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What A Difference the Lord Makes

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 14:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 14 has posed quite a challenge for scholars.  For example, Martin Luther once wrote two commentaries on Zechariah.  In the first one, Luther stopped at Zechariah 13 without explaining why.  Then in his second commentary, Luther begins his discussion on Zechariah 14 by saying, “Here, in this chapter, I give up.  For I am not sure what the prophet is talking about.” 1 I love Martin Luther’s honesty! 

So we must approach Zechariah 14 with special care and humility.  It seems quite clear that Zechariah 14 is talking about the end times.  Whereas Zechariah 9 to 11 focus on Jesus’ first appearance on earth, Zechariah 12 to 14 focus on Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of His kingdom.  

At the same time, I believe the Holy Spirit has some powerful lessons to encourage us today from this chapter.  Let’s go!  

上行之诗系列–诗篇第129篇

诗篇129:4 耶和华是公义的;祂砍断了恶人的绳索。

阅读经文: 诗篇128篇–踏上第九级台阶-寻求公义

129:1 (上行之诗。)以色列当说:从我幼年以来,敌人屡次苦害我,

129:2 从我幼年以来,敌人屡次苦害我,却没有胜了我。

129:3 如同扶犁的在我背上扶犁而耕,耕的犁沟甚长。

新钦定版圣经称其为「战胜锡安之敌的胜利之歌」,而修订后的标准版称其为「为以色列的敌人灭亡而祈祷」。1-4 节是祈求的基础:选民曾屡受迫害,但都得耶和华救援,再次倚靠神。5-8 节则是祈求的内容:求神对付敌人,使他们像长在屋顶上的野草,枯干且毫无用处,无法去收割,就算收割,捆起来也不够一把。

第1, 2节「从我幼年以来」是指以色列人在埃及、出埃及的时候。连续两次提到「敌人屡次苦害我」,但强调「却没有胜了我」;接着,第3节形容以色列人是被鞭笞的人,背上有深深的伤痕。

There’s a Fountain of Forgiveness for You

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 13:1-9.  While not an easy passage, there are some powerful lessons to learn.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 13:1 (NIV) 
1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 

On verse 1:  In Zechariah 13, Zechariah continues to describe the vision God has given him concerning the end times.  In chapter 12, Zechariah has just finished describing how God will protect Jerusalem and Judah against the attack of other nations (12:1-9), and how God’s people will weep bitterly upon realizing that they had pierced and killed the Messiah (12:10-14). 

上行之诗系列–诗篇第128篇

诗篇128:4 看哪,敬畏耶和华的人必要这样蒙福!

阅读经文: 诗篇128篇–踏上第八 级台阶-平安蒙福

128:1 (上行之诗。)凡敬畏耶和华、遵行祂道的人便为有福!

128:2 你要吃劳碌得来的;你要享福,事情顺利。

诗人在第八级台阶上论及「敬畏耶和华、遵行祂道的人」所得到的祝福,不仅是个人蒙福、家庭蒙福、也推至于国家蒙福。

葡萄树是结果累累的植物,无论在开花或结果时都充满芬芳香气,所结葡萄果子,可制成葡萄汁,发酵成酒或压成葡萄干。橄榄树充满生机,树根周围长出许多幼苗,是很独特的栽子树木,果实能榨油,可作为食料、入药、抹身、燃烧…多种用途。诗人用这两种植物形容家室蒙福、兴旺的景象,成为葡萄树和橄榄树的家庭,是蒙神赐福的家庭。

上行之诗系列–诗篇第127篇

诗篇127:3 儿女是耶和华所赐的产业;所怀的胎是他所给的赏赐。

阅读经文: 诗篇127篇–踏上第七级台阶-安然睡觉

127:1 (所罗门上行之诗。)若不是耶和华建造房屋,建造的人就枉然劳力;若不是耶和华看守城池,看守的人就枉然警醒。

127:2 你们清晨早起,夜晚安歇,吃劳碌得来的饭,本是枉然;惟有耶和华所亲爱的,必叫他安然睡觉。

诗人踏上第七级台阶,他体认到建造家庭(建造房屋)、护卫社稷(看守城池)、甚至于个人每天的劳碌,若不是神的恩待、赐与,这一切都将是「枉然」。「枉然」的意思是空虚的、虚妄的、无价值的,没有神参与的建造、看守和劳碌,这一切所得到的结果将是虚空,且毫无价值。

许多时候,我们带着建造、看守和劳碌所衍生的烦恼和挫折进入我们的休息,没有神的同工,我们就无法将手上的工作视为「都甚好」,也因此不能得享安息。

根据世界睡眠协会指出,睡眠问题已经构成全球性的流行病,威胁著全世界将近一半人口的健康和生活品质。你知道吗?

Pierced for Our Transgressions

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 12:1-14.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 12:1 (NIV)
1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: 
 
On verse 1:  Here Zechariah writes down a message from the LORD regarding Israel.  Before describing the message, first Zechariah describes the God who gave him the message as “the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him”.  In other words, the same God who made the heavens and the earth, as big as they are, also forms the spirit within each person.  You’re not a spiritual being by accident.  It is God who formed the spirit in you so that you would ultimately reach for Him.

The Good Shepherd

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 11:1-17.  It’s arguably the most difficult chapter in the book of Zechariah.  However, within this passage there are many powerful lessons and insights that the Holy Spirit would want us to learn.

As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 11:1-3 (NIV) 
1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! 
2 Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! 
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined! 

On verses 1-3:  The first three verses of Zechariah 11 may be the most difficult in the whole chapter to interpret.  Various interpretations for these verses have been suggested.  Most likely these verses are describing the grief and suffering that the people would experience after rejecting the Messiah in verses 4-14.   

上行之诗系列–诗篇第126篇

诗篇126:6 那带种流泪出去的,必要欢欢乐乐地带禾捆回来!

阅读经文: 诗篇126篇–踏上第六级台阶-耶和华行了大事

126:1 (上行之诗)当耶和华将那些被掳的带回锡安的时候,我们好像做梦的人。

126:2 我们满口喜笑、满舌欢呼的时候,外邦中就有人说:耶和华为他们行了大事!

「做梦」的原文Chalam也有「健康」、「强壮」的意思,同样的词在赛38:16被翻译为「恢复健康」、「使….痊愈」,七十士译本也用「使….痊愈」来翻译本处。不过,这里翻译成「做梦」,却是很神韵的表达出那种「出乎意料外的惊喜」。

以色列南部旷野雨量稀少,平常干旱无水,雨季时沟壑、深谷才会出现流水。诗人用「南地的河水复流」来描述犹太人被掳归回的情景,贴切的形容被掳归回的人,他们过去流泪撒种,现在欢欢乐乐地带禾捆回来,在喜笑、欢呼声中,他们知道「耶和华果然为我们行了大事」。

上行之诗系列–诗篇第125篇

诗篇125:1  倚靠耶和华的人好像锡安山,永不动摇。

阅读经文: 诗篇125篇–踏上第五级台阶-永不动摇

125:1 (上行之诗。)倚靠耶和华的人好像锡安山,永不动摇。

125:2 众山怎样围绕耶路撒冷,耶和华也照样围绕他的百姓,从今时直到永远。

诗人在125:3说上帝会让恶人不至于统治义人的产业,免得义人被迫要作恶。这种事情在今日社会中时有所闻,如果不是上帝的恩典,义人为了生存也可能被迫行恶。

耶路撒冷的地势:在东边有汲沦溪,西方和南方是欣嫩溪,三面溪底和城的高差在 40至80公尺间。城区包括五座山头,东南有俄斐勒山,就是原来的耶布斯城,东有摩利亚山,就是圣殿区,东北有贝西大山,西北有亚克拉山,西南有锡安山;又有泰罗边谷从北向南把城区分为东西两半,因此东、南和西方都是天然的防线,惟有北方的防护较弱。

Jesus, Our Shepherd and Cornerstone

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 10:1-12.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 10:1 (NIV)
1  Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.

On verse 1:  God is the ultimate source of every good thing we have in life, every provision.  Verse 1 encourages us to look to God as our provider.

Zechariah 10:2 (NIV)
2  The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain.  Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

On verse 2:  In verse 2 Zechariah warns the people of Judah against worshiping idols and resorting to divination for guidance.  He says that what idols and diviners give are empty promises and false visions.  Instead of turning to idols and divination for help, Zechariah tells the Jews to ask God who provides and “who sends the thunderstorms” (v1).  Don’t look to idols for help.  Look to God.