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Experiencing the Rest of God’s Presence

2022-02-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 33:12-23.  Let’s go!

Exodus 33:12-17 (NIV)
12  Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’
13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”……

On verses 12-17:  Here Moses pleads with the LORD, crying out for the LORD to teach him His ways (v13) and pleading for the LORD’s presence to be with them (v16).  When the LORD replies by saying, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (v14), it’s a reminder that with God’s presence comes rest – both for our immediate present and for our long-term future.  There is an almost immediate rest that comes when we are in God’s presence with soft hearts, and there is also a long-term rest that comes with having God’s presence. 

百姓掣籤住耶路撒冷

2022-02-16 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉11:2 凡甘心樂意住在耶路撒冷的，百姓都為他們祝福。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉11章

在這一章裡，我們看到尼希米面臨一種困境，大家都不想住耶路撒冷。此時的耶路撒冷十分荒涼，又有許多外邦人雜居在此。回歸的猶大人都想回到自己支派的屬地住，安安靜靜地過日子，重打根基。誰也不想在耶路撒冷戰戰兢兢，過著擔心受怕的日子。但是耶路撒冷不能沒有人住，更不能沒有人防守，區區五萬回歸的人根本就不夠用，要是大家都只為自己著想，那麼耶路撒冷就會再度淪入外邦人的手裡。

因此他們採用掣籤的方法，十個抽一個，被抽到的人就留住耶路撒冷。掣籤的方法使人認為結果是出於天命，天命不可違，便沒有紛爭了。就好像台灣的服兵役，也是用掣籤的方法，海陸空抽到哪個就去那裡服役。但是還有另一種留在耶路撒冷的人，他們是甘心樂意住在耶路撒冷，他們也是為了興旺耶路撒冷才回來的。這樣的人，百姓都為他們祝福。祝福是希望神與他們同在，有神的保守，神的預備和供應。

還有另一批人也是心甘情願地留在耶路撒冷，便是一些首領、祭司和利未人，他們的名字都記錄下來了。因為聖殿若沒有祭司、利未人和尼提寧（在聖殿工作者），敬拜和獻祭的事便無法按章進行。這些人當中還包括了不少大能的勇士，表示他們當中有善戰者，可以負起打仗之責。

簽名誓遵摩西所傳律法

2022-02-15 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉10:32 我們又為自己定例，每年各人捐銀一舍客勒三分之一，為我們神殿的使用。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉10章

想到以色列的首領、祭司和利未人一個個到台上簽名，與神重新立約，要守神的律法時，那種心裡的感動真是難以平復。彷彿看到一對對婚姻破裂的夫妻，重新到神的面前立約，要照主的話彼此相愛。重燃愛火，被神那永不改變的愛感動，因而願意重新獻上自己，再次為主而活。這樣的愛讓他們願意多走一里路，不僅守律法，更願意每年多捐銀一舍客勒三分之一，作為聖殿的使用。

別小看了這多捐的銀一舍客勒三分之一，換算起來大概只有現在的3美元，因為一舍克勒的銀子大約是2.2美元。但是對於當時的人是一筆不少的錢，因為每個人的贖罪銀也只收半舍克勒，好讓窮人也可以付得起。更重要的是，這是他們自發要給神的，神沒有向他們要，但是他們自願在神所定的十分之一之外，加上這筆錢。這自發的心意要比錢的多少更加使神喜悅。就好像有的孩子放學回家後會自動替父母分擔家務，不必叫他，就會幫母親把地板掃一掃，幫父親把垃圾倒掉。這些雖然不是大事，都是雞毛蒜皮的家務。但是看在父母的眼裡，該是何等欣慰！

因為心裡有愛，才會心甘情願地付出。雅各說，沒有行為的信心是死的；換個說法，沒有行為的愛也是死的。父母愛孩子，所以再多的付出也不心疼；夫妻之間若彼此相愛，也會勇於付出。因為只有愛，可以使金錢眨值。假如夫妻之間有一方把金錢看得比配偶還重要時，配偶會有怎樣的感覺？能夠感受到對方的愛嗎？不可能。如此生活下去，必然越走越分歧，失去了起初的真心。人若把錢看得太重，必然使愛他的人感到傷心和不值。因此主耶穌在復活之後問彼得：“你愛我比這些更深嗎？” “這些”指的便是世上的財物、事業和養生的一切。人若不能分別“這些”的價值，和神與人何者為重，便無法享有真愛的甘美。

Go Out of Your Way to Meet with God

2022-02-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 33:1-11.  Let’s go!

Exodus 33:1-6 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
2  I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
3  Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
4  When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments.
5  For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'”
6  So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

On verses 1-6: In His mercy the LORD allowed the Israelites to proceed to the promised land even after they had broken His law by committing idolatry. In His anger the LORD proposed that He not join them on the rest of their journey lest the Israelites in their stubbornness sin again and compel Him to strike them down in His anger. Instead, the LORD would send His angel to go before them.  Yet the prospect of going forward without the LORD’s personal presence was a depressing and sad one for Moses and the Israelites. Even if they were to reach the promised land, what good would it be if they didn’t have the personal presence of God?

以色列眾禁食認罪

2022-02-14 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉9:2以色列人就與一切外邦人離絕，站著承認自己的罪惡和列祖的罪孽。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉9 章

在以斯拉天天為百姓們讀神的話語之後，有一件意想不到的事情發生了。猶大曆的七月初十是贖罪日，七月十五日是住棚節。但是在住棚節的嚴肅日結束之後，以色列人聚集禁食，身穿麻衣，頭蒙灰塵，與一切外邦人隔絕，站著承認自己的罪惡和列祖的罪孽。這是一次自發性的禁食認罪聚會，原本可以散會回家了，他們卻反而聚集禁食。所以詩人說，“祢的言語一解開，就發出亮光，使愚人通達。（詩119:130）”只有在神的話語中，人才能看見自己的罪，渴慕被潔淨。

有的人把禁食禱告拿來當作要求神應允所求的一個方法，有點像小孩子威脅母親：“你不給我買玩具，我就不吃飯！”但這裡的禁食是一種發自心底的祈求，求神赦免他們和列祖的罪；是一種知錯要改，為自己和列祖的罪痛心，願意回到神面前的決志。因此在他們的禁食裡，他們認罪、敬拜神，又繼續唸神的話；有幾個人甚至站在利未人的台上，大聲哀求神。

他們的決心帶出行動，與一切外邦人隔絕。因為與外邦人雜交，使他們失去了自己的信仰，在生活習性各方面都觸動了耶和華神的怒氣。神不是不愛外邦人，所有願意歸向祂的，與猶大人在一起的，神都一視同仁；但是對於那些不是要歸向猶大人，而是把他們拖離耶和華神的，神就不喜歡了。在我小時候，父母親也會叫我們不可以跟某些小孩玩，因為怕他們把我們帶壞了。就是現，若知道有人吸毒、賭博或行為不端，我們也不希望自己的孩子去跟他們做朋友。不是看不起別人，而是怕自己的孩子染上惡習。

How Great Leaders Respond To Sin

2022-02-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:15-24.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:15-16 (NIV)
15  Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
16  The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

On verses 15-16:  Moses returns from the mountain carrying in his hands the most precious thing given to humanity up until that time: two tablets containing the writing of God.  What did God write on those tablets?  It was “the Testimony”, that is (most likely) the Ten Commandments.  Some scholars believe that these two tablets, which had writing on both the front and back, were identical to one another and were two copies of the same thing, one for God and one for the people, consistent with ancient Near East covenant making practices at that time. 

There was nothing more valuable on the earth at this time that these two tablets.  God wrote His law on tablets of stone.  Later He choose another method of delivering His Word to His people: instead of writing it on breakable tablets of stone, God would choose to write it on breakable human hearts (see 2 Corinthians 3:3).  For when a stone tablet breaks, whatever was written of it can’t be seen anymore.  But when a heart breaks, whatever was written on it will be seen more clearly than ever.

以斯拉宣讀律法書

2022-02-13 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉8:10b 你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉8 章

水門是耶路撒冷城東城牆上的一道門，在馬門和泉門之間，門朝東。希西家王時已有該城門，尼希米時期重修。民眾聚集在水門前的寬闊處，聽祭司以斯拉宣讀律法書。舉行竣工典禮時，第一隊參加慶典的人從北面向南走到水門。以色列人請文士以斯拉讀律法書給他們聽，他們如同一人聚集在水門前的寬闊處。亡國前的以色列人對先知的教導何等不悅，何等討厭被先知指責。因為那時享受罪中之樂，以為神的審判永遠不會來臨。經過了亡國之痛，做了俘虜的悲哀，終於逐漸醒悟，若不遵照神的律法，有一天他們將永遠失去神的眷顧。就像很多人在福中不知福，不明白神的憐憫和寬容，總是要等到身患絕症或走頭無路時，才肯謙卑下來，才明白自己是何等的罪人。假如能早一點回頭，不是可以少受很多苦嗎？

當以色列人敞開心扉，願意傾聽神的話時，耶和華神的心該是何等歡喜！祭司和利未人都盡量“清清楚楚地唸神的律法書，講明意思，使百姓明白所唸的”。這是教導神的話語很重要的幾個條件，一要把神的話讀得清楚。所以在自己沒有學好一種語言時，不要自以為是去應用，免得讓人有吃生米飯的感覺。

二要講明意思，使百姓明白所唸的。可能很多人都知道有的神學教授對《聖經》讀得滾瓜爛熟，可是卻根本不信有神；所以讀神的話語，卻胡亂解釋，自以為很科學，實在很可惜。所以我們讀神的話要務求明白，才能得到神話語的滋潤和供養，靈命才能成長。這也是本網站〈每日親近神〉的目的，希望讓更多人能因為明白神的話，而領受到其豐盛，並且更加親近神。假如讀神的話卻不明白其精意，就好像腸胃有問題，吃了很多食物卻無法吸收，何等可惜。

What Happens When We Sin

2022-02-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:25-35.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:25 (NIV)
25  Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.

On verse 25:   The great news of the gospel is that although our sins separated us from God’s presence (see Exodus 32:33), although God could easily have edited us out of His book, instead in love God sent Jesus Christ to receive all the punishment for our sins. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid for all our sins (past, present and future) and restored us to God’s presence.  That indeed is the best news ever.  But remember this: when we sin, especially in public ways, we still affect two types of people.

First, when we sin in public, we become a stumbling block to other believers.  Verse 25 says that because of Aaron and the Israelites’ sin, God’s people were “running wild” and “out of control” (v25).  Whenever we sin in public ways, we confuse other Christians, discourage their faith, and tempt them to sin in the same ways.   So let’s be careful.  Like Paul said to Timothy, let’s “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

尼希米治理耶路撒冷

2022-02-11 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉7:1-73 城是廣大，其中的民卻稀少，房屋還沒有建造。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉7 章

起初波斯王古列將龐大的帝國分成七十省，在以斯帖時期劃分為127省，每省都立省長管理，因為每一個省份的地域遼闊，所以當時的省長有如獨立的小國王。波斯王立尼希米為猶大地的省長，因此尼希米也有權找人來管理耶路撒冷，並且對於服侍的人有一番安排；接著就是重新整理記錄回歸之人的家譜。

在〈以斯拉記〉裡，聖殿修建完工之後已有服侍之人的安排，而以斯拉在巴比倫時也已經做了一份回歸之人的家譜。以斯拉的記錄的家譜和尼希米的記錄有稍微的出入，因為尼希米是在耶路撒冷的城牆建成後，才按著已有的家譜名單重新整理。因為時間上的差距，在這段時間內有的人或許去世，或有其他原因，因此兩份名單不盡相同也是必然。

不管是在〈以斯拉記〉或〈尼希米記〉，我們都看到聖殿服侍人員的安排都是第一線的工作，惟有把工作的範圍釐清，各人按著各人的工作去執行，聖殿的工作才能有條不紊地進行。這就是秩序。從神帶領以色列人出埃及之後，神在西乃山用了幾乎一年的時間，教導以色列人有關律法和敬拜的事，其中很重要的就是秩序。這秩序抱括了神、人、物的秩序，敬拜時工作的分配、獻祭的禮儀，等等，都要有秩序。甚至在日常生活中，哪個支派先行，哪個支派後行，帳幕在哪裡搭起，都有一定的秩序。這就是在西乃山下，神給以色列人的教導，凡事都要有秩序。所以我們的生活也要有秩序，不可以雜亂無章。

Don’t Be a Slave to Public Opinion + You’ve Got An Intercessor

2022-02-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:1-14.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:1-4 (NIV)
1  When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2  Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”
3  So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.
4  He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

On verses 1-4:  The Israelites were probably eager to get going and were tired of waiting for Moses to come down from his 40 day meeting with God on Mount Sinai.  So the Israelites ask Aaron to make them new gods.  Aaron responds by collecting gold earrings from the Israelites and fashions them into a calf-shaped idol, saying that these are the gods who brought them out of Egypt.