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以色列眾禁食認罪

2022-02-14 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉9:2以色列人就與一切外邦人離絕，站著承認自己的罪惡和列祖的罪孽。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉9 章

在以斯拉天天為百姓們讀神的話語之後，有一件意想不到的事情發生了。猶大曆的七月初十是贖罪日，七月十五日是住棚節。但是在住棚節的嚴肅日結束之後，以色列人聚集禁食，身穿麻衣，頭蒙灰塵，與一切外邦人隔絕，站著承認自己的罪惡和列祖的罪孽。這是一次自發性的禁食認罪聚會，原本可以散會回家了，他們卻反而聚集禁食。所以詩人說，“祢的言語一解開，就發出亮光，使愚人通達。（詩119:130）”只有在神的話語中，人才能看見自己的罪，渴慕被潔淨。

有的人把禁食禱告拿來當作要求神應允所求的一個方法，有點像小孩子威脅母親：“你不給我買玩具，我就不吃飯！”但這裡的禁食是一種發自心底的祈求，求神赦免他們和列祖的罪；是一種知錯要改，為自己和列祖的罪痛心，願意回到神面前的決志。因此在他們的禁食裡，他們認罪、敬拜神，又繼續唸神的話；有幾個人甚至站在利未人的台上，大聲哀求神。

他們的決心帶出行動，與一切外邦人隔絕。因為與外邦人雜交，使他們失去了自己的信仰，在生活習性各方面都觸動了耶和華神的怒氣。神不是不愛外邦人，所有願意歸向祂的，與猶大人在一起的，神都一視同仁；但是對於那些不是要歸向猶大人，而是把他們拖離耶和華神的，神就不喜歡了。在我小時候，父母親也會叫我們不可以跟某些小孩玩，因為怕他們把我們帶壞了。就是現，若知道有人吸毒、賭博或行為不端，我們也不希望自己的孩子去跟他們做朋友。不是看不起別人，而是怕自己的孩子染上惡習。

How Great Leaders Respond To Sin

2022-02-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:15-24.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:15-16 (NIV)
15  Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
16  The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

On verses 15-16:  Moses returns from the mountain carrying in his hands the most precious thing given to humanity up until that time: two tablets containing the writing of God.  What did God write on those tablets?  It was “the Testimony”, that is (most likely) the Ten Commandments.  Some scholars believe that these two tablets, which had writing on both the front and back, were identical to one another and were two copies of the same thing, one for God and one for the people, consistent with ancient Near East covenant making practices at that time. 

There was nothing more valuable on the earth at this time that these two tablets.  God wrote His law on tablets of stone.  Later He choose another method of delivering His Word to His people: instead of writing it on breakable tablets of stone, God would choose to write it on breakable human hearts (see 2 Corinthians 3:3).  For when a stone tablet breaks, whatever was written of it can’t be seen anymore.  But when a heart breaks, whatever was written on it will be seen more clearly than ever.

以斯拉宣讀律法書

2022-02-13 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉8:10b 你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉8 章

水門是耶路撒冷城東城牆上的一道門，在馬門和泉門之間，門朝東。希西家王時已有該城門，尼希米時期重修。民眾聚集在水門前的寬闊處，聽祭司以斯拉宣讀律法書。舉行竣工典禮時，第一隊參加慶典的人從北面向南走到水門。以色列人請文士以斯拉讀律法書給他們聽，他們如同一人聚集在水門前的寬闊處。亡國前的以色列人對先知的教導何等不悅，何等討厭被先知指責。因為那時享受罪中之樂，以為神的審判永遠不會來臨。經過了亡國之痛，做了俘虜的悲哀，終於逐漸醒悟，若不遵照神的律法，有一天他們將永遠失去神的眷顧。就像很多人在福中不知福，不明白神的憐憫和寬容，總是要等到身患絕症或走頭無路時，才肯謙卑下來，才明白自己是何等的罪人。假如能早一點回頭，不是可以少受很多苦嗎？

當以色列人敞開心扉，願意傾聽神的話時，耶和華神的心該是何等歡喜！祭司和利未人都盡量“清清楚楚地唸神的律法書，講明意思，使百姓明白所唸的”。這是教導神的話語很重要的幾個條件，一要把神的話讀得清楚。所以在自己沒有學好一種語言時，不要自以為是去應用，免得讓人有吃生米飯的感覺。

二要講明意思，使百姓明白所唸的。可能很多人都知道有的神學教授對《聖經》讀得滾瓜爛熟，可是卻根本不信有神；所以讀神的話語，卻胡亂解釋，自以為很科學，實在很可惜。所以我們讀神的話要務求明白，才能得到神話語的滋潤和供養，靈命才能成長。這也是本網站〈每日親近神〉的目的，希望讓更多人能因為明白神的話，而領受到其豐盛，並且更加親近神。假如讀神的話卻不明白其精意，就好像腸胃有問題，吃了很多食物卻無法吸收，何等可惜。

What Happens When We Sin

2022-02-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:25-35.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:25 (NIV)
25  Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.

On verse 25:   The great news of the gospel is that although our sins separated us from God’s presence (see Exodus 32:33), although God could easily have edited us out of His book, instead in love God sent Jesus Christ to receive all the punishment for our sins. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid for all our sins (past, present and future) and restored us to God’s presence.  That indeed is the best news ever.  But remember this: when we sin, especially in public ways, we still affect two types of people.

First, when we sin in public, we become a stumbling block to other believers.  Verse 25 says that because of Aaron and the Israelites’ sin, God’s people were “running wild” and “out of control” (v25).  Whenever we sin in public ways, we confuse other Christians, discourage their faith, and tempt them to sin in the same ways.   So let’s be careful.  Like Paul said to Timothy, let’s “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

尼希米治理耶路撒冷

2022-02-11 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉7:1-73 城是廣大，其中的民卻稀少，房屋還沒有建造。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉7 章

起初波斯王古列將龐大的帝國分成七十省，在以斯帖時期劃分為127省，每省都立省長管理，因為每一個省份的地域遼闊，所以當時的省長有如獨立的小國王。波斯王立尼希米為猶大地的省長，因此尼希米也有權找人來管理耶路撒冷，並且對於服侍的人有一番安排；接著就是重新整理記錄回歸之人的家譜。

在〈以斯拉記〉裡，聖殿修建完工之後已有服侍之人的安排，而以斯拉在巴比倫時也已經做了一份回歸之人的家譜。以斯拉的記錄的家譜和尼希米的記錄有稍微的出入，因為尼希米是在耶路撒冷的城牆建成後，才按著已有的家譜名單重新整理。因為時間上的差距，在這段時間內有的人或許去世，或有其他原因，因此兩份名單不盡相同也是必然。

不管是在〈以斯拉記〉或〈尼希米記〉，我們都看到聖殿服侍人員的安排都是第一線的工作，惟有把工作的範圍釐清，各人按著各人的工作去執行，聖殿的工作才能有條不紊地進行。這就是秩序。從神帶領以色列人出埃及之後，神在西乃山用了幾乎一年的時間，教導以色列人有關律法和敬拜的事，其中很重要的就是秩序。這秩序抱括了神、人、物的秩序，敬拜時工作的分配、獻祭的禮儀，等等，都要有秩序。甚至在日常生活中，哪個支派先行，哪個支派後行，帳幕在哪裡搭起，都有一定的秩序。這就是在西乃山下，神給以色列人的教導，凡事都要有秩序。所以我們的生活也要有秩序，不可以雜亂無章。

Don’t Be a Slave to Public Opinion + You’ve Got An Intercessor

2022-02-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 32:1-14.  Let’s go!

Exodus 32:1-4 (NIV)
1  When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2  Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”
3  So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.
4  He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

On verses 1-4:  The Israelites were probably eager to get going and were tired of waiting for Moses to come down from his 40 day meeting with God on Mount Sinai.  So the Israelites ask Aaron to make them new gods.  Aaron responds by collecting gold earrings from the Israelites and fashions them into a calf-shaped idol, saying that these are the gods who brought them out of Egypt.

敵人的恐嚇

2022-02-10 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉6:9b 神啊，求祢堅固我的手！

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉6 章

眼看耶路撒冷的城牆都快修好了，雖然尚未安裝門扇，但是城牆本身都沒有破裂之處。在修建以前，敵人嗤笑他們所修造的石牆，就是狐狸上去也必跐倒。現在看來未必啊，不僅狐狸上去不會跐倒，就是敵人想要把它撞倒也不容易。猶大人的成功使他們的仇敵更為嫉恨，於是他們想出了別的招數，邀請尼希米去阿挪平原相會。

阿挪平原在耶路撒冷和撒瑪利亞中間，耶城西北約31公里之處，由波斯政府直接管理的一個地方。那時尼希米尚未為耶路撒冷的城牆安上門扇，一旦安上門扇，那麼仇敵要出入耶路撒冷就更加困難。因此他們想來個調虎離山，把尼希米帶離開耶路撒冷。之後呢？只要尼希米不在，其他人就會被嚇跑，不敢繼續再做下去。那他們就可以繼續欺負壓榨猶大人。尼希米一旦離開耶路撒冷，進入他們的掌握之中，會發生何事呢？一是軟禁，二是謀害。在路上隨便找個匪徒把他做掉，簡單得很。

尼希米心知肚明，他和仇敵之間有何事需要商議？仇敵的唯一想法就是要害他，他豈能不知？敵人四次邀請，他四次回絕。不給敵人留地步。有時候我們會因為面子問題不好意思拒絕，即使知道別人不安好心，或是有引誘之意，也半推半就，因此往往被牽連或拖累。例如做生意時，對方要你去酒色場所談生意，你可以拒絕，不一定會失去生意，因為正直的商人很可能會因而更覺得你這人可靠，有原則；你若是半推半就地去了，一來喝酒傷肝，二來情色傷人，讓妻子生氣，三來喜好杯中物的生意對象往往要你做某方面的妥協，不公道或不守規則的妥協，賺這種錢讓你天天難以入睡，怕被人發現其中的不軌之處。

Chosen for God’s Work + 5 Reasons God Wants You to Rest

2022-02-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 31:1-18.  Let’s go!

Exodus 31:1-11 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses,
2  “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
3  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts–
4  to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,
5  to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship……..

On verses 1-11:  Could God have created the artistic designs and done all the work himself for the tabernacle?  Of course He could have.  God could have spoken these things into existence in an instant.  Yet He chose to involve Moses, Bezalel, Oholiab and a bunch of unnamed craftsmen in the designing and making of the items that would form the tabernacle.  Why?  It’s because God delights in involving His children in His work in the world.  God didn’t make us only to be spectators to God’s work but participants too.

尼希米聞民怨而怒

2022-02-09 in , /by

〈尼希米記〉5:10我和我的弟兄與僕人也將銀錢、糧食借給百姓，我們大家都當免去利息。

閱讀經文：〈尼希米記〉5 章

為了要建城牆，可能百姓的民生工作都荒廢了，也沒有時間去耕種，有的人典了田地、葡萄園、房屋，要得糧食充飢，還要向波斯王納稅，生活艱難，甚至要賣兒女為僕為婢；但是有錢的貴冑不工作，卻吸乾百姓的血汗，利用他們的貧窮去謀利。這個問題不是從外敵來的侵犯，而是內部的腐敗。魔鬼的工作永遠不會只停留在一方面，一定從四面八方找人的軟弱去偷襲。我們若不警覺，就很容易被打倒。

在〈利未記〉25章35-37節，神說：“你的弟兄在你那裡若漸漸貧窮，手中缺乏，你就要幫補他，使他與你同住，像外人和寄居的一樣。不可向他取利，也不可向他多要，只要敬畏你的神，使你的弟兄與你同住。你借錢給他，不可向他取利；借糧給他，也不可向他多要。”不管是新約或舊約，神都讓我們知道，錢財是身外之物，敬畏神的人就要像天父一樣有憐憫人的心腸，不可以貪財。人若看到弟兄漸漸貧窮，又有缺乏，卻不肯幫助他，那就是貪財，因為把財物看得比人還重要。因此主耶穌說：“人若賺得全世界，賠上自己的生命，有什麼益處呢？人還能拿什麼換生命呢？（太16:24）”人若貪財，不僅賠上自己的生命，也墊上其他人的生命，大家都活不了，那些錢又有何益處？

因此尼希米招集大會攻擊這些貴胄和官長，可見那時已經有一股不好的風氣瀰漫在猶大人之間，有錢的更有錢，貧窮的更貧窮。因此貧窮的人感到很痛心：“我們的身體與我們弟兄的身體一樣，我們的兒女與他們的兒女一般，現在我們將要使兒女做人的僕婢，我們的女兒已有為婢的”，我們在神面前都是平等，都是一樣的，憑什麼他們要奴役我們的兒女？把兒女賣為僕婢，哪個父母不心疼？

God Has Washed and Anointed You

2022-02-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 30:17-38.  Let’s go!

Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV)
17  Then the LORD said to Moses,
18  “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
19  Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
20  Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire,
21  they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

On verses 17-21:  Here the LORD instructs Moses to make a bronze basin for washing Aaron’s hands and feet and to place it in the courtyard between the altar and the Tent of Meeting.  The purpose of washing was “so that they will not die” (v20).   That is, on one level, the washing was to protect the physical health of Aaron and his sons as they regularly dealt with the blood of animals.  On another level, the washing with water symbolized the priests’ own need to be cleansed of their sins.

What can we learn from this?  (1) God cares about your physical health and thus we ought to take good care of our own physical health, in part by washing our bodies often; and (2) Jesus has washed away our sins in the water of His Word and His blood, as represented through water baptism.  As 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “…But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”