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The Blessing of the “Little By Little”

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 7:12-26.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 7:12-15 (NIV)
12  If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.
13  He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land–your grain, new wine and oil–the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.
14  You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.
15  The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.
 
On verses 12-15: Through verses 13-14 I am reminded that whether it’s family and children, material and financial wealth, or physical health, every good thing we have in life is a blessing from God.  As James 1:17 says, “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father”.  So when we experience any good gift, let’s be sure to thank God.

播扬知识的嘴

〈箴言〉15:4 温良的舌是生命树,乖谬的嘴使人心碎。

阅读经文:箴言15:2-7

2 智慧人的舌善发知识,愚昧人的口吐出愚昧。 3 耶和华的眼目无处不在,恶人善人他都鉴察。 4 温良的舌是生命树,乖谬的嘴使人心碎。 5 愚妄人藐视父亲的管教,领受责备的得着见识。 6 义人家中多有财宝,恶人得利反受扰害。 7 智慧人的嘴播扬知识,愚昧人的心并不如此。

每次读毕牧师的翻译,总会让我得到许多启发,并且发出会心的微笑。第二节里,他的翻译如下:Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;  fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. 他的译文好像描绘出一幅图画,智慧人发出的言语好像奔流的水泉四射,使四周的人在盛夏都得到清凉,使其四周的植物也都得到益处,可以成长茂盛;而愚昧人好像一条漏水的水管,到处乱滴,形容其言语的不合适。

智慧人的舌为何可以像水泉般释放?在这段经文里有几个说法:一是指温良的舌是生命树Kind words heal and help。

柔和的舌头

〈箴言〉15:1  回答柔和使怒消退,言语暴戾触动怒气。

有一次我去拜访一位高中同学,他那天要将货品送到位在贸易中心的客户那儿,那时正好风雨交加。客户曾告诉他,可以把车停在大楼的后面卸货,所以我们就将车停在划黄线的卸货区。

此时,一个大楼警卫冲过来大吼说:「你们不准停在这里!」

我当然不愿意在这种天气中特意把车停在半英哩外,然后费力地运送这堆货品。所以我立刻想反驳警卫:我们已经得到你的上司的允许了耶!

然而,我的同学的反应却与我迥然不同。

他立刻放下手中的货物,抢在我开口之前,以非常诚恳的口气对那位警卫说:「对不起,你的上司告诉我们说,因为风雨很大,如果我只需要暂停几分钟的话,就可以利用这里卸货。不过,也可能是我们会错意了,毕竟这里是你管理的。所以可不可以请你告诉我现在该怎么办,我们一定会照着你的指示。」

他注视著那名警卫的双眼,并且微笑着等他回应。

You Are God’s Treasured Possession

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 7:1-11.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (NIV)
1  When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations–the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you–
2  and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
 
On verses 1-2:  As a young Christian, I was really impacted by the “can do” attitude that the Bible would teach followers of Jesus to have.  Whenever I would read the Bible in high school, the lesson that would impact me over and over is that no matter how tough the odds and how difficult the challenge, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).   That is no accident, and not simply a function of my own bias or background, for that is truly what the Bible teaches. 
 
We see Moses inculcating that “can do” attitude in the Israelites here.  The Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites were all larger and stronger than the Israelites (v1).  Yet God chose the Israelites and would enable the Israelites to overpower these larger and stronger nations. 

That Will Be Your Righteousness

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 6:14-25.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 6:14-25 (NIV)
14  Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;
15  for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.
16  Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah.
17  Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you.
18  Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers,

On verses 14-25:  Whether it’s not following other gods (v14-15), not testing God (v16), keeping all of God’s stipulations and decrees (v17), always doing what is right in God’s sight (v18), or teaching the next generation about God (v20), it is clear here that God’s standards are absolutely perfect.  That’s why God demanded perfect obedience from the Israelites.  Moses sums it up in verse 25 when he says that “if we are careful to obey all of God’s laws, that will be “our righteousness”.  By “righteousness”, Moses means that God will see them as blameless and qualified to be in His presence.

脾气不好的原因

〈箴言〉14:30  心中安静是肉体的生命,嫉妒是骨中的朽烂。

阅读经文:箴言14:30-35

30心中安静是肉体的生命,嫉妒是骨中的朽烂。31欺压贫寒的是辱没造他的主,怜悯穷乏的乃是尊敬主。32恶人在所行的恶上必被推倒,义人临死有所投靠。33智慧存在聪明人心中,愚昧人心里所存的显而易见。34公义使邦国高举,罪恶是人民的羞辱。35智慧的臣子蒙王恩惠,贻羞的仆人遭其震怒。

脾气不好的原因

请不要一直这样想,你缺那么一点点,所以不喜乐。你缺某门课,所以装备不足。你会成了日夜鞭策自己,失去生命的喜乐与平安。

如同那个大儿子,对父亲说:「我服事你这多年,从来没有违背过你的命,你并没有给我一只山羊羔,叫我和朋友,一同快乐。」(路加福音15:29) 可怜的 人,他总是缺乏一只山羊羔。他很用功、很认真、很尽力,像是斯巴达的勇士,为了任务,每天苦待自己,锻炼再锻炼,到可以以一挡百。但是耶稣没有要我们那 样,祂说:「我们理当欢喜快乐。」(路加福音15:32)

「心中安静,是肉体的生命;嫉妒是骨中的朽烂。」(箴言14:30) 安静的人有满足的心,服事有力。妒嫉的人是不满足,不满足使他成为自虐的人,不断自己与别人比较,结果乏力,如同骨质朽烂。

我在美国的老友,在我返台前请我吃顿丰富的早餐,他对我说:「高中毕业后,四十多年来,我看你的优点是一直很认真,缺点是一直太认真。」啊,说的好。过去,我是斯巴达勇士;如今,我求主是装备。愿我们与主同乐,一起去吃肥牛犊。

雷纳德的父亲

〈箴言〉14:26  敬畏耶和华的大有倚靠,他的儿女也有避难所。

阅读经文:箴言14:25-29

25作真见证的救人性命,吐出谎言的施行诡诈。26敬畏耶和华的大有倚靠,他的儿女也有避难所。27敬畏耶和华就是生命的泉源,可以使人离开死亡的网罗。28帝王荣耀在乎民多,君王衰败在乎民少。29不轻易发怒的大有聪明,性情暴躁的大显愚妄。

在美国司法科学教科书的范本里记载了一个真实的事例。在1985年,由于某些查案手续的不完整,以致于才22岁的雷纳德‧卡腾(Ronald Cotton)被控诉性侵犯案成立。虽然他一再强调自己的无辜,并且真正的作案者也承认了罪行,却无助于翻案,反而被判更重的刑期。时间在无助和愤怒中缓缓地过去,有天雷纳德的母亲中风了,再也不能去探监,狱中的雷纳德想到自己被诬陷,以致连最亲爱的母亲需要他时,都不能前去照顾。他的愤怒和怨恨不停地上升。

他偷了一块铁器,悄俏把它磨成一把尖锐的利刃,打算为自己报仇,去杀掉那个真正犯案,却害他坐冤狱的家伙。他把自己的计划告来探监的父亲。他的父亲年轻时脾气很坏,十分风流,到处留种,雷纳德在监狱里还碰上了几个同父异母的兄弟。但是此时他父亲已经信主悔改,戒了酒,并且十分敬虔,甚至在教会做执事。

他父亲对他说:“雷纳德,你告诉我,你是无辜的。我相信你。然而,要是你杀了这个人,你就永远回不了家,一辈子属于这个地方。”探监时间结束,雷纳德思考着父亲的话,他想到自己若是谋杀普尔,那与其他犯罪的狱友差别又在哪里呢?隔天,他就把那把刀丢了。他开始参加监狱里的诗班和读圣经。他父亲和姊姊鼓励他,要祷告相信主。父亲告诉他:“儿子啊,当没人帮助你时,主会是你的帮助。当没人聆听你时,祂侧耳倾听你。”

Get It On Your Heart

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 6:1-13.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (NIV)
1  These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,
2  so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.
3  Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
 
On verses 1-3:  Why did God direct Moses to teach this current generation of Israelites his commands?  It’s so that they and the generations after them would fear (i.e. reverence, trust, and honour) the Lord (v2) and so that they would enjoy long (i.e. a full) life.  In other words, God’s purpose for teaching His Word is not for entertainment or expanding one’s knowledge.  Rather, God’s purpose for teaching us His Word is to effect life change, that we would know God better and love Him more.

Stay Here With Me

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 5:23-33.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 5:23-27 (NIV)
23  When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me.
24  And you said, “The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
25  But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.
26  For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?
27  Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”
 
On verses 23-27:  Moses reminds the current generation of Israelites that when their parents first heard God’s voice speaking to them all, their parents were afraid of God, believing they would die if they heard the voice of God any longer.  So that previous generation of Israelites asked Moses to go and listen to God on their behalf, so that they would not have to hear God’s voice directly. 
 

自己的冠冕

〈箴言〉14:24  智慧人的财为自己的冠冕,愚妄人的愚昧终是愚昧。

阅读经文:箴言14:17-24

17轻易发怒的行事愚妄,设立诡计的被人恨恶。18愚蒙人得愚昧为产业,通达人得知识为冠冕。19坏人俯伏在善人面前,恶人俯伏在义人门口。20贫穷人连邻舍也恨他,富足人朋友最多。21藐视邻舍的,这人有罪;怜悯贫穷的,这人有福。22谋恶的,岂非走入迷途吗?谋善的,必得慈爱和诚实。23诸般勤劳都有益处,嘴上多言乃致穷乏。24智慧人的财为自己的冠冕,愚妄人的愚昧终是愚昧。

你有没有发现,作者在表达他的教导时,一定有正反两面,好让读者可以思考。例如:轻易发怒有何后果呢?轻易发怒就是动不动就生气,换句话说,这是很不成熟的个性,这样的人做起事来像小孩子,谁喜欢与他合作呢?发怒时做的决定,往往会令人后悔不已。因为发怒时所做的事都但凭情绪主宰,无法有周详的考虑,这就是所谓的愚妄。设立诡计的人会有怎样的后果呢?世界上没有不透风的墙,他的诡计和恶心一定会被众人知道,那时何等羞耻,这就是害人损己的作法。

第18节:“愚蒙人得愚昧为产业,通达人得知识为冠冕”,中文的翻译很抽象;但是毕德生牧师的翻译很精采:Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground.一个愚昧人活在自己用幻想建立起来的世界,所以什么也得不到;有智慧的人脚踏实地。这节和23节有异曲同工之妙:“诸般勤劳都有益处,嘴上多言乃致穷乏。”脚踏实地的人才有可能尽诸般的勤劳,只会空口说白话,做白日梦的人,必然一事无成,什么也得不到。