扫罗去见隐多珥女巫

〈撒母耳记〉上 28:6  扫罗求问耶和华,耶和华却不藉梦,或乌陵,或先知回答他。

阅读经文:〈撒母耳记〉上 28:1-25   

你可记得“作法自毙”这句成语的由来?当年商鞅为了使秦国变强,推行变法,使人民都不敢犯法。十年之后,秦国路不拾遗、山里没有盗贼,家家户户都丰衣足食。但是重用商鞅的秦孝公死后,太子继位。太子曾因为犯法,他的师傅被割去鼻子,此始开始报仇,说商鞅谋反。商鞅想要逃走,逃到国境关卡,已经天黑。想要投宿,旅舍老板对他说:“商君订立的法令,接纳没有通行证的客人投宿,要受连坐之罪。”不让他投宿。商鞅兴叹:“唉,我立下的法令竟然如此不通人情吗?”这就是“作法自毙”的典故。

在《圣经》里也有一个类似的故事:扫罗起初做王时,很敬畏神,因此下令国中剪除交鬼的和行巫术的。后来扫罗转离神,不再遵守神的道。当非利士人要大举来攻打以色列时,扫罗看到非利士人的阵容非常害怕。他求问神时,神不答复他,因此他得不到任何指引。此时他唯一能想到的就是撒母耳,即使撒母耳已死,他也希望能把他从阴间叫上来。没想到那交鬼的妇人怕触犯了扫罗的法令会受刑,因而不肯为扫罗招死人。

其实不只是古时,到现在也还有人在做这种事。美其名为招灵,实际上有的是在骗钱,预先做了一些手法;也有的是利用邪灵假扮成先人的鬼魂出来迷惑人。不相信神的人,在迷惘时不知去哪里求帮助,很多人选择用这种方式。所以要知道信耶稣的人何等有福气,当我们有困难时,可以借着祷告向真神祈求,不必靠邪灵的帮助。因为倚靠邪灵要付上很大的代价,而且被欺骗了也不晓得,有的人被骗得很惨。但是为何有些自称是基督徒的人也会去做这种事呢?

The World Your Words Create

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 50:14-26.  Let’s go!

Genesis 50:14-21 (NIV)
14  After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
15  When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
16  So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:
17  ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18  His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19  But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
21  So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

On verses 14-21:  Back in Egypt after burying their late father in Canaan, Joseph’s brothers wonder if Joseph still holds a grudge against them and has plans to exact revenge for all the ways they treated him long ago.  They send a message to Joseph saying that their father requested that Joseph forgive his brothers and asking Joseph to forgive them.  It’s unclear whether their father actually spoke those words or not. After all, if it was so important to Jacob that Joseph forgive his brothers, and given the close relationship between Jacob and Joseph, wouldn’t you expect Jacob to talk to Joseph about this directly? 

大卫遁至非利士地

〈撒母耳记〉上 27:6 当日亚吉将洗革拉赐给他。因此洗革拉属犹大王,直到今日。

阅读经文:〈撒母耳记〉上 27:1-12

大卫应不应该离开以色列的国境,跑到非利士地呢?有的人认为这是大卫灵里最软弱的时候,虽然神在屡次危难时都拯救他,保守他十分平安,但是那种惊吓和负荷还是让大卫选择了离开。人实在很有限,不是吗?就好像〈路得记里〉的以利米勒,因为以色列地遭遇饥荒,他就带着妻儿离开伯利恒去摩押地,到最后只剩妻子拿俄米和媳妇路得回到伯利恒。离开神命定的地方,会碰到更多的困难,这是大卫事前没想到的。

大卫第一次到迦特找亚吉时,因为亚吉身边的人记得大卫杀死歌利亚,无法相信大卫。大卫为了保命而不得不装疯,才得以逃离迦特。但是这次来到迦特,亚吉却对他另眼相看,还给了他一座城洗革拉。因为在第一次时,亚吉还不知道大卫被扫罗追杀的实情,有可能认为他是间谍,来打探军情;但是经过了一段时间,扫罗追杀大卫一事已经传遍各地了,大家都知道大卫是扫罗的眼中钉,因此亚吉大喜,他很可能希望把大卫收为自己的仆人。

果然,扫罗听到大卫逃到非利士地,就不再寻索大卫了。大卫在非利士地住了一年零四个月。这是一段不算短的时间。洗革拉原是犹大南部的一座城,后来给了西缅支派,不知何时却落入非利士人手中。亚吉又把它赐给大卫。有人说,就因为如此,大卫终于从非利士人那里得到了冶铁的知识和方法。因为非利士人恐怕希伯来人制造刀枪,所以不肯教以色列人冶铁。以色列人要磨锄、犁、斧、铲,就下到非利士人那里去磨,但有锉可以锉铲、犁、三齿叉、斧子并赶牛锥,所以在争战的日子里,只有扫罗和约拿单有刀有枪(撒上13:19-22)。现在大卫得到了这座非利士城,焉不是神给他的良机吗?

Born To Overcome, To Be Free and Fruitful

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 49:18-33.  Let’s go!

Genesis 49:18 (NIV)
18  “I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

On verse 18:  Perhaps because of all the trouble, danger, conflict and pain that Jacob saw a number of his sons encountering in the future, Jacob cries out to God in the middle of prophesying over his sons, saying, “I look for your deliverance, O Lord” (v18).  Jacob, nearing the end of his life, does the one thing that we all need to do when we see trouble up ahead: cry out to God for help and look for God to deliver us. 

Genesis 49:19 (NIV)
19  “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

On verse 19:  Jacob prophesies that though Gad’s descendants would be attacked by others, Gad’s descendants would not be defeated but would attack their attackers “at their heels”, suggesting that Gad’s attackers will retreat and Gad will be victorious.  

Likewise, your enemy Satan will try to attack you in various ways, but you have everything you need to withstand his attack, go on the offensive and overcome your enemy in the end.  As John writes in 1 John 2:14, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Praise God! Though Satan will attack, you have everything you need to overcome the evil one.

七封信的总结:患难与得胜

〈启示录〉中的七个教会就像镜子,反映出历世历代以来教会的优缺点。这七封信告诉我们,基督在各地寻找有爱心的教会、遭受苦难的教会、纯洁的教会、遵守真理的教会、活着的教会、宣教的教会和火热的教会。耶稣不但向这七间教会指出目前的景况,还告诉他们将来会发生的事,也是在呼召基督徒好好预备自己,去面对将来要来临的大患难。
从整卷〈启示录〉的背景来看,耶稣不是分别给这七封信,祂一次给出七封信,在同一卷书中。

〈启示录〉二、三章的标题可订为「地上的状况不好」,败坏的世界使教会妥协,而教会的两大杀手是拜偶像和淫乱,已悄悄渗透教会;现在就要改过自新,在患难来临之前改正,妥协的教会是受不住逼迫的。

第四到五章这段标题可订为「天上的状况很好」。因为地上的状况一团乱,有许多苦难、战争、饥荒、地震、疾病,相较于约翰所看见的天上,上帝安详地坐在宝座上,前面有水晶海,四周有像绿宝石的虹环绕,一切都在掌控之中,不管地上发生什么事,上帝都不惊慌,因为祂了若指掌。上帝让基督掌管历史的结局,这结局记载在封了七印的书卷上,书卷上写着末日来临前,要发生的事。没有人配打开那印来终结历史,只有一位像狮子又像公羊者,公羊看起来像被宰杀过,身上有伤口,祂就是耶稣,祂是配得打开七印、掌管结局的人,因祂是首先的、末后的。

六到十八章的标题可订为「情况会先恶化再好转」。基督徒要面对的遭遇,不会比这里所描述的更糟。有四匹马跑遍天下,白马象征军事侵略、红马象征流血、黑马象征饥荒,灰马象征疾病。这四匹马已经在地上奔驰,天灾、巨大的冰雹、地震等,洋海、空气也遭到污染,全球都发生极大的灾难。这是上帝最后的警告,竭力叫人清醒,但世人仍不悔改。

Communicating God’s Heart To Those You Love

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 49:1-17.  Let’s go!

Genesis 49:1-2 (NIV)
1  Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2  “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

On verses 1-2:  Nearing his death, Jacob gathers his sons and begins to prophesy over his sons.  What is prophesy?   Simply put, prophesy is declaring God’s heart and God’s plans to God’s people.  Based on this definition of prophecy, I believe every parent has a prophetic role to play in the lives of their children and every leader has a prophetic role to play in the lives of those they lead.  We are to communicate God’s heart to the people we are leading.  “But how I do know what God’s heart, promises and plans are for the people in my care?”  Draw near to God.  Meditate on His Word.  More and more He will give you a sense of His heart for the people He has called you to lead.  When you speak in faith those prophetic pictures and images God places in your heart for the people in your care, the results will be powerful.  That is what Jacob is about to do in the verses that follow.

大卫再次放过扫罗

〈撒母耳记〉上 26:24  我今日重看你的性命,愿耶和华也重看我的性命,并且拯救我脱离一切患难。

阅读经文:〈撒母耳记〉上 26:1-25 

现在出现的人名越来越多了,我们要来看一下,扫罗的元帅是谁?押尼珥是谁?大卫的元帅又是谁?不要小看大卫只有六百多人,也是一个小小的军队。扫罗的父亲是基士,押尼珥的父亲是尼珥,基士和尼珥是兄弟,所以扫罗和押尼珥是堂兄弟。亚比筛、约押和亚撒黑是大卫的姐姐洗鲁雅的儿子,算是大卫的外甥。所以不只是华人兄弟亲,在以色列人那样重视宗派的民族里,亲人的份量也很重。

〈历代志上〉第十一章记载了一个故事,当非利士的防营在伯利恒时,防营即防守地方的军队;那时大卫躲在亚杜兰洞的山寨里,不能下去伯利恒。但是他非常想喝伯利恒城门旁井里的水。他原只是说说而已,没想到真的有三个勇士听到他的话,就闯过非利士人的营盘,从伯利恒城门旁的井里打水,拿来给大卫喝。大卫知道后却不肯喝,因为他说那水就好像是三个勇士的血一样,因为他们冒着生命的危险去为他取水。因此他把水浇奠在耶和华面前。这三个勇士的首领就是约押的弟弟亚比筛。亚比筛曾经一个人用枪杀了三百人,这枪不是现代的子弹枪,是古时的长矛枪。所以他被推选为卅个勇士的首领。

亚比筛一生对大卫都非常忠诚,他骁勇善战,曾率兵击杀了一万八千个以东人,也带头击溃了亚扪人,平定后来便雅悯人示巴的叛乱。在大卫最后一次出征时,大卫碰上非利士巨人以实比诺,他的铜枪重三百舍客勒(约三公斤),又佩著新刀,也是亚比筛上前帮忙,杀死以实比诺,救了大卫。也因为忠于大卫,所以凡是有人要对大卫不利,他都会挺身而出,不顾自己的性命。

God’s Sovereign Choice to Bless You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 48:1-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 48:1-6 (NIV)
1  Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.
2  When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3  Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me
4  and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
5  “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6  Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.

On verses 1-6:  Jacob, nearing his death, gets ready to bless the generations that have come after him.   He decides to begin with Joseph and Joseph’s sons.  What does Jacob mean when he says that Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh will be reckoned as his own “just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (v5)?  Jacob means that for inheritance purposes he will treat Ephraim and Manasseh as belonging to the same generation as Jacob’s own sons, meaning that Ephraim and Manasseh would each get the same kind of inheritance that their uncles would get.  The effect of this decision was two-fold: 

大卫和亚比该

〈撒母耳记〉上 25: 30 我主现在若不亲手报仇流无辜人的血,到了耶和华照所应许你的话赐福与你,立你作以色列的王,那时我主必不致心里不安,觉得良心有亏。耶和华赐福与我主的时候,求你记念婢女。

阅读经文:〈撒母耳记〉上 25:1-44

以色列中集先知、士师和大祭司一身的伟人撒母耳死了。再伟大的人都要面对肉体的死亡,每一个人都要面对肉体的死亡。死了才能盖棺定论。对于撒母耳本人,他的工作实在可圈可点,值得我们学习的地方甚多。他的一生是以色列人从士师时代转到王国时代的一座桥。他的顺服在于,不得不去做神所不喜悦的事,却不能做神所喜悦的事。神不喜悦以色列人立王,但是当神叫撒母耳去做时,撒母耳不能不顺服。撒母耳的伟大在于他对神的顺服和尽忠,他一点没有私心。只可惜可能因为时间都用在照顾以色列人的事工上,以致和以利一样,没能把儿子们教好。但还是一个值我们敬爱和学习的伟人。

大卫在逃亡的过程里要经历许多事情,这章经文所写的故事使我们明白,在扫罗没有追杀他的日子里,他们所做的一些事情。因为跟随大卫的人口众多,先是四百人,再来是六百人,人数一直在增加。因此大卫不能不想办法去找口粮,使众人能够生存下去。这里说到在玛云有个大财主拿八,他有三千绵羊,一千山羊。他雇了人在迦密看顾他的羊群。但是他不知道,在旷野里有许多过游牧生活的阿拉伯人,又称为贝都因人,他们住在可以随时迁移的帐篷;他们主要的工作是养驼、养羊、狩猎、劫掠。

大卫和跟随他的人经常要在旷野上跑来跑去,看看有没有扫罗来的踪迹,因此看到有人骚扰拿八的羊群,便上前保护,因此使拿八的羊群一无所失。按著拿八一个仆人的说法:“他们昼夜做我们的保障”,表示大卫和从人都很看顾他们,免于被人欺负。

The Riches of Christ’s Righteousness

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 47:1-31.  Let’s go!

Genesis 47:13-22 (NIV)
13  There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.
14  Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.
15  When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up.”
16  “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”……

On verses 13-22:  The famine in Egypt and Canaan is severe.  On behalf of the Egyptian government, Joseph first sells grain to the Egyptians in exchange for their money.  But when the Egyptians have no more money to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their livestock.  When the Egyptians have no more livestock to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their real estate.  When the Egyptians’ real estate had all been transferred to the government, the Egyptians still had a need for grain, so Joseph agrees to hire the Egyptians as workers for the Egyptian government.  He gives the Egyptians grain to plant in the ground and allows them to keep 80% of the harvest while giving 20% back to the Egyptian government.  Only the land of the priests was not touched, since the priests received a regular allotment from Pharaoh.