神的榮耀離開聖城

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以西結書 11:23 耶和華的榮耀從城中上升，停在城東的那座山上。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 11:1-25

1 靈將我舉起，帶到耶和華殿向東的東門，誰知，在門口有二十五個人，我見其中有民間的首領押朔的兒子雅撒尼亞和比拿雅的兒子毗拉提。 2 耶和華對我說：「人子啊，這就是圖謀罪孽的人，在這城中給人設惡謀。 3 他們說：『蓋房屋的時候尚未臨近，這城是鍋，我們是肉。』 4 人子啊，因此你當說預言，說預言攻擊他們。」

在第八章裡，神帶以西結看到在聖殿裡拜偶像的長老們，還有拜日頭的祭司犯罪的事實；在這一章裡則是民間的領袖給百姓設惡謀，圖謀罪孽，使眾百姓干罪，陷在罪孽之中。他們說：“這城是鍋，我們是肉”。這句話有幾種解釋。根據信息聖經的翻譯：They say, ‘We can make anything happen here. We’re the best. We’re the choice pieces of meat in the soup pot.’(MSG)他們自認可以使任何事發生，因為他們是城裡最聰明最有才幹的人。假如城是個鍋，他們就是鍋裡上好的肉。

也有聖經學者認為這句話的意思是，他們覺得這個城是鍋，他們就是裡面的肉，受到鍋的保護。當然還有第三種解釋，就是在鍋裡的肉怎樣也逃不掉，最後就是一鍋熟，被吃個精光。但是第三種解釋和上下文合不起來，比較不被採用。

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Don’t Lose Your Credibility by Blaming Prematurely

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 20:1-17.  Let’s go!

Judges 20:1-17 (NIV)
1  Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah.
2  The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords.
3  (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”
4  So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

On verses 1-17:  As a result of Benjamites in Gibeah gang raping the concubine that we read about in Judges 19, all the other tribes of Israel gather together at Mizpah without the tribe of Benjamin, though the Benjamites had heard about this gathering (v3).  As a result of that gathering, the other tribes of Israel muster an army against the tribe of Benjamin demanding that the gang rapists be handed over and put to death.  When the Benjamites refuse to hand over the gang rapists, both the Benjamites on one hand and the rest of Israel on the other prepare to fight one another.

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“Farewell My Concubine”

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 19:16-30.  Let’s go!

Judges 19:16-30 (NIV)
16  That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
17  When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”
18  He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house.

On verses 16-30:  Here we read of one of the most shocking and vile crimes ever described in the Bible.  To protect themselves from a sadistic mob, the Levite and his old man host in Gibaeh offer up the Levite’s concubine to a sadistic mob who gang rapes the concubine all night, leaving her for dead.  Then the Levite takes his concubine and cuts her up into 12 pieces and disperses her body parts throughout Israel.  This raises a bunch of questions, not the least of which include:

(1) Which man was it – the old man or the Levite – who gave the concubine over to the sadistic mob in verse 25?  In any event, the fact is that this Levite allowed his concubine to be gang raped this way to protect himself.  Contrast this to Jesus who allowed himself to be abused, tortured and killed to protect us his bride, the church.

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神的榮耀離開聖殿

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以西結書 10:18 耶和華的榮耀從殿的門檻那裡出去，停在基路伯以上。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 10:1-22

1 我觀看，見基路伯頭上的穹蒼之中顯出藍寶石的形狀，彷彿寶座的形象。 2 主對那穿細麻衣的人說：「你進去，在旋轉的輪內，基路伯以下，從基路伯中間將火炭取滿兩手，撒在城上。」我就見他進去。 3 那人進去的時候，基路伯站在殿的右邊，雲彩充滿了內院。 4 耶和華的榮耀從基路伯那裡上升，停在門檻以上。殿內滿了雲彩，院宇也被耶和華榮耀的光輝充滿。 5 基路伯翅膀的響聲聽到外院，好像全能神說話的聲音。

在第一節所寫的基路伯，是以西結在第一章所看見的，從天降下來的基路伯，是活生生的，有生命的基路伯。在約櫃之上的基路伯是用金子錘出來的。所以〈希伯來書〉第9章裡說，人手所造的聖所，是真聖所的影像（伯9:24）。

在〈以賽亞書〉第6章裡，神命另一種天使撒拉弗拿從聖壇上取下來的紅（火）炭去沾以賽亞的嘴，除掉他的罪孽。在本章裡，神命穿細麻衣的人取基路伯中間的火炭，這火炭是為了撒在耶路撒冷城上，讓火燒起來，徹底破壞此城，也喻表巴比倫將焚燒此城，後來果然應驗。

不管神在哪裡，祂的榮耀就在那裡，雲彩充滿內院是指神的榮耀之充滿，神的榮耀從基路伯那裡上升，停在門檻以上，發號施令，然後基路伯上升，停在聖殿的東門口。這一章讓我們看到神的榮耀離開聖殿的情況，下一章會繼續看到神的榮耀往哪裡去。但是神要離開聖殿的決心不再更改了，何等悲傷的場景。

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Don’t Strain a Gnat and Swallow a Camel

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 19:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 19:1a (NIV)
1  In those days Israel had no king…

On verse 1:  In chapters 17, 18 and 19 of Judges, this one phrase keeps coming up: “Israel had no king”.  This phrase can be taken in two ways.  First, on a political level, Israel was not yet a monarchy and was not governed by any human king.  Second, on a spiritual level, the phrase “Israel had no king” speaks of how Israel had abandoned the LORD, the very One who was always meant to rule and lead Israel.  Interestingly, in each chapter where Judges says “Israel had no king”, what comes right after or right before that phrase is a story of the Israelites falling deep into spiritual confusion, idolatry and immorality.  When there is an absence of strong, healthy leadership in any family, nation, workplace or other group, the result is confusion, sin and trouble.

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神的榮耀離開寶座

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以西結書 9:3  以色列神的榮耀本在基路伯上，現今從那裡升到殿的門檻。神將那身穿細麻衣、腰間帶著墨盒子的人召來。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 9:1-11

1 祂向我耳中大聲喊叫說：「要使那監管這城的人手中各拿滅命的兵器前來。」 2 忽然有六個人從朝北的上門而來，各人手拿殺人的兵器，內中有一人身穿細麻衣，腰間帶著墨盒子。他們進來，站在銅祭壇旁。

這一章裡讓人有好多驚奇的事。第一，是讓我們知道，原來每個城裡都有神所派的，監管城的人。想來，在溫哥華也有駐守的天使，向神傳遞這城裡所發生的事情。你說是不是很奇妙？！這六個監管城的人，各人手拿殺人的兵器。殺人的兵器，有的譯作“戰斧”或“鐵錘般武器”，表示這六人非同凡響，都很有力氣。其中有一人身穿細麻衣，腰間帶著墨盒子。細麻衣是祭司穿的衣服，表明他是神的僕人。墨盒子為文士的裝備，為書寫之用，是一個放在束腰帶裏，藏有蘆葦筆和墨水的盒子。

聖殿院子的建築是階梯式的，所以內院較高。“朝北的上門”指第八章裡，先知先前所看見進行偶像崇拜的門（結8:5）。銅祭壇是聖殿裡獻祭的地方，原本是安置在“殿和新壇的中間”，亞哈斯王把它搬到北面，好在原處另立祭偶像之壇（王下16:14）。

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Always Be Alert

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 18:14-31.  Let’s go!

Judges 18:14-20 (NIV)
14  Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do.”
15  So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.
16  The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate.

On verses 14-20:  Earlier when this priest needed a place to stay, Micah gave him a home and a job.  Now, upon being offered more opportunity and prestige by the Danites, this priest quickly abandons Micah and even takes Micah’s idols with him.  Micah must have felt utterly betrayed and sucker punched by this priest’s lack of loyalty and low EQ, as he did not even discuss the matter with Micah.

What’s the lesson here?

–    Before you decide to make a significant investment in someone as Micah did in this priest, make sure you get a good sense of that person’s character.  Otherwise, you may end up betrayed and sucker-punched the way Micah was by this priest.

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神為何遠離聖殿

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 以西結書 8:17  祂對我說：人子啊，你看見了嗎？猶大家在此行這可憎的事還算為小嗎？他們在這地遍行強暴，再三惹我發怒，他們手拿枝條舉向鼻前。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 8:1-18

1 第六年六月初五日，我坐在家中，猶大的眾長老坐在我面前，在那裡主耶和華的靈降在我身上。 2 我觀看，見有形象彷彿火的形狀，從他腰以下的形狀有火，從他腰以上有光輝的形狀，彷彿光耀的精金。 3 他伸出彷彿一隻手的樣式，抓住我的一綹頭髮，靈就將我舉到天地中間，在神的異象中，帶我到耶路撒冷朝北的內院門口，在那裡有觸動主怒偶像的座位，就是惹動忌邪的。 4 誰知，在那裡有以色列神的榮耀，形狀與我在平原所見的一樣。

聖殿是神在地上的家，祂的寶座也在至聖所裡。假如神會被逼到遠離自己的聖所，那該是一件何等令人痛心的事。有何事會把神趕離祂自己的家？有何事會把你自己逼離自己的家？當你的家人都不要你，視你為無物，甚至不理會你的存在，丈夫帶小三回來過夜，妻子帶老王回來狂歡，那時你會不會選擇離開？或是留下來接受不必要的羞辱？

在這一章裡，神藉著祂的靈把以西結帶到耶路撒冷。這裡有個異想，不知只是以西結的靈被提，或是連身體一起被提。我個人的想法，很可能只是他的靈被提，因為在場的還有猶大的長老們，倘若以西結不見了，一定會引起一場騷動。但是因為神本來就不給他說話，除了傳神給他的信息之外，他的舌頭貼在上膛，也不能說話。所以即使他魂遊象外，別人也不會查覺，只當他在休息。這樣也讓我們明白，人是有靈魂的。其實這樣的作法在一些宗教裡也有，甚至氣功、瑜伽、冥想、打坐，等等，有些人也有靈魂出竅的現象。

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最後機會

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 以西結書 7:6 結局來了，結局來了，向你興起。看哪，來到了！

閱讀經文: 以西結書 7:1-27

1 耶和華的話又臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，主耶和華對以色列地如此說：結局到了！結局到了地的四境。 3 現在你的結局已經臨到，我必使我的怒氣歸於你，也必按你的行為審判你，照你一切可憎的事刑罰你。 4 我眼必不顧惜你，也不可憐你，卻要按你所行的報應你，照你中間可憎的事刑罰你，你就知道我是耶和華。

以西結書第7章，先知以西結口被「封住」，禁口不說話超過一年，他痛苦，大家都痛苦。神不讓他與人說話，但祂向他說話，雖然苦，又好像不苦。神不讓他向以色列百姓說話，因為說了也沒用，用演的反而更有果效。第7章，神對以西結說話，神不向以色列百姓說，只向先知說，這可算是神的心事。神一直在說話，他一直陪伴著以西結，神也等候以色列百姓悔改。

以西結書5至7章的思路很清楚。5章，耶城被圍困、缺糧缺水；耶城被審判，三分之一被殺，三分之一在城外被殺，三分之一人逃脫被追殺。第6章，說到問題核心，因以色列百姓心思淫亂，重點是淫亂，偶像、祭壇將要被毀壞。到了7章，應該無甚麼可說了。然而，神不是這樣，每一章仍可以說得更仔細、更深入，並且每一章的信息都似在等人悔改，到了今天，我們更深體會神的心。

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When You Prey Instead of Pray

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 18:1-13.  Let’s go!

Judges 18:1 (NIV)
1  In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

On verse 1:  Although the Danites were allotted land as their inheritance (Joshua 19:40-48), the Danites had not taken over that land.  They were slow to take over the inheritance that God had allotted to them, so they end up searching for other land instead.   Likewise, when we are slow to take possession of all that God has for us, we will end up looking for and settling for something else.

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