Stand Up To Evil and Justice

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:1-15 (NIV)
1  Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,
2  “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
3  When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
4  They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.

On verses 1-15:  Here Abimelech, one of Gideon’s sons, attempts to become ruler over the city of Shechem by murdering his brothers and gathering around himself a crowd whose loyalty he could buy.  The one other son of Gideon who survived is Jotham, and Jotham decides to stand up to Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem just as Abimelech is about to be crowned their ruler.  Jotham’s speech in verses 7-15 is a parable communicating that those who are truly worthy to rule are too busy doing worthwhile work while Abimelech is the last person who should be ruling based on his character.  He compares Abimelech to a thornbush that is impossibly trying to cast a shade over the rest of the bigger trees around it.

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谁是真神？

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耶利米书 51:15   耶和华用能力创造大地，用智慧建立世界，用聪明铺张穹苍。

阅读经文:  51:1-19

1耶和华如此说：「我必使毁灭的风刮起，攻击巴比伦和住在立加米的人。 2 我要打发外邦人来到巴比伦，簸扬她，使她的地空虚，在她遭祸的日子他们要周围攻击她。 3 拉弓的要向拉弓的和贯甲挺身的射箭，不要怜惜她的少年人，要灭尽她的全军。 4 他们必在迦勒底人之地被杀仆倒，在巴比伦的街上被刺透。」

第50/51章看起来是继续论到巴比伦的灭亡，但是从经文里，却更可以看到神的性情。神的公义，神的慈爱，以及神的能力。更重要的是，为何祂是独一的真神。在圣经里，神曾经向假神们挑战。耶和华对假神说：“你们要呈上你们的案件。雅各的君说：你们要声明你们确实的理由。 可以声明，指示我们将来必遇的事，说明先前的是什么事，好叫我们思索，得知事的结局，或者把将来的事指示我们。 要说明后来的事，好叫我们知道你们是神。你们或降福或降祸，使我们惊奇，一同观看。（赛41:21-23）”唯有真神，走在历史之前，因为只有祂知道将来的事。

这就是真神和假神的分别。假神和偶像由邪灵操纵，它们会展现一下超能力，或许也让你尝一下名利富贵的甜头，但它们的目的是要引诱人离开正路，让人的一生成为它的傀儡。说句不好听的话，就是让人永不得超生。因为假神没有赋予人生命的权柄和能力，跟着它走，一生就走向灭亡了。就像巴比伦的命运一样，有一时的辉煌，却遭到永远的灭亡。

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耶稣做我们的中保

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耶利米书 50:34  他们的救赎主大有能力，万军之耶和华是祂的名，祂必申清他们的冤，好使全地得平安，并搅扰巴比伦的居民。

阅读经文:  50:33-46

33 万军之耶和华如此说：「以色列人和犹大人一同受欺压，凡掳掠他们的都紧紧抓住他们，不肯释放。 34 他们的救赎主大有能力，万军之耶和华是祂的名，祂必申清他们的冤，好使全地得平安，并搅扰巴比伦的居民。」

万军之耶和华如此说：“以色列人和犹大人一同受欺压，凡掳掠他们的都紧紧抓住他们，不肯释放。”这一句形容出神的子民经历的苦境，无法自救的绝望。下一句，神接着说：“他们的救赎主大有能力，万军之耶和华是祂的名，祂必申清他们的冤，好使全地得平安，并搅扰巴比伦的居民。”这下一句话，立刻把以色列人和犹大人的绝望做了个翻转，他们的神还在，他们的神大有能力，他们的神并不只是在观望。祂必申清他们的冤，祂必使全地得平安，祂必使祂的子民有能力去搅扰巴比伦的居民。

我们常常鼓励人：神帮助那些肯帮助自己的人（天助自助者）。但有位牧师说，圣经里没有说过这样的话，圣经说的是，神要帮助那些没有办法帮助自己的人。就像耶稣说的，“无病的人用不着医生，有病的人才用得着。 我来本不是召义人悔改，乃是召罪人悔改。（路5:31）”倘若一个人觉得很健康，就不会去找医生；倘若一个人自觉完美，就不会觉得有悔改的必要。所以倘若一个人觉得他很能干，什么都可以自行解决，神还帮他做什么？他可能还觉得神碍手碍脚的。

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Worship The Creator, Not the Creation

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:22-35.  Let’s go!

Judges 8:22-27 (NIV)
22  The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us–you, your son and your grandson–because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
23  But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
24  And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25  They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.
26  The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks.
27  Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
 
On verses 22-27:  In response to being rescued from the Midianites, the Israelites offer to make Gideon and his descendants their ruler (v22).  Gideon refuses the offer, saying that it is the LORD who will rule over them (v23).  Notice that in verse 22 the Israelites do not credit God as having anything to do with their rescue.  Their focus rather is man-centered.  This shows our sinful tendency as people to want to worship and focus on created things over and above the Creator.  This tendency to worship created things over the Creator is highlighted even more in the verses that follow: Gideon asks the Israelites for gold, makes an ephod with the gold, and the Israelites worship it. 

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追念与坚定所立之约

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以西结书 16:5 然而我要追念在你幼年时与你所立的约，也要与你立定永约。

阅读经文:  今天因为经文很长，请大家自行上网取读。 以西结书 16章

当你完整章后，对于其中所用的字汇是否觉得很不习惯？因为神把整件事描绘得很“露骨”。我们习惯了包装、修饰过的形容，尽量让我们的文字显得高雅，但是这里的文字显露的是一片污俗不堪的情景，就是神的爱和人的悖逆和庸俗。从神的眼光来看以色列人的光景，原来人是如此忘恩负义，不知羞耻，丑陋不堪；也因而当我读到神还要追念并坚定和以色列人所立的永约时，我的心深受感动。

那是人的本相，不只是以色列人。全世界的人都亏欠了神的荣耀。神把祂的荣耀给了人类，没有给其他动物；但是有许多人活得比禽兽不如。不仅不记念神的恩典，荒淫无度，放纵自己，彼此欺凌，漠视神所订的规律，还美其名为人权。

神知道在我们当中所行的那些可耻的事，神知道我们不喜欢跟随祂的公义度日。神知道人不可爱，但是祂还要爱。神知道人悖逆，但祂还要守约。不仅追念，还要坚定。“我要坚定与你所立的约，你就知道我是耶和华”。这句话倒过来说就是：你们不知道我是耶和华，所以我要继续坚定与你所立的约，你才会知道我是信实的神。然后呢？神希望我们被祂的信实所吸引。因为这世上多的是背约不守信之人，但是神要让人看到希望，有一个信实的神，以永远不变的爱爱我们。所以无论我们落在怎样的景况里，都可以回转归向祂。

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论巴比伦之二

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耶利米书 50:19  我必再领以色列回他的草场，他必在迦密和巴珊吃草，又在以法莲山上和基列境内得以饱足。

阅读经文:  50:17-32

17 「以色列是打散的羊，是被狮子赶出的，首先是亚述王将他吞灭，末后是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒将他的骨头折断。」 18 所以万军之耶和华以色列的神如此说：「我必罚巴比伦王和他的地，像我从前罚亚述王一样。 19 我必再领以色列回他的草场，他必在迦密和巴珊吃草，又在以法莲山上和基列境内得以饱足。」 20 耶和华说：「当那日子，那时候，虽寻以色列的罪孽，一无所有；虽寻犹大的罪恶，也无所见。因为我所留下的人，我必赦免。」

神对祂子民的爱，包含了万分的痛。有的人说，为何神要将生命树放在伊甸园里？为何神要给人有自由选择的意志？那不是自找麻烦吗？我相信，在每一个为人父母的过程里，都会经历这种爱的痛苦。为了爱，不得不给儿女学习选择，不得不让儿女犯错，否则孩子从何学习，如何成长？多数华人父母爱孩子太全面，以致孩子长不大，总是倚靠父母，这也是父母的另一种痛。有爱，就会有痛；因为爱，所以痛，不可能没有感觉。

当神说，“以色列是打散的羊”时，这是一句很心痛的话。因为那是神的羊。你看别人的孩子迷路，你不会紧张到心痛，但是自己的孩子失踪的话，父母就会抓狂。因为羊被打散时，就流离失所，会遇见各样的危险，很有可能被撕裂吞食。以色列被谁打敟？是被狮子赶出去了，耶利米以狮子比喻亚述和巴比伦，先被吞灭，后又将骨折断，使她再也爬不起来。神的心何等沉痛。有哪个父母看到自己的孩子被欺负会不心痛，总要向前抢救，但是神为了公义，为了教导子叫离开恶道，祂只能看着他们受苦。真的很苦。

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追念与坚定所立之约

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以西结书 16:5 然而我要追念在你幼年时与你所立的约，也要与你立定永约。

阅读经文: 今天因为经文很长，请大家自行上网取读。以西结书16章

当你完整章后，对于其中所用的字汇是否觉得很不习惯？因为神把整件事描绘得很“露骨”。我们习惯了包装、修饰过的形容，尽量让我们的文字显得高雅，但是这里的文字显露的是一片污俗不堪的情景，就是神的爱和人的悖逆和庸俗。从神的眼光来看以色列人的光景，原来人是如此忘恩负义，不知羞耻，丑陋不堪；也因而当我读到神还要追念并坚定和以色列人所立的永约时，我的心深受感动。

那是人的本相，不只是以色列人。全世界的人都亏欠了神的荣耀。神把祂的荣耀给了人类，没有给其他动物；但是有许多人活得比禽兽不如。不仅不记念神的恩典，荒淫无度，放纵自己，彼此欺凌，漠视神所订的规律，还美其名为人权。

神知道在我们当中所行的那些可耻的事，神知道我们不喜欢跟随祂的公义度日。神知道人不可爱，但是祂还要爱。神知道人悖逆，但祂还要守约。不仅追念，还要坚定。“我要坚定与你所立的约，你就知道我是耶和华”。这句话倒过来说就是：你们不知道我是耶和华，所以我要继续坚定与你所立的约，你才会知道我是信实的神。然后呢？神希望我们被祂的信实所吸引。因为这世上多的是背约不守信之人，但是神要让人看到希望，有一个信实的神，以永远不变的爱爱我们。所以无论我们落在怎样的景况里，都可以回转归向祂。

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When the Mission Gets Personal

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:13-21.  Let’s go!

Judges 8:13-17 (NIV)
13  Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.
14  He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town.
15  Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'”
16  He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers.
17  He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
 
On verses 13-17:  After capturing the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon finds out the names of the 77 officials in the Israelite town of Succoth who earlier rejected his request for food for his troops (Judges 8:4-6).  In keeping with his promise (Judges 8:7), Gideon punishes the elders of Succoth with desert thorns and briers.  Also, just as he promised, Gideon pulls down the tower of Peniel, the other Israelite town that earlier had rejected him and his troops (Judges 8:8). 

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论巴比伦之一

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耶利米书  50:5b  来吧，你们要与耶和华联合，为永远不忘的约。

阅读经文:  50:1-14

1耶和华藉先知耶利米论巴比伦和迦勒底人之地所说的话。2 「你们要在万国中传扬报告，竖立大旗，要报告，不可隐瞒，说：『巴比伦被攻取，彼勒蒙羞，米罗达惊惶。巴比伦的神像都蒙羞，她的偶像都惊惶。』 3 因有一国从北方上来攻击她，使她的地荒凉，无人居住，连人带牲畜都逃走了。」

读旧约的先知书，有时令人觉得很吃力。因为讲的都是历史，不管当时的预言如何惊人，对我们而言都是陈年往事。因此读先知书需要有更多的耐力。因为读好书的收获就是这样来的，当我们静心把一段经文读完时，圣灵就会开导我们。让我们能够从中汲取滋润心扉的营养。假如你期待灵修的时间好像吃速食面，那么你可能看了一大堆文字，却吸收不到什么营养。所以让我们静心地来看第五十章，神怎样论巴比伦。它一共分为三段，一段比一段精采。今天读的是第一部份。

在巴比伦不可一世，傲视群雄，所向披靡时，耶利米勇敢地对巴比伦做了如下的预言：“巴比伦被攻取，彼勒蒙羞，米罗达惊惶。巴比伦的神像都蒙羞，她的偶像都惊惶。”彼勒Bel，意思是物主或主人。彼勒是巴比伦人敬拜的神，被推崇为巴比伦诸神之首。另一个巴比伦的主神是马尔杜克，希伯来语是米罗达Merodach。巴比伦的两个王，米罗达巴拉但（赛39:1）和以未米罗达（王下25:27），显然都是用米罗达为名。随着巴比伦城在政治上崛起，米罗达神就开始倍受推崇。据说巴比伦的祭司甚至把原来的神话改编，说米罗达杀死女神蒂阿玛特，用她的身体来创造天地，再用另一位神的血造了人类来事奉众神。

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Gentleness Can Turn Away Wrath

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:1-12.  For context, we’ll start at Judges 7:22.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:22-25 (NIV)
22…The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
23  Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
24  Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah.
25  They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

On 7:22b-8:3:  Having routed the Midianites, Gideon calls on different tribes – Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (7:23) to pursue the fleeing Midianites.  Gideon also calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take possession of the Jordan River so that the Midianites cannot escape.  In addition, the tribe of Ephraim captures and kills two Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (7:25).  Yet the Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon.  They criticize Gideon for leaving them out when deciding who to send to fight the Midianites at first.  Gideon responds wisely, saying that whatever he and his army had accomplished without the Ephraimites was nothing compared to what the Ephraimites were able to accomplish (v2-3).  Gideon’s gentle and self-effacing answer was enough to appease the Ephraimites.  It’s a reminder that “a gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).  When faced with hostility, may you have the wisdom to speak gently so as to minimize trouble for yourself and others.

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