甜蜜的书卷

以西结书 2:2  祂对我说话的时候,灵就进入我里面,使我站起来,我便听见那位对我说话的声音。

阅读经文: 以西结书 2:1-3:3

2-1祂对我说:「人子啊,你站起来,我要和你说话。」 2 祂对我说话的时候,灵就进入我里面,使我站起来,我便听见那位对我说话的声音。 3 祂对我说:「人子啊,我差你往悖逆的国民以色列人那里去。他们是悖逆我的,他们和他们的列祖违背我直到今日。 4 这众子面无羞耻,心里刚硬,我差你往他们那里去,你要对他们说:『主耶和华如此说。』 5 他们或听或不听(他们是悖逆之家),必知道在他们中间有了先知。

神称呼以西结为:人子Son Of man。你可能觉得这个称呼有点耳熟,因为在新约里,主耶稣就称呼祂自己为人子。在这里,可能只是指以西结是人所生的儿子,没有其他意义。有意义的是,神叫他站起来。因为以西结俯伏在地,神没办法跟他讲话。但是以西结站不起来,我想换了是我,也会吓到站不起来。但是神帮助以西结,让圣灵进入他里面,赐他能力站起来。

这一段话让我心深有同感,当我们来到主面前要事奉时,往往发现心有余力不足,若不是靠着神的恩典和能力,根本没有办法做有效的事奉。好像我写每日亲近神,常常感到灵里枯竭,我懂什么?但是每一次来到主前,祂就赐给我灵感,让我知道如何下笔。好像以前在诗班事奉,那真是每次都像在过红海。因为我们的诗班员大多不会看谱,有的会走音,有的会变调,更惨的是我们打拍子也打不准,因此我们的司琴以最大的爱心和耐心陪我们度过了一年又一年。奇妙的是,虽然我们没有水准,每次靠着神的恩典和能力,每次的献诗都唱得特别好,因此我们自称为恩典诗班。我们原本是站不起来的,但是神的灵进入我们里面,给我们有站起来的能力。

His Name is Wonderful

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 13:15-25.  Let’s go!

Judges 13:15-18 (NIV)
15  Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.”
16  The angel of the LORD replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)
17  Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18  He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.”

On verses 15-18:  If scholars are correct and the angel of the LORD is a Christophany (i.e an appearance of Christ), then it’s appropriate that the angel of the LORD says that his name is “beyond understanding” (v18) or, also translated, “wonderful”.  For that is what Christ’s name is.  His name is so far beyond any other name in terms of power, authority and wonder.  As Isaiah 9:6 says, “And he will be called Wonderful, Counselour, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.

神荣耀的形像

以西结书 1:28 下雨的日子云中虹的形状怎样,周围光辉的形状也是怎样。这就是耶和华荣耀的形象。

阅读经文: 以西结书1:1-28

1当三十年四月初五日,以西结在迦巴鲁河边被掳的人中,天就开了,得见神的异象。 2 正是约雅斤王被掳去第五年四月初五日, 3 在迦勒底人之地迦巴鲁河边,耶和华的话特特临到布西的儿子祭司以西结,耶和华的灵降在他身上。

第一节的“当三十年四月初五日”,在英文是When I was thirty years of age,是指以西结三十岁那年的四月五日。那时以西结已经被掳到巴比伦五年了。巴比伦把被掳来的人分配在不同的地方居住,以西结和一些犹大人就被分派到迦巴鲁河边。迦巴鲁河现在改名为迦博河,是幼发拉底河的一条支流,行经现在的土耳其和伊拉克。

犹大人被掳到巴比伦,心怀故国,从〈诗篇〉137篇可以感受到他们的心情:“我们曾在巴比伦的河边坐下,一追想锡安就哭了。我们把琴挂在那里的柳树上。因为在那里,掳掠我们的要我们唱歌,抢夺我们的要我们作乐,说:「给我们唱一首锡安歌吧!」 我们怎能在外邦唱耶和华的歌呢?耶路撒冷啊,我若忘记你,情愿我的右手忘记技巧!我若不记念你,若不看耶路撒冷过于我所最喜乐的,情愿我的舌头贴于上膛!(vv.1-6)”﹝我心旋律﹞圣乐事工把它改成〈给我一颗中国心〉:“给我一颗中国心,一颗中国心,每当我在寄居地歌唱,想到你就哭了,中国啊,中国啊,我心所爱,愿你不再哭泣。中国啊,中国啊,若我忘记你,情愿右手忘记技巧;中国啊,中国啊,若不纪念你,情愿舌头贴于上膛。”

What Faith Looks Like

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 13:1-14.  Let’s go!

Judges 13:1-5 (NIV)
1  Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
2  A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless.
3  The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son.
4  Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean,
5  because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

On verses 1-5:  The purpose of a Nazirite vow was to live a life that was specially set apart for God for a short period of time.  According to Numbers 6:1-8, a person making a Nazirite vow must abstain from wine, haircuts, and touching dead bodies.  Usually a Nazirite vow was something that a person took voluntarily for a set period of time.  In the case of this child to be born in Judges 13, the Nazirite vow was a calling he was given by God (it wasn’t voluntary) and it was to last all his life.

What’s the Password?

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 12:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 12:1-4 (NIV)
1  The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”
2  Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands.
3  When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”
4  Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”

On verses 1-4:  In the book of Judges so far, the Ephraimites come across repeatedly as complainers.  When Gideon defeated the Midianites, the Ephraimites complained as to why they did not participate more (Judges 8:1).  When Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, the Ephraimites complained as to why Jephthah didn’t involve them (Judges 12:1).  They even call Jephthah and the Gileadites “nothing but half-breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh” (Judges 12:4, MSG).  The Ephraimites would pay for their complaining and trash talking, as Jephthah decides to attack the Ephraimites.

求主使我们回转

耶利米哀歌  5:21  耶和华啊,求祢使我们向祢回转,我们便得回转;求祢复新我们的日子,像古时一样。

阅读经文:  5:1-22

1耶和华啊,求你记念我们所遭遇的事,观看我们所受的凌辱。 2 我们的产业归于外邦人,我们的房屋归于外路人。 3 我们是无父的孤儿,我们的母亲好像寡妇。 4 我们出钱才得水喝,我们的柴是人卖给我们的。 5 追赶我们的到了我们的颈项上,我们疲乏不得歇息。 6 我们投降埃及人和亚述人,为要得粮吃饱。

耶利米所描述的,是一个战败国的形象。土地被占,生活所需都要仰仗于人,妇女被侵犯,男人不能自保,孩童被抓去做苦工。从每一个国家的历史,我们都可以找到这种黑暗的历史,那为什么以色列和犹大的灭亡会有突出的需要呢?

因为我们读的是一个属耶和华神的国家之灭亡。耶和华神是不会失败的,祂是又真又活的神,不同于列国所拜的偶像和假神,为何祂不保护犹大或以色列呢?为什么祂要眼睁睁地看着祂的圣城被蹂躝?祂的子民被践踏?

在神要灭掉所多和蛾摩拉两城时,是因为“城内罪恶的声音在耶和华面前甚大  The outcries of victims here to GOD are deafening”(创19:13)。因为作恶太多,被害者的哭喊声上达天厅,以致于神不得不采取行动,不让罪恶蔓延。在耶利米书里,神也一再指出以色列和犹大的罪恶,在“耶路撒冷的街上,连一个行公义、求诚实的人都没有!(耶5:1)”因为作恶太多,以致于神不不采取行动。但是神并没有灭绝他们的想法,神只是想管教他们。

A Little Bit of Spirituality Without Wisdom Can Be a Dangerous Thing

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 11:28-40.  Let’s go!

Judges 11:28-31 (NIV)
28  The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
30  And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,
31  whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

On verses 28-31:  The king of Ammon ignores Jephthah’s attempt to resolve their dispute peacefully.  Verse 29 says that, empowered by the Spirit of the LORD, Jephthah advances against the Ammonites.  But whereas Jephthah was thoughtful and measured in the way he first corresponded with the king of the Ammonites (v12-27), Jephthah is not so careful when he makes a vow in verses 30-31.   He vows to the LORD that if the LORD gives the Ammonites into Jephthah’s hands, Jephthah will sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever comes out of the door of his house to meet him when he returns.  Notice that the LORD never required Jephthah to make such a vow.  Rather this was Jephthah trying to strike a bargain with God.  Here’s the thing with trying to strike a bargain with God: you can never win.  God can’t be bought.  And what was God’s response to Jephthah’s offer?  Apparent silence.

罪孽的刑罚!

耶利米哀歌 4:17 我们仰望人来帮助,以至眼目失明,还是枉然。我们所盼望的,竟盼望一个不能救人的国。

阅读经文:  4:1-22

1黄金何其失光,纯金何其变色!圣所的石头倒在各市口上! 2 锡安宝贵的众子好比精金,现在何竟算为窑匠手所做的瓦瓶! 3 野狗尚且把奶乳哺其子,我民的妇人倒成为残忍,好像旷野的鸵鸟一般。 4 吃奶孩子的舌头因干渴贴住上膛,孩童求饼,无人擘给他们。 5 素来吃美好食物的,现今在街上变为孤寒;素来卧朱红褥子的,现今躺卧粪堆。 6 都因我众民的罪孽比所多玛的罪还大,所多玛虽然无人加手于她,还是转眼之间被倾覆。

犹大灭亡的经过在其他书卷很少提起,就是在〈列王记〉和〈历代志〉也没有像耶利米这样细腻的描述,让读者能够如亲身经历,仿佛置身在耶路撒冷的街道上,看到当时的惨状。在所罗门王的时代,他每年收到两万三千公斤以上的黄金,还有商人缴纳的税,阿拉伯诸王和以色列各地区的总督也向他进贡金银。他造了两百面大金盾牌,每一面用约七公斤的金子打成;又制造了三百面小盾牌,每一面用约三公斤的金子打成。圣殿里金灯台就打造了十个。虽然到了耶利米的时候,耶路撒冷已经不再那样风光,但是旧时的建筑还是让他们引以为荣的。在耶利米的心中,耶路撒冷的光华远胜于黄金或纯金,但是现在都退色了。

当巴比伦大军攻进耶路撒冷时,为了抢夺圣殿里的金子,那些敌军疯狂也似地去拆圣殿,连石墙都拆。关于耶路撒冷圣殿的荣华传说,使人以为这是千载难逢的机会,可以大捞一笔,以至圣所的石头倒在各巿口上。原本是非常神圣的圣殿用石,现在都成了没人要,被弃置的石头。耶利米用这样的方式来形容圣殿的破败。

First Seek to Understand

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 11:12-27.  Let’s go!

Judges 11:12-27 (NIV)
12  Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against us that you have attacked our country?”
13  The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”
14  Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king,
15  saying: “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.

On verses 12-27:  Before going to war against the Ammonites, Jephthah tries to sort out the dispute peacefully with the king of the Ammonites.  Jephthah sends correspondence to the king of the Ammonites in an effort to understand the situation and explain Israel’s perspective.

Before escalating a dispute and waging war against someone, make sure you understand the situation thoroughly and try to talk it out peacefully.  As Proverbs 19:2 says, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

不要惧怕!

耶利米哀歌 3:40   我们当深深考察自己的行为,再归向耶和华。

阅读经文:  3:26-66

26 人仰望耶和华,静默等候祂的救恩,这原是好的。 27 人在幼年负轭,这原是好的。 28 他当独坐无言,因为这是耶和华加在他身上的。 29 他当口贴尘埃,或者有指望。 30 他当由人打他的腮颊,要满受凌辱。 31 因为主必不永远丢弃人。 32 主虽使人忧愁,还要照他诸般的慈爱发怜悯。 33 因他并不甘心使人受苦,使人忧愁。 34 人将世上被囚的踹在脚下, 35 或在至高者面前屈枉人, 36 或在人的讼事上颠倒是非,这都是主看不上的。 37 除非主命定,谁能说成就成呢? 38 祸福不都出于至高者的口吗? 39 活人因自己的罪受罚,为何发怨言呢?

当耶利米仰望神的时候,心里的悲伤就被喜乐取代了。人生难免有苦难,我们应该用怎样的心态去理解它呢?他说:“活人因自己的罪受罚,为何发怨言呢?(v.39)”他开始跳出埋怨,灵里有新的领悟。人在苦难中应当仰望耶和华,静默等候祂的救恩。就好像保罗说的:“在盼望中要欢喜,在患难里要忍耐,在祷告上要恒切。(罗12:12)”苦难虽然拿去人外面所拥有的,却拿不走我们心里的力量。所以在苦难中,我们应该一要仰望神,二要静默等候神的拯救。

他用另一个角度去看苦难:“人在幼年负轭,这原是好的"。信息圣经翻译: It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.年轻时吃点苦是有益的。有的人形容这世代的年轻人像草莓族,经不起压力,一压就烂了。以前因为战争,父母大都比较贫穷,因此孩子们都不可能予索予求,很多事要自己做,家里的事也要帮忙,因此抗压性比较高,因为有需要,就不得不忍耐。现在的孩子比较享福,常常到了高中,什么家务事都不会做。连去考联考,都是父母相随,陪读陪煮,的确像温室的花朵。