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Keep Burning Brightly

2021-11-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 24:1-9.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 24:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.
3  Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
4  The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually.

On verses 1-4:   In Leviticus 24:2 God tells Moses that the lamps used to light up the tent of meeting are to keep burning continually.  In the same way, you and I, as followers of Jesus, are what Jesus calls “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Just like the lamps in Leviticus 24:2, we were made to keep burning continually and shining a light for God in this world.

How do you keep burning continually for God?  You need His Holy Spirit.  Just as lamps in Moses’ time needed the “clear oil of pressed olives…so that the lamps may be kept burning continually” (v2), so likewise we need God’s Holy Spirit to keep on burning.  In fact, oil is often a symbol in the Bible for the Holy Spirit.

約沙法卒約蘭繼位

2021-11-09 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 21:6 他行以色列諸王的道，與亞哈家一樣；因他娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 21:1-20

約沙法是個敬畏神的王，但是他做父親時，卻為兒子約蘭娶了一門拜偶像的媳婦，以致為猶大家帶來的前所未有的災難。

約蘭有一個最敬虔的父親，和一個最惡毒的妻子。當一個男人結婚後，你覺得誰對他會有最大的影響？這是約沙法當初沒有想到的。他和亞哈結成親家，使他的兒子們都死於非命，百姓被引誘去拜偶像和假神，他所有的工作都功虧一匱。一個錯誤的決定，影響何等深遠。這是他所料不及的。所以我們在做決定時，不要以為無所謂，不要以為結婚後對方會因你而改變，不要以為你有能力可以改變任何人，不要自以為很有能力。

約沙法有七個兒子，約蘭是長子，因此約沙法把王位交給約蘭。當約沙法在位時，他將許多金銀、財寶和猶大地的堅固城賜給他的兒子們；但是約蘭一上位就把六個弟弟和別的王子們（堂表兄弟）全部殺掉。這裡用“奮勇自強”是不合宜的，因為他是為了擴展自己的權勢而殺掉其他的王子們。英文是：he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

作者很快就提到，約蘭行以色列諸王的道，與亞哈家一樣，因他娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，所以在妻子的影響之下，做盡耶和華眼中看為惡的事。父親的教導他完全不放在心上，反而跟著妻子去拜偶像，殺親兄弟，成為一個十惡不赦的王。但是神依然有憐憫，因著與大衛立的約，仍然給他悔改的時間和機會。

So Many Reasons to Give Thanks

2021-11-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:26-44.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:26-32 (NIV)
26  The LORD said to Moses,
27  “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.
28  Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.
29  Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.
30  I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day.
31  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
32  It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

On verses 26-32:  Verses 26-32 describe the Day of Atonement, a day when the people remembered how God atoned for their sins so that they could be forgiven.  Why was God so strict about people not doing any work on the Day of Atonement?  In part it was to emphasize that we cannot work for and earn our atonement.  Rather, our atonement was and is God’s work, something He does on our behalf so that we could receive it freely.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

約沙法祈禱讚美敗敵

2021-11-08 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 20:3 約沙法便懼怕，定意尋求耶和華，在猶大全地宣告禁食。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 20:1-37

提到隱基底，可能大家都記得，那是大衛逃亡時住過的地方。因為那是在猶大曠野裡唯一有水泉之處。隱基底位於猶大曠野的盡頭，不僅是猶大人逃亡的躲避之處，也因它位於猶大境的東南邊緣，所以又是猶大國的後門。這一帶的地勢有曠野，有山寨，有水泉，也有山地。在約沙法晚年時，摩押人、亞捫人和米烏尼人聯合進攻猶大，面對強敵壓境，約沙法要如何[應對？

約沙法是一個很勤奮的王，做王不久，他就奮勇自強，不僅防備北國以色列人，且安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡，又安置防兵在猶大地和他父亞撒所得以法蓮的城邑中。他在猶大建造營寨和積貨城，又在猶大城邑中有許多工程，又召集勇士，以致於非利士人和阿拉伯人都來朝貢。以色列王亞哈也邀他一起出兵去打亞蘭。所以他不是沒有兵力，也不是一個膽怯的王，但是當他看到那麼多的敵軍一起來襲時，約沙法也懼怕了。

一個有神同在的王，蒙神祝福的王，也只是一個人。是人就會有懼怕，只是願不願意承認，或是還沒有碰到巨大困擾的差別。當約沙法懼怕時，他為我們設立了一個很好的榜樣，不是像亞撒去求亞蘭的幫助，而是定意尋求耶和華，在猶大全地宣告禁食，尋求耶和華的幫助。約沙法在神面前坦承“我們無力抵擋這來攻擊我們的大軍，我們也不知道怎樣行”，這叫“自知之明”。人有自知之明，知道自己有多少斤兩，才不會被無知所敝，而盲目行事。承認自己軟弱，承認自己有限，承認自己不知道，並不是羞恥，因為這是人的本相；反而為了面子而逞強的人，往往把事情弄得一團糟。

You Were Made For More Than Just Surviving

2021-11-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:15-25.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:15-22 (NIV)
15  “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.
16  Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.
17  From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first fruits to the LORD…….

On verses 15-22:  Leviticus 23 is basically the Israelites’ event calendar, listing out all the biggest holidays that God wanted the Israelites to celebrate during the year.  It starts with the weekly Sabbath day, meant as a day of rest (Leviticus 23:3).  Then there’s the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8), meant to commemorate the day when God spared (“passed over”) every firstborn Israelite male by sacrificing a lamb instead and had everyone eat bread made without yeast in preparation for their swift escape out of Egypt.  Then there’s the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14), which is all about giving God the first part of the harvest, recognizing that their land belongs to God and that God is their provider.  Some consider the Feast of Firstfruits part of the Passover since the Feast of Firstfruits happens during the Passover.

This leads us to verses 15-22, which describe the Feast of Weeks.  What is the Feast of Weeks?  The Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost.  Pentecost was one of the big three festivals in the Jewish calendar (the other two being the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles).

約沙法和亞哈謝

2021-11-07 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 19:6 你們辦事應當謹慎，因為你們判斷不是為人，乃是為耶和華，判斷的時候祂必與你們同在。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 19:1-11

約沙法可能礙於情面，與親家亞哈一起去打仗，想幫他取回失地拉末。但是先見卻帶來神的警告：「你豈當幫助惡人，愛那恨惡耶和華的人呢？因此耶和華的憤怒臨到你。……」這句話聽了令人心頭為之一顫，原來我們和什麼人一起行事，神都知道；並且，神不喜歡我們和不敬畏神的人共同行事。正如保羅說的：「你們和不信的原不相配，不要同負一軛。」原來和恨惡神的人同工，會引起神的慎怒。

這種事在政治上更為明顯，有不少從政者為了選票，什麼廟都進，什麼香都拿。誠然，這世界上沒有完人，即使有敬畏神的競選者，也不見得就可以處事談話都討人的喜悅和滿意。但是按著耶戶說的這兩個原則，神的兒女還是應當選擇敬虔的人同工。他做得好不好是另一回事，但我們應當怎樣行則是我們在神面前應有的心志。但神也褒獎約沙法做得對之事，便是除掉偶像，立定心意尋求神。因此神不再追究他的過犯。祂是賞罰分明的神。

約沙法是一位非常敬畏神的人，在他之前之後都沒有像他那樣注重把百姓帶到神面前的王。他不只是派人出去教導百姓律法，更親自出巡民間，引導百姓歸向耶和華神。當一個人愛神時，就會很注重審判的公義。因此他設立審判官時特別囑咐兩件事：一，判斷不是為人，乃是為耶華。二，神不偏待人，也不受賄賂。所以他們也當像神一樣，不偏待人，也不可以收賄賂，因為他們的工作是代表神在地上的審判。巴不得每個國家的法官們都有這樣的心思去施行審判。

Time To Party

2021-11-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:1-14.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:1-14 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses, 
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 
3  “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
4  “‘These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 
5  The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. ……

On verses 1-14:  When you read in Leviticus 23of all the various feasts that God told the Israelites to observe, let it be a reminder that God loves to party.  Notice that in Leviticus 23God doesn’t tell the people to stop and complain about everything that’s wrong with their life or wrong with the world.  (That’s something we do quite naturally without anybody telling us.)  Instead, God tells the people to stop what they’re doing and celebrate!  It’s like God’s saying, “Focus on the good things I have done in your life and have a celebration.”  In fact, God is so much about celebrating that He tells His people to schedule it into their calendars.

Certainly there are times we need to weep and mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4), but as our lifestyle and as a daily habit, the God of the Bible much prefers that we rejoice always and celebrate (give thanks) in all circumstances (1Thessalonians 5:18).

《聖經中各種審判》9 — 對埃及的審判 之三

2021-11-05 in , /by

聖民是上帝賜福世人的管道

兩河之間肥沃的土地產生阿卡王朝、米所波大米王朝，其中的吾珥城是當時最大的城市，上帝就是在吾珥城呼召亞伯拉罕。聖經記載第一位聽見天上偉大的上帝呼召的先祖就是亞伯拉罕，當亞伯拉罕離開米所波大米，米所波大米的文明就沒有什麼價值了，因為上帝的選民是歷史的中心，如果我們真正敬畏上帝、遵行祂的道。印尼最重要的人，就是敬愛上帝、信仰真神、事奉祂、遵行祂旨意的人，就像上帝對亞伯拉罕說：「如果所多瑪、蛾摩拉有五十個義人，我就不把災禍降在這些城市」。如果我們真心敬畏上帝，上帝要因為我們這些敬畏上帝的人賜福印尼。如果這些人被殺死、被除掉，上帝的恩典就離開這個地區，這個原則是很重要的。我們基督徒一定要過一個敬畏上帝的生活，使我們的存在成為百姓的祝福。當人遵行上帝的旨意，聖經說：「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行上帝旨意的，是永遠常存」（約壹2:17），有上帝給他的永生，使他在世界結束之後，他們要活在上帝面前，直到永永遠遠，這是聖民在世上的貢獻，是真正敬畏上帝的人在人間帶來的祝福。

這要出埃及的以色列人，就是上帝要賜福的亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的後代，上帝要為他們建立永恆的國度，藉著他們產生彌賽亞救主，使世界因為耶穌基督的福音，看到永恆的光、上帝的愛與救贖的恩典，所以這個民族是很重要的。當這個民族受逼迫的時候，上帝興起摩西對法老說：「讓我的百姓離開埃及，到曠野敬拜我」，這是上帝首次干預偉大政權的命令。世界歷史不注意聖經，但是你把世界歷史所有文化的記載與聖經的記載相比，你就知道世界暫時的國度會過去，而且一去不回。埃及如今在哪裡？現今的埃及人，不是摩西時代的埃及人。古埃及人自克麗奧佩脫拉七世之後，已經衰微到近乎滅絕；六百年以後，回教徒興起，阿拉伯人爭奪埃及的領土；現在的埃及人是阿拉伯人，已經沒有古埃及人。

埃及什麼時候開始衰微？就是摩西的時代。聖經的出埃及記比世界的埃及歷史更為重要，上帝興起在埃及受逼迫的以色列人，使他們成為改變歷史的新方向。世上的帝國皆如曇花一現，上帝卻在埃及中興起一個受逼迫四百三十年的民族，因為上帝的恩典，透過摩西的帶領，離開埃及，敬奉上帝。這些敬奉上帝的人，才是上帝看待世上眾百姓的關鍵人物。逼迫的人看自己很偉大、很有權勢，把軍隊當作轉動世界潮流的樞紐，但上帝看敬畏上帝的百姓才是決定世界命運的關鍵。這是從上帝永恆的旨意看暫時的世界，「這地上和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行上帝旨意的，是永遠常存」。在世以敬虔、遵行上帝的旨意過日子，是你、我所當行的。

Gratitude Is Food For Your Soul

2021-11-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 22:17-33.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 22:17-25 (NIV) 
17  The LORD said to Moses, 
18  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you–either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel–presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 
19  you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 
20  Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. ……

On verses 17-25:  Once again we see that God’s holiness requires that almost all sacrifices need to be without defects in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.  This reminds me that:

–        When we serve God, let’s give God our very best – not the leftovers, but the first portion.

–        While we were unable to give God a perfect offering because we ourselves are not perfect, God would send His perfect Son Jesus to be the perfect atoning sacrifice for us.

When food is left over, it spoils.  By eating all the thanksgiving food right away and completely, we keep it from spoiling.  In the same way, when we don’t give thanks to God right away and completely, our thanksgiving “spoils”.  That is, over time we will be tempted to explain away God’s hand on our lives, giving the credit to ourselves, attributing it to our own efforts or to luck or to coincidence, or simply forgetting altogether that anything good happened.  Don’t let your thanksgiving spoil.  Don’t ziplock it and save it for another day.  Instead offer your thanks to God right away and completely.

猶大王約沙法

2021-11-04 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 17:6 他高興遵行耶和華的道，並且從猶大除掉一切丘壇和木偶。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 17:1-19

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法

這是神的律：“你若留意聽從耶和華你神的話，謹守遵行他的一切誡命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，祂必使你超乎天下萬民之上。你若聽從耶和華你神的話，這以下的福必追隨你，臨到你身上。你在城裡必蒙福，在田間也必蒙福。你身所生的，地所產的，牲畜所下的，以及牛犢、羊羔，都必蒙福。你的筐子和你的摶麵盆都必蒙福。你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。（申28:1-6）”當神千方百計要喚回以色列王亞哈時，在猶大南國卻興起了一位敬畏耶和華的王。

那就是約沙法，亞撒王的兒子。亞撒雖然年老失節，但是在他的大半生裡，還算是遵守耶和華神律法的王，蒙神祝福的王。當約沙法在35歲登基時，他已經有一個很好的榜樣，就是他的父王亞撒。

亞撒年老時，因為以色列王巴沙不准以色列人去耶路撒冷的聖殿敬拜，所以攻擊猶大國，修築拉瑪，不許人從拉瑪進出猶大。亞撒王便聯合亞蘭人攻打北國以色列，迫使巴沙停工，不再修築拉瑪。巴沙的兒子以拉接續做王，後來被心利所殺，心利輸給暗利後自焚，暗利傳位給亞哈。在亞撒死後，以色列王頻頻更換時，約沙法沒有放鬆警戒，他奮勇自強，防備以色列人，安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡。

約沙法除了盡力於工事保護人民之外，最重要的還是他行大衛初行的道，不尋巴力，只尋求他父親的神；遵從耶和華神的誡命，不隨從以色列人拜偶像的行為。經過亞撒王當年從國中除去孌童，又除掉他列祖所造的一切偶像，並且貶了他祖母瑪迦太后的位，砍下她的偶像，燒在汲淪溪邊。到了約沙法年間，猶大還有許多丘壇和木偶（即偶像）。可見在所羅門年老時，因為他不僅跟隨嬪妃拜偶像，更允許她們到處設壇，以致百姓相繼跟隨，直到約沙法年間，那些偶像和丘壇才被除去。