論以色列週邊列國的預言

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耶利米書 49:38 我要在以攔設立我的寶座，從那裡除滅君王和首領。這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文:  49:23-39

23論大馬士革。「哈馬和亞珥拔蒙羞，因他們聽見凶惡的信息就消化了。海上有憂愁，不得平靜。 24 大馬士革發軟，轉身逃跑。戰兢將她捉住，痛苦憂愁將她抓住如產難的婦人一樣。 25 我所喜樂、可稱讚的城，為何被撇棄了呢？ 26 她的少年人必仆倒在街上，當那日一切兵丁必默默無聲。」這是萬軍之耶和華說的。 27 「我必在大馬士革城中使火著起，燒滅便哈達的宮殿。」

這是耶利米先知對列國所發的第六個預言，有關大馬士革的預言。大馬士革，又譯為大馬色，是亞蘭族，也是敘利亞國的首都。哈馬和亞珥拔是大馬色以北的兩個城。大馬士革位於於兩條主要貿易通道的交匯處：一，海路從埃及向北沿著地中海海岸線，經米吉多和加利利海，穿過巴勒斯坦北部。二，陸路大道是穿越沙漠，從阿拉伯和以東向北經過外約旦地區。這兩條路線在大馬十革會合，然後穿過沙漠到達美索不達米亞。作為交通中心，大馬士革自古以來就是軍事、商業、宗教要地。江水和運河使國土比較肥沃，其領土也要比以色列的其他周邊國家寬廣。

此預言論及當巴比倫大軍進入哈馬、亞珥拔時，消息傳到大馬色，居民驚惶失色，未作任何抵抗即棄城而逃，以及大軍過後，城市被毀的淒涼景況。“海上有憂愁，不得平靜”，意指巴比倫軍的入侵如海浪般波濤澎湃，使人因恐慌而無法平靜。“少年人必仆倒在街上”，少年人本是指國中精壯有力氣，國之倚靠的，但是他們卻都跌倒，爬不起來，表示亞蘭無力與巴比倫抵抗。

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Forever Faithful, Always Encouraging

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:13-25.  But let’s start at verse 8 so that we get some context.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:8-15 (NIV)
8  So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
9  During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.
10  If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11  and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

On verses 8-15:  At night the LORD told Gideon in verse 9 to get up and go down into the valley against the Midianite camp.  But just in case Gideon was still afraid to go, to give Gideon some extra assurance, the LORD tells Gideon to take his servant Purah and first go down to the Midian camp and listen to what the Midianites are saying (v10-11).  When Gideon and Purah go down to the massive Midianite camp, Gideon happens to overhear one man confessing to his friend a dream he had that a big round loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp and destroyed it.  Both the man’s friend (v14) and Gideon (v15) interpret this dream to mean that the God had given the Midianites into the Israelites’ hands.

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論以東

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耶利米書 49:11  你撇下孤兒，我必保全他們的命，你的寡婦可以倚靠我。

閱讀經文:  49:7-22

7 論以東。萬軍之耶和華如此說：「提幔中再沒有智慧嗎？明哲人不再有謀略嗎？他們的智慧盡歸無有嗎？ 8 底但的居民哪，要轉身逃跑，住在深密處！因為我向以掃追討的時候，必使災殃臨到他。 9 摘葡萄的若來到他那裡，豈不剩下些葡萄呢？盜賊若夜間而來，豈不毀壞直到夠了呢？ 10 我卻使以掃赤露，顯出他的隱密處，他不能自藏。他的後裔、弟兄、鄰舍盡都滅絕，他也歸於無有。 11 你撇下孤兒，我必保全他們的命，你的寡婦可以倚靠我。」

以掃是以撒的長子，亞伯拉罕的孫子。以東是以掃的別名，也是“紅”之意，因為以掃出生時身體發紅，渾身有毛。以掃是雅各的哥哥，因為吃了雅各的紅湯，賣了長子的名份；又被雅各欺騙，奪去了父親對長子的祝福。因此這兩兄弟之間說有“深仇大恨”也不為過；不過後來兄弟和好，各住一邊，在世時也不再有爭執；反而是其後裔不斷為敵。

以東的居地地勢很高，因此神說：“住在山穴中據守山頂的啊，論到你的威嚇，你因心中的狂傲自欺；你雖如大鷹高高搭窩，我卻從那裡拉下你來。” 波斯拉是以東北方的一個小鎮，以“不能靠近之城”而得名，雖然地勢甚高，但是神必讓她的仇敵像獅子從約但河邊的叢林上來；又如大鷹飛起，展開翅膀攻擊波斯拉。以東如大鷹高高搭窩，神卻用如大鷹的仇敵把它拉下來。不管人自以為多麼有保障，神都可以摧毀。

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When You Have Limited Resources, Remember This

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:1-12.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)
1  Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2  The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,
3  announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4  But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

On verses 1-8:  God intentionally whittles down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300.  Why?  God explains it Himself in verse 2: “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her”.  God wanted the Israelites to know that it was not their own strength that rescued them but God.  So when you are faced with limited resources and wonder why God does not give you more for the moment, remember that God loves to show His power through our limitations.  God loves to take those who are in the minority and do something powerful with them.

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論亞捫

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耶利米書  49:2b  先前得以色列地為業的，此時以色列倒要得他們的地為業。

閱讀經文:  49:1-6

1 論亞捫人。耶和華如此說：「以色列沒有兒子嗎？沒有後嗣嗎？瑪勒堪為何得迦得之地為業呢？屬他的民為何住其中的城邑呢？」 2 耶和華說：「日子將到，我必使人聽見打仗的喊聲，是攻擊亞捫人拉巴的喊聲。拉巴要成為亂堆，屬她的鄉村要被火焚燒。先前得以色列地為業的，此時以色列倒要得他們的地為業。」這是耶和華說的。

亞捫是羅得酒醉後和小女兒生下的後裔。在〈申命記〉2章19節，神對預備進入迦南地的以色列人說：“走近亞捫人之地，不可擾害他們，也不可與他們爭戰。亞捫人的地，我不賜給你們為業，因我已將那地賜給羅得的子孫為業。”亞捫人住的地原是利乏音人住的。利乏音人身材高大，人又多，但是耶和華神幫助亞捫人得了他們的地，給他們居住。可惜亞捫人對耶和華神並無感激之情，自己去找了一個瑪勒堪為神，有時也和摩押人一起拜摩洛或基抹等假神。

利乏音人這塊土地位於約旦河南端以東，一度跟摩押人在死海東面高原的領土接壤。以色列人進入迦南以前，亞捫人的一些土地被亞摩利人奪走，他們被迫退到北面和東面去，本來跟摩押人接壤的邊界也斷開了。此後，亞捫人領土的邊界從蜿蜒曲折的雅博溪谷上游起，一直往東伸延至荒漠地帶，他們的王城設於雅博溪谷上游附近的拉巴（即現代的安曼）。考古學家在這一帶發現了古代亞捫人的一些遺址和邊防營壘。

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God’s Strength Is Greater Than Your Weakness

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 6:28-40.  Let’s go!

Judges 6:28-31 (NIV)
28  In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29  They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30  The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31  But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
 
On verses 28-31:  Gideon obeys God’s command to tear down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that were erected on his house. The townspeople take exception to Gideon’s actions, saying that he must die.  Gideon’s father Joash comes to his son’s defense.  Joash basically makes two points. 

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