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The Tower We Hide In

2023-08-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:44-57.  For context, we’ll begin at verse 42.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:42-49 (NIV)
42  The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43  So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.
44  Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.
45  All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
46  On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.
47  When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there,

On verses 42-49: What a solemn and dramatic way for the feud between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem to end.  After destroying most of the city and the people of Shechem (v42-45), Abimelech burns the remaining 1,000 citizens of Shechem alive while they are hiding in the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.  Ironically, this is possibly the same temple where the citizens of Shechem first cursed Abimelech and started their revolt against him (see Judges 9:27).  As verse 57 notes, it’s also an uncanny fulfillment of the curse Jotham enunciated in Judges 9:20 (“let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”)

No Rivals To His Throne

2023-08-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:30-43.  For context, we’ll begin at verse 26.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:26-41 (NIV)
26  Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him.
27  After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech.
28  Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech?

On verses 26-41:  A politically ambitious, power hungry Gaal moves into Shechem city with his brothers and begins to talk with the citizens of Shechem city about usurping Abimelech as ruler of Israel.  With intel from Zebul, the governor of Shechem city, Abimelech hears what Gaal has been saying and plans an ambush against Gaal.  A fight ensues between Abimelech, Governor Zebul and Abimelech’s army on one side and Gaal and the citizens of Shechem on the other.  The result is that Abimelech and Governor Zebul successfully drive Gaal and his brothers out from Shechem.

耶路撒冷淪陷

2023-08-10 in , /by

耶利米書 52:2   西底家行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，是照約雅敬一切所行的。

閱讀經文:  52:1-34

1 西底家登基的時候年二十一歲，在耶路撒冷做王十一年。他母親名叫哈慕她，是立拿人耶利米的女兒。 2 西底家行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，是照約雅敬一切所行的。 3 因此耶和華的怒氣在耶路撒冷和猶大發作，以致將人民從自己的面前趕出。

4 西底家背叛巴比倫王。他做王第九年十月初十日，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領全軍來攻擊耶路撒冷，對城安營，四圍築壘攻城。 5 於是城被圍困，直到西底家王十一年。 6 四月初九日，城裡有大饑荒，甚至百姓都沒有糧食。 7 城被攻破，一切兵丁就在夜間從靠近王園兩城中間的門出城逃跑。迦勒底人正在四圍攻城，他們就往亞拉巴逃去。 8 迦勒底的軍隊追趕西底家王，在耶利哥的平原追上他；他的全軍都離開他四散了。 9 迦勒底人就拿住王，帶他到哈馬地的利比拉巴比倫王那裡。巴比倫王便審判他。

假如你是西底家王，你會不會有不一樣的選擇？記不記得，他曾經私底下問過耶利米，在巴比倫大軍來襲時，他該怎麼做？耶利米跟他說什麼呢？你記得嗎？耶利米對西底家說：“耶和華萬軍之神，以色列的神如此說：你若出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，你的命就必存活，這城也不致被火焚燒，你和你的全家都必存活。你若不出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，這城必交在迦勒底人手中。他們必用火焚燒，你也不得脫離他們的手。（耶38:17-18）”

神把生死兩條路擺在西底面前，讓他自己選擇。第一個選擇是出去歸降巴比倫王的首領，西底家的命就必存活，這城也不致被火焚燒，王和他的全家都必存活。你覺得這個選擇好不好？這個選擇的結果有三個好處，一，王自己可以存活；二，耶路撒冷不致被火焚燒，表示耶路撒冷不必死更多人，城也不致被毀壞。做君王的，豈不當為子民著想嗎？三，王和全家都必存活。這麼好的選擇，西底家害怕的卻是：“我怕那些投降迦勒底人的猶大人，恐怕迦勒底人將我交在他們手中，他們戲弄我。”

Two Keys to Living Honourably

2023-08-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:16-29.  Let’s go!
 
Judges 9:16-20 (NIV)
16  “Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves–
17  and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian
18  (but today you have revolted against my father’s family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)—
19  if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!
20  But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”
 
On verses 16-20:  Here Jotham calls out Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem on how they treated his father Gideon and his whole family.  He spotlights how in return for Gideon risking his life to save the Israelites from the hand of Midian, Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem murdered all but two of Gideon’s sons.  Jotham shows how wicked, unjust and dishonorable their actions were.  In a diplomatic way, Jotham gives Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem both a conditional blessing and a conditional curse.  He says that if Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have acted honourably and in good faith, may Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have a joyful relationship together (v19).  But if they have not acted honourably and in good faith, may they end up turning on each other and burning one another (v20).

神向巴比倫所定的旨意

2023-08-09 in , /by

耶利米書 51:20   你是我爭戰的斧子和打仗的兵器。我要用你打碎列國，用你毀滅列邦。

閱讀經文:  51:20-40

20 「你是我爭戰的斧子和打仗的兵器。我要用你打碎列國，用你毀滅列邦， 21 用你打碎馬和騎馬的，用你打碎戰車和坐在其上的， 22 用你打碎男人和女人，用你打碎老年人和少年人，用你打碎壯丁和處女， 23 用你打碎牧人和他的群畜，用你打碎農夫和他一對牛，用你打碎省長和副省長。」 24 耶和華說：「我必在你們眼前，報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡。」

這件事神做得合理嗎？神使用巴比倫去懲罰猶大，打碎他們的一切，但是又要報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡，當你讀的時候，會不會感到有點矛盾？既然是神要他們做的，怎能怪他們？

讓我們來聽聽以色列人的控訴：“巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒吞滅我，壓碎我，使我成為空虛的器皿。他像大魚將我吞下，用我的美物充滿他的肚腹，又將我趕出去。” 錫安的居民說：“巴比倫以強暴待我，損害我的身體，願這罪歸給她！” 耶路撒冷人說：“願流我們血的罪歸到迦勒底的居民！”

所以神有怎樣的反應，神說：“我必為你申冤，為你報仇。我必使巴比倫的海枯竭，使她的泉源乾涸。巴比倫必成為亂堆，為野狗的住處，令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且無人居住。 他們要像少壯獅子咆哮，像小獅子吼叫。他們火熱的時候，我必為他們設擺酒席，使他們沉醉，好叫他們快樂，睡了長覺永不醒起。”

Stand Up To Evil and Justice

2023-08-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:1-15 (NIV)
1  Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,
2  “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
3  When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
4  They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.

On verses 1-15:  Here Abimelech, one of Gideon’s sons, attempts to become ruler over the city of Shechem by murdering his brothers and gathering around himself a crowd whose loyalty he could buy.  The one other son of Gideon who survived is Jotham, and Jotham decides to stand up to Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem just as Abimelech is about to be crowned their ruler.  Jotham’s speech in verses 7-15 is a parable communicating that those who are truly worthy to rule are too busy doing worthwhile work while Abimelech is the last person who should be ruling based on his character.  He compares Abimelech to a thornbush that is impossibly trying to cast a shade over the rest of the bigger trees around it.

誰是真神？

2023-08-08 in , /by

耶利米書 51:15   耶和華用能力創造大地，用智慧建立世界，用聰明鋪張穹蒼。

閱讀經文:  51:1-19

1耶和華如此說：「我必使毀滅的風颳起，攻擊巴比倫和住在立加米的人。 2 我要打發外邦人來到巴比倫，簸揚她，使她的地空虛，在她遭禍的日子他們要周圍攻擊她。 3 拉弓的要向拉弓的和貫甲挺身的射箭，不要憐惜她的少年人，要滅盡她的全軍。 4 他們必在迦勒底人之地被殺仆倒，在巴比倫的街上被刺透。」

第50/51章看起來是繼續論到巴比倫的滅亡，但是從經文裡，卻更可以看到神的性情。神的公義，神的慈愛，以及神的能力。更重要的是，為何祂是獨一的真神。在聖經裡，神曾經向假神們挑戰。耶和華對假神說：“你們要呈上你們的案件。雅各的君說：你們要聲明你們確實的理由。 可以聲明，指示我們將來必遇的事，說明先前的是什麼事，好叫我們思索，得知事的結局，或者把將來的事指示我們。 要說明後來的事，好叫我們知道你們是神。你們或降福或降禍，使我們驚奇，一同觀看。（賽41:21-23）”唯有真神，走在歷史之前，因為只有祂知道將來的事。

這就是真神和假神的分別。假神和偶像由邪靈操縱，它們會展現一下超能力，或許也讓你嚐一下名利富貴的甜頭，但它們的目的是要引誘人離開正路，讓人的一生成為它的傀儡。說句不好聽的話，就是讓人永不得超生。因為假神沒有賦予人生命的權柄和能力，跟著它走，一生就走向滅亡了。就像巴比倫的命運一樣，有一時的輝煌，卻遭到永遠的滅亡。

耶穌做我們的中保

2023-08-07 in , /by

耶利米書 50:34  他們的救贖主大有能力，萬軍之耶和華是祂的名，祂必申清他們的冤，好使全地得平安，並攪擾巴比倫的居民。

閱讀經文:  50:33-46

33 萬軍之耶和華如此說：「以色列人和猶大人一同受欺壓，凡擄掠他們的都緊緊抓住他們，不肯釋放。 34 他們的救贖主大有能力，萬軍之耶和華是祂的名，祂必申清他們的冤，好使全地得平安，並攪擾巴比倫的居民。」

萬軍之耶和華如此說：“以色列人和猶大人一同受欺壓，凡擄掠他們的都緊緊抓住他們，不肯釋放。”這一句形容出神的子民經歷的苦境，無法自救的絕望。下一句，神接著說：“他們的救贖主大有能力，萬軍之耶和華是祂的名，祂必申清他們的冤，好使全地得平安，並攪擾巴比倫的居民。”這下一句話，立刻把以色列人和猶大人的絕望做了個翻轉，他們的神還在，他們的神大有能力，他們的神並不只是在觀望。祂必申清他們的冤，祂必使全地得平安，祂必使祂的子民有能力去攪擾巴比倫的居民。

我們常常鼓勵人：神幫助那些肯幫助自己的人（天助自助者）。但有位牧師說，聖經裡沒有說過這樣的話，聖經說的是，神要幫助那些沒有辦法幫助自己的人。就像耶穌說的，“無病的人用不著醫生，有病的人才用得著。 我來本不是召義人悔改，乃是召罪人悔改。（路5:31）”倘若一個人覺得很健康，就不會去找醫生；倘若一個人自覺完美，就不會覺得有悔改的必要。所以倘若一個人覺得他很能幹，什麼都可以自行解決，神還幫他做什麼？他可能還覺得神礙手礙腳的。

Worship The Creator, Not the Creation

2023-08-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:22-35.  Let’s go!

Judges 8:22-27 (NIV)
22  The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us–you, your son and your grandson–because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
23  But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
24  And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25  They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.
26  The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks.
27  Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
 
On verses 22-27:  In response to being rescued from the Midianites, the Israelites offer to make Gideon and his descendants their ruler (v22).  Gideon refuses the offer, saying that it is the LORD who will rule over them (v23).  Notice that in verse 22 the Israelites do not credit God as having anything to do with their rescue.  Their focus rather is man-centered.  This shows our sinful tendency as people to want to worship and focus on created things over and above the Creator.  This tendency to worship created things over the Creator is highlighted even more in the verses that follow: Gideon asks the Israelites for gold, makes an ephod with the gold, and the Israelites worship it. 

追念與堅定所立之約

2023-08-06 in , /by

以西結書 16:5 然而我要追念在你幼年時與你所立的約，也要與你立定永約。

閱讀經文:  今天因為經文很長，請大家自行上網取讀。 以西結書 16章

當你完整章後，對於其中所用的字彙是否覺得很不習慣？因為神把整件事描繪得很“露骨”。我們習慣了包裝、修飾過的形容，盡量讓我們的文字顯得高雅，但是這裡的文字顯露的是一片污俗不堪的情景，就是神的愛和人的悖逆和庸俗。從神的眼光來看以色列人的光景，原來人是如此忘恩負義，不知羞恥，醜陋不堪；也因而當我讀到神還要追念並堅定和以色列人所立的永約時，我的心深受感動。

那是人的本相，不只是以色列人。全世界的人都虧欠了神的榮耀。神把祂的榮耀給了人類，沒有給其他動物；但是有許多人活得比禽獸不如。不僅不記念神的恩典，荒淫無度，放縱自己，彼此欺凌，漠視神所訂的規律，還美其名為人權。

神知道在我們當中所行的那些可恥的事，神知道我們不喜歡跟隨祂的公義度日。神知道人不可愛，但是祂還要愛。神知道人悖逆，但祂還要守約。不僅追念，還要堅定。“我要堅定與你所立的約，你就知道我是耶和華”。這句話倒過來說就是：你們不知道我是耶和華，所以我要繼續堅定與你所立的約，你才會知道我是信實的神。然後呢？神希望我們被祂的信實所吸引。因為這世上多的是背約不守信之人，但是神要讓人看到希望，有一個信實的神，以永遠不變的愛愛我們。所以無論我們落在怎樣的景況裡，都可以回轉歸向祂。