Entries by

God’s Provision When I Couldn’t Afford It

2021-10-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 14:19-32.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 14:19-32 (NIV)
19  “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering
20  and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean.
21  “If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil,
22  and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering…….

On verses 19-32:  Leviticus 14:1-32 is talking about the process by which a leper who was once quarantined from the community due to his skin condition could be restored to the community.

Verses 10 through 18 talk about the sacrifice that the now restored leper is to bring, consisting of two male lambs and a one year old female lamb (also called an ewe).  But what if the leper was poor and could not afford two male lambs and a female lamb?  Verses 19-32 allow the leper instead to bring one single male lamb and two birds (either doves or pigeons) as the leper’s sacrifice.  The one single male lamb would serve as the leper’s guilt offering (v21) and the two birds would serve as the leper’s sin offering and burnt offering (v22).

《聖經中各種審判》7 — 對埃及的審判

2021-10-22 in , /by

論及歷史上的帝國

聖經的各種審判的講解，讓我們明白上帝如何在歷史中，透過祂運行在世上的權柄以及管教全世界的作為，彰顯祂的公義與聖潔。在整個源遠流城的歷史洪流中，中東以及北非的歷史上出現幾個最大的帝國，最先是阿卡帝國，以後是巴比倫、埃及、亞述、波斯、馬其頓、羅馬帝國，這些帝國的氣派與統治的範圍幾乎沒有可相比的。如今，無論東方或西方，已經沒有帝國的存在，昔日偉大的帝國都消滅了，現今還存在有王權但沒有統治實權的王族，挪威、瑞典、丹麥還有王族，昔日掌有大權的英國皇家現在也沒有太大的實權。日本的皇族與中國的皇族不一樣的地方，在於中國的皇族常常換姓，但日本的天皇制度一直傳下來，沒有換姓，日本皇族與日本社會非常敬重自己王族的傳習。中國最先的唐堯虞舜，是禪讓制度；禹之後，傳子不傳賢，之後夏朝被商朝推翻，商朝再被周朝推翻，異性的政權傳到滿族，最後被孫中山推翻。西方的帝國，國祚最長的，是二千多年的羅馬帝國；東方的王朝，國祚最長的，是五千多年的中國王朝。

君士坦丁促使羅馬帝國成為基督教國家

國祚綿延的羅馬帝國起初反對基督教，殺害基督徒，逼迫教會，直到第四世紀某一天的晚上，君士坦丁（Constantine, c.272-337）做夢，夢到他打仗的時候，有十字架的旗號在空中飛揚，說：「你要得著基督，才能得勝」，君士坦丁照著去做，果然全軍大勝，因而改信基督教。【編按：教會史家優西比烏（Eusebius of Caesarea, c.260-340）撰寫的《君士坦丁的一生》（Life of Constantine），書中曾提及君士坦丁與勢均力敵的對手對敵，在一場決定性戰役前夜曾做一個夢，夢中君士坦丁看見耶穌對他說：「只要以基督十字架作為部隊旌旗，就一定會戰勝敵軍」，夢醒之後的君士坦丁就照著夢中得到的指示更改旌旗，他的軍隊果然在這場決定性的戰役中大獲全勝。有另一說：在決戰前，君士坦丁望向天空，看見太陽之上有十字架的形狀，同時也出現一段文字說明；「以此記號，你必征服」，於是君士坦丁命令士兵在盾牌上畫上十字架的記號，他的軍隊果然戰勝。資料來源：台灣教會公報】君士坦丁改信基督教，使得原先反對基督教、殺害基督徒、逼害教會的帝國，舉國上下改信基督教，這是天大的事情。

描繪〈君士坦丁靠基督得勝〉的圖我們教會有，因為我請一位畫家從中國搬到印尼，在這裡吃、住、作畫，其中一幅畫作就是這幅。我在深圳遇到這位畫家，發現他繪畫的長才，便問他願不願到印尼作畫。那時他才二十三、四歲，他曾到印尼幫有錢人畫圖，他其中一個作品是畫在屋頂上。在屋頂上作畫是很難的，從前的人要建木架，躺在那邊，臉朝向屋頂，把漆放上去，如果漆掉進眼睛，可能會瞎的。米開朗基羅（Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475 -1564）就是這樣在西斯汀禮拜堂的屋頂，畫了全世界著名的〈創世記〉，有一次漆掉在他的眼睛旁，險些使他瞎眼；還有一次，他從木架摔下來，差一點殘廢。義大利人認為他比里奧納多達芬奇（Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519）更偉大。我用自己的錢把這名畫家五、六張的圖畫買回來，其中一張大到我沒有辦法從香港帶回來，長度六公尺四，比你的床大兩、三倍，這樣大的圖畫不能折，帶上飛機也很困難。於是，我邀請他到印尼住，在這裡畫，傳福音給他。這位畫家因而待在印尼二年多的時間，他所畫的其中兩項畫作，其一是在教會建築最高的二十四層樓，他畫了六公尺四米〈最後的審判〉的複製品，還有一張長五公尺半、高三公尺四，我放在二十四樓音樂廳外的一座牆上，那是第二張最大的圖，叫做〈君士坦丁靠基督得勝〉。如果你們有機會上去看一下，我很樂意解釋給你們聽。這個教會有世界最好的音樂、圖畫、神學，都是為你們預備。

The Work Jesus Does to Restore You

2021-10-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 14:1-18.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 14:1-18 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest:
3  The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease,
4  the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.
5  Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.
6  He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water…….

In Leviticus 14 we read of what a priest would do for a leper who had been banished from society because of their skin condition.  The priest was to go outside the camp to find the leper, to examine the leper, to confirm the leper’s healing, to make sacrifices on the leper’s behalf and to restore the leper back into the community.  Notice that it is the priest who does all the work on behalf of the leper so that the leper could be restored.

Similarly, when we were lost and cut off from God’s presence and God’s community because of our sin condition, Jesus our great high priest went outside of heaven’s borders to find us, to search our hearts, to proclaim our healing, to make costly sacrifices for us, and to bring us back to God and God’s community.  Jesus did all the work on behalf of us so that we could be restored.

Clean Because of Jesus

2021-10-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:40-59.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:40-46 (NIV)
40  “When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.
41  If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean.
42  But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead.
43  The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease,
44  the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.
45  “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
46  As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.

On verses 40-46:  In Leviticus 13:45-46 we read of the way in which people with leprosy were kept away from the rest of society: they would need to tear their clothes, cover their faces, cry out “unclean!” whenever anyone came near, and live alone outside the camp away from everyone.  Sadly, for the protection of the rest of the community, lepers were treated as the untouchables of Israelite society.

Given this, it is amazing to read about the way Jesus treated lepers.  In Luke 5:12-16, a man covered in leprosy sees Jesus and falls with his face to the ground and begs Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus’ response is, literally, touching.  The Bible says Jesus reached out his hand and touched this man, who probably had not felt the touch of another human being in a very long time.  When no one else was willing to get near him, let alone touch him, Jesus touched and said, “I am willing.  Be clean!”  And when Jesus touched the leper, the leprosy left him immediately.

猶大王亞比央 / 亞比雅

2021-10-21 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 12:8  然而他們必做示撒的僕人，好叫他們知道服侍我與服侍外邦人有何分別。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  15:1-8 
  〈歷代志〉下 13:1-21

從〈列王紀〉和〈歷代志〉的記載，我們不難發現亞比央／亞比雅有不同的母親名。可能很多讀者都已經知道亞比央就是亞比雅，就好像現代人除了有姓氏first name ，還有中間小名middle name，以及一般常用的名字。但是他的母親好像是兩個不同的人，又是怎麼一回事呢？根據聖經學者的解釋：瑪迦是押沙龍的外孫女，又名米該亞。押沙龍只有一個女兒，名叫她瑪（撒下14:27），她嫁給基比亞人烏利，生下瑪迦（代下13:2）。瑪迦嫁給羅波安，生下亞比央，又叫亞比雅。他是羅波安所生的28個兒子中的一個，不是長子，但是羅波安偏愛瑪迦，因此立亞比央為繼位者。亞比央的意思是：「我父是大海」；亞比雅的意思是：「我父是耶和華」。可見當羅波安在為兒子取名時，依然有尊崇神的心在裡面。只可惜，在神的眼中，他是一個心懷二意，不專心遵守主道的惡王。

我們來回顧一下猶大王和以色列王的順序，免得再讀下去就亂套了，因為名字越來越多了，很不好記。以色列王從掃羅開始，再來是大衛，所羅門，接著就是王國的分裂，分裂成猶大南國和以色列北國。猶大南國從羅波安開始，現在亞比央是第二任的猶大王。此時北國以色列的第一任王耶羅波安還健在。羅波安曾經想要進攻取回以色列北國，恢復統一時，神藉著先知示瑪雅去阻止他們。但可能因為國界太相近了，所以經常有衝突。到了亞比央時，終於爆發了一場大戰。

在這場大的戰事中，亞比央（就是亞比雅）率領挑選的兵四十萬擺陣，耶羅波安也挑選了大能的勇士八十萬擺陣。在戰事之前，亞比央對著以色列的軍士強調三點：一，以色列國是神賜給大衛和他的後裔，是神與大衛立的鹽約，是無法改變的。所以若不是大衛的後裔作王，就名不正言不順，所以必須討伐耶羅波安。二，以色列北國離棄耶和華神，驅逐耶和華的祭司亞倫的後裔和利未人。無論何人牽一隻公牛犢、七隻公綿羊將自己分別出來，就可做虛無之神的祭司。指責以色列北國在靈性上的背叛。三，猶大南國沒有離棄神，依然守著律法，在聖殿敬拜和獻祭。因此和猶大南國為敵就是與耶和華神為敵。

羅波安做猶大王

2021-10-20 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 12:8  然而他們必做示撒的僕人，好叫他們知道服侍我與服侍外邦人有何分別。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  14:21-31 
  〈歷代志〉下 11:1-23 

羅波安41歲時做王，所羅門做王40年，所以在所羅門王做王之前，羅波安已經出生。換句話說，在所羅門王尚未娶埃及法老的女兒之前，所羅門已經和耶羅波安的亞捫人媽媽結婚了。因為受到所羅門王被異邦的妃嬪誘惑去拜偶像的影響，等到羅波安做王時，猶大人已經失去了大衛時代的敬虔。他們在各高岡上、各青翠樹下築壇，立柱像和木偶。國中也有孌童，猶大人學著外邦人做一切神所憎惡的事。羅波安在成長的過程中，看著他父親的轉變，從敬畏神到跟著外邦的妻妾去拜假神；他耳濡目染，做王後也娶了18個妻，立了60個妾。，又為他的眾子們多尋妻子。

在台灣設立了奇美醫院和奇美博物館的企業家許文龍先生，有次談到不把財產留給兒子們的原因之一，是因為兒子們若有了許多財產，很可能再去娶妾，反而會破壞他們家庭的和諧。這真是智者之見。瑪拉基先知說：“雖然神有靈的餘力能造多人，祂不是單造一人嗎？為何只造一人呢？乃是祂願人得虔誠的後裔。所以當謹守你們的心，誰也不可以詭詐待幼年所娶的妻。（瑪2:15）”

大衛留給所羅門對耶和華的信仰和建聖殿的大業；所羅門留給羅波安的是破產的信仰和失去十個支派的劇變。但是神並沒有因而離開羅波安。神本來只給大衛的後裔一個支派，但是不僅便雅憫支派留下來，利未人也紛紛放棄家園來歸向羅波安。因為耶羅波安轉去拜金牛犢，不讓他們侍奉耶和華。這是一個很大的變遷，利未人寧可放棄郊野的產業回到猶大地，那些立定心意要尋求耶和華的，都隨著利未人來到耶路撒冷。因此在羅波安手下有了更多的百姓。這對羅波安是何等的鼓勵，因為對耶和華神的信仰，猶大和其他支派尋求神的人團結起來。神讓羅波安強盛了三年。因為羅波安和百姓專心遵行大衛的道。為何還加上所羅門呢？因為在所羅門做王的前期，也是遵行神的道。神都記得。

In Christ You Are Clean in God’s Sight

2021-10-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:18-39.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:18-39 (NIV)
18  “When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals,
19  and in the place where the boil was, a white swelling or reddish-white spot appears, he must present himself to the priest.
20  The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease that has broken out where the boil was.
21  But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days.
22  If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is infectious…….

On verses 18-39:  Here we read that it was the priest’s responsibility to examine certain issues people would have with their skin and to make certain pronouncements concerning their condition.  In fact in these verses the word “examine” appears no less than 11 times and the word “pronounce” no less than 10 times.

This reminds me that, like a priest in Leviticus, God examines not just our physical condition, but our spiritual condition as well.  For example, check out the following verses:

Psalm 11:4 (NLT2)
4  But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

Jesus Gets You Where You Can’t Go

2021-10-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:1-17.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:1-17 (NLT2)
1  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2  “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.
3  The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.
4  “But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days…….

On verses 1-17:  What does it mean to be ceremonially unclean in Leviticus?  When someone is ceremonially unclean, it means that he or she, from a ceremonial worship standpoint, is unable to participate in the community worship activities of the Israelites for as long as he or she is “unclean”.  When the period of being “unclean” is over, that’s when he or she can then join the rest of the community in its community worship services.

神對耶羅波安之審判

2021-10-19 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上14:11 凡屬耶羅波安的人，死在城中的必被狗吃，死在田野的必被空中的鳥吃。這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  14:1-20 

耶羅波安是“不見棺材不流淚”的典型。神人去見他，他要抓神人；倘若不是他的手枯乾了，他還不軟下口來請神人為他禱告。可是神人為他禱告，讓他的手痊癒後，他依然我行我素，根本不把神放在心裡。現在他的兒子病了，他就想到先知亞希雅。神的祝福他都要，就是不要神。從《聖經》裡，我們沒有看到什麼大道理，只是現實的人，實際的生命表現，人的內心藉著所作所為的真實呈現。藉著《聖經》裡的每一個人，彷彿一面鏡子，照出我們心裡的耶羅波安。

耶羅安要他的妻子去找先知亞希雅，因為亞希雅曾告訴他：“你必做這民的王”。他把亞希雅放大了，覺得亞希雅很“神”，很有能力，他看不見亞希雅後面的神。是誰使亞希雅知道他要做王？是誰讓亞希雅有這樣的能力知道將來？我們很容易被“有能力”的人吸引，並且在無形中把他放大，卻忘記了我們都是人，使人有能力的是誰？這樣去想時，我們才不會被邪靈所欺騙。

此時的亞希雅已經年邁，因而眼睛看不見了。一個看不見的先知依然可以成耶羅波安的希望，那是因為神用他，神可以把任何事放進他的心裡。因此改裝的耶羅波安之妻也無法矇騙這個瞎了眼的老人。保羅說：“屬靈的人能看透萬事，卻沒有一人能看透了他”（林前2:15），是因為聖靈參透萬事，神又藉著聖靈向人顯明。是聖靈的運行，讓亞希雅可以參透萬事，在眼睛看不見的情況下，可以“看見”耶羅波安的妻子。不管我們怎樣偽裝，或是去整容，也逃不過神的眼睛。

You’re Rich Because Jesus Became Poor

2021-10-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 12:1-8.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 12:1-8 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
3  On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
4  Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
5  If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding…….

On verses 1-8:  Have you ever wondered what being ceremonially unclean really means? We’re going to look at this together tomorrow.

In the meantime, why is it that a woman is ceremonially unclean for only 7 days when she gives birth to a son whereas she is ceremonially unclean for two weeks when she gives birth to a daughter?  We don’t know for sure.  In any event, we can be confident that the differing periods of ceremonial uncleanness were NOT because a son was worth more than a daughter.  The fact that in verses 6-7 the same animal sacrifice is required whether the baby born is a son or daughter suggests that in God’s eyes baby boys and baby girls are of equal worth and value in God’s eyes.