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You Are Worthy Because of Jesus

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 23:1-14.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 23:1-3 (NIV)
1  No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.
2  No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.
3  No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.

On verses 1-3:  Moses lists different conditions that would disqualify a person from entering the assembly where people worship God.  Notice that all these conditions were things that were generally beyond a person’s control — if a man’s genitals were mutilated (v1), or he was born out of wedlock (v2), or he was an Ammonite or Moabite (v3-5).  Similarly, the Bible says that all of us have a condition that disqualifies us from God’s presence: our sin (see Romans 3:9 and Isaiah 59:2).   But praise God that in love He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the price for all our sins.  Because of Jesus, regardless of our backgrounds or past history we all are invited to draw near to God.  All because Jesus’ blood cleanses us of our sin, we are qualified to enter God’s presence and worship with His people.

怜悯贫穷的就是借给耶和华

箴言19:17    怜悯贫穷的就是借给耶和华,他的善行耶和华必偿还。

阅读经文:箴言19:15-17

15懒惰使人沉睡,懈怠的人必受饥饿。16谨守诫命的保全生命,轻忽己路的必致死亡。17怜悯贫穷的就是借给耶和华,他的善行耶和华必偿还。

第15节:懒惰使人沉睡,懈怠的人必受饥饿。Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry.《The Message》

有的朋友问我,“信主之后,是不是只要倚靠主,其他什么都不必做了?”大有信主之后,是不是耶稣就会负责我的食衣住行,不愁吃不愁喝的意思!这是有一点奇怪的想法,假如上帝什么都帮你做,那你的四肢或嘴巴,等等,留着装饰用吗?其实,这个社会上真的有一些人什么都不用做,都是倚靠别人帮他做。可是你希望做那样的人吗?

我家附近有一间教会,租借给残障人士敬拜。每个星期天早上都会看到有人推著轮椅,送一些残障人士去做礼拜。我想,就是给你再多的钱和福利,你也不会和那躺坐在轮椅上的人交换位置吧。所以保罗说,要亲手做工(帖前4:11)、总要劳力,亲手做正经事/或译为:留心做正经事(弗4:28)。他更强调:若有人不肯做工,就不可吃饭(帖后3:10)。

因为有能力工作是一种福份,也是极大的恩典。你可能会发现,骨折后在休养期间,那部份的肌肉会萎缩。我们身上的器官大多是如此,你不用它,它就萎缩没用了。大脑也是如此。有人说琴很无情,只要几天不练,手法就生硬退步了。其实每件事情都是如此,喜欢写作而不写的人,笔会生锈,笔是灵感和文思的代表。

勤劳,是人对神的恩赐所表示的感谢;工作,是生命的脊椎骨。沉睡,是一种心灵的懈怠;懒惰,是对自己最大的鄙视,也是对神的不敬,因为浪费神给的一切恩典。让我们看重神赐予我们的一切,好好地使用,过荣神益人的生活。

God and Your Sexual Purity

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 22:13-30.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (NIV)
13  If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her
14  and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,”
15  then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate.
16  The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her.
17  Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town,
18  and the elders shall take the man and punish him.
19  They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the girl’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
20  If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found,
21  she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
 

贤惠的妻是耶和华所赐

箴言19:14房屋钱财是祖宗所遗留的,唯有贤惠的妻是耶和华所赐的。

阅读经文:箴言19:12-14

12王的愤怒好像狮子吼叫,他的恩典却如草上的甘露。13愚昧的儿子是父亲的祸患,妻子的争吵如雨连连滴漏。14房屋钱财是祖宗所遗留的,唯有贤惠的妻是耶和华所赐的。

第12节:王的愤怒好像狮子吼叫,他的恩典却如草上的甘露。Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.《The Message》

所罗门王向神求智慧,因为他知道做一个领袖,一个领导人,不是那么容易。好像他的儿子罗波安接续他做王时,为了解决人民的诉求,接见了两派人的意见。一派是比较成熟的老年人,他们建议罗波安用好话回答百姓,稳定民心;另一派是少壮派,建议罗波安用话威胁恐吓,使百姓害怕而就范。

罗波安接纳了少壮派的意见,发出了狮子吼,结果国家破裂,百姓都离他而去了,只有犹大支派的人没走。所以所罗门王以为,领导者的性情若是乖张暴戾,就像疯狗一样乱吠,到最后就没人理了。反而,一个性情平易近人的领导者,会让百姓感受到如沐甘露一般的舒适,让人喜欢亲近,并且拥护。

Lessons from Harder to Understand Verses

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 22:1-12.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (NIV)
1  If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him.
2  If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him.
3  Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.
4  If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.
 
On verses 1-4:   Here Moses tells the current generation of Israelites to be good neighbours to each other, using illustrations about one Israelite losing something valuable to them.  Likewise, when you come across something that your neighbour has lost, “do not ignore it” (v1, 3).  Rather do for your neighbour what you would have them do for you.   

迎接另一回合的超越

〈箴言〉19:11    人有见识就不轻易发怒,宽恕人的过失便是自己的荣耀。

阅读经文:箴言19:8-11

8 得着智慧的爱惜生命,保守聪明的必得好处。 9 作假见证的不免受罚,吐出谎言的也必灭亡。 10 愚昧人宴乐度日是不合宜的,何况仆人管辖王子呢? 11 人有见识就不轻易发怒,宽恕人的过失便是自己的荣耀。
第8节:得着智慧的爱惜生命,保守聪明的必得好处。Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.《The Message》

Grow a wise heart,谁不想有一颗智慧的心?问题是怎样才能得着智慧的心?智慧的心和爱惜生命之间又有什么关系?有的人以为得智慧是为了迈向成功之道,可以赚更多钱。假如不能赚钱的点子,即使是智慧,有谁要呢?keep a clear head,中文译为保守聪明,也可以说保持头脑清楚,意思就是不要让自己变笨。当然,变笨了对谁都没有好处,除了你的敌人。

“高举智慧,他就使你得高升。怀抱智慧,他就使你得尊荣” (箴4:8),所以有智慧真是好。有智慧就能高升,得着智慧也就是爱惜生命,因为知道人生的取舍,所以才有尊荣。一个妄取妄求的人,怎能有尊荣?一个不知分辨轻重的人,何来机会高升?没有聪明,连到手的好处也会失去。在利益面前,在欲望挑战时,智慧便是一种来自神的,分辨和懂得取舍的能力。也只有圣灵的保守,使我们在黑暗的社会里,依然有清楚的头脑,去看清楚自己的道路,那便是聪明了。

财物使朋友增多

〈箴言〉19:4    财物使朋友增多,但穷人,朋友远离。

阅读经文:箴言19:4-7

4 财物使朋友增多,但穷人,朋友远离。 5 作假见证的必不免受罚,吐出谎言的终不能逃脱。 6 好施散的,有多人求他的恩情;爱送礼的,人都为他的朋友。 7 贫穷人,弟兄都恨他,何况他的朋友,更远离他。他用言语追随,他们却走了。

第4节:财物使朋友增多,但穷人,朋友远离。Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies,     but poor people are avoided like a plague. 《The Message》

我们常想等有钱的时候,就可以帮助人;有高学历的时候,就可以教导人;有名的时候,就可以扶持人。其实,帮助人是从上帝得来的机会,扶持人是任何时刻都可能发生的事。即使是在野地,我们可以将石头当讲台,对蜥蜴、蚂蚁、仙人掌分享。

「财物使朋友增多,但穷人朋友远离。」(箴言19:4) 有钱可使需要财物支持的人,在富人的身边增多,但是真正有需要的人,却远离。后者,挤不进富人的周 边,也不想与谈钱的挤在一起。浅度需求的人,经常排走真正有需要的人。歌颂赞美的音大,经常遮掩忧伤的低泣。高知名度的讲员会吸引多人来,但是自卑自悔之 人会远离。后者,才是上帝要我们去帮助、看顾、扶持的人。许多上帝的重要仆人,是在我们想像不到的场合得救。

即使在痛苦、低调的时候,仍有可以帮助人的机会,不要放弃。世上成功的时候,反而失去机会。上帝给老鹰展趐上腾的热气团,让牠们远离地面一些。上帝,亲自看顾饥饿小乌鸦。(张文亮教授)

Marriage, Family and Jesus

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 21:10-23.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 21:10-13 (NIV)
10  When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives,
11  if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.
12  Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails
13  and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.

On verses 10-13:  Here Moses tells the Israelites that when they conquer another nation and notice a beautiful woman from that nation, one of the Israelites may take her as his wife.  The woman must first do the things that signify her break from whatever faith she ascribed to before — shaving her head, trimming her nails, changing her clothes and mourning her parents.  After that, an Israelite could marry her.

卡森医生的母亲

〈箴言〉19:1    行为纯正的贫穷人,胜过乖谬愚妄的富足人。

阅读经文:箴言19:1-3

1行为纯正的贫穷人,胜过乖谬愚妄的富足人。 2 心无知识的乃为不善,脚步急快的难免犯罪。 3 人的愚昧倾败他的道,他的心也抱怨耶和华。

第1节:行为纯正的贫穷人,胜过乖谬愚妄的富足人。  Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.《The Message》

这节经文使我想到《恩赐之手》一书里的班杰明‧卡森医生。他来自底特律的贫民区,八岁父母离异,由母亲独力抚养两兄弟长大。他的母亲虽然生活艰难又不识字,却懂得想办法让班杰明和他哥哥去图书馆借书,养成他们喜欢阅读的习惯,使他们从惨不忍睹的成绩突飞猛进,成为班上第一名。又借着信仰,教他们祷告,使他能治服已心,克制易怒的脾气。后来他成为世界闻名的约翰霍普金斯大学附属医院的小儿神经外科主任。

班杰明的母亲,一个十三岁就失学早婚的女人,因遇人不淑而饱受生活的折磨,经常要打三份工维持生活。但是借着对上帝的信仰,她的孩子成为最杰出的神经外科医生,救活了许多人。反观许多乖谬愚妄的富足人,骄傲行事,用钱养大的孩子又如何?到了四、五十岁还需要父母给钱养他们,否则就活不下去,连养活自己的本事都没有。人若把钱看得比上帝还重要,那么他总有一天会看到钱的真面目,不仅让他失去自我,不能相信他人,又让他的儿女失去做人之本事的真面目。

When You Face Tragedies You Can’t Explain

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 21:1-9.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 (NIV)
1  If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,
2  your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns.
3  Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke
4  and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck.
5  The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.
6  Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
7  and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.
8  Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
9  So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

On verses 1-9:  Here Moses describes what to do when a slain human body is found and no one knows who caused his or her death. The town nearest to the dead body had to sacrifice an unworked heifer to atone for the bloodshed (v3-4). The elders of the town also had to wash their hands to symbolize how their town was not guilty of the bloodshed (v6-7).