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以斯拉認罪祈禱

2022-02-02 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉9:5 獻晚祭的時候我起來，心中愁苦，穿著撕裂的衣袍，雙膝跪下向耶和華我的神舉手。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉九章

以斯拉向首領們交帳之後，就碰到了一個很嚴重的問題。此時距聖殿重建己經六十年，當初回歸的心志也在日常生活中慢慢消失了。當人們回復到開門七件事時，就有飽暖思淫欲的問題。他們建殿後過逾越節時，大家在神面前追求聖潔的心也淡去了。

追求聖潔是因為和神有一個緊密的關係，討神的喜悅，求神的眷佑，以期聖殿順利完工。聖殿完工後，仇敵也不再來騷擾，在安逸中開始尋求生活的歡樂和刺激，他們當中有些人開始和外邦人聯婚。我們可能覺得和外邦人結婚沒有什麼大不了啊，現在不同國籍種族通婚的事己經視為平常，為什麼不可以呢？神是否太古板了？不都是祂造皂的人嗎？

假如我們記得所羅門的失敗和猶大亡國的原因，就記得那是因為他們離開神去拜偶像之故；為什麼他們會離棄神去拜偶像呢？大多數是因為娶了外邦女子，為了討她們的歡心，因而隨從她們去拜偶像，以致得罪神。這就是為何神不要他們和外邦人聯婚的原因。在婚姻中，我們會引用保羅的教導：信與不信的不能同負一軛，也是出於這個原因。不是因為別人不好，而是因為神的子民不夠成熟，不懂得分辨，也十分軟弱，以致隨波逐流，因而落入撒旦的陷阱裡。

Bring Your Question To God And Believe He Will Answer

2022-02-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 28:15-30.  Let’s go!

Exodus 28:15-30 (NIV)
15  “Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions–the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.
16  It is to be square–a span long and a span wide–and folded double.
17  Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl;
18  in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald;
19  in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;……

On verses 15-30:  In these verses the LORD describes the breastpiece that the priest would wear.  Like the ephod, this square breastpiece was also made of expensive and excellent material: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen (v15).  In addition it was bling-ed out with 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel (v17-21).  It was also decorated with gold chains and gold rings (v22-28).

Finally, what is “the Urim and the Thummim” which were to be put in the breastpiece over Aaron’s heart?  The Urim and the Thummim was a “means of making decisions” (v30) in God’s presence.

About The Clothes You Wear

2022-02-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 28:1-14.  Let’s go!

Exodus 28:1-2 (NIV)
1  “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.
2  Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor.

On verses 1-2:  The LORD wanted Aaron, who was going to be Israel’s high priest, to wear sacred garments that would “give him dignity and honour” (v2).  What can we learn from this?   Whether we want to admit or not, the clothes we wear consciously or subconsciously make us feel a certain way and can also give others a certain feeling about us as well.  If you want to change the way you feel, consider changing the clothes you wear.  For example, I know some very effective business people who, during COVID 19 season, still change into work clothes every morning even though they are working from home.  I have friends who still wear their “Sunday best” just to watch online church at home.  That’s because how we dress does affect how we feel.  That’s also why God, because He loves us, gives us robes of righteousness to wear, so that we would not feel ashamed (Isaiah 61:10), but that we, like Aaron, would feel dignity and honour.   

Exodus 28:3 (NIV)
3  Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

以斯拉的回歸之途

2022-02-01 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉8:21 那時我在亞哈瓦河邊宣告禁食，為要在我們神面前克苦己心，求祂使我們和婦人孩子並一切所有的都得平坦的道路。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉八章

這一章記載了以斯拉為回歸而做的準備，以及他為了旅途的平安而向王申請的護衛隊。

在1-14節裡記載了與以斯拉一同由巴比倫回到耶路撒冷的十三個家族，其中有11個家族出現在2:3-57 第一次歸回的名單之中。示迦尼與示羅密家族是第一次回歸的名單中沒有出現的。

這次歸回大約有一千五百個男性。 非尼哈是亞倫的三子以利亞撒的兒子，是以斯拉的祖先。 8:2 下半到 8:3 上半，按著希伯來文聖經的次序，比較合理的譯法是「大衛的家系：哈突是示迦尼的子孫，巴錄的家系，撒迦利亞」較為合理。 表明這次歸回中也有大衛的子孫。

以斯拉在預備歸回時，首先請求各家首領幫助他召集人，結果非常成功，總共有1496個男性回應，再加上以斯拉和另外三位領袖革順、但以理、哈突，正好1500位男性。若再加上婦孺的人數，初步估計大約有三千至六千人。這就是第二批歸回之人的總數。第一批回歸的人包括僕婢約有五萬人，經過大約六十年，這次回歸的人數似乎更少了。這次跟以斯拉回歸的，似乎都經過挑選，有專才的一些人，例如是為了召集可以在聖殿事奉的人才，都是按名指定的人。

以拉帶著幾千人要上路時，心裡難免忐忑不安，因為他們帶了許多金錢和金銀器物上路，難免會有人想來打劫，他們當中有許多老少婦孺，萬一打起仗來，真的很危險。在這裡以斯拉做了一件很勇敢的事情，就是向王請求撥步兵馬兵的護衛隊。

Don’t Settle for the Outer Courts

2022-01-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 27:1-21.  Let’s go!

Exodus 27:1-4 (NIV)
1  “Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.
2  Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.
3  Make all its utensils of bronze–its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans.
4  Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network.

On verses 1-4:  The altar had a bronze grating on it, like a barbeque grill.  That way animals could be sacrificed on it and cooked.  What can we learn from this?  One lesson is that in the house of the LORD, substitutionary sacrifice would play a major role.  In other words, in God’s house, forgiveness would be made possible because one living thing was sacrificed in place of another.  As Hebrews 9:22 would later say, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.  So the LORD built into the blueprints of His house a way for people to draw near to Him through substitutionary sacrifice.  This would be a picture pointing to what God would later do for us by sacrificing His Son Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.

Exodus 27:5-8 (NIV)
5  Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar.
6  Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.
7  The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.
8  Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.

以斯拉自巴比倫返耶路撒冷

2022-01-31 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉7:10 以斯拉定志考究遵行耶和華的律法，又將律例、典章教訓以色列人。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉七章

距離聖殿完工大約過了六十年。以斯拉於西元前 458年歸回。根據以斯拉的族譜，他是大祭司亞倫的後裔。他的父親西萊雅是猶大王西底家時皂大祭司，被巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒殺害。以斯拉是西萊雅較小的兒子的後裔，他成為一個文士，通達耶和華─以色列　神所賜摩西的律法書。可見雖然身處巴比倫，他並沒有忘記自己出身大祭司的家族，負有大祭司的使命。傳統認爲，聖經舊約裏的〈歷代志〉上下和〈以斯拉記〉，可能都是以斯拉在參考不同的資料後所寫成的。

以斯拉不僅自己通達耶和華的誡命和神賜給以色列人的律例，還立志又將律例典章教訓以色列人。在巴比倫，在波斯，神依然培植了敬畏祂的人。在王命令以斯拉回去耶路撒冷時，王答應了他幾件事，以斯拉也明白這事不是出於他，而是出於神。王允准他一切所求的，是因為耶和華神的手幫助他。

亞達薛西王對以斯拉有何應允呢？

允許住在波斯國中的以色列人、祭司、利未人，凡甘心上耶路撒冷去的，王都降旨准他們與以斯拉同去。
王與七個謀士差以斯拉去，照他手中神的律法書察問猶大和耶路撒冷的景況。所以以斯拉是以欽差的身份回去的。
帶上王和謀士甘心獻給神的金銀，還有以斯拉在巴比倫全省所得的金銀和百姓、祭司樂意獻給耶路撒冷他們神殿的禮物，可以去買祭物；剩下的金銀，按著神的旨意使用。
聖殿若需要金銀，可以從王的府庫裡支取；還可以向河西皂一切庫官支取。
免去在聖殿當差之人的進貢、交課、納稅。
賜以斯拉審判、治理、刑罰及教導的權柄。

Like God, Be Detail-Oriented in Your Work

2022-01-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 26:1-37.  Today we’re looking at the making of the tabernacle.  So to give you a picture of what the tabernacle looks like, check out this video showing a life-size replica of the tabernacle described in Exodus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mFGsLEpKKk

Exodus 26:1-37 (NIV)
1  “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.
2  All the curtains are to be the same size–twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.
3  Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five.
4  Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set.
5  Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other…….

On verses 1-37:  Here God goes into great detail when He instructs Moses on how to build the tabernacle.  God didn’t just give Moses a general idea. He gave Moses specifics on everything from measurements to colours to the types of materials to be used and how each part of the tabernacle connected to all the others.  Like a skilled craftsman, God was paying attention to details that most of us would not notice.

聖殿建造完工

2022-01-30 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉6:16 以色列的祭司和利未人，並其餘被擄歸回的人，都歡歡喜喜地行奉獻神殿的禮。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉六章

經過哈誶和撒迦利亞的督促和鼓勵，回歸的猶大人終於肯面對自己的軟弱而悔改，重新開始建殿。雖然還沒有拿到王的許可，還是努力進行。當時的達乃總督也沒有禁止他們，只是請求當時的大流士王去徹查一下，猶大人的說法是否真實，居魯士王(或:塞魯士)是否曾經應允他們回到耶路撒冷建聖殿？

大流士王也做了實在的調查，果然在瑪代省的典籍庫裡找到一卷，上面註明了當年塞魯士王叫猶大人回歸的一切。大流士查明之後發佈了幾個命令：

命令河西的總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並他們的同黨，就是住河西的亞法薩迦人，當遠離猶大人。
不可攔阻神殿的工作，要任憑猶大人和他們的長老修建聖殿。
要從河西的款項中，急速撥取貢銀做他們的經費，免得耽誤工作。
他們與天上的　神獻燔祭所需用的公牛犢、公綿羊、綿羊羔，並所用的麥子、鹽、酒、油，都要照耶路撒冷祭司的話，每日供給他們，不得有誤。叫他們獻馨香的祭給天上的　神，又為王和王眾子的壽命祈禱。
無論誰更改這命令，必從他房屋中拆出一根樑來，把他舉起，懸在其上，又使他的房屋成為糞堆。

我相信當所羅巴伯他們得知這樣的消息時，必然雀躍無比，因為神所賜的比他們所要所求的更多更豐富，神為他們預備了各方面的需要，不僅有經費補助，還有獻祭需要的牲畜，等等。每天的供應，真是太奇妙了!

再興聖殿之工

2022-01-28 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉5:1 那時，先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞奉以色列神的名，向猶大和耶路撒冷的猶大人說勸勉的話。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉五章

當回歸的猶大人因為敵人的奸計得逞，而愁眉不展時，天上的父神又豈能不知？神的事工原本如此，若是出於神的工作，撒旦一定會千方百計地阻擾。神沒有派下一個超人或蝙蝠俠或蜘蛛人把敵人把得東倒西歪，相反地，祂差遣了兩個不會打架的先知去鼓勵他們，就是哈該和撒迦利亞。

你會不會覺得派個先知有什麼用啊？人家都去找王要了狀子回來了，先知能做什麼？說幾句話就行了嗎？人的話可能不管用，神的話可就不一樣了。首先是哈該義正嚴詞地要求猶大人省察自己的行為，因為他們己經失去起初的愛心，和建殿的熱誠。表面上看來是敵人阻擾建殿，實際上是他們內心的軟弱和拖延。他們藉口「建造耶和華殿的時間未到」，卻回家設計自己有天花板的房屋， 所以神說：「你們撒的種多，收的卻少；你們吃卻不得飽，喝卻不得足；穿衣服卻不得暖，得工錢的，將工錢裝在破漏的囊中。」因為私心，所以工作沒有果效，禱告也不蒙垂聽。

神給撒迦利亞先知有特別多的異象，其中有一個異象是兩棵橄欖樹中間有一個金燈台，這兩棵樹各有一管子接著金燈台。天使向他解釋：這兩棵樹代表所羅巴伯和耶書亞，金燈台是神自己，祂的能力要源源不絕地供應他們。因為成事不是靠人的勢力或才能，乃是靠神才能成事。

Keep Your Worship Fresh

2022-01-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 25:23-40.  Let’s go!

Exodus 25:23-30 (NIV)
23  “Make a table of acacia wood–two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
24  Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25  Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
26  Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.
27  The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
28  Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them.
29  And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.
30  Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.

In Exodus 25:23-40 God continues to instruct Moses on how to furnish the tabernacle.  After describing the most important piece of “furniture”, which is the ark of the covenant (v10-22), the LORD describes the table on which the priests are to place the “bread of the Presence” (v30).  What is the bread of the Presence?

The bread of the Presence, also known as the ceremonial bread or the “show bread”, was 12 loaves of fresh bread that were placed in the tabernacle as an offering to God.  Why 12 loaves?  It’s because the 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes of Israel.  Also, 12 is often the number used in the Bible to symbolize wholeness and completeness.