準繩的異象

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撒迦利亞書 2: 13  凡有血氣的，都當在耶和華面前靜默無聲！因為祂興起，從聖所出來了！

閱讀經文: 撒迦利亞書2:1-13

1 我又舉目觀看，見一人手拿準繩。 2 我說：「你往哪裡去？」他對我說：「要去量耶路撒冷，看有多寬多長。」 3 與我說話的天使去的時候，又有一位天使迎著他來， 4 對他說：「你跑去告訴那少年人說：『耶路撒冷必有人居住，好像無城牆的鄉村，因為人民和牲畜甚多。 5 耶和華說：我要做耶路撒冷四圍的火城(a wall of fire)，並要做其中的榮耀。

這一章記載先知所見的第三個異象，就是一個人手拿準繩的異象。這異象不單給當時的人，也給今天的猶太人，與我們也息息相關。這個異象傳遞了三個信息，所以全章分為三段，第一段是1-5節，其中1-3節是異象，4-5節是第一個信息；6-9節是第二個信息；10-12節是第三個信息，13節是總結，也回應第一個異象的最後一句話，即1章17節的「耶和華必再安慰錫安，揀選耶路撒冷」。

第1-3節是異象。我們一般以為第1節的「一人」是天使，也以為他就是與先知說話的天使；又以為第4節的「那少年人」就是撒迦利亞先知。今天我不再這樣以為，因為這樣以為，就會失去很多異象裡的意義。所以，「我又舉目觀看」的「我」就是先知撒迦利亞，「一人」就是那少年人；「與我說話的天使去的時候」(2:3a) 的「天使」就是第1章裡「與我說話的天使」(參1:9,13,14,19)，就是向先知解釋四馬、四角、四匠人的異象的天使；「又有一位天使迎著他來」(2:3b) 是另一位天使。

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How Wives and Husbands Ought to Treat One Another

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 3:1-12.  Let’s go!  As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself first and see what you can glean on your own.  Then take a look at this GAME sharing below.

1 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 
2  when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

On verses 1-2:  Continuing his theme of submission, a theme which Peter introduced in chapter 2, Peter addresses married women and tells them to be submissive to their husbands.  What is the reason Peter gives for why married women should submit to their husbands?  For Peter it’s about evangelism.  It’s about leading the husband to Jesus – “so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives”.    Here again we see Peter’s ongoing emphasis on how a Christian’s actions should speak well of Jesus.   

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When You Suffer Unjustly

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 2:18-25.  Let’s go!  As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself first and see what you can glean on your own.  Then take a look at this GAME sharing below.

1 Peter 2:18-25 (NIV) 
18  Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 
19  For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 
20  But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 

On verses 18-25:  Amazingly, in the face of persecution, Peter tells his people not to complain or fight against those who persecute them, but to bear with the suffering and endure it.  He even says it is “commendable before God” (v19) for one to suffer for doing good and endure it while being “conscious of God” (i.e. with God in mind) (v20).   What is Peter’s reason for saying all this?  It’s because we are following in the footsteps of Jesus when we suffer unjustly for doing good (v21).  Peter goes on to talk about the way Jesus put up with unjust suffering – how “when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats” (v23) and entrusted himself to God who judges justly (v23). 

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神回到耶路撒冷

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撒迦利亞書1:16  所以耶和華如此說：現今我回到耶路撒冷，仍施憐憫，我的殿必重建在其中，準繩必拉在耶路撒冷之上。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

閱讀經文: 撒迦利亞書 1:7-21

7 大流士第二年十一月，就是細罷特月二十四日，耶和華的話臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞說： 8 我夜間觀看，見一人騎著紅馬，站在窪地番石榴樹中間，在他身後又有紅馬、黃馬和白馬。 9 我對與我說話的天使說：「主啊，這是什麼意思？」他說：「我要指示你這是什麼意思。」 10 那站在番石榴樹中間的人說：「這是奉耶和華差遣在遍地走來走去的。」

在〈哈該書〉和〈撒迦利亞書〉裡所採用的日期都是巴比倫曆，比我們現在用的西曆慢了三個月，所以在大流士第二年的十一月，其實就是我們現在的二或三月份了。也就是早春的時候，所有的花草樹木都剛剛從嚴冬裡慢慢甦醒，有的嫩芽細葉也開始探頭出來。細罷特月<猶大曆的五月，含有shoot發射的意思，也就是萬物萌芽之時。 在〈撒迦利亞書〉裡有很多啟示性的預言，正如在〈以西結書〉、〈但以理書〉和〈啟示錄〉裡也有很多啟示性的預言，啟示性的預言大多以圖象來表達。而異象和異夢也有一點不同，異象是指人在清醒的狀態下看到神向他顯現的圖象；異夢則是人在作夢時看到的。這裡撒迦利亞在夜間觀看，是指他在清醒的時候所看到的異象。猶太人以太陽下山後為一天的開始，和我們以太陽下山後為一天的結束，有點不一樣，所以夜間並不是指他們睡覺的時候。撒迦利亞一共看到八個異象，這八個異象都是關於選民以色列的預言，初步應驗在撒迦利亞的時代，完全的應驗還待將來。

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你們要轉向我

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撒迦利亞書1: 3  所以你要對以色列人說：『萬軍之耶和華如此說：你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

閱讀經文: 撒迦利亞書 1:1-6

1大流士王第二年八月，耶和華的話臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞說： 2 「耶和華曾向你們列祖大大發怒。

撒迦利亞和哈該都是同一時代的先知，但是他們從神領受的信息卻有很大的不同。從時間上來看，當哈該在七月和九月宣傳神的信息時，撒迦利亞在同一年的八月也傳了神給他的信息。哈該的信息都很直接，容易明白，對實際的時勢痛下針砭；但是撒迦利亞的信息和異象，多數預言指向未來。有時有天使的解釋，有的沒有解釋。但是很顯然的，神預備了撒迦利亞來接下哈該的工作。

在一章1節裡提到的：易多的字義是“在指定的時候”；比利家的字義是“耶和華必祝福”；撒迦利亞的字義是“耶和華必記念”。這些家族的名字合起來便是：“在指定的日子，耶和華必祝福，耶和華必記念。” 真的很有意思。神記念以色列人，被擄的猶太人，祂也記得自己的應許。現在被擄的猶太人有一部份已經回到耶路撒冷了。重建聖殿和耶路撒冷是個艱鉅的工作，但是神與他們同在，要堅固他們的手。但是在堅固他們的手之前，調整他們的心念更為重要。

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Let Your Actions Speak Well of Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 2:11-17.  Let’s go!  As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself first and see what you can glean on your own.  Then take a look at this GAME sharing below.

1 Peter 2:11a (NIV) 
11  Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world…
 
On verse 11a:  Here is the “alien and stranger” theme again from Peter, the idea that as Christians our home is not on earth but in heaven.  So don’t live as if your life on earth is all there is, but every day live with heaven in mind.
 
1 Peter 2:11b (NIV) 
…to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
 
On verse 11b:  How does sin “war against your soul”?  By trying to get you to buy into the lie that you’ll be happier and better off if you sin.  That is the deceitfulness of sin.  Are you tempted to sin in a certain way today?  The truth is that sin will never lead to happiness but to unhappiness.  Sin will not get you to where you ultimately want to be.  Sin is not a shortcut but a detour.  So for the sake of your own long term happiness, you’re always better off not giving into sinful desires but abstaining from them.

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Got Milk?

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 2:1-10.  Let’s go!  As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself first and see what you can glean on your own.  Then take a look at this GAME sharing below.

1 Peter 2:1 (NIV) 
1  Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
 
On verse 1:  Here’s a Bible reading tip: whenever you see the word “therefore”, look at the verses just before “therefore”.  Then you can better know what the “therefore” is there for.  In this case, just before verse 1, Peter has been telling his readers to “love each other deeply from the heart, since you have been born again by the imperishable word of God” (1 Peter 1:22-25).  So it is with the goal of loving each other deeply that Peter tells his readers to rid themselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 
 
What can we learn from this?  We need to be intentional about getting rid of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander, for love cannot co-exist with these things.  Think of a relationship in your life today that you wish was in a better place.  Have you allowed malice (mean, judgmental thoughts), deceit (lying or trickery), hypocrisy (saying one thing but doing another), envy (being resentful because someone else has what you don’t have) or slander (speaking ill about that person in front of others) to poison that relationship? 

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我必賜福於你們

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哈該書2: 19  倉裡有穀種嗎？葡萄樹、無花果樹、石榴樹、橄欖樹都沒有結果子。從今日起，我必賜福於你們。

閱讀經文: 哈該書 2:10-23

10 大流士王第二年九月二十四日，耶和華的話臨到先知哈該說： 11 「萬軍之耶和華如此說：你要向祭司問律法， 12 若有人用衣襟兜聖肉，這衣襟挨著餅或湯，或酒，或油，或別的食物，便算為聖嗎？」祭司說：「不算為聖。」 13 哈該又說：「若有人因摸死屍染了汙穢，然後挨著這些物的哪一樣，這物算汙穢嗎？」祭司說：「必算汙穢。」 14 於是哈該說：「耶和華說：這民這國在我面前也是如此，他們手下的各樣工作都是如此，他們在壇上所獻的也是如此。

有一個六歲的小男孩過生日前，他的父母親問他還需要什麼？他說：“我不要需要的，我要我想要的東西”（ I don’t want to need, I want to want.）。一語中的，正是大多數人的想法。在你的生活裡，你想要有什麼呢？有個古老的故事告訴我們，許願前要小心思考。曾經有一位國王許願，希望他碰到的每件事物都化為金子，結果他碰到的每盤食物都變為金子，當他要抱他的小女兒時，小公主也變為金子。他做了一個何等懊悔的選擇。

但是神給人的福氣是真實的福氣，當人有了神所賜的福氣時，就有了一切！不管你是富有或貧窮，只要你擁有了神賜給你的福氣，世上便沒有人能夠把它奪走。也會因而感到滿足，真正的滿足；反之，你若沒有得到從神來的福氣，你的心就永遠不會滿足，永遠在尋求，永遠在追求。

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在這地方我必賜平安

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哈該書2: 9  這殿後來的榮耀必大過先前的榮耀，在這地方我必賜平安。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

閱讀經文: 哈該書 2:1-9

1七月二十一日，耶和華的話臨到先知哈該說： 2 「你要曉諭猶大省長撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯和約薩答的兒子大祭司約書亞，並剩下的百姓，說： 3 『你們中間存留的，有誰見過這殿從前的榮耀呢？現在你們看著如何？豈不在眼中看如無有嗎？

這是神給哈該的第二個信息：這殿後來的榮耀必大過先前的榮耀，所以你們都當剛強！因為我與你們同在。

他們在六月廿四日開工，七月廿一日就有神的話語臨到哈該。原來神的同在是那樣的確實。有一些從巴比倫回來的老人，曾經看過所羅門王建的聖殿之威榮，所以對於目前重建的工作感到沮喪和失望。因為在他們眼中，現在的聖殿即使修建好了，也萬萬不及當年的聖殿（看如無有）。這些話神都聽到了。百姓也聽到了，這樣的話令人失去鬥志，不想再努力下去。既然沒辦法恢復當年的榮耀，再做工又有何益？

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There’s No Expiry Date on God’s Word or Jesus’ Blood

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Peter 1:13-25.  Let’s go!
 
1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)

13  Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
 
On verse 13:   Peter is telling believers everywhere in the Roman empire: don’t place your hope in money, pleasure, people, or anything else you have now.  Instead, place your hope fully on the grace you will be given when Jesus comes again: the grace of being united with Jesus, of knowing Him intimately, of experiencing His presence so closely and without limit, and of being home together with Him and with God’s family in heaven where there is no more death, sickness, suffering or sorrow. 

By the way, given how much Peter writes about having hope in Christ in the midst of suffering and difficulty, it’s no surprise that Peter is sometimes known as the apostle of hope.  Meanwhile Paul is sometimes known as the apostle of faith, since no one’s letters more clearly explain the saving faith we have in Christ than Paul, and John is sometimes known as the apostle of love, since his life and writing reflect God’s love especially.  Faith, hope and love — may you be known for these three things too.

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