《聖經中各種審判》10 — 對埃及的審判 之四

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出埃及記  7-11章

《聖經》告訴我們所有的政權都是從上帝來的，因此基督徒明白上帝比政權高，因為政權事從上帝而來，政權不是自我獨立、成全，基督徒相信有一天上帝要審判政府，政府要向上帝負責。我們從《聖經》的總原則看見神權、人權、政權的次序，讓我們明白人民比政府更大。如果不從總原則來處理，我們就以為我們要怕政府，事實上我們要怕的是上帝，政府應該要怕人民。孟子說：「民為貴，社稷次之，君為輕」（《孟子．盡心》），意即：人權是最高的，政權是最低的，這是最靠近民主政治的中國大哲學家，但可惜孟子並沒有改變中國文化以君權神授為統治整個中國的政治哲學思想，但西方國家不認為如此。法國大革命帶來民權至上的思想，但從《聖經》的思想，我們看見英國的《大憲章》才是帶來真正的民主 。

神的作為與祂的子民有關係

埃及以前有幾個大政體，但第一個被上帝審判的是埃及的政權，因為埃及的政權妨礙上帝在救贖歷史之中要做的事情，逼害亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的後代。神的作為與祂的子民有關係。如果地上有真正敬畏上帝的人，正如上帝應許亞伯拉罕：「如果這城有五十個義人」，表示基督徒如果敬虔度日，上帝一定賜福那個國家。上帝賜福祂的子民，也賜福祂的子民所在的地方。我嚴格講一句話，是很多神學家沒有看見的。當埃及人逼迫在他們當中的以色列民族，當以色列人離開埃及，埃及已經不重要了。埃及的信仰是古代最為宏偉與具影響力。如果你把其他帝國的信仰與埃及的信仰相比，其他帝國完全不能與埃及帝國相比。埃及有龐大的祭司體系，法老王與宗教領袖的關係密切，埃及的宗教禮儀弘大，但上帝看虛假的宗教綑綁人、違背祂的旨意。

聖經對宗教自由的定義——離開假宗教、進到真宗教

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Work Hard, Rest Well

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i GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:1-7.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:1-7 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD.
3  For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.
4  But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
5  Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.
6  Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you–for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you,
7  as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

On verses 1-7:  Here God prepares the Israelites for when they enter the promised land.  He commands the Israelites to work the land they have been given (i.e. sow the fields, prune the vineyards and gather the crops for six years) (v2-3), but in the seventh year they are to give their land a rest and to live off of what the land produces that year (v4-7). 

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以利沙求加倍的感動

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〈列王紀〉下 2:9b以利沙說：「願感動你的靈加倍地感動我。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下2:1-25

耶和華要用旋風接以利亞升天的時候，我但願自己也在場，親眼看見那萬分榮耀的一刻。以利沙何等執著，他堅決要看見那奇妙的一刻，所以他緊緊地跟隨以利亞。我們若想看見神的榮耀，就要有以利沙這樣的心志，緊緊跟隨主，不偏左右地跟隨。

“願感動你的靈加倍地感動我”。以利沙對以利亞說的這句話感動了很多人，也成為許多人的禱告。因為很多人都直覺地認為，以利沙要的是以利亞加倍的能力。但是我們再仔地讀一讀，以利沙所指的是能力嗎？以利沙講的是：願感動你的“靈”－加倍感動我。願感動你的“靈”，是指什麼呢？我想大家都會同意是指聖靈，也可以說是神。加倍感動我，是何意呢？有從上面來的感動，人會有何反應？以利亞的表現就是順服，神叫他做什麼，他就做什麼；神要他說什麼，他就說什麼。可不可以這樣說，以利沙若被神加倍地感動，那麼以利沙就會更加順服神。先知在這裡求的，不是加倍的能力，而是在神裡面，更進一步的順服，被神感動，被神使用。

想要如此禱告的人，必須明白，加倍的感動，要有加倍的心理準備，放棄自己，因為神要成全的是祂的計劃，不是你的計劃。為了求感動以利亞的靈感動自己，以利沙不辭辛苦地，緊緊跟隨以利亞，從吉甲到伯特利，從伯特利到耶利哥，再過約旦河。當所有的門徒都在遠處觀看時，只有以利沙緊緊跟隨，為了求神的靈感動他，像感動以利亞一樣，不是一樣，是加倍。為何要加倍呢？他不是已經蒙召了嗎？以利亞已經按著神的心意呼召他了，他為何還不滿足？

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Seek God’s Will, Protect God’s Name

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 24:10-23.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 24:10-23 (NIV)
10  Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
11  The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)
12  They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them…….

On verses 10-23:  Leviticus 24:10-23 describes how Moses dealt with a half-Israelite, half-Egyptian man who had been found “blaspheming the name of God” (that is, misusing God’s name and speaking about God’s name disrespectfully).  The people bring this man to Moses, Moses waits until he has a clear direction from God, and eventually the man is stoned in accordance with God’s command.  Here are two lessons we can learn from this passage:

1. Seek God’s will when making a tough decision.  Are you needing to make a tough decision?  Don’t rush it.  Don’t decide based on how you feel.  Otherwise, you might miss the will of God.  Instead, when you’re faced with a difficult question, go to God and seek His will until it’s clear in your heart and mind what He wants you to do.  That’s what Moses did in verse 12: “They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.”

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亞哈謝遣使找以利亞

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〈列王紀〉下 1:3b 你們去問以革倫神巴力西卜，豈因以色列中沒有神嗎？

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下 1:1-17

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法→約蘭

以色列王：耶羅波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亞哈→亞哈謝→約蘭

有姐妹來信指出，在〈歷代志下〉廿一章第2節的最後一句說：“這都是以色列王約沙法的兒子”，她希望有所解釋，使大家明白為何這裡說約沙法是以色列王。〈歷代志〉和〈列王紀〉雖然都是記載猶大和以色列歷代的王，但是〈歷代志〉的作者並不承認以色列北國的王，所以〈歷代志下〉只記錄大衛的後裔。所有大衛的後裔做王的，在〈歷代志〉作者眼中才是正統的，全以色列的王，因而用“以色列王”來稱呼約沙法，而不是猶大王。但是〈列王紀〉記錄了以色列國分裂成猶大南國和以色列北國的實情，因此在〈列王紀〉裡，我們就明白約沙法其實是猶大南國的王。也因此我們需要參考這兩本書一起讀，使讀者對列王的歷史更有系統的理解。大家也可以看到諸王的名字有時都一樣，因此列出來使大家可以看得更清楚。

以革倫是非利士人五個主要城巿中最北的一個，他們拜巴力。巴力一向被認為是創造蒼蠅之神訪之主) ，有控制那些為禍中東地區的害蟲之能力。巴力西卜的原文是蒼蠅王，新約譯為魔王或鬼王；也因為巴力西卜以賜人神諭聞名，有人認為神諭就是藉蒼蠅飛來飛去的嗡嗡聲賜下的。

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Keep Burning Brightly

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 24:1-9.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 24:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.
3  Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
4  The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually.

On verses 1-4:   In Leviticus 24:2 God tells Moses that the lamps used to light up the tent of meeting are to keep burning continually.  In the same way, you and I, as followers of Jesus, are what Jesus calls “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Just like the lamps in Leviticus 24:2, we were made to keep burning continually and shining a light for God in this world.

How do you keep burning continually for God?  You need His Holy Spirit.  Just as lamps in Moses’ time needed the “clear oil of pressed olives…so that the lamps may be kept burning continually” (v2), so likewise we need God’s Holy Spirit to keep on burning.  In fact, oil is often a symbol in the Bible for the Holy Spirit.

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約沙法卒約蘭繼位

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〈歷代志〉下 21:6 他行以色列諸王的道，與亞哈家一樣；因他娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 21:1-20

約沙法是個敬畏神的王，但是他做父親時，卻為兒子約蘭娶了一門拜偶像的媳婦，以致為猶大家帶來的前所未有的災難。

約蘭有一個最敬虔的父親，和一個最惡毒的妻子。當一個男人結婚後，你覺得誰對他會有最大的影響？這是約沙法當初沒有想到的。他和亞哈結成親家，使他的兒子們都死於非命，百姓被引誘去拜偶像和假神，他所有的工作都功虧一匱。一個錯誤的決定，影響何等深遠。這是他所料不及的。所以我們在做決定時，不要以為無所謂，不要以為結婚後對方會因你而改變，不要以為你有能力可以改變任何人，不要自以為很有能力。

約沙法有七個兒子，約蘭是長子，因此約沙法把王位交給約蘭。當約沙法在位時，他將許多金銀、財寶和猶大地的堅固城賜給他的兒子們；但是約蘭一上位就把六個弟弟和別的王子們（堂表兄弟）全部殺掉。這裡用“奮勇自強”是不合宜的，因為他是為了擴展自己的權勢而殺掉其他的王子們。英文是：he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

作者很快就提到，約蘭行以色列諸王的道，與亞哈家一樣，因他娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，所以在妻子的影響之下，做盡耶和華眼中看為惡的事。父親的教導他完全不放在心上，反而跟著妻子去拜偶像，殺親兄弟，成為一個十惡不赦的王。但是神依然有憐憫，因著與大衛立的約，仍然給他悔改的時間和機會。

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So Many Reasons to Give Thanks

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:26-44.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:26-32 (NIV)
26  The LORD said to Moses,
27  “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.
28  Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.
29  Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.
30  I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day.
31  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
32  It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

On verses 26-32:  Verses 26-32 describe the Day of Atonement, a day when the people remembered how God atoned for their sins so that they could be forgiven.  Why was God so strict about people not doing any work on the Day of Atonement?  In part it was to emphasize that we cannot work for and earn our atonement.  Rather, our atonement was and is God’s work, something He does on our behalf so that we could receive it freely.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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約沙法祈禱讚美敗敵

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〈歷代志〉下 20:3 約沙法便懼怕，定意尋求耶和華，在猶大全地宣告禁食。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 20:1-37

提到隱基底，可能大家都記得，那是大衛逃亡時住過的地方。因為那是在猶大曠野裡唯一有水泉之處。隱基底位於猶大曠野的盡頭，不僅是猶大人逃亡的躲避之處，也因它位於猶大境的東南邊緣，所以又是猶大國的後門。這一帶的地勢有曠野，有山寨，有水泉，也有山地。在約沙法晚年時，摩押人、亞捫人和米烏尼人聯合進攻猶大，面對強敵壓境，約沙法要如何[應對？

約沙法是一個很勤奮的王，做王不久，他就奮勇自強，不僅防備北國以色列人，且安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡，又安置防兵在猶大地和他父亞撒所得以法蓮的城邑中。他在猶大建造營寨和積貨城，又在猶大城邑中有許多工程，又召集勇士，以致於非利士人和阿拉伯人都來朝貢。以色列王亞哈也邀他一起出兵去打亞蘭。所以他不是沒有兵力，也不是一個膽怯的王，但是當他看到那麼多的敵軍一起來襲時，約沙法也懼怕了。

一個有神同在的王，蒙神祝福的王，也只是一個人。是人就會有懼怕，只是願不願意承認，或是還沒有碰到巨大困擾的差別。當約沙法懼怕時，他為我們設立了一個很好的榜樣，不是像亞撒去求亞蘭的幫助，而是定意尋求耶和華，在猶大全地宣告禁食，尋求耶和華的幫助。約沙法在神面前坦承“我們無力抵擋這來攻擊我們的大軍，我們也不知道怎樣行”，這叫“自知之明”。人有自知之明，知道自己有多少斤兩，才不會被無知所敝，而盲目行事。承認自己軟弱，承認自己有限，承認自己不知道，並不是羞恥，因為這是人的本相；反而為了面子而逞強的人，往往把事情弄得一團糟。

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You Were Made For More Than Just Surviving

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:15-25.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:15-22 (NIV)
15  “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.
16  Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.
17  From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first fruits to the LORD…….

On verses 15-22:  Leviticus 23 is basically the Israelites’ event calendar, listing out all the biggest holidays that God wanted the Israelites to celebrate during the year.  It starts with the weekly Sabbath day, meant as a day of rest (Leviticus 23:3).  Then there’s the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8), meant to commemorate the day when God spared (“passed over”) every firstborn Israelite male by sacrificing a lamb instead and had everyone eat bread made without yeast in preparation for their swift escape out of Egypt.  Then there’s the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14), which is all about giving God the first part of the harvest, recognizing that their land belongs to God and that God is their provider.  Some consider the Feast of Firstfruits part of the Passover since the Feast of Firstfruits happens during the Passover.

This leads us to verses 15-22, which describe the Feast of Weeks.  What is the Feast of Weeks?  The Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost.  Pentecost was one of the big three festivals in the Jewish calendar (the other two being the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles).

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