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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

但以理书 2:30  至于那奥祕的事显明给我，并非因我的智慧胜过一切活人，乃为使王知道梦的讲解和心里的思念。

阅读经文:  但以理书2:14-30

14 王的护卫长亚略出来，要杀巴比伦的哲士，但以理就用婉言回答他， 15 向王的护卫长亚略说：「王的命令为何这样紧急呢？」亚略就将情节告诉但以理。 16 但以理遂进去求王宽限，就可以将梦的讲解告诉王。

面对王的愤怒和命令，但以理和朋友们立刻知道自己的性命危在旦夕。伴君如伴虎，可是谁会想到这种事会发生在自己身上？但以理这个人的出名及受到广大的喜爱，不是因为那些预言和神蹟，而是但以理和朋友身上那种对神的深深敬畏。

当但以理面对生命的挑战时，他的反应一点都不惊慌，也不害怕。他还能婉言地询问护卫长事情的缘由。他没有哭喊：“惨了，惨了，我们真是倒霉，碰上一个这样的昏君，怎么办啊，他要把我们都杀了！救命啊，耶和华，祢在哪里啊？”在惊吓面前还能婉言询问，表示他的信心扎根之深，因为他知道生命的掌权者是谁。

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.

尼布甲尼撒忘记了梦

2023-10-16 in , /by

但以理书 2:3  王对他们说：「我做了一梦，心里烦乱，要知道这是什么梦。」

阅读经文:  但以理书2:1-13

1尼布甲尼撒在位第二年，他做了梦，心里烦乱，不能睡觉。 2 王吩咐人将术士、用法术的、行邪术的和迦勒底人召来，要他们将王的梦告诉王，他们就来站在王前。 3 王对他们说：「我做了一梦，心里烦乱，要知道这是什么梦。」 4 迦勒底人用亚兰的言语对王说：「愿王万岁！请将那梦告诉仆人，仆人就可以讲解。」

不知道有多少人有这样的经验，因为做梦，心里烦乱，不能睡觉。当我读到第二章第一节，就想起一些晚上睡眠有问题的朋友，这本是一个非常普遍的问题。但是发生在一个君王的身上就是大问题了。普通人睡不着，算自己倒霉；但是君王睡不着，大家都倒霉。王睡不着，就把术士、用法术的、行邪术的和迦勒底人召来，要他们把王做的梦告诉王。假如我要求家人或朋友把我忘记的梦告诉我，百分之百没有人会理我。他们一定认为我在无理取闹，但是没有一个人敢这么对尼王说，因为怕被杀头。

在古时候，每个王朝都会有一些术士、会用法术、行邪术的和迦勒底人充斥朝堂，以解君忧，助君王的不足。就好像中国古代的君王，也都有一些会看天文天象的官吏，例如司天监。其实不仅古时的君王深为迷信，现代的统治者亦有偷偷摸摸去算命或推算国运的。这个现象说明了人心里最深的不安。人明白除了现实的空间里，还有一个不为人知的，灵性的空间，是人无法掌控，却可以掌控人的。因此，术士、行法术的、行邪术的，便可以借着人心的不安大行其道，用以骗钱诈财，欺君罔上，谋图私利。

但以理的选择

2023-10-15 in , /by

但以理书1:8  但以理却立志不以王的膳和王所饮的酒玷污自己，所以求太监长容他不玷污自己。

阅读经文:  但以理书 1:3-21

3 王吩咐太监长亚施毗拿从以色列人的宗室和贵胄中带进几个人来， 4 就是年少没有残疾，相貌俊美，通达各样学问，知识、聪明俱备，足能侍立在王宫里的，要教他们迦勒底的文字言语。 5 王派定将自己所用的膳和所饮的酒每日赐他们一份，养他们三年，满了三年好叫他们在王面前侍立。 6 他们中间有犹大族的人但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亚撒利雅。 7 太监长给他们起名，称但以理为伯提沙撒，称哈拿尼雅为沙得拉，称米沙利为米煞，称亚撒利雅为亚伯尼歌。

在1-2节里，我们看到神在万事上都有主权，有的人就会问，那么人岂不是神手中的玩偶，不由得自己？那我们犯罪又怎能怪我们呢？我们是不由自主的啊！当我们继续读下去时，就会看到神给人的主权，人有选择的权利。我们或许不能改变环境，但是我们可以决定，也可以选择，要做怎样的人，要让谁做我们的主。

但以理和朋友被掳到巴比伦，这事上他们没得选择。他们被分派到王宫中，要学习迦勒底的文字言语。王派定将自己所用的膳和所饮的酒每日赐给他们一份，要养他们三年，三年后就有工作了，可以在王面前侍立。在外人看来，这样的安排简直无可挑惕。做俘虏有这样的待遇，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. 

神的主权

2023-10-13 in , /by

但以理书  1:1a  主将犹大王约雅敬，并神殿中器皿的几份交付他手。

阅读经文:  但以理书 1:1-2

1犹大王约雅敬在位第三年，巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒来到耶路撒冷，将城围困。 2 主将犹大王约雅敬，并神殿中器皿的几份交付他手，他就把这器皿带到示拿地，收入他神的庙里，放在他神的库中。

〈但以理书〉是我非常喜爱的一卷书，因为太喜爱了，竟有无从说起的感觉。那我们就从头开始吧。有的人对年份非常认真，对第一节第一句话就有意见了。因为耶利米先知说到犹太人第一次被巴比伦人掳走时是约雅敬王第四年，和但以理记载的相差了一年。美国神学教授E.J.Young (Edward Joseph) 在这方面有注解，因为耶利米使用的是巴勒斯坦的记事历，而但以理使用的是巴比伦的年历，前者以四月为一年之始，后者以十月为一年之初，所以会有晚一年的记载。但是我相信，大部份的读者对年数的记载像我一样，觉得永远搞不清楚。所以让我们进入经文，看看究竟发生了何事，但以理是何许人也。

但以理出生在约西亚王的中兴时代，那时约西亚王立图改革，去除偶像，教导百姓归向耶和华神。约西亚试图去收拾他父亲和祖父留下来的烂摊子。他的祖父玛拿西是犹大最恶劣的王，虽然后期悔改，可是已经无法挽回他所造成的错误，让犹大北国变成一个拜偶像的国家；连他的儿子亚们都不肯接受他父亲的经验，继续涂炭生灵。约西亚在发现律法书之后，奋力图强，去除偶像，教导百姓归向耶和华。虽然大多数人阳奉阴违，包括他的五个儿子，没有一个跟随他的脚步，但是却有三个年轻人成为神所重用的先知。

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.  
 

耶和华沙玛

2023-10-12 in , /by

以西结书 48:35b  从此以后，这城的名字必称为『耶和华的所在』。

阅读经文:  以西结书48:1-35

1「众支派按名所得之地记在下面：从北头，由希特伦往哈马口，到大马士革地界上的哈萨以难，北边靠着哈马地（各支派的地都有东西的边界），是但的一份。 2 挨着但的地界，从东到西，是亚设的一份。 3 挨着亚设的地界，从东到西，是拿弗他利的一份。 4 挨着拿弗他利的地界，从东到西，是玛拿西的一份。 5 挨着玛拿西的地界，从东到西，是以法莲的一份。 6 挨着以法莲的地界，从东到西，是鲁本的一份。 7 挨着鲁本的地界，从东到西，是犹大的一份。

这是本书最后的部分，以传信者的形式：「主耶和华如此说」(结47:13)开始，一直到48章结束，成为有力的结语。圣地的重新划分，预表了新的恩典；新的圣民必在此地安居，新的出埃及将远比首次出埃及更有荣光，分地的安排就更有意义了。读以赛亚四十章，就会予人这样的印象。

本章最后一节「城四围共一万八千肘，从此以后，这城的名字必称为耶和华的所在。」(V. 35)，「所在」与「名字」二词的字根相同。这是圣城，应有新的名字，必称为耶和华的所在，因为耶和华的荣耀已经回来，住在其中。耶和华的圣名，就是这城的名字。神的子民都可到圣殿来朝见神，神必永远与他们同在。这是何等的美、何等的善。