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3 Stages of God’s Work in Our Lives

2023-12-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Joel 2:18-32.  Let’s go!

Joel 2:18-32 (NIV)
18  Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.
19  The LORD will reply to them: ‘I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
20  ‘I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.’ Surely he has done great things.

On verses 18-32:  God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6).  We see that here in these verses.  After urging his people to humble themselves through repentance, fasting and praying together (v12-17), Joel now describes what God will do for His people when they humble themselves that way:

– He will have pity on his people (v18)
– He will send them new grain, wine and oil that fully satisfies (v19, v24)
– He will drive out and defeat their enemies (v20)

耶和華的意念

2023-12-20 in , /by

彌迦書4:13 錫安的民哪，起來踹穀吧！我必使你的角成為鐵，使你的蹄成為銅。你必打碎多國的民，將他們的財獻於耶和華，將他們的貨獻於普天下的主。

讀經文: 彌迦書  4:6-13

6 耶和華說：「到那日，我必聚集瘸腿的，招聚被趕出的和我所懲治的。 7 我必使瘸腿的為餘剩之民，使趕到遠方的為強盛之民。耶和華要在錫安山做王治理他們，從今直到永遠。 8 你這羊群的高臺，錫安城的山哪，從前的權柄，就是耶路撒冷民的國權，必歸於你。

在第1-5節裡，先知讓我們看到一幅極美的遠景，萬民都要流歸耶和華的山，不再有戰爭，各人要坐在自己的葡萄樹下和無花果樹下，無人驚嚇。在這段經文裡，神有三個應許：一，神的餘民要從哀哭變為掌權；二，從被擄到救贖；三，終極的勝利。神是這樣預備子民的心，即使不能不懲罰他們，卻也要在他們的心裡放下真正的盼望，使他們在受到打擊時，依然有支持他們的信心。

但是這一章，這一段話並不是專門給以色列人看的，這個盼望同時也是給萬民的。在第一章第一節，在第四章第一節，先知傳信息的對象都是萬民，而不只是雅各家。所以我們知道這也是神給我們的盼望，要讓我們在這紛亂的末世裡抓住神的應許，不至於行差踏錯。

耶和華的山必被高舉

2023-12-19 in , /by

彌迦書 4:5  萬民各奉己神的名而行，我們卻永永遠遠奉耶和華我們神的名而行。

讀經文: 彌迦書  4:1-5

1末後的日子，耶和華殿的山必堅立超乎諸山，高舉過於萬嶺，萬民都要流歸這山。 2 必有許多國的民前往，說：「來吧！我們登耶和華的山，奔雅各神的殿。主必將他的道教訓我們，我們也要行他的路，因為訓誨必出於錫安，耶和華的言語必出於耶路撒冷。」

彌迦書4章1-3節和以賽亞書2章2-4節，經文幾乎完全相同，上主把同一件事啟示兩位先知，因為這啟示十分重要。先知彌迦預言：「在將來的日子，聖殿坐落的山岡要矗立在群山之上，被高舉，超越萬嶺。許多民族都要蜂擁而來；萬國要聚攏前來，說：來吧，我們一起到上主的山，一起往以色列上帝的聖殿。祂會指引我們該走的道路；我們要在這條路上行走。上主的教誨從耶路撒冷發出；祂的信息從錫安傳播。」

本段一開始的「將來的日子」，是指上主藉先知對以色列指責的罪惡，還有所預言的刑罰與悔改後的日子，以及將發生在祂子民的復興景象。上主的旨意本是慈愛及信實，當百姓受責備而悔改，祂就會實現應許的祝福。將來的日子或末後的日子這個專有詞，是指一個新時代，是上主的子民從被擄歸回後，才會開始。

Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow to Turn to God

2023-12-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Joel 2:12-17.  Let’s go!

Joel 2:12-17 (NIV)
12  ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’
13  Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

On verses 12-17:  The day of the Lord will be a dreadful day for those who have rejected God.  That is why in verse 12 God is quoted as saying (in the NLT version), “Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping and mourning.”

That is also why Joel implores his people to “return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” (v13) 

第二個“聽”！

2023-12-18 in , /by

彌迦書 3: 1  我說：雅各的首領，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！你們不當知道公平嗎？

讀經文: 彌迦書  3:1-12 

1我說：雅各的首領，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！你們不當知道公平嗎？ 2 你們惡善好惡，從人身上剝皮，從人骨頭上剔肉。 3 吃我民的肉，剝他們的皮，打折他們的骨頭，分成塊子像要下鍋，又像釜中的肉。 4 到了遭災的時候，這些人必哀求耶和華，他卻不應允他們。那時他必照他們所行的惡事，向他們掩面。

在第一章裡，先知呼喊：“萬民哪，你們都要聽！地和其上所有的，也都要側耳而聽！”在第三章裡，出現了第二個“聽”：“雅各的首領，以色列家的官長啊，你們要聽！” 彌迦在此章裡公然聲明，叫雅各的首領和以色列家的官長來聽他的信息。他的信息並不好聽。說實在的，他這種信息在任何時代落在首領和官長的耳中，都有遭禍的可能。

因為他的責備不僅嚴厲，而且入骨：“你們不當知道公平嗎？你們惡善好惡，從人身上剝皮，從人骨頭上剔肉。吃我民的肉，剝他們的皮，打折他們的骨頭，分成塊子像要下鍋，又像釜中的肉。” 在加拿大，做省長的只要佔了任何人一點便宜，被人挖掘出來，就要下台一鞠躬了。但是在世界上很多地方的政治並不如此透明。這句話使我們想到華人社會許多官吏的冷酷無情和對人民的剝削。這種事情對我們並不陌生。

God’s Unstoppable Army

2023-12-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Joel 2:1-11.  Let’s go!

Joel 2:1-11 (NIV)
1  Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand–
2  a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.

On verses 1-11:  After describing the impact of a recent locust plague on his land in chapter 1, Joel in chapter 2 turns his attention to the future.  He sees the locust plague that his land has experienced as foreshadowing what he and other Old Testament prophets call the “day of the Lord”.  Earlier in Joel 1:15, Joel already made mention of “the day of the Lord”, but only in passing.  Now in these verses, Joel goes into more detail about what the day of the Lord will be like.  The day of the Lord is essentially a day in the future, or a time period in the future, when God will assert His power over all of the earth and bring final judgment against His enemies.  Joel calls it “a day of darkness and gloom” (v2), great and dreadful (v11).  As mentioned previously, New Testament writers like Paul and Peter would equate this day of the Lord with the day that the Lord Jesus returns, not as a suffering servant, but as a conquering king arriving to establish His kingdom.

When You’re Going Through Desperate Times, Fast and Pray

2023-12-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Joel 1:13-20.  Let’s go!

Joel 1:13-14 (NIV)
13  Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.
14  Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
 
On verses 13-14:  Joel’s nation was facing desperate times.  A famine meant that offerings were withheld from the house of God (v13).  In the midst of these desperate times, Joel calls the priests not only to mourn and wail (v13) but also to declare a fast and call a sacred assembly so that the people could come together in God’s presence with prayer and fasting (v14).

思想帶出行為

2023-12-17 in , /by

彌迦書2: 1  禍哉，那些在床上圖謀罪孽、造做奸惡的！天一發亮，因手有能力就行出來了。

讀經文: 彌迦書 2:1-13

1禍哉，那些在床上圖謀罪孽、造做奸惡的！天一發亮，因手有能力就行出來了。 2 他們貪圖田地就占據，貪圖房屋便奪取。他們欺壓人，霸占房屋和產業。 3 所以耶和華如此說：「我籌劃災禍降於這族，這禍在你們的頸項上不能解脫，你們也不能昂首而行，因為這時勢是惡的。

在本書的第一章強而有力地形容出一個人的思想如何影響他的一生。有人說：思想會帶出話語，所以要小心你說的話，因為言語會變成行動。留意你的行為，它會成為你的習慣；注意你的習慣，它會形成你的性格；不要輕忽你的性格，因為它將決定你的一生。所以在暗室時，在獨處時，要留心你的思想，因為它將帶動你一生的走向。彌迦告訴我們，在床上時也要很小心，不要盡想不好的事情，因為到了早上，那些思想就會影響你的行為或行動。

你有沒有這樣的經歷：白天有人得罪你，晚上入睡前你就一直在想如何報復，第二天早上起來就按著昨晚所想的方法去行動？或是夜裡突然想到有個發財的捷徑，第二天一早就著手行動了。聖經裡形容得何等傳神：“那些在床上圖謀…的，天一發亮，因手有能力就行出來了”。當然，圖謀什麼自己知道，神也知道。

When Things Go From Bad to Worse

2023-12-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Joel.  Not much is known about Joel.  We do know that he was a prophet living in Jerusalem and his name means “Jehovah is his God”.  His dad’s name was Pethuel meaning “vision of God”.  It is not clear when the book of Joel was written.  In fact, there is quite possibly no book in the Bible whose date of composition is more widely debated than the book of Joel, with various scholars proposing dates as early as approximately 900 B.C. to as late as 200 B.C.  As Robert B. Chisholm, Jr. of the Bible Knowledge Commentary writes, given the lack of clear historical clues, “it is impossible to be dogmatic about the date of the writing of Joel”[1].  Though overall preferring a 7th century B.C. date, D.A. Garrett from the New American Commentary also concludes that “[a]ny suggested time frame for the book should be tentative, and the interpretation of the book should not depend upon a hypothetical historical setting.”[2]  That said, Joel is a powerful book with some important lessons for us today. 

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

無法醫治的傷痕

2023-12-15 in , /by

彌迦書  1: 8 先知說：因此我必大聲哀號，赤腳露體而行；又要呼號如野狗，哀鳴如鴕鳥。

讀經文: 彌迦書 1:5-16

5 這都因雅各的罪過，以色列家的罪惡。雅各的罪過在哪裡呢？豈不是在撒馬利亞嗎？猶大的丘壇在哪裡呢？豈不是在耶路撒冷嗎？ 6 「所以，我必使撒馬利亞變為田野的亂堆，又作為種葡萄之處；也必將她的石頭倒在谷中，露出根基來。 7 她一切雕刻的偶像必被打碎，她所得的財物必被火燒，所有的偶像我必毀滅，因為是從妓女雇價所聚來的，後必歸為妓女的雇價。」

神從祂的聖殿見證雅各家的不是，神出了祂的居所，所行過的各處，眾山都消化，諸谷必崩裂，如蠟化在火中，如水沖下山坡。雅各家究竟犯了何罪，讓神如此大作？先知直指罪的根源來自兩國的首府，一是撒瑪利亞，一是耶路撒冷。因為它們是雅各家罪惡的根源，所以有一天，撒瑪利亞要變為田野的亂堆，或種葡萄之處；它那些美麗輝煌的建築必成亂石，露出根基，人再也看不到它的美麗和輝煌。想像現在美麗的東方之珠香港或大蘋果紐約，或台北、北京、上海成為田野的亂堆，倒塌露出根基，是怎樣的情況？紐約的雙子樓在911事件中倒下時，我們都看到了，那是一個很悲慘的狀況。