大卫做全以色列的王

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〈撒母耳记〉下 5:10 大卫日见强盛，因为耶和华万军之神与他同在。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 4:1-12

元帅押尼珥死了，以色列王伊施波设死了，两个军长也被大卫杀了。以色列众支派的长老们终于来找大卫，他们举出了三件事来证明他们的诚意。一, 他们和大卫是骨肉的关系，都是雅各的子孙。二, 在扫罗作王时，大卫当战士长，所以是大卫率领以色列人出入。他们承认大卫的领袖地位。三, 撒母耳曾经膏大卫为王，那是神对大卫的应许。因此大卫在希伯仑和他们立约，他们就膏大卫做以色列的王，此时犹大支派和以色列其他的支派终于统一了。大卫没有采取流血的手段，他耐心等待，直到神的时间来临，神亲自感动以色列人来和他立约，成就了和平统一。这是大卫第三次被膏为王。

大卫作王之后，为何要去打耶布斯呢？因为它座落在以色列中央山脉最高处的平台上，海拔在750公尺左右；东边有汲沦溪，西边和南边是欣嫩溪；东南有俄斐勒山，东有摩利亚山，东北有贝西大山，西北有亚克拉山，西南有锡安山，其东还有橄榄山，真正是群山环绕，外敌难以进入，是个易守难攻，交通却四通八达的地方，拿来做首都不正好吗？大卫是个有眼光有异象的政治家，当他挑选上这个地方做以色列国的首都时，他心里已经有了策略，要打造出一个让外敌都不敢侵犯的以色列国。

但是正如上面所述，耶布斯是一个很难攻取的地方。当大卫计划要进攻耶布斯时，里面的人嘲笑大卫，要先赶出里面的瞎子和瘸子，意思是说：就凭这些瞎眼的和破脚的，就可以抵挡你们了。在〈历代志〉上11章5节，耶布斯人对大卫说：“你决不能进这地方。”在〈历代志〉上11章6节，大卫征求勇士：“谁先攻打耶布斯人，必作首领元帅”。在〈撒母耳记〉下五章，大卫露了一点打仗的秘密：“当上水沟攻打我心里所恨恶的瘸子、瞎子”。上水沟是何意呢？

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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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认识撒旦的工作

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在上一篇《认识神的声音》我们提到撒但的第一步，是要以一遍又一遍的谎言与负面思想，占领我们的心，使心成为黑暗掌权的领地；撒但让人类不相信魔鬼，让人失去防御，好进行所有毁坏之事。曾为纽约第三大「撒但祭司」，有「路西法之子」称号的约翰‧拉米瑞拉牧师（John Ramirez）要告诉你，撒但如何在我们生命中进行破坏；他说，人类都只会抱怨神，却不是责怪撒但，这就是撒但的目的。牠的最终目的，就是要你永远离开神。

牠偷走你的身份

亚当与夏娃为上帝所造，撒但（蛇）引诱他们犯罪，偷走他们的「身份」。同样，不管你是不是基督徒，撒但一直试图要拐骗上帝给我们的一切。

我们都拥有一个属于上帝的身份，〈耶利米书〉1:5 提到，「我未将你造在腹中，我已晓得你；你未出母胎，我已分别你为圣。我已派你做列国的先知。 」我们都是神所造的，在出生以前神就知道我们。撒但从我们出生开始，就企图偷走我们的身份。

就像身分证或信用卡被窃，若被盗刷盗用，损失可能需要很长一段时间才能弥补；我们必须谨慎，因为撒但若偷走我们身份，滋事更大。为达目的，牠会透过各种破口进入。

1.从婚姻与家庭

撒但恨恶人类，因为我们是神所造的，且是依著神的形象所造。牠最讨厌的其次是家庭。

拉米瑞拉曾任黑暗祭司（或称巫师）25年，在那时他被训练以巫术，毫无怜悯地破坏家庭，拆毁夫妻与亲子，特别是婚姻关系，经常成为他施法攻击的目标。

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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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伊施波设被杀

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〈撒母耳记〉下 4:1  扫罗的儿子伊施波设听见押尼珥死在希伯仑，手就发软，以色列众人也都惊惶。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 4:1-12

扫罗在世时生了约拿单、麦基舒亚、亚比拿达、伊施巴力四个儿子，有三个跟着他上战场，留下了幼子伊施波设（在〈历代志〉上第八章33节里称他为：伊施巴力）留京看守。扫罗和三子战死沙场后，押尼珥带着伊施波设逃到约旦河东的玛哈念，立伊施波设为王。但是押尼珥并不尊重伊施波设，仗着自己的势力随意妄为，甚至与扫罗的妃嫔同寝。当伊施波设质问他时，他反而破口大骂。因为他知道自己拥有扫罗家的兵权，伊施波设根本耐何不了他。到最后，他更越过伊施波设和大卫商讨统一。

当约押杀了押尼珥的消息传回扫罗家时，扫罗家的反应从伊施波设到以色列众人的反应是吓得不知如何是好。因为扫罗死后，押尼珥变成扫罗家真正当家的，从来有什么事都是他说了算，现在他死了，大家都不知所措，觉得前途无望，开始各自打算。这就是人的本相，不是吗？当你不再有能力时，跟随的人就会踩你、踏你，然后各自寻求出路，有谁会留下来拉你一把？这也是政治的真面目。而最先离开的，就是原先最靠近你，你最信任的人。

伊施波设的两个军长原本应在此时站出来，但是没想到他们的族人比录人，一听到风声不对就全部开溜了。留下这两个军长巴拿和利甲，他们有何打算呢？他们也像押尼珥一样，想到大卫处讨碗饭吃（为自己谋一官半职），但是又不能空手去，所以就想到了一个最好的礼物，那就是伊施波设的人头。因此相约在一个午后，趁著伊施波设在睡午觉时，没有防备，就杀了伊施波设，取了他的首级。趁着人头还新鲜，他们在亚拉巴走了一夜，走到希伯仑见到大卫王。他们很兴奋地计划著，大卫将会因而给他们什么奖赏啊？

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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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约押刺杀押尼珥

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〈撒母耳记〉下 3: 37   那日，以色列众民才知道杀尼珥的儿子押尼珥并非出于王意。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 3:17-39

虽是同一个团队，但是每个人对同一件事也会有不同的看法。有很多人质问当选的议员或巿长或什么职位的，为何不能实现竞选时的诺言。实在是当他们一旦当选之后，看事情和看人的角度就不一样了。好像乾隆同时使用和珅和纪晓岚，和珅是大贪官，纪晓岚是大清官，但是乾隆的帝王术就是要让两者并存在他的朝中，才能起制衡的作用。所以即使押尼珥的人品不怎么样，大卫也会考虑用他。大卫作了犹大王之后，他的心志就是要统一以色列，但是他并不心急，他耐性等候时机的来临。

时机终于来临，大卫家日见强盛，扫罗日渐衰微。押尼珥审度时势，若与大卫谈条件，他还有可能谋到高官肥缺，若再等下去，只剩个烂摊子时，谁还跟他谈条件？一下子就可以把他给收拾掉，他就什么也捞不到了。因此他越过伊施波设，这个形同虚设的王，竟自去跟大卫谈判。押尼珥在为自己舖路，但是他也需要得以色列长老们的同意。他好像以前的美国国务卿季辛吉(Henry Kissinger)， 在美国外交政策上发挥了极大的作用。押尼珥也在犹大和以色列之间来回奔跑，发挥三寸不烂之舌的功用，使大卫和以色列长老们都频频点头。

约押是大卫的元帅，与押尼珥有杀弟之仇。当然，他对押尼珥的印象很差，因此他对大卫说：“尼珥的儿子押尼珥来是要诓哄你，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。虽然大卫和约押曾经是出生入死的伙伴，但此时他们看事情的角度已经有很大的区别。大卫从一个王的角度去审度形势，他要的是犹大和以色列的统一，他要做全以色列的王；但是约押只是觉得押尼珥这人不可信，不能要。大卫看到的是在两个国度的统一中，需要押尼珥这个棋子，他的人品好不好是次要的，他在统一这事上能发挥什么作用，那才是主要的。

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米甲再归大卫

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〈撒母耳记〉下 3:1   扫罗家和大卫家争战许久，大卫家日见强盛，扫罗家日见衰弱。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 3:1-16

扫罗家和大卫家争战许久，大卫家日见强盛，扫罗家日见衰弱。

这是大卫否极泰来的时候，不仅有时间生儿育女，并且在和扫罗家的争战中，日渐强盛。押尼珥也感觉到大卫的军势增长，他的军势日见衰弱，因此起了归降之心。但是促使他采取行动的，则是他和伊施波设的不合。说实在的，我不喜欢押尼珥这个人。正如大卫拿走扫罗的枪和水瓶时说的，他不是一个忠心的仆人，明知大卫就在附近，却没有好好保护扫罗，也没有派人值更守夜。在战场上，扫罗和儿子们都战死了，他却可以全身而退，然后挟幼主而专权。这样的元帅只顾自己的利益，算不上是个忠心的仆人。

他挟持伊施波设以令“诸候”，立伊施波设作王，就可以确定其他的支派都听他的。他也不尊重伊施波设，竟然和扫罗的妃嫔同房，当伊施波设质问他时，他反而大骂伊施波设。假如伊施波设是王，而他只是元帅，岂可如此霸道？不仅上了前王的床，还不许幼主质问，反而破口大骂，究竟谁是主？谁是仆？可见在押尼珥的心中，只是利用伊施波设来扩张他的权势，他根本不把伊施波设放在眼里。这就是物以类聚，扫罗不敬畏神，跟他在一起的人也不敬畏神，只求满足私欲，扩张权势。这种不敬畏神的仆人，哪里会好好服侍主人？所以扫罗不敬畏神，不仅害了他自己，也连累他的儿孙。

两国立约，原该由伊施波设出面，却只见押尼珥上下其手。押尼珥派人去找大卫，大卫则派人直接去见伊施波设。可见大卫尊重伊施波设，并没有像押尼珥那样，不把伊施波设放在眼里。可能有人会觉得，在这种时候，大卫应该一些有利于登上全以色列王位的要求；万万没想到，大卫只想要回米甲，他的第一个妻子。

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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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