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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.

耶和华的箭

2021-11-03 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 22:34 a有一人随便开弓，恰巧射入以色列王的甲缝里。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 18:1-3 *** 〈列王纪〉上22:1-40

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢

在拿伯一事上，神似乎赦免了亚哈，暂缓他的死刑。可是当事过境迁时，亚哈依然不敬畏耶和华神，渺视祂的先知。神有怜悯，却不以有罪为无罪。当人把神的怜悯和恩典视为理所当然而不悔改，不珍惜时，他的末日也就到了。

从罗波安开始，犹大南国和以色列北国就一直在过招，大小战役不停，但是到了犹大王约沙法时，这两个兄弟国竟然和解了。不仅三年没有争战，而且结成亲家了。我们不知道约沙法为何会为儿子约兰，看中亚哈那拜偶像的女儿亚她利雅，娶她为媳。这一和亲，几乎断送了犹大的王朝，若不是神的保守，犹大国就被这个“武则天”给灭掉了。可见敬畏神的人若是以为自己不管怎么做，都有神的保守，就可以不顾神的原则去做事，那就是大大的偏离，有可能给自己惹祸上身。属神的人若故意出轨，还真的很难免其祸。

在约沙法大有尊荣、资财时，就与亚哈结亲。他已经忘记所罗门娶了外邦嫔妃的后果，反而觉得这是美事，还特地去探望他的亲家亚哈。亚哈看到约沙法很高兴，这个亲家看起来很强，各国来朝，进贡不断，大可利用一下。因此向他提到了以前被亚兰抢去，那时尚在亚兰手中的一块地，就是基列的拉末。

基列的拉末原属迦得支派，后划分给祭司米拉利的后裔，南北国分裂后，以色列和亚兰争战，此地数次易手。虽然便哈达二世曾承诺把以往夺得的以色列城镇还给亚哈，但究竟没有兑现诺言。基列的拉末是约旦河东的关口，是从东方进入基列的孔道，君王大道(king’s highway)也通过此城，自古就是一个重要的军事据点，所以在以色列国的历史和地理上都占着重要地位。

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?

亚哈贪谋拿伯之葡萄园

2021-11-02 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 21:3 拿伯对亚哈说：「我敬畏耶和华，万不敢将我先人留下的产业给你。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉上21:1-29

这篇经文说到亚哈王看到拿伯有个葡萄园，他想取来作为自己的菜园。没想到这个拿伯灳不管他是以色列王，因为敬畏耶和华，而不敢放弃先人留下的产业。亚哈王因为达不到目的，就像小孩子一样生闷气，躺在床上，不肯吃饭。然后，让他的邪恶皇后找人把拿伯害死，再夺他的葡萄园。神为此事而判了亚哈和耶洗别的死罪。可是没想到亚哈一自卑，撕裂衣服，禁食，身穿麻布，睡卧也穿着麻布，并且缓缓而行。神的心就软下来，要等到他儿子那一代再降祸他家。

面对像拿伯和亚哈这样明显可以分出好坏的人，我们很难明白，为何拿伯要被害死？而亚哈到最后还被赦免？拿伯为了遵行律法，不肯出卖祖产，不然他可以好好地敲亚哈一笔钱，或换更好的葡萄园，但是因为神说：“地不可永卖，因为地是我的，你们在我面前是客旅，是寄居的。（利25:23）”所以他宁可放弃更好的田产或更多的钱，也要守着他的葡萄园。这样守律法的人为何要被陷害，蒙不白之冤而死呢？假如神不保护守律法的人，那么谁还敢守律法？

像拿伯这样的例子很多，以致于有些人因而不相信神的公义，不肯信主。事实上，神让这些人成为世人的榜样，要让我们明白，守神的律法，有时要付出生命的代价，例如耶稣基督。再冤的人也冤不过耶稣，以无罪之身为世人还罪债，直到最后一刻还说：“父啊，赦免他们，因为他们所做的，他们不晓得。（路23:34）”耶稣指出一个属灵的奥秘：“那杀身体不能杀灵魂的，不要怕他们；唯有能把身体和灵魂都灭在地狱里的，正要怕祂。（太10:28）”

便哈达攻亚哈

2021-11-01 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 20:28b 所以我必将这一大群人都交在你手中，你们就知道我是耶和华。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉上20:1-21

《圣经》里有三次提到亚兰王（叙利亚王）便哈达（Ben-hadad），这个名字的意思是哈达德之子。哈达德是亚兰人以为的掌管风暴之神，是亚兰人和其地区所拜的神。所以很难区分是同一个王或是不同的王。但不管是哪个便哈达，都是在形容亚兰的势力对以色列的威胁。在亚哈王死的前五年，亚兰王便哈达二世率领32个王，去命令亚哈交出一切最好的，包括亚哈的妻子儿女，换句话说，叫亚哈无条件投降。这32个王，可能相当于中国古时候的附庸诸侯，都是一小区一小区的霸主。

亚哈召集国中的长老去商议如何应付便哈达，长老和百姓都提议不要投降，要与之对抗。此时神派一个先知来见亚哈，教他如何应敌。神帮助亚哈打亚兰军的目的，因为要亚哈知道祂是耶和华神。借着神指示的方法，亚哈在中午时分，趁着便哈达和那32个王在痛饮之际，给他来个迎头一击。在便哈达以为可以活捉以色列人时，神却让他们大败在以色列人面前。以致便哈达和那32个王不得不落跑。打赢之后，先知又来叫亚哈要防备，因为亚兰王第二年必再来攻击。

便哈达回去之后，痛定思痛，和臣仆检讨失败的原因，觉得那32个王太不可靠了，打仗时不能同心，还是自己的军长比较可靠，能够团结对外。他们又认为以色列人的神是山神，所以要在平原打以色列人。所以又招募军兵，马补马，车补车，到亚弗安营。亚弗在加利利海的东边，在大马士革和耶斯列平原之间，是亚兰人通往以色列之路。在便哈达以为耶和华神是山神不是平原的神之后，他再度带兵来犯，结果战败逃入亚弗，没想到城墙塌倒，压死剩下的二万七千亚兰步兵。

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. 

以利亚遁至何烈山

2021-10-31 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 19:18 但我在以色列人中为自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的，未曾与巴力亲嘴的。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉上19:1-21

想到在风雨中奔跑在亚哈马车前的以利亚，和狂奔到别是巴的以利亚，两者之间的心境实在有天壤之别。奔跑在亚哈马车前的以利亚，刚刚完成了极大的使命，在迦密山上胜过450个巴力的先知，让以色列众民晓得耶和华是神，并且神按著所应许的下雨了。神的灵与他同在，使他的生命充满了能力。这时的以利亚仿佛站在信心之颠。但是耶洗别送来了一句话：“明日约在这时候，我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一样，愿神明重重地降罚于我！”

以利亚顿时好像被刺破了一个洞的气球，咻的一下子就变扁了。他所有的勇气和信心在一刹那之间消失殆尽，他又开始跑了。但是这次的跑法跟上次不同，上次跑得意气风发，非常豪迈；这次跑起来有点像被猎人追的野狗，抱头鼠窜。从以色列北国的撒马利亚，跑到南国犹大的最南边别是巴才停下来。还感到不够安全，又在旷野走了一天，坐到一棵罗腾树下，在那里向神求死：“耶和华啊，罢了！求祢取我的性命，因为我不胜于我的列祖”。说完就累得睡着了。

伟大如以利亚都曾经绝望得想自杀，从信心的最高峰跌下去，一直掉到绝望的深渊里，爬不出来，只想一死了之。有很多神的仆人都有类似的经历。跟随神的旅程，不会永远站在信心的颠峰，有时环境会把我们逼上绝路。以利亚怕死了，恶妇耶洗别要他的命。他显然不怕亚哈，可是却怕耶洗别怕到这样的程度。可能因为耶洗别太恶名昭彰了。所以我们永远不要说自己倚靠神就不会跌倒，魔鬼知道我们心中最软弱的那个部份，只要一按下去，我们就变成一个纸娃娃了。这也就是主所说的：“离了我，你们就不能做什么”（约15:5）。主对我们的理解何等深切。

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”.