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Jesus, The Exalted King

2025-01-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:44-51.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Remember that God has 2 purposes in these verses.  The first purpose of these verses is to recount history, to tell of what God had already done in David’s life, how God delivered David from his enemies and made him the head of nations.  But there is a second purpose.  It’s record prophecy and tells of what God would do in the future in and through the life of Jesus Christ.  Let’s go!

2 Samuel 22:44-46 (NIV)
44  “You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me,
45  and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.
46  They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

On verses 44-46:  God allowed David to suffer much at the hands of his enemies, but ultimately God exalted David as king and head over nations.  

Jesus Is Your Strength

2025-01-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:31-43.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 22:31-37 (NIV)
31  “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32  For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
33  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

On verses 31-37:  In verses 1 to 7 we learned that the Lord is our rock.
In verses 8 to 20 we learned that He is our rescuer.
In verses 21 to 28 we learned that He is our righteousness.
In verse 29 we learned that He is our light.

耶和华玛喀底肯(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)

2025-01-13 in , /by

出埃及记 31:12-17

12 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 13 「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日，因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我耶和华是叫你们成为圣的。 14 所以你们要守安息日，以为圣日。凡干犯这日的，必要把他治死；凡在这日做工的，必从民中剪除。 15 六日要做工，但第七日是安息圣日，是向耶和华守为圣的。凡在安息日做工的，必要把他治死。 16 故此，以色列人要世世代代守安息日为永远的约。 17 这是我和以色列人永远的证据，因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。』」

以色列人出埃及，旷野中神赐下吗哪供应他们所需，出埃及记16: 11-30记载收取吗哪食用的规矩是(1)多收的也没有余，少收的也没有缺，各人按著自己的饭量收取；(2)每天所收的，不许任何人留到隔天早晨；(3)但是第六天，他们收了双倍的食物，因为第七天乃是安息日，那一天必没有了。

以色列人守安息日的规矩就始于上述经文的第23节，摩西对他们说：「耶和华这样说：『明天是圣安息日，是向耶和华守的圣安息日。你们要烤的就烤了，要煮的就煮了，所剩下的都留到早晨。』」

延续到出埃及记31:12-17，耶和华晓谕摩西说：「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日；因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我─耶和华是叫你们成为圣的(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)。…』…因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。」

耶和华何西努(Jehovah Osenu)

2025-01-12 in , /by

诗篇95:1-7 

来啊，我们要向耶和华歌唱，向拯救我们的磐石欢呼！
2 我们要来感谢祂，用诗歌向祂欢呼！
3 因耶和华为大神，为大王，超乎万神之上。
4 地的深处在祂手中，山的高峰也属祂。
5 海洋属祂，是祂造的，旱地也是祂手造成的。
6 来啊，我们要屈身敬拜，在造我们的耶和华面前跪下！
7 因为祂是我们的神，我们是祂草场的羊，是祂手下的民。

第6节中「造我们的耶和华」的原文为「耶和华何西努」，亦即「耶和华是造我们的」，祂是造我们的神，我们为祂所造。

诗篇95:8-11接续在第7节后段所提到，惟愿你们今天听祂的话：
你们不可硬着心，像当日在米利巴，就是在旷野的玛撒。
那时，你们的祖宗试我探我，并且观看我的作为。
四十年之久，我厌烦那世代，说：这是心里迷糊的百姓，竟不晓得我的作为！
所以，我在怒中起誓，说：他们断不可进入我的安息！

诗人提醒以色列百姓要听神的话，才能进入祂的「安息」。诗篇第95篇很特别的借着「听神的话」，将「被创造者」和「进入祂的安息」连结在一起。

Have a Can Do Attitude in the Lord

2025-01-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:21-30.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 22:21-28 (NIV)
21  “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22  For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.
23  All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
24  I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

On verses 21-28:  How could David, a guy who committed murder, adultery, was a habitual liar for seasons of his life, and a far from perfect husband and father, say what he says in verses 21-28 — things like…

…”I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God” (v22)
…”I have not turned away from his decrees” (v23),

The Lord Is Here To Rescue You

2025-01-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:1-20.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

2 Samuel 22:1-20 (NIV)

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3     my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield  and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.

On verses 8-20:  I believe there are two levels on which we can look at these verses.

Level one:  In these verses we see how David saw the Lord, as a mighty force who shakes heaven and earth when He speaks or moves (v8-16).  Yet as mighty as He is, this same God is also full of compassion, a hero who rescues David from his enemies (v18).  He is a friend who comes to David’s support when he is being overpowered (v19).  He is a God who rescues David because He delights in David (v20).

耶和华撒巴俄(Jehovah Sabaoth)

2025-01-10 in , /by

诗篇20:7   有人靠车，有人靠马，但我们要提到耶和华我们神的名。

撒迦利亚书 4:6  他对我说：「这是耶和华指示所罗巴伯的。万军之耶和华说：不是倚靠势力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的灵方能成事。」

「耶和华撒巴俄」的意思是万军之耶和华，「撒巴俄」原文是军队、战争、战事之意，用于神的称呼，以示祂是争战之神。万军之耶和华也可说是统领天军的神，因为天使都是神所统管的。

「万军之耶和华」首次出现在撒母耳记上1:3，描述以利加拿（哈拿的丈夫，撒母耳的父亲）每年从本城上到示罗，敬拜祭祀万军之耶和华。这称呼接续出现于圣经有245处，全部在旧约，集中在先知书有224处之多，特别出现在哈该书（14处）、撒迦利亚书（53处）和玛拉基书（24处）。

先知书比较多处称呼「万军之耶和华」是因为当时以色列民正处于受异族侵略统治、或被掳掠至外邦的时候，先知提醒以色列民要离开恶道恶行，回转归向神，同时宣告「万军之耶和华」必再安慰锡安，拣选耶路撒冷。

诗篇第84篇中，诗人谈到「万军之耶和华」，他羡慕渴想神的院宇，他的心肠、肉体向神欢呼！祂的居所何等可爱！在祭坛那里，麻雀找著房屋，燕子找著菢雏之窝。他倚靠神有力量，心中想往锡安大道，力上加力，行走到锡安朝见神。

In Christ You Are A Giant Killer

2025-01-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 21:15-22.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 21:15-22 (NIV)
15  Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
16  And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new [sword], said he would kill David.
17  But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

n verses 15-22:  For decades David was known as Israel’s giant killer.  He was the only one who could defeat the Philistine giant Goliath.  Yet in a battle against the Philistines decades later, David is almost killed by a giant of a man called Ishbi-Benob (v15-16).

From that time forward, David would no longer go out to fight with Israel’s armies.  Yet in David’s place a number of David’s men would rise up and become giant killers in their own right.  These brave warriors would defeat various descendants of Rapha, men who were known for being much larger, like giants.

耶和华齐根努(Jehovah Tsidkenu)

2025-01-09 in , /by

耶利米书 23:5-6   耶和华说：「日子将到，我要给大卫兴起一个公义的苗裔。他必掌王权，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公义。6 在他的日子，犹大必得救，以色列也安然居住，他的名必称为『耶和华我们的义』。」

耶利米是犹大国最黑暗时期的一位以色列先知，他的工作介于西元前627年到586年间，历经犹大国灭亡前的最后五个王，约西亚、约哈斯、约雅敬、约雅斤、西底家。西元前586年，巴比伦人攻陷耶路撒冷，西底家被剜眼、锁回巴比伦（列王纪下25:1-7），犹太余民逃往埃及。

耶利米书23:1-8宣讲：耶和华斥责犹大国的政治领袖为「残害、赶散我草场之羊的牧人」，神要讨他们行恶的罪；而且，神要招聚羊群中所余剩的，领他们归回本圈，他们也必生养众多。神特别宣告祂必设立照管他们的牧人，牧养他们。

耶和华说：「日子将到，我要给大卫兴起一个公义的苗裔；他必掌王权，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公义。在他的日子，犹大必得救，以色列也安然居住。他的名必称为『耶和华─我们的义(Jehovah Tsidkenu)』。」（耶利米书23:5-6）

「耶和华─我们的义」的意思是「耶和华是我们的公义」，同样的词出现在耶利米书33:16。有学者认为这个称呼用来对比、或是讽刺「西底家」（名字的意思是「耶和华是公义的」），因为西底家不但悖逆上帝，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，而且是犹大的亡国之君。

耶和华沙玛(Jehovah Shammah)

2025-01-08 in , /by

以西结书 48:35    城四围共一万八千肘。从此以后，这城的名字必称为『耶和华的所在』。

以西结书40至48章描述了先知以西结在被掳掠到巴比伦的第25年，耶路撒冷城攻破后14年，神的灵降在他身上，带他回到以色列地，让他看见神的殿和圣城的复兴。

以西结看见荣美圣殿的重建（40:1-43:27），描绘了荣美圣殿的尺寸和各样细节，以及圣殿的恢复，包括外院、内院和祭坛。神的美意是将天上永恒居所的特质投射到地上，成为教会的属灵模板。神让以西结看见祂的荣耀重回圣殿（43:1-12），神要亲自寻找失丧的羊，医治背道的以色列；同时也看见祭坛与献祭的恢复（43:13-27），呈现燔祭坛的尺寸和分别为圣的献祭过程。

以西结接续看见敬拜的恢复和事奉（44:1-46:24），包括圣殿事奉者的规矩、土地的划分和献祭的条例。最后是荣美产业的分配（47:1-48:35），看见流自圣殿的生命水成河，医治土地与死海，河水所到之处，百物得生活，以及重新划分产业的边界和土地。

神的选民被掳至巴比伦，他们把琴挂在河边柳树上，拒绝在外邦唱锡安的歌。在这群绝望的百姓中间，先知以西结带来安慰和盼望，他宣告有一天神的子民将归回，圣地将重建，在他信息的末了，他强调：「从此以后，这城的名字，必称为耶和华的所在 (Jehovah Shammah)。」（以西结书48:35）。