預言的應驗

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以西結書 38:23  我必顯為大，顯為聖，在多國人的眼前顯現，他們就知道我是耶和華。

閱讀經文：以西結書  38:1-23

1耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要面向瑪各地的歌革，就是羅施、米設、土巴的王發預言攻擊他， 3 說：『主耶和華如此說：羅施、米設、土巴的王歌革啊，我與你為敵。 4 我必用鉤子鉤住你的腮頰，調轉你，將你和你的軍兵、馬匹、馬兵帶出來，都披掛整齊，成了大隊，有大小盾牌，各拿刀劍。 5 波斯人、古實人和弗人各拿盾牌，頭上戴盔， 6 歌篾人和他的軍隊，北方極處的陀迦瑪族和他的軍隊，這許多國的民都同著你。

以西結書第37章是一個高點，提到以色列的復興與合一，與神立永約。縱然以色列人已經沒有盼望，但神仍然可以使他們枯骨復活，神說有可能。當進入第38至39章，是另一個高潮。在自然界的角度是預言以色列會復國，靈界的角度是指神的國要臨到，神要在地上掌權，神與百姓立永約。

以色列復國之後，同樣要面對黑暗的權勢，也面對列國與她之間的爭戰，今天的以色列與世界上許多國家也不和，每一天都在打仗。靈界中神的國亦要面對黑暗的權勢，是魔鬼撒但的權勢，撒但不斷搶奪神的榮耀，要把神光明的國度摧毀，所以我們看到有兩個國度在爭戰，是光明與黑暗的爭戰。

但神有心意，我們要感恩，因這爭戰是神容許的，甚至是神主導的，目的是邁向終極的復興，使黑暗權勢在這爭戰之後完全被消滅。所以這一章聖經直接指向《啟示錄》第20章，就是神的國臨到，以色列復興，會透過爭戰邁向大復興，就是這一章的重點。

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Work Hard and Play Hard WITH God, not without Him

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 2:1-11.  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 2:1-11 (NIV)
1  I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
2  “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?”
3  I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly–my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

On verses 1-11:  After focusing so much on gaining and studying wisdom and coming up empty (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18), Solomon shifts his focus to amassing wealth and pursuing pleasure.  Solomon claims that his goal was “to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.” (v3)  Pastor-author Douglas Sean O’Donnell puts it this way: in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 Solomon searches for satisfaction in 4 places: the pub, the garden, the treasury, and the bedroom.

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兩根木杖接連為一

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以西結書 37:17  你要使這兩根木杖接連為一，在你手中成為一根。

閱讀經文：以西結書  37:15-28

15耶和華的話又臨到我說： 16 「人子啊，你要取一根木杖，在其上寫『為猶大和他的同伴以色列人』。又取一根木杖，在其上寫『為約瑟，就是為以法蓮，又為他的同伴以色列全家』。 17 你要使這兩根木杖接連為一，在你手中成為一根。 18 你本國的子民問你說：『這是什麼意思，你不指示我們嗎？』 19 你就對他們說：『主耶和華如此說：我要將約瑟和他同伴以色列支派的杖，就是那在以法蓮手中的，與猶大的杖一同接連為一，在我手中成為一根。』 20 你所寫的那兩根杖要在他們眼前拿在手中， 21 要對他們說：『主耶和華如此說：我要將以色列人從他們所到的各國收取，又從四圍聚集他們，引導他們歸回本地。

在迦巴魯河邊，當猶大被擄到巴比倫的人正在愁眉不展，為故國傷痛不已時，神藉著以西結給他們帶來了枯骨復生的預言，預言靈性早已死亡的以色列人（包括猶大人），都必在神的恩典裡復得新的生命和新的靈。當他們的生命和靈魂都在主裡復活時，以色列和猶大的統一就會來臨。對神而言，這兩個國是一個國，原都是雅各（以色列）的後裔，原是不應分開的。雖然以色列北國是指以色列的十個支派，猶大南國是指以色列的兩個支派：猶大和便雅憫。但是它們應該是一個國家，不是兩個國家，所以有一天，神要把它們重新整合，恢復大衛王在世的盛況，一個國家，就是以色列。

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以西結見枯骨復生

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以西結書 37:14a  我必將我的靈放在你們裡面，你們就要活了。

閱讀經文：以西結書  37:1-14

1耶和華的靈降在我身上，耶和華藉他的靈帶我出去，將我放在平原中，這平原遍滿骸骨。 2 他使我從骸骨的四圍經過，誰知在平原的骸骨甚多，而且極其枯乾。 3 他對我說：「人子啊，這些骸骨能復活嗎？」我說：「主耶和華啊，你是知道的。」 4 他又對我說：「你向這些骸骨發預言說：『枯乾的骸骨啊，要聽耶和華的話！ 5 主耶和華對這些骸骨如此說：我必使氣息進入你們裡面，你們就要活了。 6 我必給你們加上筋，使你們長肉，又將皮遮蔽你們，使氣息進入你們裡面，你們就要活了，你們便知道我是耶和華。』」

這是以西結書很出名的一個異象。神的靈再次帶以西結出去，把他放在一個滿是骸骨的平原中。換了是你，會不會覺得很可怕呢？那裡的骸骨不僅數目眾多，而且極其枯乾，表示那些人已經死了一段很長的時間。就好像亞倫用的手杖一樣，已經枯乾的木頭，沒有生命力，不可能再長芽了。但是神使亞倫的杖一夜之間，發芽、開花、結果。所以神問以西結，這些枯乾的骸骨，有沒有復活的可能？在人不可能，但是在神，沒有不可能的事情。所以在這裡，我們又發現另一個為什麼神要人要知道祂是耶和華神的特質，唯有祂能使枯骨復活，重得生命。因為祂就是賜人生命的神。

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Can You Find Happiness by Pursuing Knowledge?

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (NIV)
12  I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13  I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
14  I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15  What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
16  I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”
17  Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18  For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
 
On verses 12-18:  In verse 12 Qohelet (the Teacher) confirms that he was king of Israel, ruling in Jerusalem.  Then in verses 13-15 Qohelet describes how he pursued wisdom and knowledge, yet it led him nowhere.  Despite trying to wisely explore everything that is done on the earth (v13), he found nothing that was truly meaningful; everything was just “a chasing after the wind” (v14).  Moreover, Qohelet found that there were certain problems that could not be solved (“what is twisted cannot be straightened” – v15) and certain questions where key information was lacking which made finding an answer impossible (“what is lacking cannot be counted” – v15).  Thus he concludes that pursuing wisdom and knowledge this way was “a heavy burden” that God had laid upon people (v13). 
 

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