〈士師記〉 8:4 基甸和跟隨他的三百人到約旦河過渡，雖然疲乏，還是追趕。
閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 8:1-35
住在約旦河東或河西真的有分別嗎？想當年住河東的以色列人建了證壇，為了證明耶和華神是真神，也為了讓子孫知道他們也是神的選民。但是住在河東的人很快就覺得跟河西的人不怎麼搭調，也不大關心發生在他們中間的事情。所以當基甸他們追米甸人過約旦河時，在十分疲乏之際，要求疏割人給他們餅吃時，疏割人的回答 非常冷酷：「西巴和撒慕拿已經在你手裡，你使我們將餅給你的軍兵嗎？」已經完全沒有兄弟的情份在裡面。西巴和撒慕拿是米甸的二王，也是這次戰爭的主犯，基甸帶軍打得十分辛苦，疏割人卻覺得那沒什麼了不起，主將還沒抓到，憑什麼要幫你？
For six long weeks Elijah had walked across the wilderness of Sinai. Finally he reached and began to ascend Mt. Horeb. Elijah was in search of God.
And, according to 1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV), “the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” Elijah answered with a complaint. I did everything you told me to do, but your people have rejected your covenants and killed your prophets. I’m the only one left in the country, and now they want to kill me too.
Well, the Lord gave Elijah a word. According to verse 12, our Creator spoke to the prophet with a still, small voice. He will speak a word to you as well. Let his Word, living and active, speak to you. Open your Bible and listen.
Elijah was depressed and exhausted. “Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’…He ate and drank and then lay down again” (1 Kings 19:5-6 NIV).
What does God say to the sad and weary? Be refreshed. God told Elijah to eat and sleep. The drama on Mt. Carmel. The execution of the false priests. The twenty-seven-mile run in front of Ahab’s chariot. He had reason to be depleted.
God rested on the seventh day. The world didn’t collapse when he took a Sabbath. It won’t fall apart if you do the same. If you are depressed and feel like giving up, his word to you is “get refreshed.”
〈士師記〉 7:20 三隊的人就都吹角，打破瓶子，左手拿著火把，右手拿著角，喊叫說：「耶和華和基甸的刀！」
閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 7:1-25
被欺壓了七年之久的以色列人，此時在基甸的號召下聚集在哈律泉旁。哈律泉在基利波山的北邊，是條溫泉小溪，至今仍有泉水自山崖邊不斷流出，已經建設成一個公園。在哈律泉的北邊大約六公里處就是摩利山（又稱為摩利崗），那裡聚集著米甸營的大軍，包括了亞瑪力人和東方人。在兩邊要交鋒之前，神對基甸說：「跟隨你的人過多，我不能將米甸人交在他們手中，免得以色列人向我誇大」，所以「凡懼怕膽怯的，可以離開基列山回去。」面對著如沙一般多的敵人，基甸可能暗自慶幸，還不錯，有三萬兩千人出來跟隨他。沒想到神竟然要叫那些心裡懼怕的人回去？
〈士師記〉6:31 約阿施回答站著攻擊他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力爭論嗎？你們要救他嗎？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死。巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論吧！」
閱讀經文：〈士師記〉6:19-40
神的使者向基甸顯現，基甸不敢相信他真是從耶和華神來的，因此要他等一等。基甸做了無酵餅，又預備了一隻羊羔和湯。在米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人對以色列人的壓制和搶奪之下，基甸仍然有麥子可打，有羊羔可殺，可算當時挺有本事的。神的使者用杖頭去挨了肉和無酵餅，就有火從下面的磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅，表示神的悅納。基甸此時才醒悟，原來耶和華神的使者真的向他顯現了。覿面就是面對面觀看的意思。以色列人從摩西時代就知道人不能見神的面，見到神的面必然要死。因為摩西求神讓他見到神的面時，神說：「你不能看見我的面，因為人見我的面不能存活。（出33:20）」但是神即刻安慰基甸，他必不致於死。因為神的使者以人的樣式出現，正如神以人的樣式去找亞伯拉罕一樣，是以人的樣式與他們見面，並不是以神原本的面目與他們相見。
Reading from 1 Kings 18:45-46, “Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and…he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel” (NIV).
Elijah, the prophet who brought down fire, is now the prophet who brings down rain. Elijah, the prophet who knelt on Mount Carmel in prayer, becomes the prophet who descends in a flurry.
His action inspires us to do likewise. Lift up your eyes! Trust the promises of God. Apart from them life will beat you up. But armed with them, you will weather any storm. How different our lives would be if we heeded the promises and not the problems!
〈士師記〉 6:12 耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！」
閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 6:1-18
基甸的名字意思是「大能的勇士」，基甸覺得自己甚為渺小，但是神有能力使他人如其名。當神的使者找到這位大能的勇士時，他正躲在酒榨那裡打麥子。有一種考古學家挖出土的酒榨，分為上池和下池。上池約8英尺見方，15英寸深，下方約2英尺處有一個用來承接果汁的較小的池。基甸就是用這種酒榨來打小麥。酒榨是為了要把葡萄榨成汁，所以只需要一個很小的地方。但是打麥子通常在空曠的地方，因為需要利用風將麥糠和麥子分開，才能有最多的收成。在一個不通風地方打麥子，那情形必然很窘迫，連呼吸都不容易，因為飛揚的麥粒會到處飄揚。但是基甸沒有辦法，他不敢去外面空曠的地方打麥子，免得被米甸人或其他外邦人發現，就來搶他的糧食。
The promises of God glitter like diamonds on the pages of Scripture. Will we gather them? claim them? delight in them? pursue them? Elijah did. He prayed, not just once, but seven times!
Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea” (1 Kings 18:43-44). God’s answer came as a cloud the size of a hand. That was enough to excite Elijah.
Faith sees the distant cloud. Faith sees promises as though they were fulfilled. Can you see the hint of an answer to your prayer?
〈士師記〉 5: 4 耶和華啊， 祢從西珥出來，由以東地行走，那時地震天漏，雲也落雨。
閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 5:1-31
在許多爭戰之後，每個民族都有不同的記錄方式。亞述人用浮雕，雕刻戰爭的戰況和得勝；以色列人則多用詩歌記錄當時的情形。這首詩歌是底波拉和巴拉一起作的，但有的人把它稱為底波拉之歌。這首詩歌分成六段，每一段都有一個主題。
第一段是讚美耶和華神，因為當神介入這場戰爭時，祂的威嚴無以倫比。那時「地震天漏，雲也落雨」，描寫當時戰爭時的天氣。這天氣和戰事大有關係，因為「地震」，以致基順古河漲溢，把敵軍沖没；因為「天漏」下雨，因此地上泥濘不堪，使敵人的九百輛鐵車在泥中動彈不得，以致夏瑣的大將軍西西拉最後不得不下車奔逃。神怎麼會怕鐵車呢？是以色列人怕，神一點都不怕。再多幾百輛，也讓它變成廢鐵一堆。
Christ followers hear a language that others miss. In 2 Kings chapter 6 we see this truth played out in dramatic fashion. Elijah’s protégé, Elisha, followed in his mentor’s footsteps and upset the powers of the age. The king of Aram decided to take the young prophet out. He sent a kill squad. They surrounded the city by night. It appeared to be the end.
But the man of God saw what his frightened servant could not. “And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see’” (v. 17). One saw through the filter of fear. The other, the filter of faith. Elisha learned this lesson from Elijah. We’d be wise to do the same.
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