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亞哈隨魯大設筵宴

2022-01-12 in , /by

〈以斯帖記〉1:1  亞哈隨魯做王，從印度直到古實，統管一百二十七省。

閱讀經文：〈以斯帖記〉1

〈以斯帖記〉是《聖經》裡非常奇特的一本書，裡面沒有提到猶太人和神的關係，也沒有猶太人敬拜神的記錄，可是在每一件事上，讀者可以感覺到猶太人在異地對神默然的仰望，也可以看到神的權能以無比的幽默感在運行。在被流放到巴比倫的猶大人當中，充滿了任人擺佈的無力感。此時但以理應該已經過世，再無位高權重的猶大人為他們出頭，他們好像一群無法自衛的羊，任人宰割。可是在他們的靜默裡，卻有神巨大的力量和保護在暗中運行。當你讀完〈以斯帖記〉裡所發生的許多“巧合”，可能也會猜想，是否神差遣了保護以色列人的米迦勒天使長，在暗地裡佈置著一切？

主前490年8-9月之間，波斯大軍進攻希臘，雅典人雖然人數居於劣勢，卻在馬拉松平原以著重兩翼的平行戰鬥排列，使其中央部分向內凹入，最後呈現幾乎垂直的戰鬥行列，夾擊並大敗深入敵陣的波斯軍。雅典軍大勝之後， 古希臘時代的一位雅典傳令兵費里皮德斯（Pheilippides），由馬拉松平原跑回雅典報捷，中途沒有停頓，當他將勝利的消息轉告雅典人後，隨即倒地死去。為了紀念他，希臘人在1896年舉行了第一次馬拉松賽跑大會。這就是馬拉松賽跑的來源。

亞哈隨魯做波斯王之後，立志洗雪馬拉松戰役之恥，在登位第三年便預備遠征希臘。按照波斯的慣例，出戰之前往往有連日的歡宴，以團結袍澤，激勵士氣，隨後王與文武大臣商議國事軍事。此次慶宴持續六個月，目的在於策劃入侵希臘的戰略，並證明王有足夠的財力來支持戰事。這就是〈以斯帖記〉第一章的背景。書珊城是波斯的京城，有如今日中國的北京和美國的華盛頓，當年許多大事都在這裡發生。尼希米也曾在書珊城的王宮裡擔任酒政。在王宮舉辦的歡宴裡，照例少不了美女與美酒，而亞哈隨魯在此時突發奇想，要以王后瓦實提的美貌來提高眾人的興緻。

預言封閉至末期

2022-01-11 in , /by

〈但以理書〉12:10必有許多人使自己清淨潔白，且被熬煉，但惡人仍必行惡。一切惡人都不明白，唯獨智慧人能明白。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉12

在2015年9月，有兩位可謂人生的勝利者，在最美麗的青春年華時黯然而逝。一位是33歲的杜拜王子拉席德，因心臟病不幸猝死，他的國家將為他哀悼3天。一位是32歲的日本前NHK新聞女主播黑木奈奈，人長得非常漂亮，去年發現患了胃癌，她辭去工作專心求治，今年初還曾重回主播台，鼓勵了許多患癌症的病友，沒想到九月裡病情急轉直下，終於離世。可見人的末時，經常來得比末世還要早。所以我們不要以為末世遙遙無期，反而要為自己的末時做準備。

但以理得到啟示，當末世來臨時，米迦勒要出來保護以色列民。那時以色列民要面臨前所未有的大艱難，比以前任何時候都艱難，那時就要知道分出來誰的名字記錄在（生命）冊上配得拯救。反之，那些名字沒有記錄在生命冊上的，必不被拯救，而要面對滅亡。“睡在塵埃中”，指肉體已經死亡的人要復醒，也就是復活。有的人要得永生，有的人要受羞辱永遠被憎惡。這就是主耶穌提到將來祂要審判時說的話：“時候要到，凡在墳墓裡的，都要聽見祂的聲音，就出來，行善的復活得生，作惡的復活定罪。（約5:28-29）”又像保羅說的：“我們這活著還存留到主降臨的人，斷不能在那已經睡了的人之先。因為主必親自從天降臨，有呼叫的聲音和天使長的聲音，又有神的號吹響，那在基督裡死了的人必先復活”（帖前4:15-16）。

當神預定的大艱難來臨時，保護人的天使也不能違抗神的旨意挪去命定的災害。主耶穌也曾預言：“那時，必有大災難，從世界的起頭，直到如今，沒有這樣的災難，後來也必沒有。若不減少那日子，凡有血氣的，總沒有一個得救的”(太24：21-22)。在災難中，神有憐憫，因此米迦勒必站起來，護衛神的子民，否則有誰能站立得住呢？所以保羅勉勵我們：“自己以為站得穩的須要謹慎，免得跌倒。你們所遇見的試探，無非是人所能受的。神是信實的，必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的，在受試探的時候，總要給你們開一條出路，叫你們能忍受得住。（林前10:12-13）”不管是試探或試煉，信主的人都有神的同在。

Something to Lighten Your Load

2022-01-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:13-27.  here are a few other lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:13-23 (NIV)
13  The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14  When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15  Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
16  Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
17  Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.

On verses 13-23:  Jethro saw that as good intentioned as Moses was, it was not healthy or advisable for Moses to be a one man show and to personally judge every case that the people brought to him.  This would wear Moses out and it would also wear the people out in terms of making them wait far too long.  Jethro saw the inefficiencies in Moses’ system and suggested a better way, encouraging Moses to focus his role on teaching the people (v20) and representing the people before God (v19) and to delegate authority to trustworthy individuals with good character to deal personally with the people’s individual problems (v21-22).  Jethro’s goal was to lighten Moses’ load (“this will make your load lighter”), to raise up leaders who would be accountable to Moses and who could help share the work (“they will share it with you”), and to create a better experience for everyone so that “all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).

預言希臘的興起到滅亡

2022-01-10 in , /by

〈但以理書〉11:32作惡違背聖約的人，他必用巧言勾引；唯獨認識神的子民，必剛強行事。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉11

天使再次向但以理講解異象，比以前的任何一次都要詳細，這次主要是講論希臘，從希臘的興起講到希臘的滅亡。亞哈隨魯（薛西一世）是波斯的第四個王，在他當政時，波斯帝國從印度直到古實統管一百二十七省，國富民強。在〈以斯帖記〉的第一章裡，說到亞哈隨魯王把他王國的財富和榮華富貴，給那些波斯和瑪代的權貴，各省的貴冑與首領看了一百八十天（六個月）；又為所有住書珊城的大小人民在御園的院子裡設擺筵席七日，等等，十分地窮極奢侈。因為國富民強，他不斷地 挑釁希臘，幾次無功而返，終於被希臘興起的亞歷山大大帝殲滅。

亞歷山大大帝死後，國家由四位將領分割。在分裂的四國之中，佔有南邊埃及的是多利買王朝；北邊敘利亞，由西流古王朝統管，後者逐漸強盛；因此，多利買二世將女兒百尼基給敘利亞王安提奧古二世為妻，藉此訂立和約，沒想到兩年後，多利買二世病逝，安提奧古二世便解除婚約，與前妻老底嘉復合。但老底嘉心懷怨恨，把安提奧古二世與百尼基，並他們二人的兒子及一些百尼基的親信、隨從等全部毒死，清除了百尼基的餘黨，接著就立她的兒子西流古二世加利尼古為王。

但是百尼基在埃及的娘家哥哥多利買三世知道後，立刻出兵進攻敘利亞，史稱“老底嘉之役”，可惜沒有來得及救出百尼基，只能為妹妹報仇，殺掉老底嘉。他率領軍隊入侵敘利亞時，擄掠大批金銀財寶及廟中的偶像，帶回埃及盡數分給國中軍民，眾人稱他為慈善家多利買（11章5-8節）。

The Biggest Key to Leading Your Loved Ones to Christ

2022-01-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:1-12.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2  After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
3  and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
4  and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

On verses 1-12:  Here Moses reunites with his wife Zipporah, his two sons Gershom and Eliezer, and his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was a priest from the land of Midian where Moses met his wife.  As for what God Jethro and the Midianites worshiped, it is not clear.  Since the Midianites were descendants of Abraham (see 1 Chronicles 1:32), it is likely that Jethro and the Midianites had heard of the LORD, but it is not clear whether Jethro and the Midianites actually worshiped or believed in the LORD.  What is clear is that as Jethro hears more and more about what the LORD had done for Moses and the Israelites (v1), when he saw the change in Moses and how the LORD rescued not just him but the Israelite people too (v8), Jethro responds by expressing faith in the LORD. 

Keys to Winning Your Battle

2022-01-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Exodus 17:1-16, is full of powerful lessons, so many in fact that there’s probably one lesson for every hour of your workday today.  You may want to read this message in pieces, taking it in bit by bit throughout the day.  Get ready!  Let’s go!

Exodus 17:1-5 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2  So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
3  But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4  Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5  The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

On verses 1-5:  Once again the Israelites grumble against Moses, complaining about a lack of water.  Moses asks God what he should do with these angry, grumbling people, and I like the LORD’s response to Moses.  The LORD tells Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.” (v5) When people are grumbling, walk ahead of them.  Don’t become their follower, moving forward only when they move forward or going only when they tell you to go.  Walk ahead of them and you’ll see things that they don’t see and be better positioned to lead them.  

但以理得啟示

2022-01-09 in , /by

〈但以理書〉10:19a 他說：「大蒙眷愛的人哪，不要懼怕，願你平安！你總要堅強！」

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉10:1-21

在波斯王居魯士三年，也就是西元前536年，在那之前近五萬的猶大子民從巴比倫回到耶路撒冷。居魯士不僅已經釋放在巴比倫的以色列民回國，而且更為他們重建聖殿。但是在這期間，可能因為所羅巴伯領導猶太人從流亡中回歸，遭到撒瑪利亞人反對，回歸的猶太人遭遇到極大的爭戰（拉4:1-5）。消息傳來，引起但以理極大的悲傷。在但以理的悲傷中，神再差遣天使幫助但以理明白將來要發生的事情。但以理沒有跟眾人回耶路撒冷，可能因為年事已高，不適合長途跋涉；也可能因為位居要職不能離開，但是他對於猶大人回歸的事卻非常上心，時時等待他們的消息。

但以理因悲傷而不吃美味，不喝美酒，也不用油抹身。在不能經常洗澡，又沒有現代的止汗除臭劑的地方，使用香油抹身是個人修飾和保健的重要步驟。漠視這些細節表示哀悼。但以理在剛到巴比倫時拒絕王膳，但是有了官職之後，必然有自己的住處和廚房，可以按著猶太人的律法去準備飲食。所以平常會有酒肉，只是此時悲傷，因而不進任何美食，以粗糙簡單的飲食代表心中的難過。

那年的正月二十四日，但以理在底格里斯大河邊看到有一人，和〈啟示錄〉中約翰所見的人子有很多相似之處。但以理見到“有一人身穿細麻衣，腰束烏法精金帶。他身體如水蒼玉，面貌如閃電，眼目如火把，手和腳如光明的銅，說話的聲音如大眾的聲音。＂約翰見到“燈臺中間有一位好像人子，身穿長衣，直垂到腳，胸間束著金帶。他的頭與髮皆白，如白羊毛，如雪，眼目如同火焰，腳好像在爐中鍛煉光明的銅，聲音如同眾水的聲音。”但以理看到異象時是清醒的，也有人和他在一起，那些人雖然看不見人子，卻可以感受到祂的能力，因而大大戰兢，逃跑隱藏；而但以理看到異象後就渾身無力，聽到聲音就面伏在地沉睡了。

Grace for Each New Day

2022-01-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 16:19-36.  Let’s go!

Exodus 16:19-21 (NIV)
19  Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”
20  However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21  Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

On verses 19-21:  What can we learn from this?  This is not to say that we shouldn’t plan ahead or keep leftovers in the fridge.  But the lesson here is that God’s grace is enough for each day.  Instead of worrying that we won’t have enough tomorrow, trust God that He will have new grace to give us for each new day.  His grace is always sufficient for us.

Also, when we ignore God’s commands for living and working, our lives begin to decay and smell.

Exodus 16:22-26 (NIV)
22  On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much–two omers for each person–and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.
23  He said to them, “This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'”
24  So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.

《聖經中各種審判》17 — 亞倫家受審：事奉者受審

2022-01-07 in , /by

在上帝主權統管下的意志

　　聖經說：「我要使法老的心剛硬」，我們怎麼理解？上帝的主權超越人的意志，人心能否順從都在神主權的統管下。聖經說：「耶和華說：『我要顯我一切的恩慈，在你面前經過，宣告我的名。我要恩待誰就恩待誰；要憐憫誰就憐憫誰。』」（出 33:19）一個人的生命要敗壞下去，不是他決定就可以，也要上帝的許可。

有關上帝的主權與旨意，我分成四大階層：一、上帝計劃中的旨意，二、上帝許可中的自由，三、上帝引導人的轉變，四、上帝任憑人的滅亡，這四樣都在神的主權之下。你說：「我自己決定，所以我有這樣的地步」，你沒有想到你所打的主意有上帝的主權在你身上的彰顯，如果你能好，是因為上帝施恩給你，如果你不好，是上帝任憑你硬著你的心，因著上帝的主權與施恩決定一個人能領受多少恩典，如果上帝沒有施恩，我們只能抵擋上帝，剛硬著心。聖經說：「我要使法老的心剛硬」，這不是指硬心是上帝的決定，而是說這其中有上帝的許可，甚至是上帝的任憑。人自己本意的敗壞是上帝的任憑，不讓你悔改，繼續硬心下去。人以為他的抵擋連上帝都束手無策，把上帝的干涉當作是對自己的攪擾，在蒙蔽之中不知道自己犯了什麼錯，不知道如果上帝不施恩，他也無法悔改。

聖經說：「我使法老的心剛硬，要在他身上顯出我的榮耀」，因為法老的剛硬，人看見上帝憑己意行萬事 ，上帝行事使祂的百姓得恩典，祂施行審判使祂的仇敵受災殃。

十災顯明埃及諸神非真神

　　上帝降下十災最大的目的只有一個：顯明埃及人所敬拜的是假神，不能造福人群，解救百姓。在降災的事上，術士可以模仿先知所做的事 ，無論是杖變蛇或水變血，假先知所做的事情與神的僕人好像一樣，但在結局上，你看見法老的術士只能降災，顯明邪惡的能力無法施行拯救，這是聖經記載正邪之間真正的分別。

When You’re Tempted to Grumble and Complain

2022-01-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 16:1-18.  Let’s go!

Exodus 16:1-3 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.
2  In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3  The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

On verses 1-3:  When we’re having a tough time with life today, sometimes we can be tempted to idealize and even worship the past.  Have you ever done that before?  It’s when we speak in exaggerated terms about the past versus the present:  “Before life was so happy and perfect; now everything sucks.  Things were so good back then.  Today things are so bad.”   That’s what the Israelites were doing: in their hunger, they grumbled against their leaders Moses and Aaron.  The Israelites idealized their lives in Egypt when they apparently “sat around pots of meat and ate all the food they wanted” (v3).  Of course, in their worship of the past, they conveniently left out the fact that when they were slaves in Egypt they were crying for deliverance.  They also seemed to ignore the fact that whenever you start a new season, there will be new things to learn, new skills to develop, and new systems to create and get used to.  To expect that life would be perfect as soon as they stepped out of Egypt would be unrealistic.