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Keep Your Worship Fresh

2022-01-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 25:23-40.  Let’s go!

Exodus 25:23-30 (NIV)
23  “Make a table of acacia wood–two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
24  Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25  Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
26  Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.
27  The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
28  Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them.
29  And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.
30  Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.

In Exodus 25:23-40 God continues to instruct Moses on how to furnish the tabernacle.  After describing the most important piece of “furniture”, which is the ark of the covenant (v10-22), the LORD describes the table on which the priests are to place the “bread of the Presence” (v30).  What is the bread of the Presence?

The bread of the Presence, also known as the ceremonial bread or the “show bread”, was 12 loaves of fresh bread that were placed in the tabernacle as an offering to God.  Why 12 loaves?  It’s because the 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes of Israel.  Also, 12 is often the number used in the Bible to symbolize wholeness and completeness.

The Tabernacle, The Ark and The Presence of God

2022-01-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 25:1-22.  Let’s go!

Exodus 25:1-22 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
3  These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze;
4  blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
5  ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood;…..

We may suppose that when Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and abode there so long, where the holy angels attended the shechinah, or divine Majesty, he saw and heard very glorious things relating to the upper world, but they were things which it was not lawful nor possible to utter; and therefore, in the records he kept of the transactions there, he says nothing to satisfy the curiosity of those who would intrude into the things which they have not seen, but writes that only which he was to speak to the children of Israel. For the scripture is designed to direct us in our duty, not to fill our heads with speculations, nor to please our fancies.

In these verses God tells Moses his intention in general, that the children of Israel should build him a sanctuary, for he designed to dwell among them (v. 8); and some think that, though there were altars and groves used for religious worship before this, yet there never was any house, or temple, built for sacred uses in any nation before this tabernacle was erected by Moses, and that all the temples which were afterwards so much celebrated among the heathen took rise from this and pattern by it.

敌党谋阻建殿之工

2022-01-27 in , /by

〈以斯拉记〉4:3 但所罗巴伯、耶书亚和其余以色列的族长对他们说：「我们建造神的殿与你们无干，我们自己为耶和华以色列的神协力建造，是照波斯王居鲁士所吩咐的。」

阅读经文：〈以斯拉记〉四章

犹大和便雅悯的敌人听说被掳归回的人为耶和华─以色列的神建造殿宇，就去见所罗巴伯和以色列的族长，对他们说：「请容我们与你们一同建造；因为我们寻求你们的神，与你们一样。自从亚述王以撒哈顿带我们上这地以来，我们常祭祀　神。」

犹大和便雅悯是指构成犹大南国的中心支派，他们的敌人指的是当时的撒玛利亚人。这些撒玛利亚人不是原先北国以色列的人，而是亚述王从巴比伦，古他，亚瓦，哈马，和西法瓦音迁移来安置在撒玛利亚城邑的外邦人。他们不懂得敬畏耶和华，所以神曾差遣狮子到他们中间，咬死一些人。亚述王为此差了一个祭司回去，好指教他们敬拜神，但是他们却不曾因而明白真理。

当他们说：「因为我们寻求你们的神，与你们一样。自从亚述王以撒哈顿带我们上这地以来，我们常祭祀神」时，他们其实只是举行仪式以逃避神的刑罚，并不是真正想认识神。在（王下17:30）记载巴比伦人在那地方继续拜他们的神像，古他人、哈马人各造他们的神像，并不忘记原来的假神。这些民惧怕耶和华，却又事奉他们的偶像。他们假装是和犹大人拜同一个神，却又口口声声，那是你们的神。所罗巴伯和族长们一眼就看穿这些人的虚伪和恶心，因此拒绝他们的合作提议。

A Fire from Afar, A Cloud Up Close

2022-01-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 24:1-18.  Get ready for some powerful lessons here.  Let’s go!

Exodus 24:1-11 (NIV)
1  Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,
2  but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3  When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”……

On verses 1-11:  Moses has just finished receiving all these words and laws from the LORD for the Israelites on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:22 to the end of Exodus 23).  Now in Exodus 24 Moses is going to communicate these words and laws to the Israelites and have them enter into a covenant (a formal love-based agreement) with the LORD.  Under this covenant, the Israelites would agree to obey all the words and laws the LORD had given to them through Moses, and the LORD would agree to go before them, lead them and watch over them (Exodus 23:22-33).

Ancient historians tell us that in Moses’ time when two parties would enter into a covenant, they would do two things to make the covenant formal and binding:  (1) they would kill an animal, cut it symmetrically in half, put one half of the animal’s corpse on their left and the other half on their right, and then the two parties would together walk through the halves to signify that their agreement has been sealed with the animal’s blood; (2) they would eat a meal together.  

筑坛献祭-立殿根基

2022-01-26 in , /by

〈以斯拉记〉3:6 从七月初一日起，他们就向耶和华献燔祭，但耶和华殿的根基尚未立定。

阅读经文：〈以斯拉记〉三章

西元前537年的七月，回归的犹大人重新聚集在耶路撒冷。七月是犹大人特别繁忙的一个月份，因为其中有三个大节日：吹角节(新年)，赎罪日和住棚节。这次的聚集是为了一起过住棚节。住棚节是纪念古代以色列人在离开埃及之后，在旷野中漂流四十年期间所住的棚子；并且记念神使他们在旷野中：「这四十年，你的衣服没有穿破，你的脚也没有肿。（申8:4）」又「因为耶和华──你的上帝在你手里所办的一切事上已赐福与你。你走这大旷野，祂都知道了。这四十年，耶和华──你的上帝常与你同在，故此你一无所缺。」（申2:7）现在犹大人回到耶路撒冷，也正好记念神使他们在外邦也是蒙保守，得供应，一无所缺。何等何时宜的庆祝。

第3节的翻译该是如此：他们虽然惧怕邻国的民，还是在原有的根基上筑坛，又在其上向耶和华早晚献燔祭。Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. (NIV)

他们先在原先圣殿的根基上筑坛，就像亚伯拉罕/以撒/雅各，每到一个地方就先向神筑坛敬拜。此时尚未开始动工建殿。

他们照律法书上所写的，按数照例献每日所当献的燔祭。燔祭是「完全的祭」，也是「常献的祭」，天天献，早晨黄昏各一次，每次献一只公羊羔 ( 出 29:38-42 )，安息日则献三只( 民 28:9-10 ) 。在这里所罗巴伯带领第一批人回归跟以斯拉带领人归回( 8:35-36 ) 的共同点是，归回后以向神献燔祭。

记返耶路撒冷之俘囚

2022-01-25 in , /by

〈以斯拉记〉2:68有些族长到了耶路撒冷耶和华殿的地方，便为神的殿甘心献上礼物，要重新建造。

阅读经文：〈以斯拉记〉二章

主前六百多年，神的惩罚临到犹大的百姓，藉外邦人把他们掳到巴比伦。但这只是神短暂的惩罚，因祂曾应许百姓，只要他们回转专心寻求祂的面，祂必再施恩与他们。‧七十年后，神的时候到了，神感动波斯王古列的心，下令准许百姓返回耶路撒冷，恢复他们敬拜神的生活。结果有五万人在王的支援下、神的赐福中，愿意返回耶路撒冷，决心重建圣殿。

这些人不是那些原先被掳之人，而是他们的子孙。经过了七十年，那些被掳的人都像但以理垂垂老矣，走不动了，更多的是己经作古。根据历史记载被掳到巴比伦的百姓，大约四十万至六十万；但回到耶路撒冷的最多只有五万人，表示有大部份人不肯回去。犹太历史家约瑟夫在犹太古史中曾说过：「当时在巴比伦的百姓，因不肯离弃在巴比伦的家业，而不肯回耶路撒冷去。」又记载：「当时在巴比伦的百姓，因惧怕耶路撒冷严谨的生活而不肯回去。」这两句话非常重要，表明当时留在巴比伦的百姓，正因这两个原因而不肯回耶路撒冷。

第一个原因因为家业而不肯回耶路撒冷，上一章己经提过；第二个原因是不想回去过律法下的生活。犹大人在巴比伦习惯了当地巴比伦的生活，便觉得要回去过守律法的日子实在太苦了。在〈以斯帖记〉里，以东人的后裔哈曼设计杀害犹大人，神借着以斯帖皇后扭转了局面，保住了犹大人的性命和财产。现在神呼召他们回去耶路撒冷建圣殿，这些人却舍不得他们的财产而不肯回去。若是再有一个哈曼出现，他们会选择逃命或护产呢？

Go for “Little By Little” Success

2022-01-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 23:20-33.  Let’s go!

Exodus 23:20 (NIV)
20  “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

On verse 20:  Just as the LORD would send an angel to go before the Israelites to guard them and lead them to the place He prepared for them, repeatedly the Bible says that God goes before you (Psalm 139:5; Isaiah 45:2; Isaiah 52:12) to guard you and to lead the way for you.

Exodus 23:21-23 (NIV)
21  Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.
22  If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.
23  My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.

波斯王居鲁士为建圣殿下诏

2022-01-24 in , /by

〈以斯拉记〉1:2 波斯王居鲁士如此说：耶和华天上的神已将天下万国赐给我，又嘱咐我在犹大的耶路撒冷为祂建造殿宇。

阅读经文：〈以斯拉记〉一章

〈以斯拉记〉,〈尼希米记〉和〈以斯帖记〉，差不多是同时代的作品，分成两个主题。以斯拉、尼希米，记载从被掳之地归回的百姓所作的工；以斯帖则记载仍留在巴比伦的以色列人所作的工。我们从〈以斯拉记〉中，知道百姓回去重建耶路撒冷的圣殿，从〈尼希米记〉又知道，他们还要建造城墙。〈以斯拉记〉和〈尼希米记〉这两本书，在次序上也相当有意义。〈尼希米记〉是记载以色列人在外邦人中，重新恢复他们的见证；以斯拉是记载百姓回国后，重建圣殿的工作。圣殿是代表敬拜神，重灵里与神的关系。〈以斯拉记〉在先，〈尼希米记〉在后，在他们实行真正有效的事奉前，必须先在灵里恢复他们与神的关系。基督徒的事奉亦是如此。

「波斯王古列(即: 居鲁士)元年，耶和华为要应验藉耶利米口所说的话，就激动波斯王古列的心，使他下诏通告全国说。波斯王古列如此说：耶和华天上的神已将天下万国赐给我，又嘱咐我在犹大的耶路撒冷为他建造殿宇。」（拉1:1-2）

这段经文是〈以斯拉记〉的开始，也是〈历代志下〉的结束（代下36:22-23），两本书记载同一件的事情，中间虽然相隔数十年，但神的计划仍继续不断演变下去。实际上这两节有关圣殿重建的经文，远在〈但以理书〉中已有记载（但九章），当但以理读先知〈耶利米书〉时，看见神警告及应许百姓的话。他们被掳七十年期满，神要再施恩与百姓。但以理计算知道七十年的时间已期满，现今该是神施恩之时了。他整个心受感动被信息紧扼著；而觉得非常沉重，以致无法再做其他的事情。他知道当时的犹大国处于困危的命运中，是因为自己和百姓的罪，他便代表百姓昼夜伏在神前认罪祷告。

祷告永远是复兴工作的开始，我们不能不为教会的需要祷告，何时看见神感动人真愿意花时间祷告，就是离复兴之时不远了。

Give Yourself and Others a Break

2022-01-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 23:10-19.  Let’s go!

Exodus 23:10-12 (NIV)
10  “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops,
11  but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
12  “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

On verses 10-12:  The LORD tells the Israelites to give their fields a Sabbath rest every seventh year (v10-11) and to rest from their work on every seventh day (v12).  Earlier when the LORD commanded the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath, He said that this Sabbath was “to the LORD your God”, i.e. as a way to worship and honour God.  But notice whose benefit the LORD has in mind when talking about the need to rest: it’s the poor (v11) and wild animals (v11), that they would have a year with extra food to eat, and for the Israelites’ livestock, servants and foreigners (v12), that they “may be refreshed”.  

What can we learn from this?  When we rest from our work, we’re not the only ones who benefit.  We give those around us a break as well.  When you’re a workaholic and don’t know how to rest, not only do you risk running yourself to the ground, but you run the risk of exhausting the people you work with.  For the sake of their refreshment and yours, follow the LORD’s command to schedule regular rest.

定普珥日

2022-01-23 in , /by

〈以斯帖记〉9:26 照着普珥的名字，犹大人就称这两日为普珥日。

阅读经文：〈以斯帖记〉9 / 〈以斯帖记〉10

普珥节(希伯来文：Purim，就是掣签)是纪念西元前5世纪，犹太人被掳到波斯帝国时差点被灭族时，上帝如何用奇妙方法拯救了犹太民族！

亚达月(Adar)14号和15号，通常会在阳历二月或三月碰上～2022年的普珥节在三月16-17日

重温普珥节的故事

犹太人被掳到波斯(巴比伦)之后的有一天，有一个叫哈大沙(Hadassah)的犹太女孩，她没有爸爸妈妈，于是她的堂哥末底改就成了他的养父。某天亚哈随鲁王要找年轻女子来取代被废去的皇后瓦实提，当然长得漂亮的哈大沙也被送入宫，可是照着末底改的嘱咐，她并不提起自己的犹太血缘，而是用波斯的名字「以斯帖」(Esther)。

当时的波斯王朝是从印度到衣索比亚(古实)，但在各种美女之中，以斯帖绝对是特别有内在美的一个人，进到宫中后，她特别受到照顾，而神也让亚哈随鲁王被她吸引，于是她竟然成了亚哈随鲁王的皇后！

末底改曾经救过亚哈随鲁王一命，这件事情有记录下来，之后亚哈随鲁王抬举了一个叫哈曼的人来当他的臣宰，他是亚甲族、就是亚玛力人的后代。王的意思是说大家看到哈曼就要下拜。但偏偏末底改不拜他，所以大家都觉得很奇怪，一问之下才知道是因为末底改信仰的缘故所以不愿下拜。于是哈曼决定来掣普珥，就是掣签，找个好日子来把犹太民族除掉。