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爱情如死之坚强

2023-01-27 in , /by

雅歌8:7a   爱情，众水不能熄灭，大水也不能淹没。

阅读经文：雅歌6:4-8:14

6:4我的佳偶啊，你美丽如得撒，秀美如耶路撒冷，威武如展开旌旗的军队。5求你掉转眼目不看我，因你的眼目使我惊乱。你的头发如同山羊群卧在基列山旁。6你的牙齿如一群母羊洗净上来，个个都有双生，没有一只丧掉子的。7你的两太阳在帕子内，如同一块石榴。8有六十王后八十妃嫔，并有无数的童女——9我的鸽子，我的完全人，只有这一个是她母亲独生的，是生养她者所宝爱的。众女子见了就称她有福，王后妃嫔见了也赞美她。

最后一幕记所罗门也极思念其爱人，极渴念其爱人回来他的怀抱（ 6:4-13）。此时幕景转到婚娶之夜，在洞房之夜，他们二人互吐相思与爱恋之话（7:1-8:3）。到晨早起来书拉密女还在享受爱的安眠。本书（或本幕）以补记书拉密女之身世（8:8-14）为剧终。(摘自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

曾是麻醉科医师改行当作家的侯文咏，有一次在经历写不出东西来的肠枯思竭的时候，他问了易智言导演一件事：“每个人的爱情故事不是大同小异吗？一切无非只是同样的结构，一再的重复罢了。能写出什么新的东西来呢？”易导演说：“仅管从外在看起来，故事和故事差别不大。可是你不觉得对每一个人的内心世界来说，初恋那种感觉却是唯一的吗？”他又说： “所以在大同小异的剧情里，把那种唯一的感觉写出来，让其他没有经历过，或者是已经忘记了的人也感受到那种唯一，就是创作者的使命。”（节录自《我就是忍不住笑了》）

The One Who Beat the Bully

2023-01-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

If you want to get to know God, Jesus or the Bible better, Isaiah is an excellent and important book to study.

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

Isaiah 1:1 (NIV)
1  The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

On verse 1:  Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet spanned the reign of 4 kings of Judah: Uzziah (790-739 BC), Jotham (750-732 BC), Ahaz (735-715 BC) and Hezekiah (715-686 BC).  If King Uzziah died in 739 B.C. and Isaiah lived to report the defeat and death of Assyria’s king Sennacherib in 681 B.C., that means Isaiah’s ministry lasted at least 58 years.

Isaiah’s light didn’t burn bright for a moment only to flame out after a few years.  Isaiah served God with great longevity.  I pray that, like Isaiah, you and I would serve God with longevity as well.  May we not burn bright for God for a season, only to flame out and disappear.  Rather, for as many as years God gives us on this earth, may we live out our calling to worship Jesus, to grow more like Him, to serve Him, to lead out others to Him, and to love the church family He gave us.

Your Story is Part of a Much Greater Story

2023-01-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we finish the book of Ruth with Ruth 4:13-22.  Let’s go!

Ruth 4:13-16 (NIV)
13  So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14  The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!
15  He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16  Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.

On verses 13-16:  The book of Ruth began with Naomi as a weeping, empty, bitter widow, having lost both her husband and her two sons.  It ends with Naomi as a busy and a grateful grandmother.  As much pain as Naomi had endured, I believe Naomi was able to say “He made all things beautiful in His time.”

Consider this:  Naomi left God’s chosen people the Israelites because she and her husband thought they could find a better life in a place that didn’t worship God.  There she lost almost everything, including her husband and sons.  Like the “prodigal daughter of the Old Testament” (as Pastor Jon Courson describes her), Naomi returns home to Israel and God restores her, renews her, and fills her life again.

良人属我，我也属祂

2023-01-26 in , /by

雅歌6:3   我属我的良人，我的良人也属我；他在百合花中牧放群羊。

阅读经文：雅歌5:2-6:3

5:2我身睡卧，我心却醒。这是我良人的声音！他敲门说：「我的妹子，我的佳偶，我的鸽子，我的完全人，求你给我开门，因我的头满了露水，我的头发被夜露滴湿。」3我回答说：「我脱了衣裳，怎能再穿上呢？我洗了脚，怎能再玷污呢？」4我的良人从门孔里伸进手来，我便因他动了心。5我起来要给我良人开门，我的两手滴下没药，我的指头有没药汁滴在门闩上。6我给我的良人开了门，我的良人却已转身走了。他说话的时候，我神不守舍。我寻找他，竟寻不见；我呼叫他，他却不回答。7城中巡逻看守的人遇见我，打了我，伤了我，看守城墙的人夺去我的披肩。8耶路撒冷的众女子啊，我嘱咐你们，若遇见我的良人，要告诉他，我因思爱成病。

此幕记有一次所罗门晚间突访书拉密女，但因夜已太深，她已换了衣服休息，故不肯开门，所罗门从门孔伸手进来求她，她一时心软，便下床开门；待她开后所罗门已等不及走了，于是她立即到外面寻他回来，却寻不著，还给人误会打伤。此后她因过分思念成病，镇日胡思乱想他的可爱；她的朋友来安慰她，愿与她同找。(摘自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

假如按著这幕剧的发展来看，所罗门和书拉密女婚后并没有住在一起，像普通夫妻一样。是否因为所罗门的后宫太多，所以书拉密女也有自己的院，而所罗门也不是天天和她在一起。当所罗门来找她时，她已经换好衣服在休息。书拉密女在休息时，手涂了没药。希伯来人将没药树枝制作成各种芳香剂、防腐剂和止痛剂。旧约时期，常被做成油膏。书拉密女和所罗门结婚了，不必再去做粗重的工作，开始会保养了。

The Purpose of Marriage

2023-01-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

today’s passage: Ruth 4:1-12.  Let’s go!

Ruth 4:1 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

On verses 1-9:  I’m intrigued by the interaction between Boaz and his relative and how different these two men are.

On one hand there’s Boaz.  Boaz was thoughtful, considerate, and intentional in his dealings with people and in business.  Before making a decision, he would do his research, count the cost, and plan ahead.  I get the sense that Boaz would try to think two steps ahead of everyone else.  Boaz was also respectful in the way he communicated with those he dealt with.  Thoughtful decision making and good EQ – these are part of what made Boaz an effective leader and a successful businessman.  You see these traits of Boaz in play often in the book of Ruth, but especially here in Ruth 4:1-12.  Boaz thoughtfully speaks to his relative (v1), wisely invites the elders of the town to be witnesses to a transaction (v2), skillfully leads his relative to relinquish his right as kinsman redeemer (v3) and eloquently announces to all the people that he will step in as Ruth’s kinsman redeemer (v9-10).

亲蜜之旅的延续

2023-01-25 in , /by

雅歌4:10  我妹子，我新妇，你的爱情何其美！你的爱情比酒更美，你膏油的香气胜过一切香品。

阅读经文：雅歌3:6-5:1

3:6那从旷野上来，形状如烟柱，以没药和乳香并商人各样香粉薰的，是谁呢？7看哪，是所罗门的轿，四围有六十个勇士，都是以色列中的勇士，8手都持刀，善于争战，腰间佩刀，防备夜间有惊慌。9所罗门王用黎巴嫩木为自己制造一乘华轿。10轿柱是用银做的，轿底是用金做的，坐垫是紫色的，其中所铺的乃耶路撒冷众女子的爱情。11锡安的众女子啊，你们出去观看所罗门王，头戴冠冕，就是在他婚筵的日子，心中喜乐的时候，他母亲给他戴上的。

第三幕：幕中透露所罗门的身份，原来他不是普通的牧人，而是高贵的国王；现在他回复原来身份，到书拉密女家中把她迎娶回去；幕里的情景（可能是继上幕所罗门在她家里过夜时的情语）转到所罗门向书拉密女吐露爱慕，也表露婚娶之意。(录自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

1988年派拉蒙出了一部喜剧电影，是由艾迪.墨菲Eddie Murphy主演的《来到美国Coming To America》。内容是杜撰的一个非洲国家Zamunda桑孟达的王子，为了不满家里为他订亲，因此离家出走，带着仆人，假扮成穷学生在美国纽约市的皇后区租了一间破旧的公寓，希望能找到一个真正爱他，而不是看上他王位的女人。

亲蜜之旅的开始

2023-01-24 in , /by

雅歌3:5   耶路撒冷的众女子啊，我指著羚羊或田野的母鹿嘱咐你们：不要惊动，不要叫醒我所亲爱的，等她自己情愿。

阅读经文：雅歌 2:8-3:5

2-8听啊，是我良人的声音！看哪，他蹿山越岭而来。9我的良人好像羚羊，或像小鹿。他站在我们墙壁后，从窗户往里观看，从窗櫺往里窥探。10我良人对我说：「我的佳偶，我的美人，起来，与我同去！11因为冬天已往，雨水止住过去了。12地上百花开放，百鸟鸣叫的时候已经来到，斑鸠的声音在我们境内也听见了。13无花果树的果子渐渐成熟，葡萄树开花放香。我的佳偶，我的美人，起来，与我同去！14我的鸽子啊，你在磐石穴中，在陡岩的隐密处，求你容我得见你的面貌，得听你的声音，因为你的声音柔和，你的面貌秀美。」

本书开启第一幕先介引所罗门与书拉密女在追求间时的爱情，女子在耶路撒冷众女子面前辩白其相貌虽粗黑，然有其天然的秀美；此后其景转到所罗门与书拉密女在密室中（隐密处）互向对方表露爱慕。

二、第二幕（ 2:8-3:5）论所罗门到访书拉密女时之光景。书拉密女见他跨山越岭而来，心内窃窃高兴；所罗门来到，甜言细语邀她到外面游玩，因那是盛春白花开放百鸟齐鸣的时候，但书拉密女因工作缠身，婉言拒绝，求他夜间工余时（天起凉风，日影飞去）再回来。所罗门遭拒，失望之余便离去了。书拉密女等到深夜，至上床休息时也不见其爱人回来，心中焦急虑，于是出外寻找他的下落，结果给她寻着，当天晚上所罗门在她家留宿。(节录自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

Don’t Leave ‘Em Hanging

2023-01-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ruth 3:1-18.  Let’s go!

Ruth 3:1-9 (NIV)
1  One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
2  Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3  Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4  When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

On verses 1-9:  Here the love story between Boaz and Ruth is about to go to another level quickly.  Why would Ruth, as per Naomi’s instructions, uncover Boaz’s feet?  Some try to argue that Ruth was trying to seduce Boaz and offered herself sexually to him, and that “feet” is another term for Boaz’s private parts.   But considering that the threshing floor was a public area where other people were present, it’s unlikely that Ruth was trying to do anything sexual with Boaz in the middle of the threshing floor.  Moreover, if Boaz and Ruth were as noble and God fearing as they appear to be in the rest of the book of Ruth, it is even more unlikely and inconsistent for either of them to try to have sex with one another before actually being legally married.