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論以東

2023-08-02 in , /by

耶利米書 49:11  你撇下孤兒，我必保全他們的命，你的寡婦可以倚靠我。

閱讀經文:  49:7-22

7 論以東。萬軍之耶和華如此說：「提幔中再沒有智慧嗎？明哲人不再有謀略嗎？他們的智慧盡歸無有嗎？ 8 底但的居民哪，要轉身逃跑，住在深密處！因為我向以掃追討的時候，必使災殃臨到他。 9 摘葡萄的若來到他那裡，豈不剩下些葡萄呢？盜賊若夜間而來，豈不毀壞直到夠了呢？ 10 我卻使以掃赤露，顯出他的隱密處，他不能自藏。他的後裔、弟兄、鄰舍盡都滅絕，他也歸於無有。 11 你撇下孤兒，我必保全他們的命，你的寡婦可以倚靠我。」

以掃是以撒的長子，亞伯拉罕的孫子。以東是以掃的別名，也是“紅”之意，因為以掃出生時身體發紅，渾身有毛。以掃是雅各的哥哥，因為吃了雅各的紅湯，賣了長子的名份；又被雅各欺騙，奪去了父親對長子的祝福。因此這兩兄弟之間說有“深仇大恨”也不為過；不過後來兄弟和好，各住一邊，在世時也不再有爭執；反而是其後裔不斷為敵。

以東的居地地勢很高，因此神說：“住在山穴中據守山頂的啊，論到你的威嚇，你因心中的狂傲自欺；你雖如大鷹高高搭窩，我卻從那裡拉下你來。” 波斯拉是以東北方的一個小鎮，以“不能靠近之城”而得名，雖然地勢甚高，但是神必讓她的仇敵像獅子從約但河邊的叢林上來；又如大鷹飛起，展開翅膀攻擊波斯拉。以東如大鷹高高搭窩，神卻用如大鷹的仇敵把它拉下來。不管人自以為多麼有保障，神都可以摧毀。

When You Have Limited Resources, Remember This

2023-08-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:1-12.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)
1  Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2  The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,
3  announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4  But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

On verses 1-8:  God intentionally whittles down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300.  Why?  God explains it Himself in verse 2: “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her”.  God wanted the Israelites to know that it was not their own strength that rescued them but God.  So when you are faced with limited resources and wonder why God does not give you more for the moment, remember that God loves to show His power through our limitations.  God loves to take those who are in the minority and do something powerful with them.

論亞捫

2023-08-01 in , /by

耶利米書  49:2b  先前得以色列地為業的，此時以色列倒要得他們的地為業。

閱讀經文:  49:1-6

1 論亞捫人。耶和華如此說：「以色列沒有兒子嗎？沒有後嗣嗎？瑪勒堪為何得迦得之地為業呢？屬他的民為何住其中的城邑呢？」 2 耶和華說：「日子將到，我必使人聽見打仗的喊聲，是攻擊亞捫人拉巴的喊聲。拉巴要成為亂堆，屬她的鄉村要被火焚燒。先前得以色列地為業的，此時以色列倒要得他們的地為業。」這是耶和華說的。

亞捫是羅得酒醉後和小女兒生下的後裔。在〈申命記〉2章19節，神對預備進入迦南地的以色列人說：“走近亞捫人之地，不可擾害他們，也不可與他們爭戰。亞捫人的地，我不賜給你們為業，因我已將那地賜給羅得的子孫為業。”亞捫人住的地原是利乏音人住的。利乏音人身材高大，人又多，但是耶和華神幫助亞捫人得了他們的地，給他們居住。可惜亞捫人對耶和華神並無感激之情，自己去找了一個瑪勒堪為神，有時也和摩押人一起拜摩洛或基抹等假神。

利乏音人這塊土地位於約旦河南端以東，一度跟摩押人在死海東面高原的領土接壤。以色列人進入迦南以前，亞捫人的一些土地被亞摩利人奪走，他們被迫退到北面和東面去，本來跟摩押人接壤的邊界也斷開了。此後，亞捫人領土的邊界從蜿蜒曲折的雅博溪谷上游起，一直往東伸延至荒漠地帶，他們的王城設於雅博溪谷上游附近的拉巴（即現代的安曼）。考古學家在這一帶發現了古代亞捫人的一些遺址和邊防營壘。

God’s Strength Is Greater Than Your Weakness

2023-08-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 6:28-40.  Let’s go!

Judges 6:28-31 (NIV)
28  In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29  They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30  The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31  But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
 
On verses 28-31:  Gideon obeys God’s command to tear down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that were erected on his house. The townspeople take exception to Gideon’s actions, saying that he must die.  Gideon’s father Joash comes to his son’s defense.  Joash basically makes two points. 

God Calls Us In Spite Of Us

2023-07-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 6:11-27.  Let’s go!

Judges 6:11-16 (NIV)
11  The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.
12  When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
13  “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

On verses 13-16:  God did not directly answer Gideon’s questions and doubts about why God seemed uninvolved and unconcerned when all this oppression was happening to his people (v13).  God could easily have pointed to all the ways that Gideon’s people had broken their covenant with God and how patient God had been with the Israelites up to this point.  But instead of focusing on that, instead of explaining anything, God gives Gideon a mission to save Israel from the hand of Midian (v14).

摩押的三大罪狀

2023-07-31 in , /by

耶利米書  48:29     我們聽說摩押人驕傲，是極其驕傲；聽說她自高自傲，並且狂妄，居心自大。

閱讀經文:  48:1-47

1 論摩押。萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說：「尼波有禍了，因變為荒場。基列亭蒙羞被攻取，米斯迦蒙羞被毀壞。 2 摩押不再被稱讚，有人在希實本設計謀害她說：『來吧！我們將她剪除，不再成國。』瑪得緬哪，你也必默默無聲，刀劍必追趕你。 3 從何羅念有喊荒涼大毀滅的哀聲。 4 摩押毀滅了，她的孩童[a]發哀聲，使人聽見。 5 人上魯希坡隨走隨哭，因為在何羅念的下坡聽見毀滅的哀聲。 6 你們要奔逃，自救性命，獨自居住，好像曠野的杜松。

羅得是亞伯拉罕的侄子，他跟著亞伯拉罕離開吾珥，到了迦南地，選擇了水草豐富的平原，一直遷移，直到住進所多瑪城。所多瑪罪惡召彰，當神命天使毀滅所多瑪城時，祂記念羅得，差遣天使用手拉著羅得一家，把他們強行帶離所多瑪。羅得的妻子在半路上回頭觀望，變成一根鹽柱，只有羅得和兩個女兒逃到了一座在山上的小城。他們住在一個山洞裡，與世隔絕。為了從父親得到後裔，兩個女兒相繼灌醉父親，從他懷了孩子。大女兒生下摩押，二女兒生下亞捫。

在〈申命記〉2章9節裡，在以色列人要進迦南地之前，神吩咐以色列人不可擾害摩押人，因祂已將亞珥賜給羅得的子孫摩押人為業（申），所以他們繞道而行。但是摩押人在以色列人進入迦南地時，不但不給予方便，反而雇術士巴蘭咒詛他們。 因此神說：“亞捫人或是摩押人不可入耶和華的會；他們的子孫雖過十代，也永不可入耶和華的會”（申23:3）。

The Mercy and Compassion of God

2023-07-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 6:1-10.  Let’s go!

Judges 6:1-6 (NIV)
1  Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.
2  Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.
3  Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.
4  They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.
5  They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.
6  Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.
 
On verses 1-6:  Once again the Israelites reject God and become subject to the Midianites.  Experiencing oppression and impoverishment that they cannot get up from under, the Israelites cry out to God again.  Likewise, sin oppresses and impoverishes us, and we have no power by ourselves to get up from under it.  Our only hope is to cry out to God for help.  Praise God that He hears our cry and acts in response.

非利士人的存亡

2023-07-30 in , /by

耶利米書 47:4b  原來耶和華必毀滅非利士人，就是迦斐托海島餘剩的人。

閱讀經文:  47:1-7

1 法老攻擊加沙（迦薩）之先，有耶和華論非利士人的話臨到先知耶利米。

2 耶和華如此說：「有水從北方發起，成為漲溢的河，要漲過遍地和其中所有的，並城和其中所住的。人必呼喊，境內的居民都必哀號。

從神的角度來看以色列的這兩個隣居，實在是各有千秋。埃及，表面上是以色列的盟友，卻是很不忠實的盟友，經常向以色列揩油，東拿一點，西搶一些；表面上好像是在幫助以色列，卻又總是向她施威作福。非利士人更是以色列長期的敵人，從士師記開始，非利士人就不停地搗亂。在參孫、撒母耳、掃羅和大衛的時期都曾和非利士人發生大小的衝突，在掃羅的末期，以色列地幾乎被非利士人全部佔去，後來大衛王將之一一奪回，把非利士人趕回原來居住的沿海城鎮。以色列人和非利士人之間幾乎始終處於戰爭的狀態。

在〈阿摩司書〉中，說到非利士人起源於迦斐託：「耶和華說，以色列人哪，我豈不看你們如古實人麼？我豈不是領以色列人從埃及地上來，領非利士人從迦斐託出來，領亞蘭人從吉珥出來麼？」。後來，在前7世紀，〈耶利米書〉47章4節也說到他們與迦斐託的聯繫：「原來耶和華必毀滅非利士人，就是迦斐託海島餘剩的人。」學者們認為迦斐託是賽普勒斯、克里特島或地中海東部的其他地點。

勇士的哀歌

2023-07-28 in , /by

耶利米書 46:24   埃及的民必然蒙羞，必交在北方人的手中。

閱讀經文:  46:1-28

1 耶和華論列國的話臨到先知耶利米。2 論到關乎埃及王法老尼哥的軍隊，這軍隊安營在幼發拉底河邊的迦基米施，是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒在猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬第四年所打敗的：

3 「你們要預備大小盾牌，往前上陣！ 4 你們套上車，騎上馬！頂盔站立，磨槍貫甲！

在耶利米書裡有些經文的編輯並沒有按著時間上的順序，有時記述的是約雅敬年代發生的事情，有時記載的是西底家年代發生的事情。好像在這一章裡記載的便是描寫埃及軍隊在迦基米施被擊敗的情形(主前605)，其時正當耶利米中年時期(1-12)。耶利米預言尼布甲尼撒王將進攻埃及(13-26)，這預言是43章8-13節的引伸。

正如其他幾個大先知專論外邦列國的信息，也是插在給選民的信息中間(參賽十三-廿三；結廿五-卅二)， 表明舊約一個重要的主題：耶和華不僅是以色列的神，也是統管列國的君王，外邦人的命運同樣操在以色列的神手中，而巴比倫乃是神用來對付列國的鞭子。

迦基米施，在當年是個貿易重鎮，位於幼發拉底河上游西岸的一處淺灘上。有一條重要的貿易路線從尼尼微上到哈蘭，然後在迦基米施渡過幼發拉底河，再延伸到黎巴嫩山的奧龍特斯河谷，其他貿易路線再從這裏通往地中海或巴勒斯坦以南和埃及。經過迦基米施的商隊需要繳納稅款，所以這城看來收入不錯，相當富足。由於迦基米施的地點在商業上和軍事上都處於關鍵位置，所以在很早的時候，向外擴張的各國就力圖控制這城。

True Hope vs. False Hope

2023-07-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 5:14-31.  Let’s go!

Judges 5:14-18 (NIV)
14  Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
15  The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
16  Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
17  Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.
18  The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.
 
On verses 14-18:  The biggest theme of Deborah’s song in verses 2-13 was celebrating the willingness of the Israelites to go out and fight for their nation.  This theme continues as Deborah praises the willing tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun and “Makir”, which scholars believe is a poetic reference to the tribe of Manasseh (v14).  Deborah also praises Issachar (v15a), Zebulun and Naphtali (v18).  However, Deborah calls out the tribe of Reuben for not going to fight and instead pictures them comforting themselves by a fire, having second thoughts (v15b-16).    Deborah also calls out “Gilead”, which probably is a reference to the tribe of Gad, as well as Dan and Asher (v17) for not participating.