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Don’t Underestimate the Unsung

2023-07-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 3:12-31.  Let’s go!

Judges 3:12-15 (NIV)
12  Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.
13  Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
14  The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
15  Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer–Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
 
On verses 12-15:  Consistent with the pattern that we’ll see repeatedly in Judges, the Israelites forsake the LORD (v12) and are subjected to another nation for many years (in this case, Moab with the help of the Ammonites and Amelekites) (v12-14).  The Israelites cry out to the LORD for help (v15), and God sends them a deliverer who, in this case, is Ehud (v15).  Ehud is from the tribe of Benjamin (which literally means “son at my right hand”) and yet, ironically, Ehud is left-handed (v15). 

權力的爭奪

2023-07-23 in , /by

耶利米書 41:3   以實瑪利又殺了在米斯巴基大利那裡的一切猶大人和所遇見的迦勒底兵丁。

閱讀經文:  41:1-18

1七月間，王的大臣宗室以利沙瑪的孫子、尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著十個人，來到米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利，他們在米斯巴一同吃飯。 2 尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利和同他來的那十個人起來，用刀殺了沙番的孫子、亞希甘的兒子基大利，就是巴比倫王所立為全地省長的。 3 以實瑪利又殺了在米斯巴基大利那裡的一切猶大人和所遇見的迦勒底兵丁。

《耶利米書》第四十一章主要教導我們兩件事，第一是被神懲罰以後，人心仍然沒有覺醒，不願受教；第二是人仍然不聽神的話，以致神沒有言語。

一、 基大利因獨斷而遭害 (41:1-3)

「七月間，王的大臣宗室以利沙瑪的孫子、尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著十個人，來到米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利。他們……用刀殺了沙番的孫子亞希甘的兒子基大利，……又殺了在米斯巴、基大利那裡的一切猶大人和所遇見的迦勒底兵丁。」(41:1-3)

耶路撒冷被毀，其中有很多人被擄被殺，房屋都被拆毀，這是神對猶大的懲罰，然而都是由外邦人出手，但這裡卻是猶大人自相殘殺。基大利聽從神的話，願意服事巴比倫。巴比倫王揀選他作猶大省長，他若能一直管治下去，相信猶大仍有盼望；然而以實瑪利卻把基大利和一切在那裡的猶大人、迦勒底兵丁都殺掉，以致毀了服事巴比倫王的選擇。

God Is Training You For Battle

2023-07-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 3:1-11.  Let’s go!

Judges 3:1-4 (NIV)
1  These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
2  (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
3  the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4  They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.
 
On verses 1-4:  Though the Israelites broke God’s original command to drive out the idol worshiping nations from Canaan, God in His sovereignty still found a way to accomplish a good purpose through the Israelites’ failure to obey.  These verses tell us that God used this situation to (1) teach the younger Israelites who did not have previous battle experience how to fight (v2); and (2) see if this younger generation would obey the LORD’s commands (v4).

Jesus Broke The Cycle

2023-07-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 2:11-23.  Let’s go!

Judges 2:11-19 (NIV)
11  Then the Israeites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.
12  They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger
13  because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

On verses 11-19:  These verses summarize a pattern that you’ll see happening over and over again in the book of Judges: the Israelites forsake God; the Israelites are attacked, plundered and abused by other nations; the Israelites cry out to God; God sends a deliverer (a judge) to save them; the Israelites serve God for a time while under the deliverer’s leadership, but when that deliverer dies, the Israelites go back to forsaking God all over again, and the cycle repeats itself.

耶利米的選擇

2023-07-21 in , /by

耶利米書 40:6    耶利米就到米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利，在他那裡住在境內剩下的民中。

閱讀經文:  40:1-16

1耶利米鎖在耶路撒冷和猶大被擄到巴比倫的人中，護衛長尼布撒拉旦將他從拉瑪釋放以後，耶和華的話臨到耶利米。 2 護衛長將耶利米叫來，對他說：「耶和華你的神曾說要降這禍於此地， 3 耶和華使這禍臨到，照他所說的行了。因為你們得罪耶和華，沒有聽從他的話，所以這事臨到你們。 4 現在，我解開你手上的鏈子。你若看與我同往巴比倫去好，就可以去，我必厚待你。你若看與我同往巴比倫去不好，就不必去。看哪，全地在你面前，你以為哪裡美好，哪裡合宜，只管上那裡去吧。」

《耶利米書》第四十章，記述耶路撒冷被毀後的過渡時期。這是一個動盪、人心不穩定的時期，然而留在耶路撒冷的人面對一個新的局勢，他們要作出選擇。

一、 耶利米的選擇 (40:1-6)

「護衛長將耶利米叫來，對他說：耶和華你的神曾說要降這禍與此地。耶和華使這禍臨到，照他所說的行了；因為你們得罪耶和華，沒有聽從他的話，所以這事臨到你們。」(40:2-3)

這一段提到耶路撒冷被毀，其中最特別之處，是從巴比倫的護衛長口中說猶大被滅是因他們不聽神的話，所以耶和華神要降禍不降福。當國家被滅，耶利米就被釋放出來，他最終是自由的，由此顯出他是一位真先知，因為他的預言成就了，抵擋他的人卻全都被擄、被殺。他不但得著自由，更得著巴比倫王的善待和保護；相對而言，猶大只剩下殘礫敗瓦，政局也非常動盪，耶利米應該如何選擇？若我是耶利米的話，我必會選擇往巴比倫去。因為耶利米曾預言順服巴比倫便可蒙福，反而留在猶大的都會滅亡。若他選擇巴比倫必有好的生活，最重要是他從巴比倫王得著自由、禮物、保護，無論何人都會把他看作賣國賊；然而他沒有選擇巴比倫，卻仍然選擇留在猶大，並到基大利那裡。

The Difference Leadership Makes

2023-07-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

Judges 2:1 (NIV)
1  The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,
 
On verse 1:  I know I’m stopping the passage in mid-sentence to say this, but it’s worth saying:  God is faithful to His promises.  That’s the message of verse 1.  What God swore He would do, He did.  He swore to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land, and He did.  God never breaks His promises.  God is forever faithful, dependable and trustworthy.

人生沒有後悔藥

2023-07-20 in , /by

耶利米書 39:18  我定要搭救你，你不致倒在刀下，卻要以自己的命為掠物，因你倚靠我。這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文:  39:1-18

1猶大王西底家第九年十月，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領全軍來圍困耶路撒冷。 2 西底家十一年四月初九日，城被攻破。 3 耶路撒冷被攻取的時候，巴比倫王的首領尼甲沙利薛、三甲尼波、撒西金、拉撒力、尼甲沙利薛、拉墨並巴比倫王其餘的一切首領，都來坐在中門。

4 猶大王西底家和一切兵丁看見他們，就在夜間從靠近王園兩城中間的門出城逃跑，往亞拉巴逃去。 5 迦勒底的軍隊追趕他們，在耶利哥的平原追上西底家，將他拿住，帶到哈馬地的利比拉巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒那裡，尼布甲尼撒就審判他。 6 巴比倫王在利比拉，西底家眼前殺了他的眾子，又殺了猶大的一切貴胄。 7 並且剜西底家的眼睛，用銅鏈鎖著他，要帶到巴比倫去。

從巴比倫圍攻耶路撒冷到攻陷一共十八個月，在這十八個月之間耶利米把神的信息很清楚地傳給了西底家。但是西底家要到城被攻陷的前一夜才接受自己無能反攻，也沒有辦法保護他的子民的現實，所以漏夜逃走了。但是神命定的事豈能不成全？所以他被抓了，並且下場非常淒涼。巴比倫軍先在他眼前殺了他的眾子和貴冑，然後剜掉他的眼睛，再用銅鏈鎖著他，帶到巴比倫。

耶利米的話言尤在耳，神豈不是給了他一條平安的生路嗎？可是他猶疑不決，優柔寡斷，終於落個國破家亡的絕境裡。人生沒有後悔藥。

You Gotta Drive Them Out

2023-07-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 1:27-36.  Let’s go!

Judges 1:27-36 (NIV)
27  But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
28  When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.
29  Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.
30  Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor.
31  Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob,
32  and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land.

On verses 27-36:  In the first 26 verses of Judges 1 we already see hints of Israel’s tribes not going all the way in fully occupying the Promised Land, but rather compromising and allowing other nations to occupy it. This happened in verse 19 where the tribe of Judah did not fully take over the plains.  This happened in verse 21 where the tribe of Benjamin did not oust the Jebusites out of Jerusalem.  We see this happening even more in verses 27-36: the tribes of Manasseh (v27), Ephraim (v29), Zebulun (v30), Asher (v31), Naphtali (v33), Dan (v34), and Joseph (v35) all fail to drive out the Canaanites from the land. 

耶利米被捕下獄

2023-07-19 in , /by

耶利米書 38:3  耶和華如此說：這城必要交在巴比倫王軍隊的手中，他必攻取這城。

閱讀經文:  38:1-28

1瑪坦的兒子示法提雅、巴施戶珥的兒子基大利、示利米雅的兒子猶甲、瑪基雅的兒子巴示戶珥，聽見耶利米對眾人所說的話說： 2 「耶和華如此說：住在這城裡的必遭刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫而死，但出去歸降迦勒底人的必得存活，就是以自己命為掠物的，必得存活。 3 耶和華如此說：這城必要交在巴比倫王軍隊的手中，他必攻取這城。」 4 於是，首領對王說：「求你將這人治死，因他向城裡剩下的兵丁和眾民說這樣的話，使他們的手發軟。這人不是求這百姓得平安，乃是叫他們受災禍。」 5 西底家王說：「他在你們手中，無論何事，王也不能與你們反對。」 6 他們就拿住耶利米，下在哈米勒的兒子瑪基雅的牢獄裡。那牢獄在護衛兵的院中，他們用繩子將耶利米繫下去。牢獄裡沒有水，只有淤泥，耶利米就陷在淤泥中。

對耶利米而言，這真是一個恐怖的經歷。很可能您也讀過許多中國早期傳道人的經歷，那時沒有人信耶穌，民間信仰不是儒家，就是佛與道。很多人聽到有人傳講耶穌，覺得是洋人的東西，有的向傳道人潑大糞，有的把碎玻璃混著泥揉進傳道人的眼睛，種種可怕的暴力事件，都只是因為有人傳講耶穌，神的福音，神的話語。耶利米沒有做什麼惡事，他的罪狀，就是傳講神要他說的話。

When You’re In The Valley, Keep the Mountaintop in View

2023-07-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 1:16-26.  Let’s go!

Judges 1:16-18 (NIV)
16  The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.
17  Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah [which means Destruction].
18  The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron–each city with its territory.
 
On verses 16-18:  Let’s address the elephant in the room:  How could God endorse the destruction by Israel of other nations?  Skeptics may object, “Isn’t this just another example of how the Christian God is a cruel, bigoted, and racist, choosing one nation while destroying other nations?”  Keep in mind what the Bible teaches: that God is a perfect, just and holy God who cannot stand wickedness, evil and injustice.  For centuries God had tolerated the evil, idolatrous and immoral behaviour of the nations that occupied the Promised Land.  Despite giving these nations centuries to repent, these nations deliberately sinned against God over and over again without repenting and had tested God’s patience long enough.