有智慧，也很有道理，以歷史為明鑑，不重蹈古人之轍。他們教導非利士人要歸榮耀給以色列的神，這樣祂或許會把手放輕些。因為你看埃及當年的十災，一災重過一災。所以不要覺得打勝仗還要把戰利品送回去，太沒面子；在耶和華神面前沒面子不要緊，重要的是要給神有面子，歸榮耀於祂。因為耶和華神也給他們留下了性命，只是稍微警戒而已！有的人覺得放下自尊去信主很沒面子，好像自己沒本事似的。其實回歸到創造宇宙、賜人生命的神那裡，怎麼會沒面子呢？

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約櫃在非利士地

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〈撒母耳記上〉 5:9 運到之後，耶和華的手攻擊那城，使那城的人大大驚慌，無論大小都生痔瘡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 5:1-12

非利士人竟然敢搶走耶和華神的寶座，他們瘋了嗎？什麼人的東西不好搶，去搶神的椅子？若有人搶你的掎子，你會不會去搶回來呢？那當然囉！只有偶像才會坐著不動，任人搬來搬去！非利士人不認識耶和華神，他們以為約櫃就是以色列人的神，所以他們也按著他們偶像崇拜的習慣，把約櫃抬到大袞廟裡。大袞是迦南人拜的偶像之一，它的形狀是一個披着魚皮的男人，或說是半人半魚的東西，是非利士人的眾神之首，被古代以色列人視為魔鬼，傳中主管農業。

亞實突人指的是住在非利士地的亞實突城裡的非利士人。讓他們十分驚訝的是，第二天他們一進到廟裡，愕然見到大袞仆倒在耶和華的約櫃前，臉伏於地。這事非同小可，大袞竟然會自己跑下來，並且跪在耶和華的約櫃前；表示非利士人的神跪拜以色列人的神。非利士人看了不明所以，就把大袞放回原處。大袞需要人搬動才能回到原處，那麼，是誰把它搬下來的？

第三天，他們一進廟裡，這次更糟，大袞不僅仆倒在約櫃前面，它的頭和手都丟在別處了，只留在殘體仆在那裡。好像在告訴非利士人，你們拜的究竟是什麼東西？連自己都保護不了！怎能保護你們呢？到這樣的景像，再沒有人要拜大袞了。神特意給他們看這樣的景像，有何用意？豈不是在向非利士人宣告，唯有祂才是真神嗎？

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The Father Who Protects You From All Harm

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:1-16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:1-5 (NIV)
1  Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”
2  And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
3  Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
4  So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.
5  He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

On verses 1-5:   Jacob hears God’s Word telling him to go back to the land of his fathers and to his relatives.  In response to God’s Word, Jacob speaks to his wives Rachel and Leah about going back. 

As part of his pitch to go back, Jacob tells of how his father-in-law Laban had acted deceitfully toward Jacob.  His attitude toward Jacob changed from one of welcoming and warmth to one of coldness.  But Jacob also had a Heavenly Father who acted faithfully toward him.  As Jacob says in verse 5, “your father’s attitude toward is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.” 

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