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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大卫自请出战歌利亚

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〈撒母耳记上〉 17:37 a   大卫又说：「耶和华救我脱离狮子和熊的爪，也必救我脱离这非利士人的手。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 17:1-40

在我印象中的巨人，大概就是某次在芝加哥机场过境时看到的那些黑人，当他们走过我身旁时，我的头竟不及他们的腰。这个经验使我稍微能明白，当以色列人的探子说他们在迦南人面前就像蚱蜢一般，我也有类似的感觉。这个歌利亚有多高呢？在《七十士译本》里记载“四肘零一虎口”，约两公尺高。《七十士译本》是指大约在公元三世纪前，埃及为了充实亚历山大图书馆，聘请了七十二位希伯来人的文士，到埃及把希伯来文的《圣经》翻译成希腊文。

现今的和合本《圣经》是采用《马索拉文本Masoretic Text》，马索拉学士意为「传统」的大师，他们主张力求保持文中的原貌。「传统」这个字词在希伯来文是「马索喇赫」或「马索肋特」。到公元第六世纪，那些以准确抄写希伯来文《圣经》为己任的人被称为马索拉学士。他们写成的抄本则称为《马索拉文本》。《马索拉文本》记载歌利亚的身高是六肘零一虎口，约三公尺高。虽然两者在尺寸上有点出入，但我们可以明白歌利亚是个相当高大的巨人。

《圣经》记载歌利亚是非利士人，但也有人认为歌利亚是亚衲族裔的后代。西元前十三世纪的阿纳斯塔西第一蒲草纸Papyrus Anastasi I，记载迦南地有些战士身高7-9呎，相当于 210到270公分，另外也挖到两具身高210 公分的女性骸骨。所以亚衲族人的存在并非是虚假的传说。他头戴铜盔，身穿铠甲，甲重五千舍客勒（约57公斤）。铠甲的原文是“鱼鳞”，意即有甲的保护衣，甲是指一片片铜制造的，鳞状的保护衣。他的腿上有铜护膝，两肩之中背负铜戟； 枪杆粗如织布的机轴，铁枪头重六百舍客勒（约6.84公斤）。还有人拿盾牌在他前面走。从这些装备来看，你觉得他是一个怎样的人？他比别人都高大强壮，浑身都是保护，还要有人拿盾牌在他前面走。我觉得这个人相当胆小啊！他靠的不是能枪善战，而是块头大和重量，不把人压扁就把人撞晕。他对着比他矮小甚多的以色列人单挑，其实是不公平的。

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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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撒母耳膏大卫

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〈撒母耳记上〉 16:7  耶和华却对撒母耳说：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为，耶和华不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和华是看内心。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 16:1-23

当撒母耳对扫罗说：“今日耶和华使以色列国与你断绝，将这国赐予比你更好的人。以色列的大能者必不至说谎，也不至后悔。因为他迥非世人，决不后悔。（撒上15:28-29）”时，扫罗害怕了，但是他可能没有想到神已经真的找到了另一个人要取代他。撒母耳为扫罗难过，为扫罗悲哀，但是神要他往前走，向前看。因为神虽然曾经拣选扫罗，但是一旦扫罗不肯听从神的话，神也离开他了。这件事让我们明白，不遵从神的话，在神的眼中是无可饶恕的；即使花言巧语为自己找理由，也无济于事。

神要撒母耳重新出发，去膏立神所拣选的新王。神要撒母耳去伯利恒找耶西，这耶西是摩押妇人路得和波阿斯的孙子。撒母耳没有想到，神要膏立的是一个可爱的少年人。他的哥哥们一个个从撒母耳面前经过，却没有一个是神拣选的。神对撒母耳说：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为耶和华不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心”。但是你可能还记得，扫罗比众百姓都高过一个头，他的外貌不是很出众吗？神为何选他呢？

在十五章里，撒母耳对扫罗说：“从前你虽然以自己为小，岂不是被立为以色列支派的元首吗？”扫罗在作王之前是很谦卑的，他觉得便雅悯支派是以色列支派中最小的；而他的家族又是便雅悯中最小的族。若论选王，怎样也轮不到他。所以当撒母耳要向众百姓介绍他时，他还躲了起来。那时的扫罗一点都不骄傲。但是作王之后，他变了，变得非常自大，比神还大，所以他不听神的，他忽悠神。该做的不做，还找理由塘塞，并且推卸责任。他不把神当做神来敬畏，他以为神看不见他的所作所为。社会新闻里，我们有时也会看到一些变节的牧者或传道人，他们一开始都是非常认真而忠心的神仆，但是后来在各种引诱下，他们失节了。

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听命胜于献祭

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〈撒母耳记上〉 15:22撒母耳说：耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂如喜悦人听从祂的话呢？听命胜于献祭；顺从胜于公羊的脂油。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 15:1-35

撒母耳上次因为扫罗代他献祭，违背了神的命令，对扫罗很不高兴。但是这次，撒母耳再来见扫罗，为何他要再见扫罗？因为他要传神的话。不管他对扫罗如何失望，神还是要再给扫罗一次机会。看看扫罗是否真的能明白神的用心良苦，因而回转。所以撒母耳提醒扫罗，他能够做以色列人的王，不是出于他自己的能力或才华，而是出于神的拣选，因此扫罗应该珍惜，应该听从神的话，免得神一怒之下，取走他的王权。因为神可以使人升高，也可以使人降低，所以人在祂面前应当存谦卑的心，不要妄自尊大。心存谦卑的人就会听从神的话，心里骄傲的人则恰恰相反。所以从一个人顺服神的程度，可以看出他实在是谦卑或骄傲。

撒母耳传达神的命令，要扫罗去灭尽亚玛力人。在以色列人出埃及时，亚玛力人尾随以色列人，在以色列人的队伍后面攻击抢劫老少妇孺。神没有忘记他们的恶。所以我们可以明白神的性情，谁攻击祂的子民，祂必报仇。这是神对祂的子民之爱的表现，同时也是神公义的一面，神不会放过作恶的人。这是神给扫罗最后一次的机会，要看扫罗肯不肯听从祂的话。扫罗能不能把这个机会，使神的心意回转？

有的人以为神是无比慈爱的神，所以他可以尽情犯罪，只要找一些借口塘塞就可以了。神真是那么好骗的吗？还是他们在骗自己？扫罗很有人情味，先去劝基尼人避避风头。在〈士师记〉第一章曾经提到，摩西的内兄是基尼人，摩西曾经邀请他的岳父和以色列人同去，并在旷野做他们的眼目，并应许将来耶和华有什么好处待以色列人，以色列人也必以什么好处待他们（民10:29-32）。也因为他们在以色列人出埃及时，曾经恩待以色列人，从那时起，基尼人就和以色列人住在一起，而且相处得很好。（也有一说，摩西的岳父是米甸人，因为基尼人是米甸人里的一族）。

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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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扫罗欲杀约拿单

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〈撒母耳记上〉 14:45 百姓对扫罗说：约拿单在以色列人中这样大行拯救，岂可使他死呢？断乎不可！

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 14:24-52 

因为约拿单凭著信心和神的印证去攻打非利士人，神就使非利士人大大战兢，互相击杀。扫罗看到非利士人军众溃散，四围乱窜，便带领以色列人去追击非利士人，直到伯亚文。在这之前扫罗已经查出约拿单和拿兵器的人不在，但他依然下了一道命令，非等到晚上向敌人报完仇，什么东西都不可以吃。这个命令有没有道理，姑且不论；但是对于不知情的约拿单而言，若是吃了东西，算不算有罪呢？

我们看到这个命令的后果，使百姓甚是疲乏饥饿，以致于饥不择食，宰了牛羊就血带肉地吃。设想百姓在追杀非利士人时必然需要补充体力，而扫罗却不准他们进食，以致于他们饥饿难忍。就像约拿单说的：“我父亲连累你们了。你看，我尝了这一点蜜，眼睛就明亮了。今日百姓若任意吃了从仇敌所夺的物，击杀的非利士人岂不更多吗？”可见这是个极为不智的命令。一般禁食是为了预备心或认罪悔改，若要从事大量的体力活，是不应该禁食的。牛在踹谷时，都不可笼住牠的嘴，何况人呢？

扫罗听到百姓吃带血的肉，便指责他们有罪，然后为耶和华筑坛，让百姓宰完牛羊可以放血后，在坛上烧了才吃。吃饱后，扫罗还想在夜里继续追赶非利士人，直到不留他们一人。但是祭司提醒扫罗，要先求问耶和华。扫罗照做，但是神没有回答。扫罗得不到神的答复，明白可能有人犯罪。这个罪是指触犯了扫罗的誓言。没想到制签掣出约拿单。约拿单用杖头蘸蜜时，根本不知道扫罗下过那样的命令；是在尝了蜜之后，百姓才把扫罗的命令告诉他。所以他很惊讶：“用杖头蘸了一点蜜尝了一尝。这样我就死吗？”

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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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