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真正的福樂

2023-01-01 in , /by

傳道書8:12  罪人雖然作惡百次，倒享長久的年日。然而我準知道，敬畏神的，就是在祂面前敬畏的人，終久必得福樂。

閱讀經文：傳道書8:10-13

10我見惡人埋葬，歸入墳墓，又見行正直事的離開聖地，在城中被人忘記。這也是虛空。11因為斷定罪名，不立刻施刑，所以世人滿心作惡。12罪人雖然作惡百次，倒享長久的年日。然而我準知道，敬畏神的，就是在祂面前敬畏的人，終久必得福樂。13惡人卻不得福樂，也不得長久的年日，這年日好像影兒，因他不敬畏神。

第十節的翻譯有幾種，在這裡給大家參考一下：

聖經新譯本：然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，他們生前在聖地往來，而在他們這樣行的城中，竟被人遺忘。這也是虛空！（全節或譯：「然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，他們生前在聖地往來，並且在他們這樣行的城中，受人稱讚。這也是虛空！」或「然後我看見惡人得以埋葬，歸入墳墓；行正直的人卻與聖地隔離，在城中被人遺忘。這也是虛空！」）

信息聖經：我曾看過有些惡人在聖地埋葬他們的死人，之後他們回到城裡用鮮花歌頌已死之人，在同樣的地方，那些惡人照樣行惡。這也是虛空！（因為wicked men的men是指多數，至少超過一個）10 One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies—and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed.

Worthy of All the Honour

2022-12-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:35-44.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:35-37 (NIV)
35  While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?
36  David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”‘
37  David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.
 
On verses 35-37:  The Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees and the teachers of the law all had their turns asking Jesus tough questions.  Jesus answered every one of their questions with amazing wisdom and poise.  Now it was Jesus’ turn to ask a question.  Unlike his critics whose questions were traps to make Jesus look bad, Jesus asks his question to reveal a powerful truth about Himself.  Jesus takes a familiar teaching that his listeners took for granted – the idea that the Christ (Messiah) is the “son of David”, i.e. a descendant of David.  Jesus questions how the Messiah can be the son of David when David himself in Psalm 110 describes this Messiah as “my Lord” (v36).  Doesn’t “my Lord” suggest someone much more senior and more powerful than David? 

神掌權

2022-12-30 in , /by

傳道書8:6  各樣事務成就都有時候和定理，因為人的苦難重壓在他身上。

閱讀經文：傳道書8:6-9

6各樣事務成就都有時候和定理，因為人的苦難重壓在他身上。7他不知道將來的事，因為將來如何，誰能告訴他呢？8無人有權力掌管生命，將生命留住，也無人有權力掌管死期。這場爭戰無人能免，邪惡也不能救那好行邪惡的人。9這一切我都見過，也專心查考日光之下所做的一切事，有時這人管轄那人，令人受害。

這裡所羅門王再一次提醒我們：“各樣事務成就都有時候和定理”，這和人的苦難有何關係呢？因為很可惜的是，我們很難把握到正確的時機去做對的事，以致於生活中產生很多的困難。因此第5節說：“智慧人遵守命令就必然不會經歷禍患”，遵守命令和洞悉時機有連帶的關係。因為遵守命令讓我們明白掌權者的心思意念，因此可以審度情勢去明白時機。

“各樣事務成就都有時候和定理”，例如三月要收成的麥子，十一月就要播種；人想要有得著，就要學習付出。若不順應神的時間和定理，就好像買了洗衣機去洗碗，或是用馬鈴薯放進手電筒裡，都是不合宜，也無效果的作法。神的時候和定理，不是人可以推翻或否定的，因為神比人有智慧，所以順服會使人蒙福避禍，生活或工作才會有果效。反之，悖逆的後果便是一連串的苦難。

順服權柄

2022-12-29 in , /by

傳道書8:5   凡遵守命令的必不經歷禍患，智慧人的心能辨明時候和定理。

閱讀經文：傳道書8:2-5

2我勸你遵守王的命令，既指神起誓，理當如此。3不要急躁離開王的面前，不要固執行惡，因為他凡事都隨自己的心意而行。4王的話本有權力，誰敢問他說：「你做什麼呢？」5凡遵守命令的必不經歷禍患，智慧人的心能辨明時候和定理。

這是一門不容易的功課，可見不是只有現代人才會抱怨，或者不滿上司的命令。在這裡，王代表一種在上的權柄。指神起誓，代表合約。相信每個人在進入公司或機構工作之前，都會簽合約。但是簽了合約之後，在工作的時候難免對主管有所不滿，或是對工作情形不滿意，或是不認同老板或上司的作法。

因此所羅門王說：“我勸你遵守王的命令，既指神起誓，理當如此”。在〈彼得前書〉裡也有類似的勸勉：“你們為主的緣故，要順服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王，或是君王所派罰惡賞善的臣宰。（彼前2:13-14）”不管是在所羅門王的時代，彼得的時代，都不是容易自處的。因為所羅門王為了修建聖殿和宮殿，大肆召用民工。以致在他的兒子羅波安接位時，以色列人對羅波安說：“你父親使我們負重軛做苦工，現在求你使我們做的苦工、負的重軛輕鬆些，我們就侍奉你。（王上12:4）”

The Key to Entering God’s Kingdom

2022-12-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:28-34.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
28  One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
 
On verses 28-31:  After answering questions from the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees, now Jesus is confronted by a representative of another group: the teachers of the law.  Unlike those who asked the previous two questions, this teacher is not out to trap Jesus but is sincere in his question.  He asks Jesus, “what is the most important commandment in the Jewish law?”  

不怒人生

2022-12-28 in , /by

傳道書8:1   誰如智慧人呢？誰知道事情的解釋呢？人的智慧使他的臉發光，並使他臉上的暴氣改變。

閱讀經文：傳道書8:1 

1誰如智慧人呢？誰知道事情的解釋呢？人的智慧使他的臉發光，並使他臉上的暴氣改變。

最近有朋友傳來笑話數則，有的頗令人玩味。有個小孩邊走吃冰淇淋，旁邊一位中年婦女看了就跟他說：“這麼涼的天吃冰淇淋，會吃壞身體的！”小孩說他奶奶活了103歲。中年婦女問：“她經常吃冰淇淋嗎？”小孩說：“不是。我奶奶從來不管閒事。”後語：多麼深刻！現在終於知道為什麼衰老得快了！瞎操心操的……

我們都想做智慧人，希望過一個充滿智慧的人生。因為人有智慧就不會說錯話，就不會急躁，不會暴跳如雷，傷身害體，又後悔莫及。有個人回想起她的父親，一向很愛孩子，平常從不疾言厲色，但不知為什麼，一旦生氣，出口大罵，非常嚇人。因為她是學心理學的，她認為並不是真的有什麼大事惹動父親的怒氣，而是在怒氣的底層，有很多沒有解決的問題。一旦有人觸動了那個機制，他就會失去控制。

Is There Marriage In Heaven?

2022-12-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:13-27.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:13-17 (NIV)
13  Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
14  They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
15  Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
16  They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17  Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
 
On verses 13-17:  By asking Jesus whether it is right to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus in a lose-lose situation, a “catch-22”.   If Jesus answered their question by suggesting that the Jews should not pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians could then take this to the Roman government and say, “Look, Jesus is inciting rebellion against Caesar!”  On the other hand, if Jesus suggested that the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus might be seen by some Jews as siding with the Roman government and betraying the Jewish nation, similar to the way they viewed tax collectors. 

God’s Values vs. The World’s Values

2022-12-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Mark 12:1-11 (NIV)
1  He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
2  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
3  But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
4  Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
5  He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

On verses 1-11:  Being the master communicator, Jesus shares a simple, powerful, and arresting story that gives people a fresh understanding of a famous phrase in Scripture: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (from Psalm 118:22-23).  At the same time, he uses this story to hint strongly at the tremendous evil that the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders were wanting to do to him.

人生的基本手冊

2022-12-27 in , /by

傳道書7:29  我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他們尋出許多巧計。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:26-29

26我得知有等婦人比死還苦，她的心是網羅，手是鎖鏈，凡蒙神喜悅的人必能躲避她，有罪的人卻被她纏住了。27傳道者說：看哪，一千男子中，我找到一個正直人，但眾女子中沒有找到一個。我將這事一一比較，要尋求其理，我心仍要尋找，卻未曾找到。29我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他們尋出許多巧計。

假如你看過《後宮甄嬛傳》，大概可以明白為何所羅門王對女人有這樣的看法。所羅門王有後宮妃七百，都是公主；還有嬪三百，至少有一千個女人。想想看她們為了見所羅門一面，要怎樣使盡功夫，明爭暗鬥，也不一定能達到目的。原都是公主美人，一入了所羅門的後宮，就不見天日了，真是情何以堪？

所以所羅門說：有等婦人比死還苦，她的心是網羅，手是鎖鏈，因為他後宮的每個女人見到他，都巴不得把他緊緊抓住。有他的寵幸，她們的人生才能得到一些尊嚴。她們活在後宮無望地等待所羅門的召見，那種情形真的比死還苦。宮禁森嚴，不能自由出入，活動的地方那麼小，沒有人真心和你交朋友，一抓到把柄就出賣你，下人也因為你不得竉就看輕你，真的就像個死囚。這是所羅門自己製造出來的，豈能怪女人當中沒有正直人？是因為他不把女人當人看，他先不正直，所以能怪女人要在死地中求生存嗎？

Unbelief vs. Honest Questions

2022-12-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 11:27-33.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:27-33 (NIV)
27  They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
28  “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
29  Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
30  John’s baptism–was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”
31  They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
32  But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33  So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

On verses 27-33:  At one time Jesus’ critics claimed that it was by the prince of demons that Jesus drove out demons, basically attributing Jesus’ power to Satan.  But Jesus put that argument to rest (Mark 3:22-30).  Still, Jesus’ critics couldn’t figure out where Jesus’ power came from and they were also unwilling to acknowledge that God was behind Jesus’ ministry.  So they ask Jesus, “Who gave you the authority to do what you’re doing?” (v28)