You Are Consecrated

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 19:14-25.  Let’s go!

Exodus 19:14-15 (NIV)
14  After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
15  Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

On verses 14-15:  In Exodus 19, there is a word that comes up repeatedly which we hardly use today in our daily conversation.  It’s the word “consecrated” (see for example verses 10, 14 and 22).   What does it mean to be “consecrated”? To be consecrated means to be set apart for a special, holy purpose. 

Why would God require the people to consecrate themselves before meeting Him (Exodus 19:10, 22)? And why did God say that He would break out against the people if they approached Him without first being consecrated (v22, 24)? It’s because God is holy. By “holy” we mean morally perfect, without sin, completely righteous and pure in every way. God is so holy, so righteous, and so pure that anything with sin would perish in God’s presence.

That’s why the people had to consecrate themselves. They would wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations, not because dirty clothes and sex are sinful in God’s eyes, but as a practical way to get the people to focus on seeking God with special intensity and getting ready to encounter Him. 

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冊立以斯帖為后

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〈以斯帖記〉2:17王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。

閱讀經文：〈以斯帖記〉2

假如第一章的筵席是為了籌備對希臘的戰爭，那麼第二章很可能就是在主前479年的帕雷提亞（Plataea）之役之後。主前480年亞哈隨魯撤離希臘，在小亞細亞西岸的撒狄過冬。主前479年秋季才回到書珊，那時他開始想念王后瓦實提。回到家卻見不到娘子，心情必然感到寂寞吧！這時王的侍臣緊張了，萬一王想讓瓦實提復位，她會不會報復呢？於是議王去尋找美貌的處女，再立一個王后，代替瓦實提。王以這事為美，有不少人的心臟從喉嚨跌回原來的位置上。

歷史上的另一幕在神的主導下開始了。一個在巴比倫出生的猶大小女子悄悄地步上了波斯的大舞台。在亞哈隨魯尋找王后的動機下，以斯帖順理成章進了王宮，她是第二代的以色列流民（流亡之民），就像北美的第二代移民，講話和生活方式都與當地人認同了，人家不問也分不出她的祖籍。但是她的堂兄莫底改的人生閱歷多，可能為了避免猶大人的敵人作對，便要求以斯帖不要暴露猶大人的身份。

有的人奇怪為何以猶大人的身份，以斯帖會去參加選皇后一事。其實在以前一些國家裡，若是王要選秀女，就會有一段禁婚的時期，讓所有適齡的未婚女子都集合起來，經過淘汰之後才可回家，被選上的就繼續參加下一輪的淘汰賽，直到被王看中。王的諭旨一傳出，就招聚許多女子到書珊城，所以這很可能不是以斯帖可以決定的意願。以斯帖自幼父母雙亡，由她的堂兄末底改撫養成人。可能因為彼此年齡相距其大，所以末底改把她收為自己的女兒。

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Through Jesus You Are A Priest and God’s Treasured Possession

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 19:1-13.  Let’s go!

Exodus 19:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt–on the very day–they came to the Desert of Sinai.
2  After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3  Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:
4  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

On verses 1-4:  Verse 3 suggests that Moses went up to God on the mountain and then God called to Moses from the mountain.  What can we learn from this?  If you want to hear from God, take the initiative, get yourself in position and draw close to God.  Don’t just wait for God to speak to you before you go up to Him.  Come near to God and He will come near to you (James 4:8).

Exodus 19:5-8 (NIV)
5  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
6  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

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亞哈隨魯大設筵宴

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〈以斯帖記〉1:1  亞哈隨魯做王，從印度直到古實，統管一百二十七省。

閱讀經文：〈以斯帖記〉1

〈以斯帖記〉是《聖經》裡非常奇特的一本書，裡面沒有提到猶太人和神的關係，也沒有猶太人敬拜神的記錄，可是在每一件事上，讀者可以感覺到猶太人在異地對神默然的仰望，也可以看到神的權能以無比的幽默感在運行。在被流放到巴比倫的猶大人當中，充滿了任人擺佈的無力感。此時但以理應該已經過世，再無位高權重的猶大人為他們出頭，他們好像一群無法自衛的羊，任人宰割。可是在他們的靜默裡，卻有神巨大的力量和保護在暗中運行。當你讀完〈以斯帖記〉裡所發生的許多“巧合”，可能也會猜想，是否神差遣了保護以色列人的米迦勒天使長，在暗地裡佈置著一切？

主前490年8-9月之間，波斯大軍進攻希臘，雅典人雖然人數居於劣勢，卻在馬拉松平原以著重兩翼的平行戰鬥排列，使其中央部分向內凹入，最後呈現幾乎垂直的戰鬥行列，夾擊並大敗深入敵陣的波斯軍。雅典軍大勝之後， 古希臘時代的一位雅典傳令兵費里皮德斯（Pheilippides），由馬拉松平原跑回雅典報捷，中途沒有停頓，當他將勝利的消息轉告雅典人後，隨即倒地死去。為了紀念他，希臘人在1896年舉行了第一次馬拉松賽跑大會。這就是馬拉松賽跑的來源。

亞哈隨魯做波斯王之後，立志洗雪馬拉松戰役之恥，在登位第三年便預備遠征希臘。按照波斯的慣例，出戰之前往往有連日的歡宴，以團結袍澤，激勵士氣，隨後王與文武大臣商議國事軍事。此次慶宴持續六個月，目的在於策劃入侵希臘的戰略，並證明王有足夠的財力來支持戰事。這就是〈以斯帖記〉第一章的背景。書珊城是波斯的京城，有如今日中國的北京和美國的華盛頓，當年許多大事都在這裡發生。尼希米也曾在書珊城的王宮裡擔任酒政。在王宮舉辦的歡宴裡，照例少不了美女與美酒，而亞哈隨魯在此時突發奇想，要以王后瓦實提的美貌來提高眾人的興緻。

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預言封閉至末期

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〈但以理書〉12:10必有許多人使自己清淨潔白，且被熬煉，但惡人仍必行惡。一切惡人都不明白，唯獨智慧人能明白。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉12

在2015年9月，有兩位可謂人生的勝利者，在最美麗的青春年華時黯然而逝。一位是33歲的杜拜王子拉席德，因心臟病不幸猝死，他的國家將為他哀悼3天。一位是32歲的日本前NHK新聞女主播黑木奈奈，人長得非常漂亮，去年發現患了胃癌，她辭去工作專心求治，今年初還曾重回主播台，鼓勵了許多患癌症的病友，沒想到九月裡病情急轉直下，終於離世。可見人的末時，經常來得比末世還要早。所以我們不要以為末世遙遙無期，反而要為自己的末時做準備。

但以理得到啟示，當末世來臨時，米迦勒要出來保護以色列民。那時以色列民要面臨前所未有的大艱難，比以前任何時候都艱難，那時就要知道分出來誰的名字記錄在（生命）冊上配得拯救。反之，那些名字沒有記錄在生命冊上的，必不被拯救，而要面對滅亡。“睡在塵埃中”，指肉體已經死亡的人要復醒，也就是復活。有的人要得永生，有的人要受羞辱永遠被憎惡。這就是主耶穌提到將來祂要審判時說的話：“時候要到，凡在墳墓裡的，都要聽見祂的聲音，就出來，行善的復活得生，作惡的復活定罪。（約5:28-29）”又像保羅說的：“我們這活著還存留到主降臨的人，斷不能在那已經睡了的人之先。因為主必親自從天降臨，有呼叫的聲音和天使長的聲音，又有神的號吹響，那在基督裡死了的人必先復活”（帖前4:15-16）。

當神預定的大艱難來臨時，保護人的天使也不能違抗神的旨意挪去命定的災害。主耶穌也曾預言：“那時，必有大災難，從世界的起頭，直到如今，沒有這樣的災難，後來也必沒有。若不減少那日子，凡有血氣的，總沒有一個得救的”(太24：21-22)。在災難中，神有憐憫，因此米迦勒必站起來，護衛神的子民，否則有誰能站立得住呢？所以保羅勉勵我們：“自己以為站得穩的須要謹慎，免得跌倒。你們所遇見的試探，無非是人所能受的。神是信實的，必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的，在受試探的時候，總要給你們開一條出路，叫你們能忍受得住。（林前10:12-13）”不管是試探或試煉，信主的人都有神的同在。

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Something to Lighten Your Load

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:13-27.  here are a few other lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:13-23 (NIV)
13  The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14  When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15  Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
16  Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
17  Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.

On verses 13-23:  Jethro saw that as good intentioned as Moses was, it was not healthy or advisable for Moses to be a one man show and to personally judge every case that the people brought to him.  This would wear Moses out and it would also wear the people out in terms of making them wait far too long.  Jethro saw the inefficiencies in Moses’ system and suggested a better way, encouraging Moses to focus his role on teaching the people (v20) and representing the people before God (v19) and to delegate authority to trustworthy individuals with good character to deal personally with the people’s individual problems (v21-22).  Jethro’s goal was to lighten Moses’ load (“this will make your load lighter”), to raise up leaders who would be accountable to Moses and who could help share the work (“they will share it with you”), and to create a better experience for everyone so that “all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).

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預言希臘的興起到滅亡

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〈但以理書〉11:32作惡違背聖約的人，他必用巧言勾引；唯獨認識神的子民，必剛強行事。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉11

天使再次向但以理講解異象，比以前的任何一次都要詳細，這次主要是講論希臘，從希臘的興起講到希臘的滅亡。亞哈隨魯（薛西一世）是波斯的第四個王，在他當政時，波斯帝國從印度直到古實統管一百二十七省，國富民強。在〈以斯帖記〉的第一章裡，說到亞哈隨魯王把他王國的財富和榮華富貴，給那些波斯和瑪代的權貴，各省的貴冑與首領看了一百八十天（六個月）；又為所有住書珊城的大小人民在御園的院子裡設擺筵席七日，等等，十分地窮極奢侈。因為國富民強，他不斷地 挑釁希臘，幾次無功而返，終於被希臘興起的亞歷山大大帝殲滅。

亞歷山大大帝死後，國家由四位將領分割。在分裂的四國之中，佔有南邊埃及的是多利買王朝；北邊敘利亞，由西流古王朝統管，後者逐漸強盛；因此，多利買二世將女兒百尼基給敘利亞王安提奧古二世為妻，藉此訂立和約，沒想到兩年後，多利買二世病逝，安提奧古二世便解除婚約，與前妻老底嘉復合。但老底嘉心懷怨恨，把安提奧古二世與百尼基，並他們二人的兒子及一些百尼基的親信、隨從等全部毒死，清除了百尼基的餘黨，接著就立她的兒子西流古二世加利尼古為王。

但是百尼基在埃及的娘家哥哥多利買三世知道後，立刻出兵進攻敘利亞，史稱“老底嘉之役”，可惜沒有來得及救出百尼基，只能為妹妹報仇，殺掉老底嘉。他率領軍隊入侵敘利亞時，擄掠大批金銀財寶及廟中的偶像，帶回埃及盡數分給國中軍民，眾人稱他為慈善家多利買（11章5-8節）。

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The Biggest Key to Leading Your Loved Ones to Christ

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:1-12.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2  After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
3  and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
4  and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

On verses 1-12:  Here Moses reunites with his wife Zipporah, his two sons Gershom and Eliezer, and his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was a priest from the land of Midian where Moses met his wife.  As for what God Jethro and the Midianites worshiped, it is not clear.  Since the Midianites were descendants of Abraham (see 1 Chronicles 1:32), it is likely that Jethro and the Midianites had heard of the LORD, but it is not clear whether Jethro and the Midianites actually worshiped or believed in the LORD.  What is clear is that as Jethro hears more and more about what the LORD had done for Moses and the Israelites (v1), when he saw the change in Moses and how the LORD rescued not just him but the Israelite people too (v8), Jethro responds by expressing faith in the LORD. 

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Keys to Winning Your Battle

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Exodus 17:1-16, is full of powerful lessons, so many in fact that there’s probably one lesson for every hour of your workday today.  You may want to read this message in pieces, taking it in bit by bit throughout the day.  Get ready!  Let’s go!

Exodus 17:1-5 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2  So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
3  But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4  Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5  The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

On verses 1-5:  Once again the Israelites grumble against Moses, complaining about a lack of water.  Moses asks God what he should do with these angry, grumbling people, and I like the LORD’s response to Moses.  The LORD tells Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.” (v5) When people are grumbling, walk ahead of them.  Don’t become their follower, moving forward only when they move forward or going only when they tell you to go.  Walk ahead of them and you’ll see things that they don’t see and be better positioned to lead them.  

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但以理得啟示

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〈但以理書〉10:19a 他說：「大蒙眷愛的人哪，不要懼怕，願你平安！你總要堅強！」

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉10:1-21

在波斯王居魯士三年，也就是西元前536年，在那之前近五萬的猶大子民從巴比倫回到耶路撒冷。居魯士不僅已經釋放在巴比倫的以色列民回國，而且更為他們重建聖殿。但是在這期間，可能因為所羅巴伯領導猶太人從流亡中回歸，遭到撒瑪利亞人反對，回歸的猶太人遭遇到極大的爭戰（拉4:1-5）。消息傳來，引起但以理極大的悲傷。在但以理的悲傷中，神再差遣天使幫助但以理明白將來要發生的事情。但以理沒有跟眾人回耶路撒冷，可能因為年事已高，不適合長途跋涉；也可能因為位居要職不能離開，但是他對於猶大人回歸的事卻非常上心，時時等待他們的消息。

但以理因悲傷而不吃美味，不喝美酒，也不用油抹身。在不能經常洗澡，又沒有現代的止汗除臭劑的地方，使用香油抹身是個人修飾和保健的重要步驟。漠視這些細節表示哀悼。但以理在剛到巴比倫時拒絕王膳，但是有了官職之後，必然有自己的住處和廚房，可以按著猶太人的律法去準備飲食。所以平常會有酒肉，只是此時悲傷，因而不進任何美食，以粗糙簡單的飲食代表心中的難過。

那年的正月二十四日，但以理在底格里斯大河邊看到有一人，和〈啟示錄〉中約翰所見的人子有很多相似之處。但以理見到“有一人身穿細麻衣，腰束烏法精金帶。他身體如水蒼玉，面貌如閃電，眼目如火把，手和腳如光明的銅，說話的聲音如大眾的聲音。＂約翰見到“燈臺中間有一位好像人子，身穿長衣，直垂到腳，胸間束著金帶。他的頭與髮皆白，如白羊毛，如雪，眼目如同火焰，腳好像在爐中鍛煉光明的銅，聲音如同眾水的聲音。”但以理看到異象時是清醒的，也有人和他在一起，那些人雖然看不見人子，卻可以感受到祂的能力，因而大大戰兢，逃跑隱藏；而但以理看到異象後就渾身無力，聽到聲音就面伏在地沉睡了。

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