箴言28:15 暴虐的君王轄制貧民，好像吼叫的獅子、覓食的熊。
閱讀經文：箴言 28:15-17
15暴虐的君王轄制貧民，好像吼叫的獅子、覓食的熊。16無知的君多行暴虐，以貪財為可恨的必年長日久。17背負流人血之罪的必往坑裡奔跑，誰也不可攔阻他。
專制如獅熊
「暴虐的君王轄制貧民，好像吼叫的獅子，覓食的熊。」(箴言二十八：15)。
暴虐式的管理，第一個特徵是在公眾的場合，以狂吼恫嚇人，以咆哮叫人害怕，以威脅令人害怕，如同獅子的攻擊。
第二個特徵是尋覓人的細處，抓住人的隱密，拿到人的弱點。將人視為獵物，如熊的追逐，這稱為「覓食的熊」。「覓食」是個獨特的用詞，是帶著饑餓與貪婪，前後左右細細的找。
在歷史上，人類為了強大，必須成為大國。大國人多不好管理，經常採用專制。專制者的真相是殘忍，使用強大的軍隊；經常多疑，使用眾多的密探，控制百姓。結 果傷害、破壞、反抗等，接續產生。不幸的是，人類為了安全，又選了暴虐的君王。人類為什麼不選擇上帝，成為他們的王呢？（張文亮教授）
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Daniel 3:1-15. Let’s go!
Daniel 3:1-7 (NIV)
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.
On verses 1-7: Did King Nebuchadnezzar command all of his government officials to worship this colossal image because Nebuchadnezzar himself loved and worshiped this image? Not necessarily. A good argument can be made that Nebuchadnezzar’s command had less to do with worship and more to do with Nebuchadnezzar testing the loyalty of his government officials. Thus we don’t even learn the name of this image; instead, it is repeatedly referred to as the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
箴言28:14 常存敬畏的便為有福，心存剛硬的必陷在禍患裡。
閱讀經文：箴言 28:11-14
11富足人自以為有智慧，但聰明的貧窮人能將他查透。12義人得志，有大榮耀；惡人興起，人就躲藏。13遮掩自己罪過的必不亨通，承認、離棄罪過的必蒙憐恤。14常存敬畏的便為有福，心存剛硬的必陷在禍患裡。
11富足人自以為有智慧，但聰明的貧窮人能將他查透。
富足人為何會自以為有智慧呢？可否以勞資雙方的關係來看呢？因為資方都是有錢的大老板，勞方都是比較窮的打工仔。以前的勞方對資方唯命是從，任其剝削，是不是因為窮人笨呢？我們來看看現在勞資雙方的談判，就曉得不是勞方笨，只是勞方有時為了生活需要，不得不屈居下風。現在勞方有工會了，爭取權益，使工作和生活有保障。所以聰明的窮人若團結一致，有錢的人也不能不行使“公義”的作法了。雖然是被勉強出來的，合約中規定的，但有總比沒有好。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Daniel 2:31-49. Let’s go!
Daniel 2:31-38 (NIV)
31 “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue–an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.
On verses 37-38: Daniel recognizes that God is the giver of all power and authority. As powerful as King Nebuchadnezzar was, Daniel recognized that King Nebuchadnezzar would not have such power or authority if it weren’t for God. Likewise, any authority or power we have is because God, the giver of all power and authority, allowed us to have it. So let’s exercise the power and authority we have with humility and a healthy fear of (respect for) God.
箴言28:7 謹守律法的是智慧之子，與貪食人做伴的卻羞辱其父。
閱讀經文：箴言 28:7-10
7謹守律法的是智慧之子，與貪食人做伴的卻羞辱其父。8人以厚利加增財物，是給那憐憫窮人者積蓄的。9轉耳不聽律法的，他的祈禱也為可憎。10誘惑正直人行惡道的，必掉在自己的坑裡；唯有完全人，必承受福分。
7謹守律法的是智慧之子，與貪食人做伴的卻羞辱其父。Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family. 《The Message》
有很多人不喜歡神的律法，覺得不自由。可是你有沒有發現，真正能讓人感到自由和安全感的地方，正是有律法的地方。換句話說，人的法律看起來也像神的律法一般，有很多“不可以”，但也就因為有這些“不可以”，我們才“可以”很放鬆地過日子。在一個沒有法律的地方，你怎麼能很自由地享受生活呢？
因此，謹守神律法的人才真正有智慧，因為他們必是生命的贏家。貪食指的不只是口腹之慾，貪食也是情慾的一種，情慾上的野食也是貪食，放縱情慾不管在哪一方面，都必然導至健康和自我的毀滅，還會使家庭受辱。因此不管多麼不情願，你只要守神的律法，到最後必然發現神的智慧已經使你的生活和生命都得到益處。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Daniel 2:17-30. Let’s go!
Daniel 2:17-18 (NIV)
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
On verses 17-18: Clearly Daniel was not depending on his own strength and wisdom to overcome this dilemma. He was looking to God, and to help him do that, he urges his friends to pray to God for help.
There have been many times when the prayer support of others has made such a miraculous, tangible difference in my life and ministry. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask people to pray alongside you when you’re facing an especially difficult and pressure-filled situation.
箴言28:4 違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。
閱讀經文：箴言 28:4-6
4違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。5壞人不明白公義，唯有尋求耶和華的無不明白。6行為純正的窮乏人，勝過行事乖僻的富足人。
信徒無所爭？
4違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。5壞人不明白公義，唯有尋求耶和華的無不明白。
4 If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity; if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail.5 Justice makes no sense to the evil minded; those who seek God know it inside and out.
這經文裡指的律法是神的律法，壞人是指那些心裡沒有神的人，與尋求耶和華的人互相對照。
聖經裡的律法細則一共有613條，摩西頒布十誡，而主耶穌則總結出兩條誡命。是613條容易守呢？還是十誡或是兩條總結的誡命容易守？其實都不容易，因為所有的律法和誡命都直接指的是要合乎神的心意，跟世人所訂的法律不一樣。
最近網路上沸騰著基督教某間出版社對某間基督教雜誌社的控訴，因為後者在沒有經過同意下引用了不少前者出版的文物，並且其出版物是銷售訂閱的。後者在合解後，依然振振有辭，讓前者憤而再度出面澄清。我看網友的反應，有許多都是站在息事寧人的立場發言，有少數人則出文支持出版社的抗爭。
箴言28:2 邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換。因有聰明、知識的人，國必長存。
閱讀經文：箴言 28:1-3
1惡人雖無人追趕也逃跑，義人卻膽壯像獅子。2邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換。因有聰明、知識的人，國必長存。3窮人欺壓貧民，好像暴雨沖沒糧食。
單純的信心是獅子的膽量
我剛到美國唸書時，有一個傍晚，吹著口哨騎腳踏車回家，在學校附近，有一個人叫我：「台灣來的？」我停下車，對他說：「是啊！」他說：「為什麼這麼快樂？」我說：「我是基督徒。」他說：「太好了，幫我一個忙。」我說：「什麼忙？」
他說：「前面這間店我想買下來，開家餐廳。你能替我禱告，購買順利嗎？」我就為他禱告。幾天後，我又經過該處，他興奮地跑過來說：「太奇妙了，巿政府通過我可以在那裡開餐廳了。」我與他握握手，恭喜他。當時我不知道在大學城開一家幾乎沒有停車位的餐廳，是何等困難的事。
後來這餐廳的老闆信了主，還帶一大家族的人信主。這家餐廳開放成為我們禱告會的所在。我那時對美國無知，卻經歷「義人卻膽壯像獅子。」(箴言二十八：1)。獅子的膽量是大且確定，不在乎知識的多寡，只在乎所信的主。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Daniel 2:1-16. Let’s go!
Daniel 2:1-11 (NIV)
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,
3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
On verses 1-11: Upon hearing the king’s request that they accurately tell him what his dream was in addition to interpreting it, the astrologers understandably exclaimed, “No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.” The astrologers got it half right. It’s true that no one except the divine could know and reveal what the king had dreamt. But it is not true that the divine do not live among us: “And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) What is too difficult for people is not too difficult for God. God was about to use this situation to show Nebuchadnezzar, the astrologers and everyone in their circle that God is alive and actively at work among people.
箴言27:23 你要詳細知道你羊群的景況，留心料理你的牛群。
閱讀經文：箴言 27:23-27
23你要詳細知道你羊群的景況，留心料理你的牛群。24因為資財不能永有，冠冕豈能存到萬代。25乾草割去，嫩草發現，山上的菜蔬也被收斂。26羊羔之毛是為你做衣服，山羊是為做田地的價值，27並有母山羊奶夠你吃，也夠你的家眷吃，且夠養你的婢女。
詳細知道，留心料理
基督徒常會被人質疑，面對生活不夠積極、不夠實際，遇到事情就說「交給上帝」，沒有真正去面對；或許，基督徒本身也會被這樣的想法限制住。「交給上帝」，有時候伴隨的是拖延、逃避。
靈修的時候，讀到箴言這一段話，注意到一些詞句──「詳細知道」、「留心料理」、「因為貲財不能永有，冠冕豈能存到萬代」。人的一生擁有許多寶貴的事物和情感，包括錢財、房屋、書籍、回憶、感動、那些愛過或被愛過的人……，這些都是上帝交給我們的產業，我們豈能不盡心去管理呢？
這裡提到的羊群或牛群，或指一般人在生命中認為最放心、被祝福的部分，同樣也是上帝託付的負擔，包含感情或物質。
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