ב Beth (第二段)
9少年人用什麼潔淨他的行為呢？是要遵行祢的話。
10我一心尋求了祢，求祢不要叫我偏離祢的命令。
11我將祢的話藏在心裡，免得我得罪祢。
12耶和華啊，祢是應當稱頌的，求祢將祢的律例教訓我。
13我用嘴唇傳揚你口中的一切典章。
14我喜悅祢的法度，如同喜悅一切的財物。
15我要默想祢的訓詞，看重祢的道路。
16我要在祢的律例中自樂，我不忘記祢的話。
這八節是特別寫給少年人的。少年是人生的一個階段，為何在此階段要特別提到要潔淨他的行為呢？少年是一個比較血氣方剛的階段，正在成長摸索，想要成為自己人生主宰的時候。那時聽不進父母的話，對事情的看法也很直接片面，反應也快。
所以這幾個月來香港的民運裡，有許多中大學生被警察抓去，令人十分痛心。因為那是人生最美，正在萌芽要開花的時段，卻好像活生生地被掐下來。在這個人生的階段裡要安全度過，要走得正行得直，便會成為人生最美好的土壤，孕育出美好的將來；若是行差踏錯，就有可能在人生裡留下很大的污點，甚至影響到將來。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Esther 6:1-14. Let’s go!
Esther 6:1 (NIV)
1 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.
On verses 1-13: I’m not sure if King Xerxes ordered that the history of his reign be read to him in bed so that it would bore him to sleep or excite him to action. In any event while he is listening to the history of his own reign as king, King Xerxes is reminded of how Mordecai exposed a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. When King Xerxes discovers that nothing was done to honour Mordecai for this noble deed, King Xerxes consults Haman about what should be done for a man that the king delights to honor. Haman assumes that King Xerxes is thinking about honouring him, so Haman suggests an elaborate celebration that includes letting the man wear one of the king’s robes, ride on the king’s horse, and having a noble lead that horse while shouting, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!” (v9). King Xerxes, as usual, accepts his advisor’s suggestion. Xerxes commands that Mordecai be honoured in just that way, ironically with Haman being the one to lead the horse that Mordecai will be riding on.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Esther 5:1-14. There are many great lessons we can learn from this passage. Let’s go!
Esther 5:1-2 (NIV)
1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
On verses 1-2: Before approaching the king, Esther puts on her royal robes. By putting on her royal robes, this reminded everyone – especially Esther herself and her husband the king – who Esther was: that Esther is royalty. When Esther approaches King Xerxes, King Xerxes is pleased with her, accepts her into his presence and addresses her “Queen Esther” (v3). Likewise, when you approach your Father’s throne in heaven, put on your royal robes. In other words, remember who you are in Christ. Remember that you are robed in Christ’s righteousness, endowed with Christ’s authority, chosen and precious to God, pleasing and acceptable in His sight. When you see yourself that way, it changes the way you pray. You can approach God with confidence, authority, love and authenticity when you know who you are in Christ.
א Aleph (第一段)
1行為完全，遵行耶和華律法的，這人便為有福！
2遵守祂的法度，一心尋求祂的，這人便為有福！
3這人不做非義的事，但遵行祂的道。
4耶和華啊，祢曾將祢的訓詞吩咐我們，為要我們殷勤遵守。
5但願我行事堅定，得以遵守祢的律例！
6我看重祢的一切命令，就不至於羞愧。
7我學了祢公義的判語，就要以正直的心稱謝祢。
8我必守祢的律例，求祢總不要丟棄我。
在〈詩篇〉119篇裡有176節的經文，假如我們每天讀八節，便要用廿二天才能讀完。我本來想把它分成四段，四天裡把它解決。但是有一個想法勝過我，究竟我在趕什麼進度呢？讀神的話語重在吸收，而不是囫圇吞嚥，快速地把它讀完，對我們有何益處呢？更何況，再找不到這樣好的機會，慢慢來品嚐這詩篇裡的精華。有一天，你可以很神氣地宣告：我曾經很仔細地讀過〈詩篇〉119篇，那時可能會有不少人很佩服你哦！因此，讓我們倒杯茶，安靜心，一起來看詩人怎樣看神的話語。希望每一天都有一節經文成為你當天力量的泉源。
1你們要稱謝耶和華，因祂本為善，祂的慈愛永遠長存！
2 願以色列說：「祂的慈愛永遠長存！」
3 願亞倫的家說：「祂的慈愛永遠長存！」
4 願敬畏耶和華的說：「祂的慈愛永遠長存！」
5 我在急難中求告耶和華，祂就應允我，把我安置在寬闊之地。
6 有耶和華幫助我，我必不懼怕，人能把我怎麼樣呢？
7 在那幫助我的人中，有耶和華幫助我，所以我要看見那恨我的人遭報。
8 投靠耶和華，強似倚賴人。
9 投靠耶和華，強似倚賴王子。
10 萬民圍繞我，我靠耶和華的名必剿滅他們。……
這是哈利路亞讚美詩的最後一首，也是猶太人慶祝一年一度的逾越節唱的詩歌。很有可能，這也是當日主與祂的門徒在最後晚餐要結束時唱的詩歌。在最後的晚餐裡，主耶穌引用了此詩篇的第22-23節：“耶穌說：經上寫著：匠人所棄的石頭，已做了房角的頭塊石頭。這是主所做的，在我們眼中看為稀奇。”因此它也是一首彌賽亞詩篇。
有聖經學者認為，從代上16章和本詩篇的部份經文比較，可以想像是大衛的詩班，在慶祝神的約櫃安放在錫安山時唱的。同時幾乎可確 定，在被擄後獻聖殿的敬拜中，有時也會引用此詩篇。在匠人立耶和華殿根基的時候，祭司吹號、利未人敲鈸，照大衛所定的例，都站著讚美耶和 華。他們彼此唱和、讚美稱謝耶和華說：“因祂本為善、祂的慈愛永遠長存。”眾民大聲呼喊，因耶和華殿的根基已經立定(拉3:10,11)。在這些場面中，詩篇的經文會以進行曲形式和輪唱的形式對唱，就像第2-4節裡，詩人呼籲三個不同的團體來讚美耶和華。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Esther 4:1-17. Let’s go!
Esther 4:1-3 (NIV)
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
On verses 1-3: In King Xerxes’ kingdom, you were not allowed to get close to the king if you were mourning or grieving. That’s why Mordecai could not go past the king’s gate while wearing sackcloth and ashes, the traditional garb for someone in grief. I’m so thankful that in the kingdom we live in, where Jesus is king, we can approach our King just as we are. If we are grieving, mourning or burdened, we can come to Him just the same. In fact, our King welcomes us to come to Him with our burdens. He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You can “cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
1萬國啊，你們都當讚美耶和華！萬民哪，你們都當頌讚祂！
2 因為祂向我們大施慈愛，耶和華的誠實存到永遠。你們要讚美耶和華！
詩篇117篇是整本《聖經》裡最短的一章，只有兩節。其意義簡明扼要，就是讓萬民都頌讚耶和華，因為祂的慈愛和信實存到永遠。
第二節裡，雖然和合本譯為‘耶和華的誠實’，但是英文都是faithfulness / faithful，感覺上用‘信實’更為貼切。誠實是做人的一種品質，但信實更表達了對他人的一種心態。
《聖經》雖然強調耶和華是以色列人的神，但也經常提醒我們，祂是萬國的神，萬民的主宰。因為祂創造宇宙和大地，是為了所有住在其上的居民，讓所有的生物都可以敬拜祂，並不只是為了以色列人而存在。必有一天，以色列人和外邦人都要一起在耶路撒冷敬拜耶和華神，更確切地說，是在新耶路撒冷。
神的慈愛和誠實（信實）不只施給以色列人，祂的陽光雨露也同樣施恩給一切住在地上的人。沒有陽光，連惡人的膀臂也會失去力量；沒有雨露，就沒有農作物的生產。神的慈愛和信實藉著大自然的轉換，每時每刻都在向我們印證祂的真實。因此保羅說：“自從造天地以來，神的永能和神性是明明可知的，雖是眼不能見，但藉著所造之物就可以曉得，叫人無可推諉。（羅1:20）”因為天上地下只有一位神，祂是這個宇宙唯一的主宰，祂也必然是世人的主宰。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Esther 2:1-23. Let’s go! Today’s content is taken from Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise)
Commentary on Esther 3:1-6
Mordecai refused to reverence Haman. The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman. By nature all are idolaters; self is our favourite idol, we are pleased to be treated as if every thing were at our disposal.
Though religion by no means destroys good manners, but teaches us to render honour to whom honour is due, yet by a citizen of Zion, not only in his heart, but in his eyes, such a vile person as Haman was, is contemned, Psalm 15:4.
The true believer cannot obey edicts, or conform to fashions, which break the law of God. He must obey God rather than man, and leave the consequences to him. Haman was full of wrath. His device was inspired by that wicked spirit, who has been a murderer from the beginning; whose enmity to Christ and his church, governs all his children.
1我愛耶和華，因為祂聽了我的聲音和我的懇求。
2 祂既向我側耳，我一生要求告他。
3 死亡的繩索纏繞我，陰間的痛苦抓住我，我遭遇患難愁苦。
4 那時我便求告耶和華的名說：「耶和華啊，求祢救我的靈魂！」
5 耶和華有恩惠，有公義，我們的神以憐憫為懷。
6 耶和華保護愚人，我落到卑微的地步，祂救了我。
7 我的心哪，你要仍歸安樂，因為耶和華用厚恩待你。
8 主啊，祢救我的命免了死亡，救我的眼免了流淚，救我的腳免了跌倒。
9 我要在耶和華面前行活人之路。
10 我因信，所以如此說話：「我受了極大的困苦。」……
這一首詩篇的主題是：耶和華用厚恩待我。詩人談到經歷了生命、死亡和苦難之後，祂更愛耶和華。因為在人生的許多時候，他向神禱告，神都聽了他的懇求；也因為他經歷到神的信實，他決定一生要求告神。你有沒有這樣的經歷呢？我們實在需要倚靠神來經歷神的信實，讓我們的信心永不偏離。
你怎樣知道所信的是真神呢？你怎樣認識耶和華是有恩惠，有公義，以憐憫為懷的神呢？世界上有那麼多不公義的事，基督徒到處被逼迫被殺害，你怎能相信耶和華神是全能的神？
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Esther 2:1-23. Let’s go!
Esther 2:22 (NIV)
22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.
On verses 1-23: Approximately four years have passed since the events of chapter 1. King Xerxes has returned home to Persia after unsuccessfully trying to invade Greece. His attention now turns to finding a new queen to replace Vashti. The prettiest girls from all over Xerxes’ kingdom are summoned to be part of an elaborate search contest. In the end a Jewish orphan called Esther (Jewish name Hadassah) prevails as the winner and is crowned the new queen, although Esther keeps her Jewish identity a secret.
Later on, Mordecai, Esther’s older cousin who raised her and who was like a father to Esther, is sitting at the king’s gate when he overhears a plot by two of King Xerxes’ officers – Bigthana and Teresh – to assassinate the king.
如果您希望通過電子郵件，收看我們的最新文章，我們將會為您訂閱『福音快訊』，每週五發送。