大衛做全以色列的王

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〈撒母耳記〉下 5:10 大衛日見強盛，因為耶和華萬軍之神與他同在。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 4:1-12

元帥押尼珥死了，以色列王伊施波設死了，兩個軍長也被大衛殺了。以色列眾支派的長老們終於來找大衛，他們舉出了三件事來證明他們的誠意。一, 他們和大衛是骨肉的關係，都是雅各的子孫。二, 在掃羅作王時，大衛當戰士長，所以是大衛率領以色列人出入。他們承認大衛的領袖地位。三, 撒母耳曾經膏大衛為王，那是神對大衛的應許。因此大衛在希伯崙和他們立約，他們就膏大衛做以色列的王，此時猶大支派和以色列其他的支派終於統一了。大衛沒有採取流血的手段，他耐心等待，直到神的時間來臨，神親自感動以色列人來和他立約，成就了和平統一。這是大衛第三次被膏為王。

大衛作王之後，為何要去打耶布斯呢？因為它座落在以色列中央山脈最高處的平台上，海拔在750公尺左右；東邊有汲淪溪，西邊和南邊是欣嫩溪；東南有俄斐勒山，東有摩利亞山，東北有貝西大山，西北有亞克拉山，西南有錫安山，其東還有橄欖山，真正是群山環繞，外敵難以進入，是個易守難攻，交通卻四通八達的地方，拿來做首都不正好嗎？大衛是個有眼光有異象的政治家，當他挑選上這個地方做以色列國的首都時，他心裡已經有了策略，要打造出一個讓外敵都不敢侵犯的以色列國。

但是正如上面所述，耶布斯是一個很難攻取的地方。當大衛計劃要進攻耶布斯時，裡面的人嘲笑大衛，要先趕出裡面的瞎子和瘸子，意思是說：就憑這些瞎眼的和破腳的，就可以抵擋你們了。在〈歷代志〉上11章5節，耶布斯人對大衛說：“你決不能進這地方。”在〈歷代志〉上11章6節，大衛徵求勇士：“誰先攻打耶布斯人，必作首領元帥”。在〈撒母耳記〉下五章，大衛露了一點打仗的秘密：“當上水溝攻打我心裡所恨惡的瘸子、瞎子”。上水溝是何意呢？

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Sex and Marriage

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 7:1-9.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (NIV)
1  Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
2  But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
3  The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4  The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
5  Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6  I say this as a concession, not as a command.
7  I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8  Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
9  But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul replies to a question that his church in Corinth had written him concerning being married, being single and having sex.  The question was probably something like “Is it better for a Christian to stay single or to get married?”  From reading Paul’s question we can learn a few important truths about marriage, singleness and sex:

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認識撒旦的工作

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在上一篇《認識神的聲音》我們提到撒但的第一步，是要以一遍又一遍的謊言與負面思想，佔領我們的心，使心成為黑暗掌權的領地；撒但讓人類不相信魔鬼，讓人失去防禦，好進行所有毀壞之事。曾為紐約第三大「撒但祭司」，有「路西法之子」稱號的約翰‧拉米瑞拉牧師（John Ramirez）要告訴你，撒但如何在我們生命中進行破壞；他說，人類都只會抱怨神，卻不是責怪撒但，這就是撒但的目的。牠的最終目的，就是要你永遠離開神。

牠偷走你的身份

亞當與夏娃為上帝所造，撒但（蛇）引誘他們犯罪，偷走他們的「身份」。同樣，不管你是不是基督徒，撒但一直試圖要拐騙上帝給我們的一切。

我們都擁有一個屬於上帝的身份，〈耶利米書〉1:5 提到，「我未將你造在腹中，我已曉得你；你未出母胎，我已分別你為聖。我已派你做列國的先知。 」我們都是神所造的，在出生以前神就知道我們。撒但從我們出生開始，就企圖偷走我們的身份。

就像身分證或信用卡被竊，若被盜刷盜用，損失可能需要很長一段時間才能彌補；我們必須謹慎，因為撒但若偷走我們身份，滋事更大。為達目的，牠會透過各種破口進入。

1.從婚姻與家庭

撒但恨惡人類，因為我們是神所造的，且是依著神的形象所造。牠最討厭的其次是家庭。

拉米瑞拉曾任黑暗祭司（或稱巫師）25年，在那時他被訓練以巫術，毫無憐憫地破壞家庭，拆毀夫妻與親子，特別是婚姻關係，經常成為他施法攻擊的目標。

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Honour God with Your Body

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV)
12  “Everything is permissible for me”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”–but I will not be mastered by anything.
13  “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”–but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
15  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!……

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul addresses another form of sexual immorality that was going on in the church: apparently some Christians in his church were sleeping with prostitutes.  In response Paul reminds his church that:

1. We must be careful how we use the freedom that God has given us.  Since we have such easy access to so many activities, we need to ask ourselves, “Is it beneficial to engage in this activity, or does it do more harm than good?  Does engaging in this activity really set me free or does it enslave me?  Is this activity honoring or dishonoring to God?  Does it help me to accomplish God’s purposes for my life or is it distracting me from God’s purposes?” (v12)

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伊施波設被殺

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〈撒母耳記〉下 4:1  掃羅的兒子伊施波設聽見押尼珥死在希伯崙，手就發軟，以色列眾人也都驚惶。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 4:1-12

掃羅在世時生了約拿單、麥基舒亞、亞比拿達、伊施巴力四個兒子，有三個跟著他上戰場，留下了幼子伊施波設（在〈歷代志〉上第八章33節裡稱他為：伊施巴力）留京看守。掃羅和三子戰死沙場後，押尼珥帶著伊施波設逃到約旦河東的瑪哈念，立伊施波設為王。但是押尼珥並不尊重伊施波設，仗著自己的勢力隨意妄為，甚至與掃羅的妃嬪同寢。當伊施波設質問他時，他反而破口大罵。因為他知道自己擁有掃羅家的兵權，伊施波設根本耐何不了他。到最後，他更越過伊施波設和大衛商討統一。

當約押殺了押尼珥的消息傳回掃羅家時，掃羅家的反應從伊施波設到以色列眾人的反應是嚇得不知如何是好。因為掃羅死後，押尼珥變成掃羅家真正當家的，從來有什麼事都是他說了算，現在他死了，大家都不知所措，覺得前途無望，開始各自打算。這就是人的本相，不是嗎？當你不再有能力時，跟隨的人就會踩你、踏你，然後各自尋求出路，有誰會留下來拉你一把？這也是政治的真面目。而最先離開的，就是原先最靠近你，你最信任的人。

伊施波設的兩個軍長原本應在此時站出來，但是沒想到他們的族人比錄人，一聽到風聲不對就全部開溜了。留下這兩個軍長巴拿和利甲，他們有何打算呢？他們也像押尼珥一樣，想到大衛處討碗飯吃（為自己謀一官半職），但是又不能空手去，所以就想到了一個最好的禮物，那就是伊施波設的人頭。因此相約在一個午後，趁著伊施波設在睡午覺時，沒有防備，就殺了伊施波設，取了他的首級。趁著人頭還新鮮，他們在亞拉巴走了一夜，走到希伯崙見到大衛王。他們很興奮地計劃著，大衛將會因而給他們什麼奬賞啊？

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Remember Who You Are and Don’t Lose Sight of the Big Picture

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 6:1-11.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 6:1-11 (NIV)
1  If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?
2  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
3  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4  Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!
5  I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?
6  But instead, one brother goes to law against another–and this in front of unbelievers!
7  The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?……

On verses 1-11:  In 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Paul tackles another problem in his church: apparently some of the Christians in his church at Corinth were having such severe conflicts that they were suing each other in court.  Paul writes (and I’m paraphrasing here), “Why do that?  Why air out your dirty laundry in front of others and give Christians a bad name by suing one another — and in front of a non-Christian judge no less!  If you couldn’t resolve this matter between yourselves as Christian brothers, could you not have at least found another Christian brother or sister whom you trust to help mediate this situation?  Shouldn’t you as a Christian rather be wronged and cheated by your fellow Christian than to be suing them in court and dragging Christ’s name in the mud in the process?”

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Confronting Sin with Wisdom and Love

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NIV)
1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
2  And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
3  Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present…….

On verses 1-13:  In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul deals with the problem of sexual immorality in his church in Corinth.  In particular, there was a man in the church who had been sleeping with his stepmom (v1).  That man would not listen to any warnings or admonitions from his local church leaders to stop this not only adulterous but also incestuous relationship.  In addition, it appears that other members of the church were not just tolerating this behaviour, but boasting about it and thus encouraging it (v2, v6).  So Paul as the church founder must step in.

Paul tells the church that they have no choice but to “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (v5).  What does it mean to “hand this man over to Satan”? 

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約押刺殺押尼珥

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〈撒母耳記〉下 3: 37   那日，以色列眾民才知道殺尼珥的兒子押尼珥並非出於王意。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 3:17-39

雖是同一個團隊，但是每個人對同一件事也會有不同的看法。有很多人質問當選的議員或巿長或什麼職位的，為何不能實現競選時的諾言。實在是當他們一旦當選之後，看事情和看人的角度就不一樣了。好像乾隆同時使用和珅和紀曉嵐，和珅是大貪官，紀曉嵐是大清官，但是乾隆的帝王術就是要讓兩者並存在他的朝中，才能起制衡的作用。所以即使押尼珥的人品不怎麼樣，大衛也會考慮用他。大衛作了猶大王之後，他的心志就是要統一以色列，但是他並不心急，他耐性等候時機的來臨。

時機終於來臨，大衛家日見強盛，掃羅日漸衰微。押尼珥審度時勢，若與大衛談條件，他還有可能謀到高官肥缺，若再等下去，只剩個爛攤子時，誰還跟他談條件？一下子就可以把他給收拾掉，他就什麼也撈不到了。因此他越過伊施波設，這個形同虛設的王，竟自去跟大衛談判。押尼珥在為自己舖路，但是他也需要得以色列長老們的同意。他好像以前的美國國務卿季辛吉(Henry Kissinger)， 在美國外交政策上發揮了極大的作用。押尼珥也在猶大和以色列之間來回奔跑，發揮三寸不爛之舌的功用，使大衛和以色列長老們都頻頻點頭。

約押是大衛的元帥，與押尼珥有殺弟之仇。當然，他對押尼珥的印象很差，因此他對大衛說：“尼珥的兒子押尼珥來是要誆哄你，要知道你的出入和你一切所行的事。”他不相信押尼珥有好的居心。雖然大衛和約押曾經是出生入死的伙伴，但此時他們看事情的角度已經有很大的區別。大衛從一個王的角度去審度形勢，他要的是猶大和以色列的統一，他要做全以色列的王；但是約押只是覺得押尼珥這人不可信，不能要。大衛看到的是在兩個國度的統一中，需要押尼珥這個棋子，他的人品好不好是次要的，他在統一這事上能發揮什麼作用，那才是主要的。

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米甲再歸大衛

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〈撒母耳記〉下 3:1   掃羅家和大衛家爭戰許久，大衛家日見強盛，掃羅家日見衰弱。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 3:1-16

掃羅家和大衛家爭戰許久，大衛家日見強盛，掃羅家日見衰弱。

這是大衛否極泰來的時候，不僅有時間生兒育女，並且在和掃羅家的爭戰中，日漸強盛。押尼珥也感覺到大衛的軍勢增長，他的軍勢日見衰弱，因此起了歸降之心。但是促使他採取行動的，則是他和伊施波設的不合。說實在的，我不喜歡押尼珥這個人。正如大衛拿走掃羅的槍和水瓶時說的，他不是一個忠心的僕人，明知大衛就在附近，卻沒有好好保護掃羅，也沒有派人值更守夜。在戰場上，掃羅和兒子們都戰死了，他卻可以全身而退，然後挾幼主而專權。這樣的元帥只顧自己的利益，算不上是個忠心的僕人。

他挾持伊施波設以令“諸候”，立伊施波設作王，就可以確定其他的支派都聽他的。他也不尊重伊施波設，竟然和掃羅的妃嬪同房，當伊施波設質問他時，他反而大罵伊施波設。假如伊施波設是王，而他只是元帥，豈可如此霸道？不僅上了前王的床，還不許幼主質問，反而破口大罵，究竟誰是主？誰是僕？可見在押尼珥的心中，只是利用伊施波設來擴張他的權勢，他根本不把伊施波設放在眼裡。這就是物以類聚，掃羅不敬畏神，跟他在一起的人也不敬畏神，只求滿足私慾，擴張權勢。這種不敬畏神的僕人，哪裡會好好服侍主人？所以掃羅不敬畏神，不僅害了他自己，也連累他的兒孫。

兩國立約，原該由伊施波設出面，卻只見押尼珥上下其手。押尼珥派人去找大衛，大衛則派人直接去見伊施波設。可見大衛尊重伊施波設，並沒有像押尼珥那樣，不把伊施波設放在眼裡。可能有人會覺得，在這種時候，大衛應該一些有利於登上全以色列王位的要求；萬萬沒想到，大衛只想要回米甲，他的第一個妻子。

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You Need a Spiritual Family to Grow Spiritually

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 4:9-21.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 (NIV)
9  For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.
10  We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!
11  To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
12  We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
13  when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

On verses 9-13: Ironically, while the Paul groupies and Apollos groupies were using their alleged connection to Paul and Apollos to boast about themselves to others, Paul and his fellow apostles were themselves suffering a great deal for the gospel – going hungry and thirsty (v11), being treated brutally (v11), working tirelessly (v12) and often being insulted (v13) and persecuted (v12).  It’s as if on one hand you have Paul and his fellow apostles who are the real deal, serving Christ and suffering for it, while at the same time there are a bunch of apostle wannabees who are more focused on making a name for themselves, talking about themselves a lot and doing a lot less for the kingdom.  In some ways Paul is showing how different these groupies actually are from Paul, Apollos and other apostles.

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