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Loved Despite The Defects

2021-11-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 21:1-24.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 21:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,
2  except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,
3  or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband–for her he may make himself unclean.
4  He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.

On verses 1-4:  Leviticus 21:1-4 says that a priest could not touch or get near a dead person unless that person was a close relative, lest he become ceremonially unclean himself and unable to approach God.  Amazingly, in contrast, in the gospels we see Jesus’ touching dead people and making them alive.  Rather than Jesus being negatively affected by other people’s “deadness”, Jesus’ “aliveness” made dead people come to life.  In Jesus Christ we have a high priest like no other.

Leviticus 21:5-6 (NIV)
5  “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
6  They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

耶和華的箭

2021-11-03 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 22:34 a有一人隨便開弓，恰巧射入以色列王的甲縫裡。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 18:1-3 *** 〈列王紀〉上22:1-40

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法

以色列王：耶羅波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亞哈→亞哈謝

在拿伯一事上，神似乎赦免了亞哈，暫緩他的死刑。可是當事過境遷時，亞哈依然不敬畏耶和華神，渺視祂的先知。神有憐憫，卻不以有罪為無罪。當人把神的憐憫和恩典視為理所當然而不悔改，不珍惜時，他的末日也就到了。

從羅波安開始，猶大南國和以色列北國就一直在過招，大小戰役不停，但是到了猶大王約沙法時，這兩個兄弟國竟然和解了。不僅三年沒有爭戰，而且結成親家了。我們不知道約沙法為何會為兒子約蘭，看中亞哈那拜偶像的女兒亞她利雅，娶她為媳。這一和親，幾乎斷送了猶大的王朝，若不是神的保守，猶大國就被這個“武則天”給滅掉了。可見敬畏神的人若是以為自己不管怎麼做，都有神的保守，就可以不顧神的原則去做事，那就是大大的偏離，有可能給自己惹禍上身。屬神的人若故意出軌，還真的很難免其禍。

在約沙法大有尊榮、資財時，就與亞哈結親。他已經忘記所羅門娶了外邦嬪妃的後果，反而覺得這是美事，還特地去探望他的親家亞哈。亞哈看到約沙法很高興，這個親家看起來很強，各國來朝，進貢不斷，大可利用一下。因此向他提到了以前被亞蘭搶去，那時尚在亞蘭手中的一塊地，就是基列的拉末。

基列的拉末原屬迦得支派，後劃分給祭司米拉利的後裔，南北國分裂後，以色列和亞蘭爭戰，此地數次易手。雖然便哈達二世曾承諾把以往奪得的以色列城鎮還給亞哈，但究竟沒有兌現諾言。基列的拉末是約旦河東的關口，是從東方進入基列的孔道，君王大道(king’s highway)也通過此城，自古就是一個重要的軍事據點，所以在以色列國的歷史和地理上都佔着重要地位。

God Makes Laws For Our Good

2021-11-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:23-37.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:23-25 (NIV)
23  “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24  In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
25  But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.

On verses 23-25:  Why would God forbid the Israelites from eating the fruit from a fruit tree they planted for the first three years?  Isn’t this a waste?  Why is God depriving His own people of food?  God’s purpose was not to deprive His people but opposite: so that “your harvest will be increased” (v25).  Apparently, according to some horticulturists, fruit trees that are not stripped of their fruit in their first few years but are maintained with care have the ability to produce much more fruit in subsequent years. 

What can we learn from this?  When God is seemingly depriving you or keeping you from enjoying a blessing, it’s not to be cruel to you but ultimately to bless you.  Also, the fact that the Israelites were told to give the fourth year’s harvest to the Lord before eating of the fruit themselves suggests one more truth: that the land that the Israelites were going to live in ultimately does not belong to them but to God.  It’s a reminder for us that whatever we think we own actually belongs to God.  We are just stewards and trustees of what God has given to us.

Do All the Regulations in Leviticus Apply to Christians Today

2021-11-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:11-22.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:11-22 (NIV)
11  “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.
12  “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13  “‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14  “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15  “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly…….

On verses 11-22:  What do we do with a passage like Leviticus 19:11-22?  On one hand, the first half (verses 11-18) lists commands that are easy for us to understand and that we can easily see applying just as much today as in Moses’ time: do not steal, do not lie, do not pervert justice, do not slander others, etc.  You’ll find that in verses 11-18, every other verse is punctuated with the statement “I am the LORD”, encouraging us to remember who it is who gives these commands and who it is we are accountable to – not just anyone, but God Himself.

But then in the second half (verses 19-22) we come across commands that may sound strange and foreign to us.  For example, verse 19 says to not plant two kinds of seed in the same field.  Is it wrong for you to plant tomatoes AND cucumbers in your backyard?   And how about this: do not wear clothing woven with two kinds of material (verse 19)?  Is God offended if I wear a shirt that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester?

亞哈貪謀拿伯之葡萄園

2021-11-02 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 21:3 拿伯對亞哈說：「我敬畏耶和華，萬不敢將我先人留下的產業給你。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉上21:1-29

這篇經文說到亞哈王看到拿伯有個葡萄園，他想取來作為自己的菜園。沒想到這個拿伯灳不管他是以色列王，因為敬畏耶和華，而不敢放棄先人留下的產業。亞哈王因為達不到目的，就像小孩子一樣生悶氣，躺在床上，不肯吃飯。然後，讓他的邪惡皇后找人把拿伯害死，再奪他的葡萄園。神為此事而判了亞哈和耶洗別的死罪。可是沒想到亞哈一自卑，撕裂衣服，禁食，身穿麻布，睡臥也穿著麻布，並且緩緩而行。神的心就軟下來，要等到他兒子那一代再降禍他家。

面對像拿伯和亞哈這樣明顯可以分出好壞的人，我們很難明白，為何拿伯要被害死？而亞哈到最後還被赦免？拿伯為了遵行律法，不肯出賣祖產，不然他可以好好地敲亞哈一筆錢，或換更好的葡萄園，但是因為神說：“地不可永賣，因為地是我的，你們在我面前是客旅，是寄居的。（利25:23）”所以他寧可放棄更好的田產或更多的錢，也要守著他的葡萄園。這樣守律法的人為何要被陷害，蒙不白之冤而死呢？假如神不保護守律法的人，那麼誰還敢守律法？

像拿伯這樣的例子很多，以致於有些人因而不相信神的公義，不肯信主。事實上，神讓這些人成為世人的榜樣，要讓我們明白，守神的律法，有時要付出生命的代價，例如耶穌基督。再冤的人也冤不過耶穌，以無罪之身為世人還罪債，直到最後一刻還說：“父啊，赦免他們，因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。（路23:34）”耶穌指出一個屬靈的奧秘：“那殺身體不能殺靈魂的，不要怕他們；唯有能把身體和靈魂都滅在地獄裡的，正要怕祂。（太10:28）”

便哈達攻亞哈

2021-11-01 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 20:28b 所以我必將這一大群人都交在你手中，你們就知道我是耶和華。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉上20:1-21

《聖經》裡有三次提到亞蘭王（叙利亞王）便哈達（Ben-hadad），這個名字的意思是哈達德之子。哈達德是亞蘭人以為的掌管風暴之神，是亞蘭人和其地區所拜的神。所以很難區分是同一個王或是不同的王。但不管是哪個便哈達，都是在形容亞蘭的勢力對以色列的威脅。在亞哈王死的前五年，亞蘭王便哈達二世率領32個王，去命令亞哈交出一切最好的，包括亞哈的妻子兒女，換句話說，叫亞哈無條件投降。這32個王，可能相當於中國古時候的附庸諸侯，都是一小區一小區的霸主。

亞哈召集國中的長老去商議如何應付便哈達，長老和百姓都提議不要投降，要與之對抗。此時神派一個先知來見亞哈，教他如何應敵。神幫助亞哈打亞蘭軍的目的，因為要亞哈知道祂是耶和華神。藉著神指示的方法，亞哈在中午時分，趁著便哈達和那32個王在痛飲之際，給他來個迎頭一擊。在便哈達以為可以活捉以色列人時，神卻讓他們大敗在以色列人面前。以致便哈達和那32個王不得不落跑。打贏之後，先知又來叫亞哈要防備，因為亞蘭王第二年必再來攻擊。

便哈達回去之後，痛定思痛，和臣僕檢討失敗的原因，覺得那32個王太不可靠了，打仗時不能同心，還是自己的軍長比較可靠，能夠團結對外。他們又認為以色列人的神是山神，所以要在平原打以色列人。所以又招募軍兵，馬補馬，車補車，到亞弗安營。亞弗在加利利海的東邊，在大馬士革和耶斯列平原之間，是亞蘭人通往以色列之路。在便哈達以為耶和華神是山神不是平原的神之後，他再度帶兵來犯，結果戰敗逃入亞弗，沒想到城牆塌倒，壓死剩下的二萬七千亞蘭步兵。

God’s Heart for the Poor

2021-11-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 18:19-30.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 18:19-30 (NIV)
19  “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20  “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21  “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22  “‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
23  “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion…….

On verses 19-30:  Here we learn one of the reasons why God was ousting out the nations that occupied Canaan and bringing the Israelites to occupy Canaan in their place, which is that these other nations had, in God’s eyes, become defiled by their idol worship (which included sacrificing their children to the god Molech) (v21) and sexual practices which displeased God (v19-20, 22-23).  Rather than seeing themselves as subject to God’s commands, these other nations carried on life with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it.”  In carrying on these practices, verses 24b and 27 say that these other nations defiled themselves, defiled the land that they lived in, and thus were cut off and vomited out of the land.  The Israelites are told not to make the same mistakes as these other nations as they get ready to occupy that same land.

What can we learn from this?  When we live with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it”, we make ourselves the centre of our own universe and push God to the wayside.  We think that living this way is the key to our happiness, when in fact living with an attitude of entitlement eventually brings us misery, causing us eventually to be cut off from God’s presence and God’s blessings. 

以利亞遁至何烈山

2021-10-31 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 19:18 但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的，未曾與巴力親嘴的。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉上19:1-21

想到在風雨中奔跑在亞哈馬車前的以利亞，和狂奔到別是巴的以利亞，兩者之間的心境實在有天壤之別。奔跑在亞哈馬車前的以利亞，剛剛完成了極大的使命，在迦密山上勝過450個巴力的先知，讓以色列眾民曉得耶和華是神，並且神按著所應許的下雨了。神的靈與他同在，使他的生命充滿了能力。這時的以利亞彷彿站在信心之顛。但是耶洗別送來了一句話：“明日約在這時候，我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一樣，願神明重重地降罰於我！”

以利亞頓時好像被刺破了一個洞的氣球，咻的一下子就變扁了。他所有的勇氣和信心在一剎那之間消失殆盡，他又開始跑了。但是這次的跑法跟上次不同，上次跑得意氣風發，非常豪邁；這次跑起來有點像被獵人追的野狗，抱頭鼠竄。從以色列北國的撒馬利亞，跑到南國猶大的最南邊別是巴才停下來。還感到不夠安全，又在曠野走了一天，坐到一棵羅騰樹下，在那裡向神求死：“耶和華啊，罷了！求祢取我的性命，因為我不勝於我的列祖”。說完就累得睡著了。

偉大如以利亞都曾經絕望得想自殺，從信心的最高峰跌下去，一直掉到絕望的深淵裡，爬不出來，只想一死了之。有很多神的僕人都有類似的經歷。跟隨神的旅程，不會永遠站在信心的顛峰，有時環境會把我們逼上絕路。以利亞怕死了，惡婦耶洗別要他的命。他顯然不怕亞哈，可是卻怕耶洗別怕到這樣的程度。可能因為耶洗別太惡名昭彰了。所以我們永遠不要說自己倚靠神就不會跌倒，魔鬼知道我們心中最軟弱的那個部份，只要一按下去，我們就變成一個紙娃娃了。這也就是主所說的：“離了我，你們就不能做什麼”（約15:5）。主對我們的理解何等深切。

The Dangers of an Attitude of Entitlement

2021-10-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 18:19-30.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 18:19-30 (NIV)
19  “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20  “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21  “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22  “‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
23  “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion…….

On verses 19-30:  Here we learn one of the reasons why God was ousting out the nations that occupied Canaan and bringing the Israelites to occupy Canaan in their place, which is that these other nations had, in God’s eyes, become defiled by their idol worship (which included sacrificing their children to the god Molech) (v21) and sexual practices which displeased God (v19-20, 22-23).  Rather than seeing themselves as subject to God’s commands, these other nations carried on life with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it.”  In carrying on these practices, verses 24b and 27 say that these other nations defiled themselves, defiled the land that they lived in, and thus were cut off and vomited out of the land.  The Israelites are told not to make the same mistakes as these other nations as they get ready to occupy that same land.

What can we learn from this?  When we live with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it”, we make ourselves the centre of our own universe and push God to the wayside.  We think that living this way is the key to our happiness, when in fact living with an attitude of entitlement eventually brings us misery, causing us eventually to be cut off from God’s presence and God’s blessings. 

You Need to Belong to a Local Church

2021-10-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 17:1-16.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 17:1-9 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the LORD has commanded:
3  Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it
4  instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD–that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people.
5  This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings…….

On verses 1-9:  In Leviticus 17, some of the Israelites were no longer going to worship with their Israelite brothers and sisters at the Tent of Meeting.  Instead of bringing their worship sacrifices to the Tent of Meeting where they could worship together with other believers and priests, some Israelites may have thought, “Well, isn’t God everywhere?  Let’s just do all of our sacrifices here in the open fields from now on (See Leviticus 17:1-4).  Who needs to go to the Tent of Meeting to worship?  Aren’t we all God’s people?”

Likewise, today from time to time you might meet someone who says, “I am a Christian, but I don’t belong to any local congregation.  I am part of God’s universal Church, so there’s no need for me to belong to any particular local church.  I can just worship God in my own home or at a park or by the beach if I want to”.