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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).

《圣经中各种审判》7 — 对埃及的审判

2021-10-22 in , /by

论及历史上的帝国

圣经的各种审判的讲解，让我们明白上帝如何在历史中，透过祂运行在世上的权柄以及管教全世界的作为，彰显祂的公义与圣洁。在整个源远流城的历史洪流中，中东以及北非的历史上出现几个最大的帝国，最先是阿卡帝国，以后是巴比伦、埃及、亚述、波斯、马其顿、罗马帝国，这些帝国的气派与统治的范围几乎没有可相比的。如今，无论东方或西方，已经没有帝国的存在，昔日伟大的帝国都消灭了，现今还存在有王权但没有统治实权的王族，挪威、瑞典、丹麦还有王族，昔日掌有大权的英国皇家现在也没有太大的实权。日本的皇族与中国的皇族不一样的地方，在于中国的皇族常常换姓，但日本的天皇制度一直传下来，没有换姓，日本皇族与日本社会非常敬重自己王族的传习。中国最先的唐尧虞舜，是禅让制度；禹之后，传子不传贤，之后夏朝被商朝推翻，商朝再被周朝推翻，异性的政权传到满族，最后被孙中山推翻。西方的帝国，国祚最长的，是二千多年的罗马帝国；东方的王朝，国祚最长的，是五千多年的中国王朝。

君士坦丁促使罗马帝国成为基督教国家

国祚绵延的罗马帝国起初反对基督教，杀害基督徒，逼迫教会，直到第四世纪某一天的晚上，君士坦丁（Constantine, c.272-337）做梦，梦到他打仗的时候，有十字架的旗号在空中飞扬，说：「你要得着基督，才能得胜」，君士坦丁照着去做，果然全军大胜，因而改信基督教。【编按：教会史家优西比乌（Eusebius of Caesarea, c.260-340）撰写的《君士坦丁的一生》（Life of Constantine），书中曾提及君士坦丁与势均力敌的对手对敌，在一场决定性战役前夜曾做一个梦，梦中君士坦丁看见耶稣对他说：「只要以基督十字架作为部队旌旗，就一定会战胜敌军」，梦醒之后的君士坦丁就照着梦中得到的指示更改旌旗，他的军队果然在这场决定性的战役中大获全胜。有另一说：在决战前，君士坦丁望向天空，看见太阳之上有十字架的形状，同时也出现一段文字说明；「以此记号，你必征服」，于是君士坦丁命令士兵在盾牌上画上十字架的记号，他的军队果然战胜。资料来源：台湾教会公报】君士坦丁改信基督教，使得原先反对基督教、杀害基督徒、逼害教会的帝国，举国上下改信基督教，这是天大的事情。

描绘〈君士坦丁靠基督得胜〉的图我们教会有，因为我请一位画家从中国搬到印尼，在这里吃、住、作画，其中一幅画作就是这幅。我在深圳遇到这位画家，发现他绘画的长才，便问他愿不愿到印尼作画。那时他才二十三、四岁，他曾到印尼帮有钱人画图，他其中一个作品是画在屋顶上。在屋顶上作画是很难的，从前的人要建木架，躺在那边，脸朝向屋顶，把漆放上去，如果漆掉进眼睛，可能会瞎的。米开朗基罗（Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475 -1564）就是这样在西斯汀礼拜堂的屋顶，画了全世界著名的〈创世记〉，有一次漆掉在他的眼睛旁，险些使他瞎眼；还有一次，他从木架摔下来，差一点残废。义大利人认为他比里奥纳多达芬奇（Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519）更伟大。我用自己的钱把这名画家五、六张的图画买回来，其中一张大到我没有办法从香港带回来，长度六公尺四，比你的床大两、三倍，这样大的图画不能折，带上飞机也很困难。于是，我邀请他到印尼住，在这里画，传福音给他。这位画家因而待在印尼二年多的时间，他所画的其中两项画作，其一是在教会建筑最高的二十四层楼，他画了六公尺四米〈最后的审判〉的复制品，还有一张长五公尺半、高三公尺四，我放在二十四楼音乐厅外的一座墙上，那是第二张最大的图，叫做〈君士坦丁靠基督得胜〉。如果你们有机会上去看一下，我很乐意解释给你们听。这个教会有世界最好的音乐、图画、神学，都是为你们预备。

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.

犹大王亚比央 / 亚比雅

2021-10-21 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 12:8  然而他们必做示撒的仆人，好叫他们知道服侍我与服侍外邦人有何分别。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  15:1-8 
  〈历代志〉下 13:1-21

从〈列王纪〉和〈历代志〉的记载，我们不难发现亚比央／亚比雅有不同的母亲名。可能很多读者都已经知道亚比央就是亚比雅，就好像现代人除了有姓氏first name ，还有中间小名middle name，以及一般常用的名字。但是他的母亲好像是两个不同的人，又是怎么一回事呢？根据圣经学者的解释：玛迦是押沙龙的外孙女，又名米该亚。押沙龙只有一个女儿，名叫她玛（撒下14:27），她嫁给基比亚人乌利，生下玛迦（代下13:2）。玛迦嫁给罗波安，生下亚比央，又叫亚比雅。他是罗波安所生的28个儿子中的一个，不是长子，但是罗波安偏爱玛迦，因此立亚比央为继位者。亚比央的意思是：「我父是大海」；亚比雅的意思是：「我父是耶和华」。可见当罗波安在为儿子取名时，依然有尊崇神的心在里面。只可惜，在神的眼中，他是一个心怀二意，不专心遵守主道的恶王。

我们来回顾一下犹大王和以色列王的顺序，免得再读下去就乱套了，因为名字越来越多了，很不好记。以色列王从扫罗开始，再来是大卫，所罗门，接着就是王国的分裂，分裂成犹大南国和以色列北国。犹大南国从罗波安开始，现在亚比央是第二任的犹大王。此时北国以色列的第一任王耶罗波安还健在。罗波安曾经想要进攻取回以色列北国，恢复统一时，神借着先知示玛雅去阻止他们。但可能因为国界太相近了，所以经常有冲突。到了亚比央时，终于爆发了一场大战。

在这场大的战事中，亚比央（就是亚比雅）率领挑选的兵四十万摆阵，耶罗波安也挑选了大能的勇士八十万摆阵。在战事之前，亚比央对着以色列的军士强调三点：一，以色列国是神赐给大卫和他的后裔，是神与大卫立的盐约，是无法改变的。所以若不是大卫的后裔作王，就名不正言不顺，所以必须讨伐耶罗波安。二，以色列北国离弃耶和华神，驱逐耶和华的祭司亚伦的后裔和利未人。无论何人牵一只公牛犊、七只公绵羊将自己分别出来，就可做虚无之神的祭司。指责以色列北国在灵性上的背叛。三，犹大南国没有离弃神，依然守着律法，在圣殿敬拜和献祭。因此和犹大南国为敌就是与耶和华神为敌。

罗波安做犹大王

2021-10-20 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 12:8  然而他们必做示撒的仆人，好叫他们知道服侍我与服侍外邦人有何分别。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  14:21-31 
  〈历代志〉下 11:1-23 

罗波安41岁时做王，所罗门做王40年，所以在所罗门王做王之前，罗波安已经出生。换句话说，在所罗门王尚未娶埃及法老的女儿之前，所罗门已经和耶罗波安的亚扪人妈妈结婚了。因为受到所罗门王被异邦的妃嫔诱惑去拜偶像的影响，等到罗波安做王时，犹大人已经失去了大卫时代的敬虔。他们在各高冈上、各青翠树下筑坛，立柱像和木偶。国中也有娈童，犹大人学着外邦人做一切神所憎恶的事。罗波安在成长的过程中，看着他父亲的转变，从敬畏神到跟着外邦的妻妾去拜假神；他耳濡目染，做王后也娶了18个妻，立了60个妾。，又为他的众子们多寻妻子。

在台湾设立了奇美医院和奇美博物馆的企业家许文龙先生，有次谈到不把财产留给儿子们的原因之一，是因为儿子们若有了许多财产，很可能再去娶妾，反而会破坏他们家庭的和谐。这真是智者之见。玛拉基先知说：“虽然神有灵的余力能造多人，祂不是单造一人吗？为何只造一人呢？乃是祂愿人得虔诚的后裔。所以当谨守你们的心，谁也不可以诡诈待幼年所娶的妻。（玛2:15）”

大卫留给所罗门对耶和华的信仰和建圣殿的大业；所罗门留给罗波安的是破产的信仰和失去十个支派的剧变。但是神并没有因而离开罗波安。神本来只给大卫的后裔一个支派，但是不仅便雅悯支派留下来，利未人也纷纷放弃家园来归向罗波安。因为耶罗波安转去拜金牛犊，不让他们侍奉耶和华。这是一个很大的变迁，利未人宁可放弃郊野的产业回到犹大地，那些立定心意要寻求耶和华的，都随着利未人来到耶路撒冷。因此在罗波安手下有了更多的百姓。这对罗波安是何等的鼓励，因为对耶和华神的信仰，犹大和其他支派寻求神的人团结起来。神让罗波安强盛了三年。因为罗波安和百姓专心遵行大卫的道。为何还加上所罗门呢？因为在所罗门做王的前期，也是遵行神的道。神都记得。

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.

神对耶罗波安之审判

2021-10-19 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上14:11 凡属耶罗波安的人，死在城中的必被狗吃，死在田野的必被空中的鸟吃。这是耶和华说的。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  14:1-20 

耶罗波安是“不见棺材不流泪”的典型。神人去见他，他要抓神人；倘若不是他的手枯干了，他还不软下口来请神人为他祷告。可是神人为他祷告，让他的手痊愈后，他依然我行我素，根本不把神放在心里。现在他的儿子病了，他就想到先知亚希雅。神的祝福他都要，就是不要神。从《圣经》里，我们没有看到什么大道理，只是现实的人，实际的生命表现，人的内心借着所作所为的真实呈现。借着《圣经》里的每一个人，仿佛一面镜子，照出我们心里的耶罗波安。

耶罗安要他的妻子去找先知亚希雅，因为亚希雅曾告诉他：“你必做这民的王”。他把亚希雅放大了，觉得亚希雅很“神”，很有能力，他看不见亚希雅后面的神。是谁使亚希雅知道他要做王？是谁让亚希雅有这样的能力知道将来？我们很容易被“有能力”的人吸引，并且在无形中把他放大，却忘记了我们都是人，使人有能力的是谁？这样去想时，我们才不会被邪灵所欺骗。

此时的亚希雅已经年迈，因而眼睛看不见了。一个看不见的先知依然可以成耶罗波安的希望，那是因为神用他，神可以把任何事放进他的心里。因此改装的耶罗波安之妻也无法蒙骗这个瞎了眼的老人。保罗说：“属灵的人能看透万事，却没有一人能看透了他”（林前2:15），是因为圣灵参透万事，神又借着圣灵向人显明。是圣灵的运行，让亚希雅可以参透万事，在眼睛看不见的情况下，可以“看见”耶罗波安的妻子。不管我们怎样伪装，或是去整容，也逃不过神的眼睛。

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.