公义君王的规范

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以西结书  45:9b  以色列的王啊，你们应当知足，要除掉强暴和抢夺的事，施行公平和公义，不再勒索我的民。

阅读经文:  以西结书45:1-25

1『你们拈阄分地为业，要献上一份给耶和华为圣供地，长二万五千肘，宽一万肘。这份以内，四围都为圣地。 2 其中有作为圣所之地，长五百肘，宽五百肘，四面见方。四围再有五十肘，为郊野之地。 3 要以肘为度量地，长二万五千肘，宽一万肘。其中有圣所，是至圣的。 4 这是全地的一份圣地，要归于供圣所职事的祭司，就是亲近侍奉耶和华的，作为他们房屋之地与圣所之圣地。 5 又有一份，长二万五千肘，宽一万肘，要归于在殿中供职的利未人，作为二十间房屋之业。

在先知以西结预言即将结束的45-48章中，解释了王国时期以色列土地的划分原则。部分归给神，部分归给君王，部分归给十二支派所属。最早分配应许之地是在征服迦南地的时候，当时由约书亚和大祭司以利撒，还有十二支派的首领们一起在神面前拈阄决定分地(民34:16-29; 书13-22)。到了所罗门王朝时期，他将以色列全地分成十二个分封地，每个分封地必须负责王家一个月的生活开支(王上4:7-19)。但是这些领土的界线并没有改变。

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耶和华为祭司的产业

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以西结书  44:28  祭司必有产业，我是他们的产业。不可在以色列中给他们基业，我是他们的基业。

阅读经文:  以西结书44:1-31

1他又带我回到圣地朝东的外门，那门关闭了。 2 耶和华对我说：「这门必须关闭，不可敞开，谁也不可由其中进入。因为耶和华以色列的神已经由其中进入，所以必须关闭。

3 「至于王，他必按王的位分坐在其内，在耶和华面前吃饼。他必由这门的廊而入，也必由此而出。」

4 他又带我由北门来到殿前。我观看，见耶和华的荣光充满耶和华的殿，我就俯伏在地。 5 耶和华对我说：「人子啊，我对你所说耶和华殿中的一切典章、法则，你要放在心上，用眼看，用耳听，并要留心殿宇和圣地一切出入之处。

延续43章神的荣光再现之后，本章一开始就指出东门关闭了。「这门必须关闭」(2节)，理由是神从朝东的外门进入圣殿(结43:1-2)，此门已成为圣洁，同时也表示神不会再离开，所以此门不再使用。东门现称为「金门」，是耶路撒冷目前最古老的一座城门。迄今仍然关闭，可能与此传统有关。根据犹太人传统，至圣者的同在，总是通过这座门显现，当弥赛亚来临时将再次开门进入。

圣经三次告诉我们，撒督的后裔可作为祭司(结40:46; 43:19; 44:15)。撒督是亚伦第三个儿子以利亚撒的子孙(代上6:1-8; 50-53)，他曾在大卫王的统治时期与亚比亚他同作祭司(撒下8:17; 代上15:11)。然而，亚比亚他后来背叛大卫，投入王位继承者亚多尼雅的阵营(王上1)，因此导致后裔永不能作祭司的代价，在祭司以利和他的儿子身上被应验(王上2:26-27)。

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Serve God’s Purpose in Your Generation

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 4:1-16.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, known as the “Teacher” and the main speaker in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as King Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon. 

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 (NIV)
1  Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed– and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors– and they have no comforter.
2  And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.
3  But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
 
On verses 1-3:  Some who argue that Qohelet can’t be Solomon point to verses like verse 1 and say, “How can Qohelet really be King Solomon when he talks about oppression this way, like a bystander who can’t do anything about it? Surely a king wouldn’t talk this way.”  My response would be two-fold.  First, Qohelet does say that he was king of Israel (see 1:12), so whether one thinks a king would say something like this or not, the fact is Qohelet is saying it. 

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耶和华的荣光充满了殿

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以西结书  43:7a  他对我说：人子啊，这是我宝座之地，是我脚掌所踏之地。我要在这里住，在以色列人中，直到永远。

阅读经文:  以西结书43:1-27

1以后，他带我到一座门，就是朝东的门。 2 以色列神的荣光从东而来，他的声音如同多水的声音，地就因他的荣耀发光。 3 其状如从前他来灭城的时候我所见的异象，那异象如我在迦巴鲁河边所见的异象，我就俯伏在地。 4 耶和华的荣光从朝东的门照入殿中。 5 灵将我举起，带入内院，不料，耶和华的荣光充满了殿。

6 我听见有一位从殿中对我说话，有一人站在我旁边。 7 他对我说：「人子啊，这是我宝座之地，是我脚掌所踏之地。我要在这里住，在以色列人中，直到永远。以色列家和他们的君王必不再玷污我的圣名，就是行邪淫，在锡安的高处葬埋他们君王的尸首。 8 使他们的门槛挨近我的门槛，他们的门框挨近我的门框，他们与我中间仅隔一墙，并且行可憎的事，玷污了我的圣名，所以我发怒灭绝他们。 9 现在他们当从我面前远除邪淫和他们君王的尸首，我就住在他们中间直到永远。

第43章是继40-42章之后的高潮，因为神的荣耀回到了圣殿。它将本书中沉闷的气氛一扫而光，与书中向少数得以存留下来的百姓发出的所有祝福交相呼应，留下一个光明的结尾。神最终将得荣耀，并永远住在百姓中间。所有真正的信徒都在渴望着这一时刻的到来。

在11章23节里，神的荣耀将要离开耶路撒冷的时候，停在了圣城东部的橄榄山上。这个预言说，神的荣耀要从东边来。

当神的荣耀离开了圣殿，耶路撒冷就遭到了破坏。所以当以西结在异象中看见神的荣耀回来的时候，表示神将重建圣城和圣殿，那种敬畏和欢乐真是无法形容。

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Don’t Just Rely on Your Own Observation, but also on God’s Revelation

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 3:14-22.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, known as the “Teacher” and the main speaker in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon.

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (NIV)
14  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
15  Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

On verses 14-15:  These two verses carry with them the same kind of peace, profundity and depth that verses 1 to 13 carry.  In particular verse 14 speaks of the sovereignty of God, how whatever God does endures and you can’t change it.  Verse 15 speaks of how from God’s perspective, since God stands outside of time and space, to God everything is already done.

The last part of verse 15 – “God will call the past to account” – is the toughest to understand.  Does it mean, as some scholars suggest, that God tends to repeat the past, or that God looks to make right what has happened is in the past, or something else?  It’s not entirely clear, though right now I tend to favour the second option.

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建殿的异象

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以西结书  40:4  那人对我说：「人子啊，凡我所指示你的，你都要用眼看，用耳听，并要放在心上。我带你到这里来，特为要指示你。凡你所见的，你都要告诉以色列家。」

阅读经文:  以西结书40-42章

在以西结被掳第二十五年，耶路撒冷城攻破后十四年，正在年初，月之初十日，是应该守逾越节的时候。耶和华的灵降在以西结身上，把他带到以色列地。在神的异象中，以西结到了以色列地，被安置在至高的山上，在山上的南边有仿佛有一座城建立。 他看到有一个颜色如铜的人，手拿麻绳和量度的竿，站在门口。麻绳可量长距离，竿用来量短距离。如同撒迦利亚见一人拿准绳量度圣城，预表圣城将被重建(亚2)；启示录中神命令使徒约翰在圣城毁于外邦人之前先行量度(启11)。

那人对以西结说：「人子啊，凡我所指示你的，你都要用眼看，用耳听，并要放在心上。我带你到这里来，特为要指示你。凡你所见的，你都要告诉以色列家。」正如当年以色列人出埃及后，在旷野建造会幕。神对摩西说：“都要照着在山上指示你的样式”。当我们敬拜神时，也要照着神所定的所安排的，不要用自己的方式去敬拜神。

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He Makes Everything Beautiful In Its Time

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 3:1-13.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, known as the “Teacher” and the main speaker in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)
1  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3  a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
 
Some of the most famous words from the book of Ecclesiastes can be found here.  Verses 1-8 would become the basis for one of the most popular 1960s American folk and pop songs (just look up “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds).  Since there is a time for everything, may we have wisdom like Jesus to know what time it is, that is, to know what we are to do with each season and moment we are in (John 7:6).   Since there is a time for everything, may we wait patiently when the times we are looking forward to are not yet happening. 

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This is a Gift from God

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 2:12-16.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, the main speaker in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 (NIV)
12  Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?
13  I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14  The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15  Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.”
16  For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
 
On verses 12-16:  In the book of Proverbs, a younger Solomon was so sure that wisdom was supreme and worth chasing after, even if it cost everything a person have.  As verses 13-14 say, Solomon saw that “wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.  The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness”.  Yet here an older Solomon is now struck by the realization that both the wise and the foolish die just the same, “the same fate overtakes them both” (v14).  Both will be forgotten one day (v16).  So why bother being wise, older Solomon wonders? (v15)   

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你们就知道我是耶和华

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以西结书  39:22  这样，从那日以后，以色列家必知道我是耶和华他们的神。

阅读经文：以西结书  39:1-29

1「人子啊，你要向歌革发预言攻击他，说：『主耶和华如此说：罗施、米设、土巴的王歌革啊，我与你为敌。 2 我必调转你，领你前往，使你从北方的极处上来，带你到以色列的山上。 3 我必从你左手打落你的弓，从你右手打掉你的箭。 4 你和你的军队并同着你的列国人，都必倒在以色列的山上，我必将你给各类的鸷鸟和田野的走兽做食物。 5 你必倒在田野，因为我曾说过。这是主耶和华说的。 6 我要降火在玛各和海岛安然居住的人身上，他们就知道我是耶和华。 7 我要在我民以色列中显出我的圣名，也不容我的圣名再被亵渎，列国人就知道我是耶和华，以色列中的圣者。

本章继续针对歌革发出预言。第9和12节说，歌革军队战败后所留下的枪械需要花七年才能销毁，战士的尸体需要花七个月才能掩埋完毕，由此可知歌革军队之庞大；然而世间的军队无论如何强大，都不可能是耶和华全能神的对手，此番耶和华亲自为以色列出战，神占了绝对的优势，击败歌革是易如反掌之事。

23-29节可说是整本以西结书的撮要：以色列因为自己的罪孽而被惩罚，但因耶和华的恩典和怜悯而得复兴，神必将祂的灵浇灌以色列家，这是耶和华与祂的子民永远同在的象征。无论是以色列的被掳与复兴，或是歌革的强大与倾覆，目的是为了叫神的选民与万国列邦都知道「耶和华是全地的主」(参V.6,7,22,28)。

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Do We All Really Share the Same Fate?

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 2:12-16.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, the main speaker in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 (NIV)
12  Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?
13  I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14  The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15  Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.”
16  For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
 
On verses 12-16:  In the book of Proverbs, a younger Solomon was so sure that wisdom was supreme and worth chasing after, even if it cost everything a person have.  As verses 13-14 say, Solomon saw that “wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.  The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness”.  Yet here an older Solomon is now struck by the realization that both the wise and the foolish die just the same, “the same fate overtakes them both” (v14).  Both will be forgotten one day (v16).  So why bother being wise, older Solomon wonders? (v15)   

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