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You Don’t Need To Be Hopeless

2023-10-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 9:1-12.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 9:1-7 (NIV)
1  So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him.
2  All share a common destiny–the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.
3  This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.

On verses 1-7:  While Qohelet believes that the righteous, the wise and what they do are in God’s hands (v1), Qohelet also has no idea what awaits him or anyone else after they die (v1).  For Qohelet, death is the great equalizer and eliminates every person without discrimination, regardless of how nobly or wickedly they lived (v2).  For Qohelet, the great evil in this world is that everyone dies (v3a), and since Qohelet has no idea what awaits him or anyone else after they die (v1), it sounds like all of Qohelet’s hope is in this life.  That is why Qohelet says it is better to be alive and kicking than dead and gone (v4-6).  And that is also why Qohelet recommends that people make the most of the life they have now – “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.” (v7)

但以理的智慧

2023-10-17 in , /by

但以理書 2:30  至於那奧祕的事顯明給我，並非因我的智慧勝過一切活人，乃為使王知道夢的講解和心裡的思念。

閱讀經文:  但以理書2:14-30

14 王的護衛長亞略出來，要殺巴比倫的哲士，但以理就用婉言回答他， 15 向王的護衛長亞略說：「王的命令為何這樣緊急呢？」亞略就將情節告訴但以理。 16 但以理遂進去求王寬限，就可以將夢的講解告訴王。

面對王的憤怒和命令，但以理和朋友們立刻知道自己的性命危在旦夕。伴君如伴虎，可是誰會想到這種事會發生在自己身上？但以理這個人的出名及受到廣大的喜愛，不是因為那些預言和神蹟，而是但以理和朋友身上那種對神的深深敬畏。

當但以理面對生命的挑戰時，他的反應一點都不驚慌，也不害怕。他還能婉言地詢問護衛長事情的緣由。他沒有哭喊：“慘了，慘了，我們真是倒霉，碰上一個這樣的昏君，怎麼辦啊，他要把我們都殺了！救命啊，耶和華，祢在哪裡啊？”在驚嚇面前還能婉言詢問，表示他的信心扎根之深，因為他知道生命的掌權者是誰。

God Will Avenge and Reveal In His Own Time

2023-10-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 8:11-17.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 8:11-14 (NIV)
11  When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.
12  Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.
13  Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14  There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
 
On verses 11-14:  Here we see a bit of Qohelet’s struggle.  On one hand, as king of Israel, Qohelet believed that it was important to carry out sentences for crimes quickly; otherwise people will be emboldened to do wrong, thinking, “nothing’s going to happen to me anyway” (v11).  On the other hand, Qohelet noticed that wicked men sometimes live a long time (v12) and life goes well with them (v14) while other more righteous people seem to get what the wicked deserve (v14).  To Qohelet, this is absurd, “meaningless” (v14).  Still, Qohelet hangs onto the belief that it is better to fear God than to be wicked (v12) and that ultimately it will not go well with the wicked, though Qohelet does not clearly describe how or why he believes that.

尼布甲尼撒忘記了夢

2023-10-16 in , /by

但以理書 2:3  王對他們說：「我做了一夢，心裡煩亂，要知道這是什麼夢。」

閱讀經文:  但以理書2:1-13

1尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了夢，心裡煩亂，不能睡覺。 2 王吩咐人將術士、用法術的、行邪術的和迦勒底人召來，要他們將王的夢告訴王，他們就來站在王前。 3 王對他們說：「我做了一夢，心裡煩亂，要知道這是什麼夢。」 4 迦勒底人用亞蘭的言語對王說：「願王萬歲！請將那夢告訴僕人，僕人就可以講解。」

不知道有多少人有這樣的經驗，因為做夢，心裡煩亂，不能睡覺。當我讀到第二章第一節，就想起一些晚上睡眠有問題的朋友，這本是一個非常普遍的問題。但是發生在一個君王的身上就是大問題了。普通人睡不著，算自己倒霉；但是君王睡不著，大家都倒霉。王睡不著，就把術士、用法術的、行邪術的和迦勒底人召來，要他們把王做的夢告訴王。假如我要求家人或朋友把我忘記的夢告訴我，百分之百沒有人會理我。他們一定認為我在無理取鬧，但是沒有一個人敢這麼對尼王說，因為怕被殺頭。

在古時候，每個王朝都會有一些術士、會用法術、行邪術的和迦勒底人充斥朝堂，以解君憂，助君王的不足。就好像中國古代的君王，也都有一些會看天文天象的官吏，例如司天監。其實不僅古時的君王深為迷信，現代的統治者亦有偷偷摸摸去算命或推算國運的。這個現象說明了人心裡最深的不安。人明白除了現實的空間裡，還有一個不為人知的，靈性的空間，是人無法掌控，卻可以掌控人的。因此，術士、行法術的、行邪術的，便可以藉著人心的不安大行其道，用以騙錢詐財，欺君罔上，謀圖私利。

但以理的選擇

2023-10-15 in , /by

但以理書1:8  但以理卻立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，所以求太監長容他不玷污自己。

閱讀經文:  但以理書 1:3-21

3 王吩咐太監長亞施毗拿從以色列人的宗室和貴胄中帶進幾個人來， 4 就是年少沒有殘疾，相貌俊美，通達各樣學問，知識、聰明俱備，足能侍立在王宮裡的，要教他們迦勒底的文字言語。 5 王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒每日賜他們一份，養他們三年，滿了三年好叫他們在王面前侍立。 6 他們中間有猶大族的人但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅。 7 太監長給他們起名，稱但以理為伯提沙撒，稱哈拿尼雅為沙得拉，稱米沙利為米煞，稱亞撒利雅為亞伯尼歌。

在1-2節裡，我們看到神在萬事上都有主權，有的人就會問，那麼人豈不是神手中的玩偶，不由得自己？那我們犯罪又怎能怪我們呢？我們是不由自主的啊！當我們繼續讀下去時，就會看到神給人的主權，人有選擇的權利。我們或許不能改變環境，但是我們可以決定，也可以選擇，要做怎樣的人，要讓誰做我們的主。

但以理和朋友被擄到巴比倫，這事上他們沒得選擇。他們被分派到王宮中，要學習迦勒底的文字言語。王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒每日賜給他們一份，要養他們三年，三年後就有工作了，可以在王面前侍立。在外人看來，這樣的安排簡直無可挑惕。做俘虜有這樣的待遇，真的要偷笑了。

Remember You’re in the Presence of the King

2023-10-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 8:1-10.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (NIV)
1  Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man’s face and changes its hard appearance.
 
On verse 1:  Wisdom has this way of transforming a person from the inside out.

Ecclesiastes 8:2-6 (NIV)
2  Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God.
3  Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4  Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5  Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6  For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
 
On verses 2-6:  Qohelet instructs his readers on how to conduct themselves in front of their king.  Since Jesus is our king and His word is supreme (v4), may we obey His commands (v2), not be in a hurry to leave His presence (v3), and stand up only for causes that please Him (v3).  Those who obey His commands will come to no harm (v5a).  Wise people know how to conduct themselves before this King (v5b-6).

What Does It Mean to Not Be “Overrighteous”?

2023-10-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 7:15-29. 

Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 (NIV)
15  In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16  Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise– why destroy yourself?
17  Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool– why die before your time?
18  It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all [extremes].

On verses 15-18:  It is difficult to know how to take these verses.  What does Solomon mean by “do not be overrighteous” and do not be “overwise” ?  If we want to give Solomon the benefit of the doubt, we could say that what Solomon means by “don’t be overrighteous” is don’t become so obsessed with piety and religion that they become idols that you worship, where your focus is now so much on yourself and your religious performance that you lose sight of the bigger picture, the point of faith, which is to love God and love people. 

神的主權

2023-10-13 in , /by

但以理書  1:1a  主將猶大王約雅敬，並神殿中器皿的幾份交付他手。

閱讀經文:  但以理書 1:1-2

1猶大王約雅敬在位第三年，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來到耶路撒冷，將城圍困。 2 主將猶大王約雅敬，並神殿中器皿的幾份交付他手，他就把這器皿帶到示拿地，收入他神的廟裡，放在他神的庫中。

〈但以理書〉是我非常喜愛的一卷書，因為太喜愛了，竟有無從說起的感覺。那我們就從頭開始吧。有的人對年份非常認真，對第一節第一句話就有意見了。因為耶利米先知說到猶太人第一次被巴比倫人擄走時是約雅敬王第四年，和但以理記載的相差了一年。美國神學教授E.J.Young (Edward Joseph) 在這方面有註解，因為耶利米使用的是巴勒斯坦的記事曆，而但以理使用的是巴比倫的年曆，前者以四月為一年之始，後者以十月為一年之初，所以會有晚一年的記載。但是我相信，大部份的讀者對年數的記載像我一樣，覺得永遠搞不清楚。所以讓我們進入經文，看看究竟發生了何事，但以理是何許人也。

但以理出生在約西亞王的中興時代，那時約西亞王立圖改革，去除偶像，教導百姓歸向耶和華神。約西亞試圖去收拾他父親和祖父留下來的爛攤子。他的祖父瑪拿西是猶大最惡劣的王，雖然後期悔改，可是已經無法挽回他所造成的錯誤，讓猶大北國變成一個拜偶像的國家；連他的兒子亞們都不肯接受他父親的經驗，繼續塗炭生靈。約西亞在發現律法書之後，奮力圖強，去除偶像，教導百姓歸向耶和華。雖然大多數人陽奉陰違，包括他的五個兒子，沒有一個跟隨他的腳步，但是卻有三個年輕人成為神所重用的先知。

How Is Sorrow Better than Laughter?

2023-10-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 7:1-14.  Of all the chapters in Ecclesiastes that we have read so far, chapter 7 resembles the book of Proverbs the most in terms of its contents and how they are presented.  Here Qohelet gives many short, pithy statements, similar to Proverbs, although in some ways harder to interpret.
 
Ecclesiastes 7:1 (NIV)
1  A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
 
On verse 1:  A person’s reputation (“a good name”) is more important (“better”) than what perfume that person wears, for that person’s reputation will stick with that person longer than any perfume will.  A person’s day of death is better than their day of birth in that what people say about you when you die is even more important than what they say about you when you are born.  
 

耶和華沙瑪

2023-10-12 in , /by

以西結書 48:35b  從此以後，這城的名字必稱為『耶和華的所在』。

閱讀經文:  以西結書48:1-35

1「眾支派按名所得之地記在下面：從北頭，由希特倫往哈馬口，到大馬士革地界上的哈薩以難，北邊靠著哈馬地（各支派的地都有東西的邊界），是但的一份。 2 挨著但的地界，從東到西，是亞設的一份。 3 挨著亞設的地界，從東到西，是拿弗他利的一份。 4 挨著拿弗他利的地界，從東到西，是瑪拿西的一份。 5 挨著瑪拿西的地界，從東到西，是以法蓮的一份。 6 挨著以法蓮的地界，從東到西，是魯本的一份。 7 挨著魯本的地界，從東到西，是猶大的一份。

這是本書最後的部分，以傳信者的形式：「主耶和華如此說」(結47:13)開始，一直到48章結束，成為有力的結語。聖地的重新劃分，預表了新的恩典；新的聖民必在此地安居，新的出埃及將遠比首次出埃及更有榮光，分地的安排就更有意義了。讀以賽亞四十章，就會予人這樣的印象。

本章最後一節「城四圍共一萬八千肘，從此以後，這城的名字必稱為耶和華的所在。」(V. 35)，「所在」與「名字」二詞的字根相同。這是聖城，應有新的名字，必稱為耶和華的所在，因為耶和華的榮耀已經回來，住在其中。耶和華的聖名，就是這城的名字。神的子民都可到聖殿來朝見神，神必永遠與他們同在。這是何等的美、何等的善。