When Life Seems Unfair

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 39:11-23.  Let’s go! 

Genesis 39:11-18 (NIV)
11  One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.
12  She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13  When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14  she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.
15  When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16  She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
17  Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
18  But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 

On verses 11-18:  This is the second time Joseph loses his cloak.  When Potiphar’s wife could not get what she wanted from Joseph, she gives a false report alleging that Joseph tried to do something with her sexually against her will, thus putting his job and his future in jeopardy.  

Here we see another characteristic of lust: lust is selfish and doesn’t truly care for the object it is pursuing.  The person controlled by lust cares only about himself or herself and satisfying his/her craving.  When the person controlled by lust is no longer interested in the object of her lust, when that object ceases to be useful to her, she discards the object.   

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大衛自請出戰歌利亞

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〈撒母耳記上〉 17:37 a   大衛又說：「耶和華救我脫離獅子和熊的爪，也必救我脫離這非利士人的手。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 17:1-40

在我印象中的巨人，大概就是某次在芝加哥機場過境時看到的那些黑人，當他們走過我身旁時，我的頭竟不及他們的腰。這個經驗使我稍微能明白，當以色列人的探子說他們在迦南人面前就像蚱蜢一般，我也有類似的感覺。這個歌利亞有多高呢？在《七十士譯本》裡記載“四肘零一虎口”，約兩公尺高。《七十士譯本》是指大約在公元三世紀前，埃及為了充實亞歷山大圖書館，聘請了七十二位希伯來人的文士，到埃及把希伯來文的《聖經》翻譯成希臘文。

現今的和合本《聖經》是採用《馬索拉文本Masoretic Text》，馬索拉學士意為「傳統」的大師，他們主張力求保持文中的原貌。「傳統」這個字詞在希伯來文是「馬索喇赫」或「馬索肋特」。到公元第六世紀，那些以準確抄寫希伯來文《聖經》為己任的人被稱為馬索拉學士。他們寫成的抄本則稱為《馬索拉文本》。《馬索拉文本》記載歌利亞的身高是六肘零一虎口，約三公尺高。雖然兩者在尺寸上有點出入，但我們可以明白歌利亞是個相當高大的巨人。

《聖經》記載歌利亞是非利士人，但也有人認為歌利亞是亞衲族裔的後代。西元前十三世紀的阿納斯塔西第一蒲草紙Papyrus Anastasi I，記載迦南地有些戰士身高7-9呎，相當於 210到270公分，另外也挖到兩具身高210 公分的女性骸骨。所以亞衲族人的存在並非是虛假的傳說。他頭戴銅盔，身穿鎧甲，甲重五千舍客勒（約57公斤）。鎧甲的原文是“魚鱗”，意即有甲的保護衣，甲是指一片片銅製造的，鱗狀的保護衣。他的腿上有銅護膝，兩肩之中背負銅戟； 槍桿粗如織布的機軸，鐵槍頭重六百舍客勒（約6.84公斤）。還有人拿盾牌在他前面走。從這些裝備來看，你覺得他是一個怎樣的人？他比別人都高大強壯，渾身都是保護，還要有人拿盾牌在他前面走。我覺得這個人相當膽小啊！他靠的不是能槍善戰，而是塊頭大和重量，不把人壓扁就把人撞暈。他對著比他矮小甚多的以色列人單挑，其實是不公平的。

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3 Keys to Fighting Temptation

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 39:1-10.  Let’s go!

Genesis 39:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2  The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
3  When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,
4  Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

On verses 1-4:  Joseph, the favoured son of Jacob, is sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.  Because of God’s favour (“The Lord was with Joseph” – v2) and presumably because Joseph did his best to be faithful with what was entrusted to him, Joseph was promoted to be in charge of Potiphar’s entire household (v4). 

What can we learn from this?  Just as cream tends to rise to the top, so you can put a guy like Joseph in a difficult situation and with God’s help he will find a way to rise and to prosper.  Like Joseph, be faithful and responsible with what God gives you and, sooner or later, God will make sure that you are promoted. 

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Grave Mistakes, Greater Story

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 38:12-30.  Let’s go!

Genesis 38:12-16a (NIV)
12  After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13  When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14  she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15  When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16  Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”…

On verses 12-16a:  According to the custom of levirate marriage, Judah was supposed to give the closest male relative – i.e. his son Shelah – to Tamar in marriage (v11), but for fear of losing Shelah like he did his other two sons, Judah refused to give Shelah to Tamar, even though Shelah was already fully grown. So Tamar decides to take matters into her own hands.  Knowing that her father-in-law Judah is traveling to Timnah, Tamar veils her face and sits on the road to Timnah.  Judah, who had earlier lost his wife, takes Tamar for a prostitute and solicits her services, not knowing that it’s his daughter-in-law! 

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撒母耳膏大衛

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〈撒母耳記上〉 16:7  耶和華卻對撒母耳說：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為，耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 16:1-23

當撒母耳對掃羅說：“今日耶和華使以色列國與你斷絕，將這國賜予比你更好的人。以色列的大能者必不至說謊，也不至後悔。因為他迥非世人，決不後悔。（撒上15:28-29）”時，掃羅害怕了，但是他可能沒有想到神已經真的找到了另一個人要取代他。撒母耳為掃羅難過，為掃羅悲哀，但是神要他往前走，向前看。因為神雖然曾經揀選掃羅，但是一旦掃羅不肯聽從神的話，神也離開他了。這件事讓我們明白，不遵從神的話，在神的眼中是無可饒恕的；即使花言巧語為自己找理由，也無濟於事。

神要撒母耳重新出發，去膏立神所揀選的新王。神要撒母耳去伯利恒找耶西，這耶西是摩押婦人路得和波阿斯的孫子。撒母耳沒有想到，神要膏立的是一個可愛的少年人。他的哥哥們一個個從撒母耳面前經過，卻沒有一個是神揀選的。神對撒母耳說：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為耶和華不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心”。但是你可能還記得，掃羅比眾百姓都高過一個頭，他的外貌不是很出眾嗎？神為何選他呢？

在十五章裡，撒母耳對掃羅說：“從前你雖然以自己為小，豈不是被立為以色列支派的元首嗎？”掃羅在作王之前是很謙卑的，他覺得便雅憫支派是以色列支派中最小的；而他的家族又是便雅憫中最小的族。若論選王，怎樣也輪不到他。所以當撒母耳要向眾百姓介紹他時，他還躲了起來。那時的掃羅一點都不驕傲。但是作王之後，他變了，變得非常自大，比神還大，所以他不聽神的，他忽悠神。該做的不做，還找理由塘塞，並且推卸責任。他不把神當做神來敬畏，他以為神看不見他的所作所為。社會新聞裡，我們有時也會看到一些變節的牧者或傳道人，他們一開始都是非常認真而忠心的神僕，但是後來在各種引誘下，他們失節了。

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聽命勝於獻祭

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〈撒母耳記上〉 15:22撒母耳說：耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從祂的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 15:1-35

撒母耳上次因為掃羅代他獻祭，違背了神的命令，對掃羅很不高興。但是這次，撒母耳再來見掃羅，為何他要再見掃羅？因為他要傳神的話。不管他對掃羅如何失望，神還是要再給掃羅一次機會。看看掃羅是否真的能明白神的用心良苦，因而回轉。所以撒母耳提醒掃羅，他能夠做以色列人的王，不是出於他自己的能力或才華，而是出於神的揀選，因此掃羅應該珍惜，應該聽從神的話，免得神一怒之下，取走他的王權。因為神可以使人升高，也可以使人降低，所以人在祂面前應當存謙卑的心，不要妄自尊大。心存謙卑的人就會聽從神的話，心裡驕傲的人則恰恰相反。所以從一個人順服神的程度，可以看出他實在是謙卑或驕傲。

撒母耳傳達神的命令，要掃羅去滅盡亞瑪力人。在以色列人出埃及時，亞瑪力人尾隨以色列人，在以色列人的隊伍後面攻擊搶劫老少婦孺。神沒有忘記他們的惡。所以我們可以明白神的性情，誰攻擊祂的子民，祂必報仇。這是神對祂的子民之愛的表現，同時也是神公義的一面，神不會放過作惡的人。這是神給掃羅最後一次的機會，要看掃羅肯不肯聽從祂的話。掃羅能不能把這個機會，使神的心意回轉？

有的人以為神是無比慈愛的神，所以他可以盡情犯罪，只要找一些藉口塘塞就可以了。神真是那麼好騙的嗎？還是他們在騙自己？掃羅很有人情味，先去勸基尼人避避風頭。在〈士師記〉第一章曾經提到，摩西的內兄是基尼人，摩西曾經邀請他的岳父和以色列人同去，並在曠野做他們的眼目，並應許將來耶和華有什麼好處待以色列人，以色列人也必以什麼好處待他們（民10:29-32）。也因為他們在以色列人出埃及時，曾經恩待以色列人，從那時起，基尼人就和以色列人住在一起，而且相處得很好。（也有一說，摩西的岳父是米甸人，因為基尼人是米甸人裡的一族）。

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Sons of Judah

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 38:1-11.  Let’s go!

Genesis 38:1-11 (NIV)
1  At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.
2  There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her;
3  she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.
4  She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
5  She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6  Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar…….

On verses 1-11:  According to the customs of the time, if a man and woman were married and the husband passed away without leaving any children, the deceased man’s closest brother would marry the deceased man’s widow and procreate children with her.  Those children would take on the name of the deceased man.  That way the deceased man’s line could continue and the widow could be provided for financially.  This custom was known as the levirate law of marriage (“levir” in Latin means “husband’s brother”).

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Wear God’s Favour with Humility + Maintain a Teachable Spirit

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 37:1-11.  Let’s go!

Genesis 37:1-10 (NIV)
1  Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
2  This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him.
4  When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him…….

On verses 1-10:  Joseph’s brothers thought they had many reasons to dislike Joseph.  First, as a teenager Joseph would come from the fields after shepherding his father’s flocks and bring a bad report about his older brothers (v2).  Second, Joseph was the favoured son in the family and would wear a long colourful robe that his father Jacob gave to him and not to any of his other sons (v3-4). Third, Joseph would share dreams he had of his brothers and even his parents bowing down to him (v5-9), such that his father Jacob would rebuke Joseph for his arrogance.

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掃羅欲殺約拿單

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〈撒母耳記上〉 14:45 百姓對掃羅說：約拿單在以色列人中這樣大行拯救，豈可使他死呢？斷乎不可！

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 14:24-52 

因為約拿單憑著信心和神的印證去攻打非利士人，神就使非利士人大大戰兢，互相擊殺。掃羅看到非利士人軍眾潰散，四圍亂竄，便帶領以色列人去追擊非利士人，直到伯亞文。在這之前掃羅已經查出約拿單和拿兵器的人不在，但他依然下了一道命令，非等到晚上向敵人報完仇，什麼東西都不可以吃。這個命令有沒有道理，姑且不論；但是對於不知情的約拿單而言，若是吃了東西，算不算有罪呢？

我們看到這個命令的後果，使百姓甚是疲乏饑餓，以致於饑不擇食，宰了牛羊就血帶肉地吃。設想百姓在追殺非利士人時必然需要補充體力，而掃羅卻不准他們進食，以致於他們饑餓難忍。就像約拿單說的：“我父親連累你們了。你看，我嘗了這一點蜜，眼睛就明亮了。今日百姓若任意吃了從仇敵所奪的物，擊殺的非利士人豈不更多嗎？”可見這是個極為不智的命令。一般禁食是為了預備心或認罪悔改，若要從事大量的體力活，是不應該禁食的。牛在踹穀時，都不可籠住牠的嘴，何況人呢？

掃羅聽到百姓吃帶血的肉，便指責他們有罪，然後為耶和華築壇，讓百姓宰完牛羊可以放血後，在壇上燒了才吃。吃飽後，掃羅還想在夜裡繼續追趕非利士人，直到不留他們一人。但是祭司提醒掃羅，要先求問耶和華。掃羅照做，但是神沒有回答。掃羅得不到神的答覆，明白可能有人犯罪。這個罪是指觸犯了掃羅的誓言。沒想到制籤掣出約拿單。約拿單用杖頭蘸蜜時，根本不知道掃羅下過那樣的命令；是在嚐了蜜之後，百姓才把掃羅的命令告訴他。所以他很驚訝：“用杖頭蘸了一點蜜嘗了一嘗。這樣我就死嗎？”

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The Difference One Life Can Make

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 36:1-43.  Let’s go!

Genesis 36:1-43 (NIV)
1  This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).
2  Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite–
3  also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4  Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,……

On verses 1-43:  Here we see the evolution of Esau (also known as Edom) from a man (v1) to a husband (v2-3) to a father (v4-5) to a wealthy businessman (v6-7).  Because Jacob and Esau had so much livestock between the two of them, they could not live in the same vicinity in a sustainable way (v7).  So Esau moves to the hill country of Seir (v8).  It is in Seir that Esau goes from being the patriarch of a large family (v9-14) to becoming a man from whom a city ruled by chiefs would originate, to an entire nation with its own kings (v15-43), the nation known as the Edomites (v43).

Here we see that over time, and over many generations, Esau went from one man to a nation.

What can we learn from this?

First, God doesn’t just see who you are today or who you are in this lifetime.  He sees the story He is writing with your life over generations.  When you see how your life is connected to the generations before you and those who will come after you, you start to see your life from a new perspective.

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