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过约旦河

〈约书亚记〉 3: 5    约书亚吩咐百姓说:「你们要自洁,因为明天耶和华必在你们中间行奇事。」

阅读经文:〈约书亚记〉  3:1-17

四十年前,当摩西率领以色列人来到红海边时,前无去路,后有追兵,摩西完全不知道当如何行。百姓起哄,惧怕万分。耶和华对摩西说:「你为什么向我哀求呢?你吩咐以色列人往前走。 你举手向海伸杖,把水分开,以色列人要下海中走干地。(出14:15-16)」摩西按著神所说的向海举杖,东风吹了一夜,海水才分开,变成干地。摩西经历过之前的十个神蹟,已经晓得只要神说什么,他做什么,就对了。约书亚虽然也经历过那些神蹟,但还不是轮到他举杖的时候,他还没有感受到那种心理上的压力。直到要过约旦河之前,他开始经历第一个考验。

耶利哥的喇合

〈约书亚记〉 2:11  我们一听见这些事,心就消化了。因你们的缘故,并无一人有胆气。耶和华─你们的神本是上天下地的神。

阅读经文:〈约书亚记〉 2:1-24

妓女,是社会上被看不起的女人。有不少学者想美化喇合的职业,更不想让以色列人的探子去找妓女。但《圣经》的记载总是诚实地报导,连大卫王谋杀乌利亚的手段都详细地记录下来。因为神不隐藏人的卑贱,却让我们看到再卑贱的人,只要相信祂,都可以成为神要使用的贵重器皿。亚伯拉罕的父亲相传是做偶像生意的,大卫是个牧羊人,约瑟是个奴隶兼囚犯,保罗织帐棚,彼得打渔,你想美化哪一个?从这些被拣选的人身上,我们发现他们都有一个特点,能看见人所看不见的神,他们都有一对超乎常人的眼睛和信心。他们的眼睛不被现世界的情形所迷惑,能透过物质看到永恒的神。因此,他们都成了神手中贵重的器皿。

Divine Boot Camp

God told Elijah to “hide in the Kerith Ravine…I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there” (1 Kings 17:2-4 NIV).

Why would God do this? To protect Elijah from Ahab and Jezebel for one thing. The crown had posted an APB. Search parties were dispatched. What better place for Elijah to hide than in the rugged landscape of his homeland?

And God sent Elijah to Kerith to prepare him for the future. Remember, the world had gone crazy. Abhorrent behavior—child sacrifice, worship of idols, temple prostitution—had been normalized. God needed a steadfast prophet to stand against such a tide.

To prepare Elijah for his assignment, God led him into the wilderness. It was there the prophet learned to radically trust God. Call it divine boot camp. Be patient. God is working on you.

Spiritual Muscle

Spiritual muscle is developed not by sitting but by acting. Not by listening but by doing.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like” (James 1:22-24 NLT).

You turn away, pause, and wonder, Did I comb my hair? Such a question would betray one truth, and that is lack of attention. James indicts us for doing the same. We go to church. We hear a message, enjoy a few songs, but are we changed? Do we worry less and pray more? Are we less concerned about our will and more concerned about God’s? Let’s not be lookers. Let’s be doers.

约书亚带领百姓

〈约书亚记〉 1:17 我们从前在一切事上怎样听从摩西,现在也必照样听从你。唯愿耶和华你的神与你同在,像与摩西同在一样。

阅读经文:〈约书亚记〉 1:10-18 

神吩咐约书亚要刚强壮胆之后,约书亚立即有反应。他的反应就是开始行动,这就是信心。所以雅各说,「若有人说自己有信心,却没有行为,有什么益处呢?(雅1:14)」假如你想找一份工作,却只是坐在家里什么也不做,那怎样证明你真的想去工作?所以我们虽然不是靠行为称义,但是从一个人的行为却可以看出他对神有没有信心。

约书亚不仅自己准备,也要全营的百姓和他一起准备。全营行动时,最主要的便是食物,没有食物就无法进行其他事工。一般打仗,特别是外出作战,粮草供应都是重中之重。所以说兵马未动,粮草先行。倘若没有粮草,便会军心涣散。

Strength to Ride the Storm

Do you feel it is you against the world? Not so, my friend. Outnumbered by foes and outdone by fear? Please reconsider. Surrounded by adversity? Perhaps. Yet, you are also encircled by divinity. With God’s help you can ride these raging rapids with unbreakable courage.

Immovable. Determined. Square-jawed and resolved. Like the prophet Elijah who “…went and did according to the word of the Lord…” (1 Kings 17:5 NKJV). Elijah affirms a positive answer to these questions: Can a person maintain faith in a world that has little? When a culture belittles belief, can a believer beget strength? Yes! With God’s help, we will discover strength to ride this storm, an unbreakable courage and steadfast faith.

约书亚领命

〈约书亚记〉 1:9  我岂没有吩咐你吗?你当刚强壮胆!不要惧怕,也不要惊惶,因为你无论往哪里去,耶和华你的神必与你同在。

阅读经文:〈约书亚记〉 1:1-9

死亡,是一个何等令人难以接受的名词。刚才还在谈笑风生的人,忽然之间就不在了。再也不能看到他(她),不能与之交谈,没有反应,他(她)什么都不知道了。生死之间,令人难以接受这种残酷的事实。神对约书亚说:「我的仆人摩西死了」。意思就是,你不要再期望摩西可以指导你或帮你了。You are on your own.英文就是这样说的,你得自行负责了。约书亚的大半辈子都跟跟着摩西,摩西说什么,他就做什么,惟摩西是瞻。一下子,摩西走了。他情何以堪?

耶和华面对面所认识的

〈申命记〉 34: 10 以后以色列中再没有兴起先知像摩西的,他是耶和华面对面所认识的。

阅读经文:〈申命记〉 34:1-12

读完了摩西五经,你觉得摩西的一生有哪些事最触动你的心?假如你想效法摩西,你会学习他的哪一方面?

摩西,一个本来注定要死的孩子,在神的恩典里,竟然成为当代最伟大的,一个不平凡的人。想通了,摩西也是一个平凡的人,但是因着神的拣选和磨炼,成了前无古人后无来者的一位先知。「以后以色列中再没有兴起先知像摩西的,他是耶和华面对面所认识的」,在摩西之前也没有一位先知如此蒙神重用。连被称为神的朋友的亚伯拉罕,也没有和耶和华「面对面所认识」。神说摩西:「他是在我全家尽忠的。我要与他面对面说话,乃是明说,不用谜语,并且他必见我的形象。」

Enter…Elijah

Ancient Israel had the scruffy hills of Gilead, and somewhere in this rugged land Elijah came to believe in a mighty Yahweh who refused to share his glory with others. He confronted Ahab and Jezebel with a surgical strike. Baal was regarded as the god of fertility, yet Baal’s veil was about to be yanked back. Jehovah has declared a drought.

Does Elijah have some encouragement for our generation? Absolutely! The story of Elijah offers us hope. Elijah shows us that one person following a living God is greater than hundreds of people praying to a lifeless one.

神人的祝福

〈申命记〉 33:27   永生的 神是你的居所;祂永久的膀臂在你以下。祂在你前面撵出仇敌,说:毁灭吧。

阅读经文:〈申命记〉 33:1-29

这章里,《圣经》第一次称摩西为「神人」,英文是the man of God, 可以说是属神的人,也可以说是奉神差遣的人,或有圣灵的人。他形容神在西奈山与百姓的初见,「西奈山」又译为何烈山,神的山。因为神在那里赐下律法。「西珥」的原意是多毛,或长满粗毛,是以东地的山脉。「巴兰山」是旷野地的一座山。「万万圣者」有的人说可能是指众多的天使。在这里唯一的一次,把律法形容为烈火的律法,烈火可以烧尽渣滓,使万物洁净;神的律法也有洁净人心的作用。摩西指出,神把律法传给百姓,是因为神疼爱他们。