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耶利米的选择

2023-07-21 in , /by

耶利米书 40:6    耶利米就到米斯巴见亚希甘的儿子基大利，在他那里住在境内剩下的民中。

阅读经文:  40:1-16

1耶利米锁在耶路撒冷和犹大被掳到巴比伦的人中，护卫长尼布撒拉旦将他从拉玛释放以后，耶和华的话临到耶利米。 2 护卫长将耶利米叫来，对他说：「耶和华你的神曾说要降这祸于此地， 3 耶和华使这祸临到，照他所说的行了。因为你们得罪耶和华，没有听从他的话，所以这事临到你们。 4 现在，我解开你手上的链子。你若看与我同往巴比伦去好，就可以去，我必厚待你。你若看与我同往巴比伦去不好，就不必去。看哪，全地在你面前，你以为哪里美好，哪里合宜，只管上那里去吧。」

《耶利米书》第四十章，记述耶路撒冷被毁后的过渡时期。这是一个动荡、人心不稳定的时期，然而留在耶路撒冷的人面对一个新的局势，他们要作出选择。

一、 耶利米的选择 (40:1-6)

「护卫长将耶利米叫来，对他说：耶和华你的神曾说要降这祸与此地。耶和华使这祸临到，照他所说的行了；因为你们得罪耶和华，没有听从他的话，所以这事临到你们。」(40:2-3)

这一段提到耶路撒冷被毁，其中最特别之处，是从巴比伦的护卫长口中说犹大被灭是因他们不听神的话，所以耶和华神要降祸不降福。当国家被灭，耶利米就被释放出来，他最终是自由的，由此显出他是一位真先知，因为他的预言成就了，抵挡他的人却全都被掳、被杀。他不但得着自由，更得着巴比伦王的善待和保护；相对而言，犹大只剩下残砾败瓦，政局也非常动荡，耶利米应该如何选择？若我是耶利米的话，我必会选择往巴比伦去。因为耶利米曾预言顺服巴比伦便可蒙福，反而留在犹大的都会灭亡。若他选择巴比伦必有好的生活，最重要是他从巴比伦王得着自由、礼物、保护，无论何人都会把他看作卖国贼；然而他没有选择巴比伦，却仍然选择留在犹大，并到基大利那里。

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.

人生没有后悔药

2023-07-20 in , /by

耶利米书 39:18  我定要搭救你，你不致倒在刀下，却要以自己的命为掠物，因你倚靠我。这是耶和华说的。

阅读经文:  39:1-18

1犹大王西底家第九年十月，巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒率领全军来围困耶路撒冷。 2 西底家十一年四月初九日，城被攻破。 3 耶路撒冷被攻取的时候，巴比伦王的首领尼甲沙利薛、三甲尼波、撒西金、拉撒力、尼甲沙利薛、拉墨并巴比伦王其余的一切首领，都来坐在中门。

4 犹大王西底家和一切兵丁看见他们，就在夜间从靠近王园两城中间的门出城逃跑，往亚拉巴逃去。 5 迦勒底的军队追赶他们，在耶利哥的平原追上西底家，将他拿住，带到哈马地的利比拉巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒那里，尼布甲尼撒就审判他。 6 巴比伦王在利比拉，西底家眼前杀了他的众子，又杀了犹大的一切贵胄。 7 并且剜西底家的眼睛，用铜链锁着他，要带到巴比伦去。

从巴比伦围攻耶路撒冷到攻陷一共十八个月，在这十八个月之间耶利米把神的信息很清楚地传给了西底家。但是西底家要到城被攻陷的前一夜才接受自己无能反攻，也没有办法保护他的子民的现实，所以漏夜逃走了。但是神命定的事岂能不成全？所以他被抓了，并且下场非常凄凉。巴比伦军先在他眼前杀了他的众子和贵冑，然后剜掉他的眼睛，再用铜链锁着他，带到巴比伦。

耶利米的话言尤在耳，神岂不是给了他一条平安的生路吗？可是他犹疑不决，优柔寡断，终于落个国破家亡的绝境里。人生没有后悔药。

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. 

耶利米被捕下狱

2023-07-19 in , /by

耶利米书 38:3  耶和华如此说：这城必要交在巴比伦王军队的手中，他必攻取这城。

阅读经文:  38:1-28

1玛坦的儿子示法提雅、巴施户珥的儿子基大利、示利米雅的儿子犹甲、玛基雅的儿子巴示户珥，听见耶利米对众人所说的话说： 2 「耶和华如此说：住在这城里的必遭刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫而死，但出去归降迦勒底人的必得存活，就是以自己命为掠物的，必得存活。 3 耶和华如此说：这城必要交在巴比伦王军队的手中，他必攻取这城。」 4 于是，首领对王说：「求你将这人治死，因他向城里剩下的兵丁和众民说这样的话，使他们的手发软。这人不是求这百姓得平安，乃是叫他们受灾祸。」 5 西底家王说：「他在你们手中，无论何事，王也不能与你们反对。」 6 他们就拿住耶利米，下在哈米勒的儿子玛基雅的牢狱里。那牢狱在护卫兵的院中，他们用绳子将耶利米系下去。牢狱里没有水，只有淤泥，耶利米就陷在淤泥中。

对耶利米而言，这真是一个恐怖的经历。很可能您也读过许多中国早期传道人的经历，那时没有人信耶稣，民间信仰不是儒家，就是佛与道。很多人听到有人传讲耶稣，觉得是洋人的东西，有的向传道人泼大粪，有的把碎玻璃混著泥揉进传道人的眼睛，种种可怕的暴力事件，都只是因为有人传讲耶稣，神的福音，神的话语。耶利米没有做什么恶事，他的罪状，就是传讲神要他说的话。

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.  

不听话的西底家

2023-07-18 in , /by

耶利米书 37:2  但西底家和他的臣仆并国中的百姓，都不听从耶和华藉先知耶利米所说的话。

阅读经文:  37:1-21

1约西亚的儿子西底家代替约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅为王，是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒立在犹大地做王的。 2 但西底家和他的臣仆并国中的百姓，都不听从耶和华藉先知耶利米所说的话。

3 西底家王打发示利米雅的儿子犹甲和祭司玛西雅的儿子西番雅，去见先知耶利米，说：「求你为我们祷告耶和华我们的神。」 4 那时耶利米在民中出入，因为他们还没有把他囚在监里。5 法老的军队已经从埃及出来，那围困耶路撒冷的迦勒底人听见他们的风声，就拔营离开耶路撒冷去了。

这段经文的内容，我们在34章大略已经读过了。因为耶利米向西底家王宣告神要赐他平安而死，所以西底家和众首领、犹大百姓有奴仆的就立约，向他们的奴婢宣告自由，放他们自由离去。没想到，这一宣告自由，埃及军就攻上来了，让巴比伦无暇再进攻耶路撒冷。这下子，围城的危机得到缓解，犹大家的首领和百姓等等，立刻反约，重新强迫原先的奴婢回来。他们毁约，上帝就把祝福变为咒诅。原先得救的希望也就消失了。

约雅敬死后，由他的儿子约雅斤做王，约雅斤原名哥尼雅或耶哥尼雅，他做王三个月后，向巴比伦投降，被掳到巴比伦。巴比伦王另立约西亚王的第四个儿子玛探雅做王，改名西底家。在神的眼中，西底家也是个不听话的家伙。

约雅敬烧掉耶利米的书卷

2023-07-17 in , /by

耶利米书 36:23   犹底念了三四篇，王就用文士的刀将书卷割破，扔在火盆中，直到全卷在火中烧尽了。

阅读经文:  36:1-32

1犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬第四年，耶和华的话临到耶利米说： 2 「你取一书卷，将我对你说攻击以色列和犹大并各国的一切话，从我对你说话的那日，就是从约西亚的日子起，直到今日，都写在其上。 3 或者犹大家听见我想要降于他们的一切灾祸，各人就回头离开恶道，我好赦免他们的罪孽和罪恶。」

神叫耶利米把祂的话写下来，目的是希望犹大家的首领听见神要降的一切灾祸，就回头离开恶道，神就可以有理由赦免他们，不降灾祸。神一直在为犹大家找出路。虽然万不能不罚他们，可是神还是希望他们悔改，以避过那些可能发生的灾祸。神也是这样容忍我们，虽然大错小过不断，神依然不停止对我们的爱。

想到神对这些悖逆子民之容忍，不断地期望，不断地呼唤的永不止息的爱，心里实在觉得难以做到天父要求的万万分之一。主耶稣说，要我们像天父一样完全（太5:48），我们就是再修几亿年也难成正果吧？所以，只有当我们把旧约和新约读透时，才能稍微体会到保罗在哥林多前书十三章所讲的爱的真谛。那就是神对不完美的世人之爱。

Take Hold of All God Has for You

2023-07-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Judges.  The book of Judges describes a time in Israel’s history after Moses and Joshua had led the Israelites into the Promised Land and before Israel’s kings had begun to rule.  This period is known as the time of the judges.
 
Today’s passage is Judges 1:1-15.  Let’s go!
 
Judges 1:1-2 (NIV)
1  After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”
2  The LORD answered, “Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands.”
 
On verses 1-2:  By the time Israel’s leader Joshua had died, there were still parts of the Promised Land that the Israelites had yet to conquer and take over (see Joshua 23:4-5).  So Judges 1-3 describe how Israel tried to conquer those remaining lands.  The Israelites start well by inquiring of the LORD for advice on who to send to fight the Canaanites.  And God answers by saying that Judah is to go.

Don’t Take Advantage of Other People’s Kindness

2023-07-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18.  Let’s go!
 
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 (NIV)
6  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
7  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
8  nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
9  We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
10  For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

On verses 6-15:  Here Paul addresses another problem in the church at Thessalonica: idleness, or laziness.  Apparently, some Christians in the Thessalonian church were becoming known for freeloading off of others in the church. They were taking advantage of the kindness and generosity of other Christians, frequently getting other Christians to pay for their meals and other material wants/needs instead of getting a job and paying for things themselves.