Light in the Darkness

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ruth 1:14-22.  Let’s go!

Ruth 1:14 (NIV)
14  At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.

On verse 14:  Orpah and Ruth were both completely within their rights to go back to their own people after their husbands had died.  Orpah did nothing wrong by leaving especially after Naomi had told her to do so.  But God was doing something extraordinary in Ruth’s heart.

On verses 15-18:  Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi, go back to Naomi’s home country of Israel, and even adopt Naomi’s people and God as her own.  All of this is incredible when you consider that:

– It was her mother-in-law!  (I’m kidding.  A common stereotype is that a mother-in-law can be a “monster-in-law”.  But the truth is that I’m blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.)

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當記念造你的主

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傳道書12:1    你趁著年幼，衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說「我毫無喜樂」的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念造你的主。

閱讀經文：傳道書12:1-8

1你趁著年幼，衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說「我毫無喜樂」的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念造你的主。2不要等到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩返回。3看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗。4街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，雀鳥一叫人就起來，歌唱的女子也都衰微。5人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹開花，蚱蜢成為重擔，人所願的也都廢掉。因為人歸他永遠的家，弔喪的在街上往來。6銀鏈折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，7塵土仍歸於地，靈仍歸於賜靈的神。8傳道者說：虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。

12章是所羅門給活人最忠實的勸告。所羅門王雖然風光了大半輩子，但是終於也有：“日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩反回”的感受了。這是講到一個人年老時眼睛的視力不行了，看東西模糊不清。雨後萬物清朗，但人若有白內障或青光眼，看來看去都像被雲遮住。

“看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗”，指人老體態的改變，腳站不穩了，會發顫；背也屈了。人老也會縮水，變小了；有的朋友開始彎腰駝背，大家都互相提醒。推磨的，有人認為是腎的功能減退，到最後完全沒有了，就什麼也排不出去。也有人認為“推磨的”是指牙齒，人的老化不僅從腳開始，牙齒也會開始有問題。

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一生的開端和幼年之時

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傳道書11:10   所以你當從心中除掉愁煩，從肉體克去邪惡，因為一生的開端和幼年之時，都是虛空的。

閱讀經文：傳道書11:7-10

7 光本是佳美的，眼見日光也是可悅的。 8 人活多年，就當快樂多年。然而也當想到黑暗的日子，因為這日子必多，所要來的都是虛空。9 少年人哪，你在幼年時當快樂，在幼年的日子使你的心歡暢。行你心所願行的，看你眼所愛看的，卻要知道，為這一切的事神必審問你。 10 所以你當從心中除掉愁煩，從肉體克去邪惡，因為一生的開端和幼年之時，都是虛空的。

這段經文彷彿是寫給年輕人的，但仔細看去，只要是活在日光之下的人，都可以引以為念。光是佳美的，只有當你經歷過天天下雨的日子，你才能體會眼見日光也是可悅的。這個日光代表了人生強壯的日子。

所羅門的看法是：人活多年，就當快樂多年。意思是，人活著時就當快快樂樂。愁煩度日不是神造人的本意。正如我們有了兒女之後，也希望兒女能天天快樂，不要愁眉苦臉。有日光的日子和黑暗的日子是個對照，前者指的是身強體壯時，後者是指眼目昏黑，沒有力氣的時候。年老時度日如年，比較之下，似乎所經歷的都是虛空。這是很真實的人生過程。

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Sometimes Things Will Get Bitter Before They Get Better

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Ruth, a short but powerful book that shows us that God makes all things beautiful in His time.  It’s also one of the coolest love stories ever written.  Today’s passage is Ruth 1:1-13.  Let’s go!

Ruth 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.
2  The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

On verses 1-2:  The book of Judges comes right before the book of Ruth and describes a dark time in Israel’s history, a period when the nation of Israel was ruled by “judges”.  During this time, Israel had already taken over the Promised Land with God’s help.

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Because Jesus Rose Again

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 16:12-20.  Let’s go!

Mark 16:12-14 (NIV)
12  Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13  These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14  Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

On verses 12-14:  Even after Jesus had repeatedly told them that he would rise again, even after the incredible miracles the disciples had seen Jesus do, and even after multiple witnesses were testifying to them about Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still refused to believe.  Based on all that the disciples had been shown, the disciples should have believed earlier, but they didn’t.  So Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe.

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將糧食撒在水面

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傳道書11:1   當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。

閱讀經文：傳道書11:1-6

1當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。2你要分給七人或分給八人，因為你不知道將來有什麼災禍臨到地上。3雲若滿了雨，就必傾倒在地上；樹若向南倒或向北倒，樹倒在何處，就存在何處。4看風的必不撒種，望雲的必不收割。5風從何道來，骨頭在懷孕婦人的胎中如何長成，你尚且不得知道，這樣，行萬事之神的作為，你更不得知道。6早晨要撒你的種，晚上也不要歇你的手，因為你不知道那一樣發旺，或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是兩樣都好。。

在所羅門王寫的智慧書裡，他的信息都和一般人的生活息息相關，不是講一些與我們不相干的哲學或是很難懂的理論，今天這段經文對我們也很實用。他說：“當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著”。“糧食”的英文是bread麵包，所以假如你把麵包撒在水面上，會有怎樣的後果呢？有幾個可能性：若不是變潮了，發霉了，就是被鴨子或海鷗吃掉了，你媽媽可能會很生氣，你竟然不把麵包吃掉，把它丟到水裡！所羅門王是何意呢？他要我們拿食物去餵魚嗎？是否水裡有不止一個枉死的屈原？

在這句經文裡的“撒”裡含有sea trade海上交易的意思；“糧食”指的是它的來源，例如做麵包的原料：麵粉和小麥。原來《聖經》裡已經告訴我們，所羅門王是一個做生意的高手，在他的時代，已經和許多國家做起對外貿易的生意。所羅門王造船（王上9:26），以色列的商人運著各樣的糧食到遙遠的國度，又到俄裴運金子回耶路撒冷。

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空中的鳥必傳揚這聲音

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傳道書10:19  設擺筵席是為喜笑，酒能使人快活，錢能叫萬事應心。

閱讀經文：傳道書10:19-20

19設擺筵席是為喜笑，酒能使人快活，錢能叫萬事應心。 20你不可咒詛君王，也不可心懷此念，在你臥房也不可咒詛富戶。因為空中的鳥必傳揚這聲音，有翅膀的也必述說這事。

在第十章的智慧論裡有許多對比，例如：一點愚昧能敗壞智慧和尊榮，柔和能免大過，智者說恩言，愚者說話吞滅自己，孩童和貴胄之子掌權的後果，還有一些行事的法則：做事之前要先將觀察準備，鐵器鈍了，要先將刃磨快，等等。在這第19節裡，所羅門王讓我們知道，凡事都有它的目的。

好像人設擺筵席多是因有喜事。例如有婚宴，嬰兒滿月，或有什麼畢業典禮，或是年終尾牙老闆請工吃飯，等等。人請你去參加筵席，是為了和你一起享受他的喜樂和滿足。所以不管你的心情何等欠佳，也要擺出一個笑臉，不要把臉拉得長長的，掃大家的興緻。

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Take Jesus at His Word

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 16:1-11.  Let’s go!

Mark 16:1-3 (NIV)
1  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
2  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3  and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

On verses 1-3:  In accordance with Jewish custom, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome brought spices to Jesus’ tomb, hoping to pour the spices on Jesus’ body, both as a sign of love and to counteract any odor.  In other words, they all fully expected Jesus to be dead.  Little did they know that they and Jesus wouldn’t need the spices after all.

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孩童和貴胄之子

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傳道書10:16   邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！

閱讀經文：傳道書10:16-18

16邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！17邦國啊，你的王若是貴胄之子，你的群臣按時吃喝，為要補力，不為酒醉，你就有福了！18因人懶惰，房頂塌下；因人手懶，房屋滴漏。

當所羅門王說這句話時，他可能萬萬沒有想到，他的兒子羅波安就是他筆下的“孩童”。在這裡“孩童”指的不是年齡，而是心智上不成熟的人。因為一早起來就和群臣宴樂，怎麼會有心去處理國家大事，或為百姓爭取公道，做一個明智之君？

羅波安自小在宮庭長大，養尊處憂，不識人間疾苦，因此當碰到問題時，自己也不懂得思想，即使有群臣在旁，也無法判斷誰的建議是智慧或愚蠢。當百姓希望他減輕苦役和重擔時，他不但不同情，反而選擇了加重他們要負的軛，以致引起叛變。最後以色列十個支派都歸附耶羅波安。這事雖然也因為神對所羅門拜偶像而引發的處治，但是羅波安的“孩童”之心則是使以色列國分裂的關鍵。

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The One Who Fills the Gap

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 15:42-47.  Let’s go!

Mark 15:42-47 (NIV)
42  It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,
43  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
44  Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
45  When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.
46  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

On verses 42-43:  According to scholars, usually crucified criminals were not buried.  Rather their bodies were left to rot on the cross.  However, in Jewish culture, giving a dead person a proper burial was the right thing to do.

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