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Don’t Be So Quick To Judge

2023-12-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hosea 4:1-19.  Let’s go!

Hosea 4:1-3 (NIV)
1  Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2  There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3  Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.
 
On verses 1-3:  Hosea speaks of rampant sin in the land (v1-2).  As a result, the land and all who live in it – not only people but animals as well – suffer (v3).  This suggests that sin has this way of not just separating human beings from God, but also of bringing destruction and death to all of creation.

論尼尼微的默示

2023-12-26 in , /by

那鴻書 1:7  耶和華本為善，在患難的日子為人的保障，並且認得那些投靠祂的人。

讀經文: 那鴻書 1:1-15

1論尼尼微的默示，就是伊勒歌斯人那鴻所得的默示。

2 耶和華是忌邪施報的神，耶和華施報大有憤怒，向祂的敵人施報，向祂的仇敵懷怒。 3 耶和華不輕易發怒，大有能力，萬不以有罪的為無罪。他乘旋風和暴風而來，雲彩為他腳下的塵土。 4 他斥責海，使海乾了，使一切江河乾涸。巴珊和迦密的樹林衰殘，黎巴嫩的花草也衰殘了。

在伊拉克北方靠近土耳其的地區，有個小城叫做伊勒歌斯（Alqosh），居民大多是亞述與迦勒底 (巴比倫)的基督徒。這個城靠在山邊，面對廣闊的尼尼微平原。在過去的兩年中，伊斯蘭國(ISIS)席捲伊拉克北方。伊勒歌斯離摩蘇爾（Mosul）只有30英里的距離，卻抵擋住了伊斯蘭國的攻擊，沒有陷落，成為那一帶唯一仍然高舉十字架的城鎮。

伊勒歌斯有將近3千年悠久的歷史，一直是亞述人居住的地方。那裡的房子大多都是石頭蓋的，沿著山坡往上攀附。山的最頂端，有個12米高的十字架。亞述人從第一世紀起，就全民改信基督教，一直至今。更久遠的是，它還是舊約先知那鴻的故鄉。《那鴻書》第一章記載，先知那鴻是伊勒歌斯人。他的墳墓至今還在城中心的舊猶太人會堂裡。

我要仰望耶和華

2023-12-25 in , /by

彌迦書 7:7 至於我，我要仰望耶和華，要等候那救我的神，我的神必應允我。

讀經文: 彌迦書  7:1-20

1哀哉！我好像夏天的果子已被收盡，又像摘了葡萄所剩下的，沒有一掛可吃的，我心羨慕初熟的無花果。 2 地上虔誠人滅盡，世間沒有正直人。各人埋伏要殺人流血，都用網羅獵取弟兄。

3 他們雙手作惡，君王徇情面，審判官要賄賂，位分大的吐出惡意，都彼此結聯行惡。 4 他們最好的不過是蒺藜，最正直的不過是荊棘籬笆。你守望者說降罰的日子已經來到，他們必擾亂不安。

在列治文有間印度人開的農夫巿場，每到春天就開始營業，一直到每年的12月下旬就關了。那時原本到處都是水果蔬菜的盛況成為一片空曠的地方，十分荒涼。當先知形容以色列(我 ) 好像夏天的果子已被收盡，又像摘了葡萄所剩下的地方，就讓我想起冬天裡空空如也的農夫巿場，什麼也沒有。連心裡期待會有的初熟的無花果也沒有。

先知以此比喻以色列中一個正直公義的人也沒有。他們都用網羅獵取弟兄。不是獵取外邦人或敵人，而是獵取自己人。獵取不是個好字眼，表示虧待、惡待、陷害、欺負自己人。因位領導者都聯結行惡。在此不免想起當年主耶穌潔淨聖殿時，就是因為大祭司和祭司們的允許，所以買賣才能在聖殿的外院中進行，並且用欺騙的手段去賺取利益，和上位者同分。

3 Truths about God’s Love for You

2023-12-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hosea 3:1-5.  Let’s go!

In this passage the LORD tells Hosea to reach out to his unfaithful wife, in effect not only forgiving her but restoring her as his bride.  These verses teach us some powerful truths about who God is and what His love for us is like.

Hosea 3:1 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
 
On verse 1: Here we learn that God’s love for you is unconditional.  We see God’s unconditional love when verse 1 says “the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes” (v1). 
 
God tells the prophet Hosea to love his wife, though she had cheated on him, with that same unconditional love: “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.  Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites” (v1).  Though we don’t always love God, God always loves us.  That’s the incredible, unconditional love of God for us.

12 Ways that God Loves You

2023-12-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hosea 2:14-23.  Let’s go!

After describing in previous verses how God wanted to punish Israel for their unfaithfulness to Him, in verses 14-23 Hosea goes on to describe the amazing, forgiving, second-chance-giving love that God extends to Israel.  It’s the picture of a husband forgiving, restoring and receiving back his wife who had been unfaithful to him.
 
From these verses we can learn 12 ways that God loves you and me.  Let’s look at each one specifically.
 
Hosea 2:14 (NIV)
14 “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

On verse 14:  God’s love takes initiative.  God is a leader and, like a good leader, God takes the initiative.  God will not force Himself upon you, but He does take the first step and waits for you to respond.  He stands at the door and knocks.

可惡的小升斗

2023-12-24 in , /by

彌迦書6:11  我若用不公道的天平和囊中詭詐的法碼，豈可算為清潔呢？

讀經文: 彌迦書  6:9-16

9 耶和華向這城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏祂的名。「你們當聽是誰派定刑杖的懲罰。 10 惡人家中不仍有非義之財和可惡的小升斗嗎？ 11 我若用不公道的天平和囊中詭詐的法碼，豈可算為清潔呢？ 12 城裡的富戶滿行強暴，其中的居民也說謊言，口中的舌頭是詭詐的。 13 因此我擊打你，使你的傷痕甚重，使你因你的罪惡荒涼。

曾經有一間餐館，在我們朋友之間，它的名聲相當不好，大家都“立志”不再去那裡吃飯。為何大家都去了，去了之後又說以後都不去呢？這當中有個原因，因為他們的店裡用的是可惡的小升斗。這幾個朋友都有類似的經歷，被該店的廣告吸引，但是點了皇帝蟹之後，他們拿出來給客人看時都是很漂亮的蟹，煮熟後端出來的卻總是缺手少腳，份量不一樣。有一位朋友帶他媽媽去做生日，店員說那個皇帝蟹有18磅，他不相信，要店員當面秤給他看，才只有10磅。真是太離譜了！這樣的店誰還會去呢？

其實你不懂我的心

2023-12-22 in , /by

彌迦書 6:8  世人哪！耶和華已指示你何為善。祂向你所要的是什麼呢？只要你行公義，好憐憫，存謙卑的心，與你的神同行。

讀經文: 彌迦書  6:1-8

1 以色列人哪，當聽耶和華的話：「要起來，向山嶺爭辯，使岡陵聽你的話！ 2 山嶺和地永久的根基啊，要聽耶和華爭辯的話，因為耶和華要與他的百姓爭辯，與以色列爭論。 3 我的百姓啊，我向你做了什麼呢？我在什麼事上使你厭煩？你可以對我證明。

在1988年，有個年輕的台灣歌手及作曲作詞家，推出他的第5張個人專輯《其實你不懂我的心》，也是他第一張進入大陸市場的專輯，使他的名字和歌聲在一夕之間風靡整個中國。童安格是個基督徒，他可能是有感而作，卻也點出了神在這章經文裡的心意。神在這章經文裡和以色列人辯論，讓我們來看看雙方的說詞。

在第1-5節裡，神以山嶺和岡陵的穩定及恒久不變，來反諷出以色列人的善變。神說，祂把以色列人從為奴之地的埃及領出來，又差遣摩西、亞倫和米利暗帶領他們。這是有連貫性的，因為以色列人在埃及已經住了四百卅年，很多人都接受了埃及的生活方式，以及多神教的信仰。他們不認識耶和華神。所以當神把他們帶出埃及後，立刻在西乃山下，讓摩西教導他們神的律法，讓亞倫做大祭司，教導他們學習敬拜耶和華神，讓米利暗帶領以色列的女人認識和敬拜神。

10 Clues That You Might Be Worshiping An Idol

2023-12-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hosea 2:1-13.  Let’s go!
 
Hosea 2:1 (NIV)
1 “Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’ 
 
Verse 1:  This verse fits in more with the contents of chapter 1 than with chapter 2.  At the end of chapter 1 Hosea describes how God will show His people amazing grace and mercy and restore them after they have cheated on Him.  Verse 1 here is part of that restoration.  Hosea’s message is that, just like the names of Hosea’s daughter and second son, God should have called the Israelites “not my people” (“Lo-Ruhamah”) and “not my loved one” (Lo-Ammi) because of their unfaithfulness.  But because of God’s grace and mercy, the Israelites once again became “My people” and “My loved one” in God’s eyes.  
 
Similarly, as sinners we had no right to be called God’s people or God’s beloved.  Yet that is what we are now, all because of the mercy and grace God showed us through Jesus Christ.
 

Find Your Story in the Book of Hosea

2023-12-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Hosea, a book written by the prophet Hosea in approximately 8th century B.C.  Today’s passage is Hosea 1:1-11.  Let’s go!
 
Hosea 1:1-11 (NIV)
1  The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel:
2  When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.”

On verses 1-11:  Why would God tell Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him and raise a family with her?  God was using Hosea’s relationship with Gomer as a real life picture of God’s relationship with the nation of Israel, and ultimately, with us.

By the way, was Gomer already an adulterous woman even before Hosea married her, or did she become adulterous only after Hosea married her?  Modern Bible translations like the New Living Translation describe Gomer as a prostitute (v2), which suggests that Gomer already had a reputation for having extramarital affairs prior to marrying Hosea.  Still, the focus is not on what Gomer did before marrying Hosea but after, as she would later commit adultery while being married to Hosea (see Hosea 3:1).

在伯利恒出生的救主

2023-12-21 in , /by

彌迦書5:2 伯利恆以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我做掌權的。祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。

讀經文: 彌迦書  5:1-15

1 成群的民哪，現在你要聚集成隊！因為仇敵圍攻我們，要用杖擊打以色列審判者的臉。

2 「伯利恆以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我做掌權的。他的根源從亙古，從太初就有。」 3 耶和華必將以色列人交付敵人，直等那生產的婦人生下子來。那時，掌權者其餘的弟兄必歸到以色列人那裡。

〈彌迦書〉的第四章和第五章都是“希望的信息”，神藉著先知彌迦，把將來必有的好信息傳給子民。因為在彌迦傳信息時，也正是亞述滅了以色列，在攻擊猶之際，眼看一座座城池都被亞述所佔，百姓的心何等驚慌，所期待的就是神的拯救早日來臨。第一節所預言的 “以色列審判者” 是指猶大最後的那位王，也就是西底家，將被巴比倫擄去。

彌迦和以賽亞是同時代的先知，兩人都預言彌賽亞救贖者的到來。那時大約是主前七百年，以賽亞做先知的時期比較早，也比較長；彌迦比以賽亞晚出來服事，但早一點結束。以賽亞預言：“主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利 (賽7:13-14) ”，“因有一嬰孩為我們而生；有一子賜給我們。政權必擔在祂的肩頭上；祂名稱為奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。