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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.

约沙法卒约兰继位

2021-11-09 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 21:6 他行以色列诸王的道，与亚哈家一样；因他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 21:1-20

约沙法是个敬畏神的王，但是他做父亲时，却为儿子约兰娶了一门拜偶像的媳妇，以致为犹大家带来的前所未有的灾难。

约兰有一个最敬虔的父亲，和一个最恶毒的妻子。当一个男人结婚后，你觉得谁对他会有最大的影响？这是约沙法当初没有想到的。他和亚哈结成亲家，使他的儿子们都死于非命，百姓被引诱去拜偶像和假神，他所有的工作都功亏一匮。一个错误的决定，影响何等深远。这是他所料不及的。所以我们在做决定时，不要以为无所谓，不要以为结婚后对方会因你而改变，不要以为你有能力可以改变任何人，不要自以为很有能力。

约沙法有七个儿子，约兰是长子，因此约沙法把王位交给约兰。当约沙法在位时，他将许多金银、财宝和犹大地的坚固城赐给他的儿子们；但是约兰一上位就把六个弟弟和别的王子们（堂表兄弟）全部杀掉。这里用“奋勇自强”是不合宜的，因为他是为了扩展自己的权势而杀掉其他的王子们。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，约兰行以色列诸王的道，与亚哈家一样，因他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻，所以在妻子的影响之下，做尽耶和华眼中看为恶的事。父亲的教导他完全不放在心上，反而跟着妻子去拜偶像，杀亲兄弟，成为一个十恶不赦的王。但是神依然有怜悯，因着与大卫立的约，仍然给他悔改的时间和机会。

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).

约沙法祈祷赞美败敌

2021-11-08 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 20:3 约沙法便惧怕，定意寻求耶和华，在犹大全地宣告禁食。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 20:1-37

提到隐基底，可能大家都记得，那是大卫逃亡时住过的地方。因为那是在犹大旷野里唯一有水泉之处。隐基底位于犹大旷野的尽头，不仅是犹大人逃亡的躲避之处，也因它位于犹大境的东南边缘，所以又是犹大国的后门。这一带的地势有旷野，有山寨，有水泉，也有山地。在约沙法晚年时，摩押人、亚扪人和米乌尼人联合进攻犹大，面对强敌压境，约沙法要如何[应对？

约沙法是一个很勤奋的王，做王不久，他就奋勇自强，不仅防备北国以色列人，且安置军兵在犹大一切坚固城里，又安置防兵在犹大地和他父亚撒所得以法莲的城邑中。他在犹大建造营寨和积货城，又在犹大城邑中有许多工程，又召集勇士，以致于非利士人和阿拉伯人都来朝贡。以色列王亚哈也邀他一起出兵去打亚兰。所以他不是没有兵力，也不是一个胆怯的王，但是当他看到那么多的敌军一起来袭时，约沙法也惧怕了。

一个有神同在的王，蒙神祝福的王，也只是一个人。是人就会有惧怕，只是愿不愿意承认，或是还没有碰到巨大困扰的差别。当约沙法惧怕时，他为我们设立了一个很好的榜样，不是像亚撒去求亚兰的帮助，而是定意寻求耶和华，在犹大全地宣告禁食，寻求耶和华的帮助。约沙法在神面前坦承“我们无力抵挡这来攻击我们的大军，我们也不知道怎样行”，这叫“自知之明”。人有自知之明，知道自己有多少斤两，才不会被无知所敝，而盲目行事。承认自己软弱，承认自己有限，承认自己不知道，并不是羞耻，因为这是人的本相；反而为了面子而逞强的人，往往把事情弄得一团糟。

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).

约沙法和亚哈谢

2021-11-07 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 19:6 你们办事应当谨慎，因为你们判断不是为人，乃是为耶和华，判断的时候祂必与你们同在。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 19:1-11

约沙法可能碍于情面，与亲家亚哈一起去打仗，想帮他取回失地拉末。但是先见却带来神的警告：「你岂当帮助恶人，爱那恨恶耶和华的人呢？因此耶和华的愤怒临到你。……」这句话听了令人心头为之一颤，原来我们和什么人一起行事，神都知道；并且，神不喜欢我们和不敬畏神的人共同行事。正如保罗说的：「你们和不信的原不相配，不要同负一轭。」原来和恨恶神的人同工，会引起神的慎怒。

这种事在政治上更为明显，有不少从政者为了选票，什么庙都进，什么香都拿。诚然，这世界上没有完人，即使有敬畏神的竞选者，也不见得就可以处事谈话都讨人的喜悦和满意。但是按著耶户说的这两个原则，神的儿女还是应当选择敬虔的人同工。他做得好不好是另一回事，但我们应当怎样行则是我们在神面前应有的心志。但神也褒奖约沙法做得对之事，便是除掉偶像，立定心意寻求神。因此神不再追究他的过犯。祂是赏罚分明的神。

约沙法是一位非常敬畏神的人，在他之前之后都没有像他那样注重把百姓带到神面前的王。他不只是派人出去教导百姓律法，更亲自出巡民间，引导百姓归向耶和华神。当一个人爱神时，就会很注重审判的公义。因此他设立审判官时特别嘱咐两件事：一，判断不是为人，乃是为耶华。二，神不偏待人，也不受贿赂。所以他们也当像神一样，不偏待人，也不可以收贿赂，因为他们的工作是代表神在地上的审判。巴不得每个国家的法官们都有这样的心思去施行审判。

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).

《圣经中各种审判》9 — 对埃及的审判 之三

2021-11-05 in , /by

圣民是上帝赐福世人的管道

两河之间肥沃的土地产生阿卡王朝、米所波大米王朝，其中的吾珥城是当时最大的城市，上帝就是在吾珥城呼召亚伯拉罕。圣经记载第一位听见天上伟大的上帝呼召的先祖就是亚伯拉罕，当亚伯拉罕离开米所波大米，米所波大米的文明就没有什么价值了，因为上帝的选民是历史的中心，如果我们真正敬畏上帝、遵行祂的道。印尼最重要的人，就是敬爱上帝、信仰真神、事奉祂、遵行祂旨意的人，就像上帝对亚伯拉罕说：「如果所多玛、蛾摩拉有五十个义人，我就不把灾祸降在这些城市」。如果我们真心敬畏上帝，上帝要因为我们这些敬畏上帝的人赐福印尼。如果这些人被杀死、被除掉，上帝的恩典就离开这个地区，这个原则是很重要的。我们基督徒一定要过一个敬畏上帝的生活，使我们的存在成为百姓的祝福。当人遵行上帝的旨意，圣经说：「这世界和其上的情欲都要过去，惟独遵行上帝旨意的，是永远常存」（约壹2:17），有上帝给他的永生，使他在世界结束之后，他们要活在上帝面前，直到永永远远，这是圣民在世上的贡献，是真正敬畏上帝的人在人间带来的祝福。

这要出埃及的以色列人，就是上帝要赐福的亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的后代，上帝要为他们建立永恒的国度，借着他们产生弥赛亚救主，使世界因为耶稣基督的福音，看到永恒的光、上帝的爱与救赎的恩典，所以这个民族是很重要的。当这个民族受逼迫的时候，上帝兴起摩西对法老说：「让我的百姓离开埃及，到旷野敬拜我」，这是上帝首次干预伟大政权的命令。世界历史不注意圣经，但是你把世界历史所有文化的记载与圣经的记载相比，你就知道世界暂时的国度会过去，而且一去不回。埃及如今在哪里？现今的埃及人，不是摩西时代的埃及人。古埃及人自克丽奥佩脱拉七世之后，已经衰微到近乎灭绝；六百年以后，回教徒兴起，阿拉伯人争夺埃及的领土；现在的埃及人是阿拉伯人，已经没有古埃及人。

埃及什么时候开始衰微？就是摩西的时代。圣经的出埃及记比世界的埃及历史更为重要，上帝兴起在埃及受逼迫的以色列人，使他们成为改变历史的新方向。世上的帝国皆如昙花一现，上帝却在埃及中兴起一个受逼迫四百三十年的民族，因为上帝的恩典，透过摩西的带领，离开埃及，敬奉上帝。这些敬奉上帝的人，才是上帝看待世上众百姓的关键人物。逼迫的人看自己很伟大、很有权势，把军队当作转动世界潮流的枢纽，但上帝看敬畏上帝的百姓才是决定世界命运的关键。这是从上帝永恒的旨意看暂时的世界，「这地上和其上的情欲都要过去，惟独遵行上帝旨意的，是永远常存」。在世以敬虔、遵行上帝的旨意过日子，是你、我所当行的。

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.

犹大王约沙法

2021-11-04 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 17:6 他高兴遵行耶和华的道，并且从犹大除掉一切丘坛和木偶。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 17:1-19

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法

这是神的律：“你若留意听从耶和华你神的话，谨守遵行他的一切诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，祂必使你超乎天下万民之上。你若听从耶和华你神的话，这以下的福必追随你，临到你身上。你在城里必蒙福，在田间也必蒙福。你身所生的，地所产的，牲畜所下的，以及牛犊、羊羔，都必蒙福。你的筐子和你的抟面盆都必蒙福。你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。（申28:1-6）”当神千方百计要唤回以色列王亚哈时，在犹大南国却兴起了一位敬畏耶和华的王。

那就是约沙法，亚撒王的儿子。亚撒虽然年老失节，但是在他的大半生里，还算是遵守耶和华神律法的王，蒙神祝福的王。当约沙法在35岁登基时，他已经有一个很好的榜样，就是他的父王亚撒。

亚撒年老时，因为以色列王巴沙不准以色列人去耶路撒冷的圣殿敬拜，所以攻击犹大国，修筑拉玛，不许人从拉玛进出犹大。亚撒王便联合亚兰人攻打北国以色列，迫使巴沙停工，不再修筑拉玛。巴沙的儿子以拉接续做王，后来被心利所杀，心利输给暗利后自焚，暗利传位给亚哈。在亚撒死后，以色列王频频更换时，约沙法没有放松警戒，他奋勇自强，防备以色列人，安置军兵在犹大一切坚固城里。

约沙法除了尽力于工事保护人民之外，最重要的还是他行大卫初行的道，不寻巴力，只寻求他父亲的神；遵从耶和华神的诫命，不随从以色列人拜偶像的行为。经过亚撒王当年从国中除去娈童，又除掉他列祖所造的一切偶像，并且贬了他祖母玛迦太后的位，砍下她的偶像，烧在汲沦溪边。到了约沙法年间，犹大还有许多丘坛和木偶（即偶像）。可见在所罗门年老时，因为他不仅跟随嫔妃拜偶像，更允许她们到处设坛，以致百姓相继跟随，直到约沙法年间，那些偶像和丘坛才被除去。