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What Belongs to God

2021-11-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:16-34, and it’s full of lessons for us.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 27:16 (NIV) 
16  “‘If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it–fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed. 

On verse 16:  Notice that the land is be valued based on “the amount of seed required for it”, that is, how much harvest that land is able to produce.  Why didn’t God base the value of the land on the things real estate agents look at, like desirability of location, quality of the surrounding neighborhood, safety of the area or what schools or public transit are nearby? It’s because the land ultimately belonged to God anyway (see Leviticus 25:23) and the Israelites were to see themselves as tenants on that land.

There’s a lesson in this:  it is true that we are all of great worth to God, such that God gave His only Son Jesus Christ just for the chance to be in relationship with you.  But just as God focuses here on how much a particular piece of land is able to produce, so God focuses on our development potential.  God sees us not just for what we are now, but what we can become.  His vision for us is that we would bear maximum fruit for God’s glory.

Your Worth is Decided by…

2021-11-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:1-15.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 27:1-15 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values,
3  set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel;
4  and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels.
5  If it is a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels and of a female at ten shekels.
6  If it is a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels of silver and that of a female at three shekels of silver…..

On verses 1-15:  During Moses’ time, people would occasionally make vows to dedicate a person, an animal, or real estate to God.  Instead of actually releasing that person, animal or real estate to God, that person could keep the person, animal or real estate for themselves and instead pay an equivalent price to the priests.  But what should that price be?

Leviticus 27:1-15 sets out the price to be paid for a person, animal or real estate.

Now here’s the big elephant in the room: why are men valued more highly than women here?  For example, why is a 30 year old male valued at 50 shekels of silver (v3) whereas a 30 year old female is valued at 30 shekels (v4)?  

哈薛謀殺便哈達

2021-11-21 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下 8:13b 以利沙回答說：「耶和華指示我，你必做亞蘭王。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下  8:1-24

這段經文裡分別記載了幾個小故事，看起來似乎沒有什麼關聯，但是從神的寶座上看下來，有沒有關聯呢？當然有，因為耶和華神不只是以色列的神，更是全世界、全宇宙的神，因此世代變遷彷彿是人在其中操控一切，實際上History (歷史)就是His Story祂的故事。人雖然敗壞，摩鬼雖然掌權，但耶和華神依然是主宰歷史的神。

以色列王經歷了撒馬利亞被解救的過程，對以利沙又添加了幾分敬佩之心。這一天，當他在聽以利沙的僕人基哈西講以利沙行過的神蹟奇事，正聽得津津有味時，有個婦人來找王。原來是書念的婦人，以利沙在以色列的旱災發生之前，先告訴了書念婦人，叫他們先去非利士地避一避。七年過去了，婦人回來，為她家的房屋和田地求告王。王親眼看見被以利沙救活的孩子，驚奇不已，便派了一個太監去為書念的婦人討回屬於她的一切，包括田地裡的出產。這時間上的巧合說明了什麼？是婦人太幸運了嗎？她幸運，因為神眷顧她。正如主耶穌說的：“人因為先知的名接待先知，必得先知所得的賞賜（太10:41）”。她記念神僕人的需要，神也記念她的需要。

在〈列王紀〉上第十九章15-17節裡，在以利亞從山洞走出來之後，神給了他三道新的命令：耶和華對他說：“ 你回去，從曠野往大馬士革去。到了那裡，就要膏哈薛做亞蘭王，又膏寧示的孫子耶戶做以色列王，並膏亞伯米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙做先知接續你。將來躲避哈薛之刀的，必被耶戶所殺；躲避耶戶之刀的，必被以利沙所殺。”但是《聖經》上沒有記載以利亞去大馬士革膏哈薛，或去膏耶戶，只有提到他去膏以利沙接替他做先知，顯然那兩個工作都是要由以利沙去完成。以利沙是否為了這個原因而去大馬士革呢？

《聖經中各種審判》10 — 對埃及的審判 之五

2021-11-19 in , /by

第一災＿水變血　上帝是生命的主宰

　　上帝降在埃及的第一個災害，是水變成血，這是很可怕的事情。埃及的尼羅河是世界三大河流之一（密西西比河、亞馬遜河與尼羅河名列前面三條大河），可以淹蓋整個國家三分之一的土地。尼羅河每年氾濫一次，河水漲溢到兩岸的土地，淹覆大部分的土地。人怕水災，埃及則十分不同，反倒非常期待尼羅河每年一次的氾濫。尼羅河上游的紅泥藉由河水氾濫帶到下游，使原本貧脊的土壤變得相當肥沃，因而尼羅河的氾濫成為灌溉的重要時期。

河水、泉源、池塘這些有水的地方，完全都變成血，這就變成大災難。當血在生物的身體裡是生命的泉源，但當血離開身體，這是死亡的記號，非常腥臭，當血遍滿全地的時候，埃及人很難呼吸，很痛苦地面對這不能除掉又不能接受的事情，這進退兩難生命的大災難臨到埃及。上帝用血成為第一個審判，表示神是生死的掌管者。決定生死的，是上帝，就是創造生命者。〈使徒行傳〉告訴我們耶穌是生命的主，我們能殺死耶穌，我們以為我們能殺死一個我們不喜歡的人，卻不知道祂是生命的主，祂掌管生命與死亡。耶穌超越全地，也超越眾生，祂掌握陰間的權柄，主的能力不是人可以想像與限制的。當上帝擊打埃及，首要就是把水變成血。

　　埃及人會因此歡喜快樂嗎？埃及人非常痛苦，因為人需要水來過活。沒有水，人的生命是短暫的，沒有水喝，人幾天就死了。埃及人每天沒有水喝，成天看見的都是腥臭的血，這是第一大災害。這災害來到的時候，上帝卻讓法老王硬著心不准以色列人離開，法老指責以色列人是懶惰的，要他們做得半死，也不要以色列人有自由。法老王讓以色列人吃好、吃多東西，目的不是為了讓他們身體健康或享受人生，而是有更大的力量來做他的奴僕。在馬克思的共產黨宣言說：「全世界的勞工，注意聽！你們畢生的產業不是地皮，你們是無產階級，你們唯一的產業就是你們的體力與勞動價值。資本家苦待你，讓你們做得半死半活，然後給你薪水，不是為了讓你享受，而是讓你一生一世幫著資本家發財」，馬克思用了最大煽動性的言語要全世界的勞工反抗資本家的奴役，「當你們反抗的時候，你們損失的是你們的鎖鏈，得到的是你們的自由」。

The Heart of Your Heavenly Father

2021-11-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:27-46.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:27-39 (NIV)
27  “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me,
28  then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
29  You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.
30  I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
31  I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.
32  I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled.
33  I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
34  Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths…….

On verses 27-39:  Leviticus 26:14-39 describes at length all the punishments and curses that God would bring upon the Israelites if they persistently disobeyed Him and refused to turn from their ways.  The picture of God here is not a pleasant one, but let it be a reminder that because God is holy, God possesses an unrelenting wrath towards sin.  In our day, one may be tempted to read verses 27-39 and wonder, “Where is the compassion of God?”  We will see it in verses 40-46 below.

Keep in mind that the biggest reason why God speaks in these terms is because God, like a loving parent, is trying to do everything He can, short of taking away the Israelites’ freedom to choose, to warn the Israelites not to sin, knowing how miserable His children the Israelites will be if they live in persistent rebellion against God.

In Christ Every Curse Is Broken

2021-11-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:14-26.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:14-22 (NIV)
14  “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,
15  and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
16  then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
17  I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
18  “‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
19  I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.
20  Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
21  “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.
22  I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.

On verses 14-22:  After describing in verses 1-13 the blessings that would come if the Israelites obeyed God, God describes in verses 14-26 the problems that would come if the Israelites refused to obey God.  As we look at some right now, keep in mind the mentality of the ancient Israelites, who believed that God was the ultimate cause of everything both good and bad.  In their minds, God was the bringer of both sickness and healing, death and life, misfortune and fortune.  In the New Testament, we get a more defined picture of who God is: that everything good comes from God, whereas anything that is not good (such as disease and misfortune) is not something God actively creates and sends but is a natural outflow of living in a world broken by sin.

便哈達圍困撒馬利亞

2021-11-18 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下7:2b 以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下6:24-7:20

這真是一個悲哀的故事，亞蘭軍又上來攻打撒馬利亞了，而以色列王一籌莫展。此時亞哈已死，他的兒子亞哈謝也病死了，由亞哈的弟弟約蘭繼位。撒馬利亞被圍困，城裡的情形已經到了易子而食的地步。一個驢頭本來是很便宜的，因為驢是不潔之動物，是不可以拿來吃的，而且驢頭的肉極少，但此時竟然要賣到八十舍克勒，大約一公斤的銀子，也有說約176美元。二升鴿子糞值銀五舍客勒。鴿子糞怎能拿來作食物呢？有的學者說，那是一種植物，是伯利恆之星其中的一個品種。伯利恆之星是百合科多年生球根草本植物，長有鱗莖。剛發芽的球莖繁茂地生長在山坡上，遠遠望去就好像山上舖滿了一堆堆的鴿子糞一般，所以當時的人便將伯利恆之星稱為“鴿子糞”。

但是所有伯利恆之星品種均有毒，其汁液能令人皮膚出現紅疹，牲畜若大量誤食可引致死亡，所以能否食用實在不能確定。另一個推測則認為“鴿子糞”指的是一種種子的外殼，因希伯來原文的寫法相同，才被翻譯成“鴿子糞”。第三個推測是一般拉比的見解，他們認為當時物資匱乏，乾燥的鴿子糞被當作燃料的代替品。因為根據那個兒子被吃掉的婦人所言，他們還是要把肉煮熟才吃，不吃生肉。所以使用本來不值錢的鴿子糞用作煮食的燃料，竟然也要二升也要賣到五舍客勒的銀子。表示食物和燃料都很昂貴。

以色列王聽到婦人易子而食，竟然聯想到要殺掉以利沙！他不去請求以利沙求神解決這個困境，卻把責任全推到以利沙身上，認為撒馬利亞的困境是以利沙造成的。這是事實嗎？當然不是。但是有很多人都像以色列王一樣，是姓“賴”的，什麼責任都賴到別人身上。他是以色列王，不能突圍，不能打敗敵人，怎能怪先知？且慢，他憤怒的原因是：“這災禍是從耶和華那裡來的，我何必再仰望耶和華呢？”事情不順利，就是神的錯！我沒錯！神沒有把我的國家保護好，所以我不仰望神了！神沒有為我開路，所以我不仰望神了！神沒有讓我有超人的能力，所以我不仰望神了！

You Are Blessed Because Jesus Obeyed

2021-11-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:1-13.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:1-2 (NIV)
1  “‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.
2  “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

On verses 1-2:  While verses 3-13 will show us all the blessings that the Lord promised to give the Israelites if they would only obey Him, verses 1-2 teach us an important, counterbalancing truth: we are to obey God and worship Him only – and not any idol – not simply because of what God will do for us in return, but because of who God is.  That is why after both verses 1 and 2, God follows up His commands with a statement about who He is: “I am the Lord yur God” (v1), “I am the Lord” (v2).  Regardless of what God does for us, the fact that God is God, the King over everything, is reason enough to worship and obey Him. 

Leviticus 26:3-13 (NIV)
3  “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,
4  I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.
5  Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

求祢使我能看見

2021-11-17 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下 6:16 神人說：「不要懼怕，與我們同在的比與他們同在的更多。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下6:1-23

當我們看到以利沙行神蹟幫助別人時，他的話語往往很少。門徒砍伐樹木想蓋大一點的地方居住，有個人在砍樹時，不小心斧頭掉進水裡。當他呼叫時，他指出連斧頭都是借來的，不見了斧頭怎麼賠人家？以利沙知道後，不是大聲地罵那人不小心，也不是開口就教訓他，借人家的東西怎麼那麼不小心。以利沙的直接反應是採取行動。很多時候，意外無法避免，但是我們可以控制自己的舌頭，不要逞口舌之快，落井下石，給人更多的痛苦。以利沙砍了一根木頭，拋在水裡，斧頭就漂上來了，他就叫那個人把斧頭拿上來。這個行動充份表明以利沙明白他人的需要。

有的人會說，不教訓他，他下次怎麼會小心？但是我們要明白，當意外發生時，往往是連當事人也不願意的。你再罵也於事無補，反而讓人家更難過，無疑雪上加霜。所以最好的應對之道，就是看自己能幫上什麼忙。有個小孩拿牛奶時，因為手小，在關冰箱時，牛奶瓶掉下去了，牛奶撒了一地。當他正在驚慌時，媽媽來了。媽媽說：“哇，我從來沒看過這樣漂亮的牛奶大海啊！”孩子的心一下就安定下來了。此時媽媽再說，“我們一起來收拾這牛奶大海，好不好？”孩子立刻很高興地答應了，和媽媽一起把牛奶清理乾淨。然後，媽媽再教他下次要怎樣拿，就可以避免這樣的事發生。假如媽媽一來就開罵：“你怎麼這樣不小心，不是教了你很多次要怎樣怎樣”，後果一樣要清理廚房，但是就很不快樂了。意外發生，大家都不喜歡，但是我們若能控制自己的舌頭，便可以減輕意外所帶來的不快和痛苦。

亞蘭和以色列因為比隣，所以戰事頻傳，即使乃縵得到醫治，也無法制止兩國不發生戰事。亞蘭王在他的王宮和臣僕密謀攻打以色列，但是每一次以色列王都有所防備，讓他偷襲不成。亞蘭王懷疑自己的臣僕中有間諜，但是比間諜更厲害的是，連亞蘭王臥房的秘密都能知道的以利沙先知。以利沙先知把“聽到”的秘密都去告訴以色列王，使他有所防備。亞蘭王立刻想派人去把以利沙抓起來。可是他沒想到，假如以利沙都能知道他的戰略機密，那麼，他想抓以利沙的陰謀，以利沙會不知道嗎？他以為派大軍去捉拿，那以利沙不管多麼厲害，也無法抵擋亞蘭大軍吧！

Now That You’re Free, Live Free

2021-11-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:35-55.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:35-38 (NIV)
35  “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
36  Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.
37  You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.
38  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

On verses 35-38:   Just as God showed undeserved kindness to the Israelites, God expected the Israelites to show undeserved kindness to one another.  Likewise, just as God has shown undeserved kindness to us, may we show undeserved kindness to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Leviticus 25:39-55 (NIV)
39  “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.
40  He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee.
41  Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers.