祢的信實極其廣大Great is Thy faithfulness

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耶利米哀歌 3:23  每早晨這都是新的，祢的信實極其廣大。

閱讀經文:  3:1-25

1 我是因耶和華憤怒的杖遭遇困苦的人。 2 他引導我，使我行在黑暗中，不行在光明裡。 3 他真是終日再三反手攻擊我。 4 他使我的皮肉枯乾，他折斷我的骨頭。 5 他築壘攻擊我，用苦楚和艱難圍困我。 6 他使我住在幽暗之處，像死了許久的人一樣。 7 他用籬笆圍住我，使我不能出去，他使我的銅鏈沉重。

有一位心理師說：“只有親身經歷過生命驟變後才會明白，沒人有資格教導正遭遇巨大苦難的人該怎麼想或是怎麼做”。當我們讀到耶利米的哀歌時，真的感到沒有人間的言詞可以用來安慰他的痛苦和哀傷。對於在苦難中的人，言語是何等飄渺，不切實際。所以去探望在受苦中的人，不如沉默，免得言詞成為他們的負擔。

巨大的痛苦中，若能用言語把痛苦稍微抒發，也是醫治的開始。所以寧可傾聽，不要自以為聰明地給許多意見，免得造成更多傷害。先知明白，這場苦難來自神的擊打。“祂引導我，使我行在黑暗中，不行在光明裡(v2)”，這句話令人感到徬徨，神會故意把人引導離開光明，進入黑暗嗎？在原文裡此句亦有“祂驅趕我，使我離開光明，進入黑暗”。當人離開神的道，去拜偶像和假神時，其實是人自己離開光明，進入黑暗。先知感受到自己身不由己，在大形勢的逼迫下，失去了神的祝福。

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Though Your Family Rejects You, God Receives You

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Hi GAMErs!

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

Judges 11:1-3 (NIV)
1  Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.
2  Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.”
3  So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.
 
On verses 1-3:  Jephthah was born out of wedlock when his father Gilead committed adultery with a prostitute.  Because of his background, Jephthah was rejected by his half-brothers and driven away from the family.  Still verse 1 calls Jephthah “a mighty warrior”.  What can we learn from this? 

 –  Like Jephthah, you might come from an unusual background.  You may have been rejected or abandoned by others.  But God will never leave you or forsake you.  He has plans to use your life for His glory, including your background.

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God Made You To Grow, Not Just To Be Rescued

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 10:1-18.  Let’s go!

Judges 10:1-5 (NIV)
1  After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.
2  He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.
3  He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years.
4  He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.
5  When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

On verses 1-5:  Not much information is given about these next two judges, Tola (v1-2) and Jair (v3-5).  We don’t read of any particular trouble or crisis that these judges had to deal with.  In Jair’s case, there is mention of Jair leading 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys.  Some commentators take all this to mean that the reigns of Tola and Jair were likely times of relative peace and stability for the people of Israel.  If that is truly the case, then a lesson we can learn from this is:  Better to be a stable, consistent, not-so-flashy leader who brings security and stability to the people around you than to be a charismatic leader like Abimelech whose weaknesses impact the people you lead much more than your strengths.

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傾心如水

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耶利米哀歌 2:17a  耶和華成就了祂所定的，應驗了祂古時所命定的。

閱讀經文:  2:1-22

1 主何竟發怒，使黑雲遮蔽錫安城！他將以色列的華美從天扔在地上，在他發怒的日子並不記念自己的腳凳。 2 主吞滅雅各一切的住處，並不顧惜。他發怒傾覆猶大民的保障，使這保障坍倒在地。他辱沒這國和其中的首領。 3 他發烈怒把以色列的角全然砍斷，在仇敵面前收回右手。他像火焰四圍吞滅，將雅各燒毀。 4 他張弓好像仇敵，他站著舉起右手如同敵人，將悅人眼目的盡行殺戮。在錫安百姓的帳篷上倒出他的憤怒，像火一樣。

這是耶利米的第二首哀歌，其內容對猶大歷經的浩劫有更細膩的描寫。耶利米身歷其境，他看到仇敵吞滅以色列和錫安的一切宮殿，拆毀百姓的保障，毀壞聚會之處，以致於不再有人記念耶和華的節期，連每週的安息日也不再有人遵守了。錫安的君王和首領都被擄到沒有律法的國中，可見那時猶大人有點看不起外邦人，稱他們是沒有律法的列國，也就是沒有神為他們訂的律法，所以是不夠文明的國家。

在耶利米的痛苦中，他知道這一切的敗壞都來自神的允許，來自神的審判和處罰。他知道神是公義的，可是他不能不為了家國的沒落而傷心欲絕。在第7節，耶利米提到神丟棄自己的祭壇，憎惡自己的聖所。為何神會丟棄自己的祭壇？憎惡自己的聖所？因為祭司、首領和百姓都在聖殿裡拜偶像。表面是獻祭給神，實際上則暗暗或正大光明地拜偶像，以致於神不得不離開祂的聖殿。

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耶和華是公義的

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耶利米哀歌 1:6   錫安城的威榮全都失去，她的首領像找不著草場的鹿，在追趕的人前無力行走。

閱讀經文:  1:1-22

1 先前滿有人民的城，現在何竟獨坐！先前在列國中為大的，現在竟如寡婦！先前在諸省中為王后的，現在成為進貢的！ 2 她夜間痛哭，淚流滿腮。在一切所親愛的中間，沒有一個安慰她的。她的朋友都以詭詐待她，成為她的仇敵。 3 猶大因遭遇苦難，又因多服勞苦，就遷到外邦。她住在列國中，尋不著安息，追逼她的都在狹窄之地將她追上。 4 錫安的路徑因無人來守聖節就悲傷，她的城門淒涼，她的祭司嘆息，她的處女受艱難，自己也愁苦。

〈耶利米哀歌〉是詩歌文體，用“離合體”寫成的詩，即每節以一個希伯來字母開始，每章二十二節。每行的第一個字母可以依次串連成為一定形式的文體，稱為離合體（acrostic）。“字母離合體”的形式是字母按次序出現：第一句的頭一個字母是第一個字母，第二句的頭一個字母則是第二個字母，依此類推。離合體靠文字表現，不能用口頭創作。基於視覺因素，這些作品是給人閱讀，不是聆聽的。（簡錄自〈中文基督教大典〉）在我們閱讀這一章時，可能很快就會有讀詩歌的感覺，雖然不像讀希伯來文那樣，可以感受到她的字母奇妙的組合，但是藉著譯者精采的筆法，也能稍微感受到詩歌裡的心酸和祈求。

這裡的文字在希伯來文裡也含有相關語意，在此分享一兩句，可使內容更清楚。“進貢”，還有一個意思，就是被擄去做奴工，沒有酬勞，像奴隸一樣；“獨坐”，原文是“變為淒涼”。“王后” ，也可指尊貴的婦女。“何竟”，是驚嘆句，“怎麼會這樣”？好像我們聽到巴黎或紐約被恐怖份子襲擊，都很愕然，怎麼會這樣？雙子樓怎麼會倒了？

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The Tower We Hide In

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:44-57.  For context, we’ll begin at verse 42.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:42-49 (NIV)
42  The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43  So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.
44  Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.
45  All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
46  On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.
47  When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there,

On verses 42-49: What a solemn and dramatic way for the feud between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem to end.  After destroying most of the city and the people of Shechem (v42-45), Abimelech burns the remaining 1,000 citizens of Shechem alive while they are hiding in the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.  Ironically, this is possibly the same temple where the citizens of Shechem first cursed Abimelech and started their revolt against him (see Judges 9:27).  As verse 57 notes, it’s also an uncanny fulfillment of the curse Jotham enunciated in Judges 9:20 (“let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”)

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No Rivals To His Throne

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:30-43.  For context, we’ll begin at verse 26.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:26-41 (NIV)
26  Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.
27  After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech.
28  Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech?

On verses 26-41:  A politically ambitious, power hungry Gaal moves into Shechem city with his brothers and begins to talk with the citizens of Shechem city about usurping Abimelech as ruler of Israel.  With intel from Zebul, the governor of Shechem city, Abimelech hears what Gaal has been saying and plans an ambush against Gaal.  A fight ensues between Abimelech, Governor Zebul and Abimelech’s army on one side and Gaal and the citizens of Shechem on the other.  The result is that Abimelech and Governor Zebul successfully drive Gaal and his brothers out from Shechem.

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耶路撒冷淪陷

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耶利米書 52:2   西底家行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，是照約雅敬一切所行的。

閱讀經文:  52:1-34

1 西底家登基的時候年二十一歲，在耶路撒冷做王十一年。他母親名叫哈慕她，是立拿人耶利米的女兒。 2 西底家行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，是照約雅敬一切所行的。 3 因此耶和華的怒氣在耶路撒冷和猶大發作，以致將人民從自己的面前趕出。

4 西底家背叛巴比倫王。他做王第九年十月初十日，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領全軍來攻擊耶路撒冷，對城安營，四圍築壘攻城。 5 於是城被圍困，直到西底家王十一年。 6 四月初九日，城裡有大饑荒，甚至百姓都沒有糧食。 7 城被攻破，一切兵丁就在夜間從靠近王園兩城中間的門出城逃跑。迦勒底人正在四圍攻城，他們就往亞拉巴逃去。 8 迦勒底的軍隊追趕西底家王，在耶利哥的平原追上他；他的全軍都離開他四散了。 9 迦勒底人就拿住王，帶他到哈馬地的利比拉巴比倫王那裡。巴比倫王便審判他。

假如你是西底家王，你會不會有不一樣的選擇？記不記得，他曾經私底下問過耶利米，在巴比倫大軍來襲時，他該怎麼做？耶利米跟他說什麼呢？你記得嗎？耶利米對西底家說：“耶和華萬軍之神，以色列的神如此說：你若出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，你的命就必存活，這城也不致被火焚燒，你和你的全家都必存活。你若不出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，這城必交在迦勒底人手中。他們必用火焚燒，你也不得脫離他們的手。（耶38:17-18）”

神把生死兩條路擺在西底面前，讓他自己選擇。第一個選擇是出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，西底家的命就必存活，這城也不致被火焚燒，王和他的全家都必存活。你覺得這個選擇好不好？這個選擇的結果有三個好處，一，王自己可以存活；二，耶路撒冷不致被火焚燒，表示耶路撒冷不必死更多人，城也不致被毀壞。做君王的，豈不當為子民著想嗎？三，王和全家都必存活。這麼好的選擇，西底家害怕的卻是：“我怕那些投降迦勒底人的猶大人，恐怕迦勒底人將我交在他們手中，他們戲弄我。”

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Two Keys to Living Honourably

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:16-29.  Let’s go!
 
Judges 9:16-20 (NIV)
16  “Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves–
17  and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian
18  (but today you have revolted against my father’s family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)—
19  if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!
20  But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”
 
On verses 16-20:  Here Jotham calls out Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem on how they treated his father Gideon and his whole family.  He spotlights how in return for Gideon risking his life to save the Israelites from the hand of Midian, Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem murdered all but two of Gideon’s sons.  Jotham shows how wicked, unjust and dishonorable their actions were.  In a diplomatic way, Jotham gives Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem both a conditional blessing and a conditional curse.  He says that if Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have acted honourably and in good faith, may Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have a joyful relationship together (v19).  But if they have not acted honourably and in good faith, may they end up turning on each other and burning one another (v20).

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神向巴比倫所定的旨意

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耶利米書 51:20   你是我爭戰的斧子和打仗的兵器。我要用你打碎列國，用你毀滅列邦。

閱讀經文:  51:20-40

20 「你是我爭戰的斧子和打仗的兵器。我要用你打碎列國，用你毀滅列邦， 21 用你打碎馬和騎馬的，用你打碎戰車和坐在其上的， 22 用你打碎男人和女人，用你打碎老年人和少年人，用你打碎壯丁和處女， 23 用你打碎牧人和他的群畜，用你打碎農夫和他一對牛，用你打碎省長和副省長。」 24 耶和華說：「我必在你們眼前，報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡。」

這件事神做得合理嗎？神使用巴比倫去懲罰猶大，打碎他們的一切，但是又要報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡，當你讀的時候，會不會感到有點矛盾？既然是神要他們做的，怎能怪他們？

讓我們來聽聽以色列人的控訴：“巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒吞滅我，壓碎我，使我成為空虛的器皿。他像大魚將我吞下，用我的美物充滿他的肚腹，又將我趕出去。” 錫安的居民說：“巴比倫以強暴待我，損害我的身體，願這罪歸給她！” 耶路撒冷人說：“願流我們血的罪歸到迦勒底的居民！”

所以神有怎樣的反應，神說：“我必為你申冤，為你報仇。我必使巴比倫的海枯竭，使她的泉源乾涸。巴比倫必成為亂堆，為野狗的住處，令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且無人居住。 他們要像少壯獅子咆哮，像小獅子吼叫。他們火熱的時候，我必為他們設擺酒席，使他們沉醉，好叫他們快樂，睡了長覺永不醒起。”

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