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但以理進出獅子坑

2022-01-03 in , /by

〈但以理書〉6:23b 但以理從坑裡被繫上來，身上毫無傷損，因為信靠他的神。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉6:1-28

當但以理被伯沙撒立為全國第三時，他已是八十幾歲的老人。雖然第二天就改國換代，但是新上任的瑪代王大流士對但以理的印象非常之好，立但以理為總督之上的三個總長之一。立總長的目的為何呢？所有的總督都要向總長匯報，回覆事務，免得王受虧損。我想，不止是華人很會走後門，天下烏鴉一般黑。為何要避免讓王受虧損呢？王最怕哪方面受虧損？當然是怕稅收被下面的人一級級地收進口袋，所剩的才給王吧。

因為但以理有美好的靈性，顯然超過其餘的總長和總督，因此王想立他治理通國。台北巿長柯文哲剛上任時曾辦了幾件事，讓我在這方面稍有體會。例如，他要求政府官員出差時，想坐飛機的商務艙要自己補價，他自己出差時也是坐經濟艙；免去每次要給百姓的婚禮喪事的賀聯或輓聯，改用電腦印刷，省錢省事；也不再提供免費的應時衣服，例如有什麼特別慶典就發放給服務人員穿的一次性服裝，等等。老百姓看在眼裡，就知道他實在是希望政府的經費能夠用在更實際的事情上。百姓的眼光如此，大流士的心思也很類似。但是這樣的人很惹人厭，因為他擋掉了很多人的財路。

大流士欣賞但以理，其他總長和總督卻把他恨之入骨，因為有但以理在那裡，他們想要貪污或行賂都會很快露餡，他們也嫉妒但以理深受大流士的信任和重用。這也是為何祭司長和法律賽人要殺耶穌的原因之一，因為耶穌在各方面都指出他們的不是，讓他們在暗中所行的，大白於天下；他們也嫉妒百姓都樂意跟隨耶穌。所以他們一定要除掉耶穌。但以理也成了其他總長和總督的眼中釘。若讓但以理治理通國，那麼他們就“完了”。因此他們非常努力地去尋找但以理誤國的把柄。那麼多人盯著他，卻找不到但以理有任何錯誤過失，因為他忠心辦事。這點讓我也感到懊惱，怎麼有這樣“完全”的人呢？小編我天天打字打了快十年，還是錯字一大堆，也是認真打字，忠心辦事，怎麼就有那麼多錯誤過失呢？人與人真的不能相比，人比人氣死人。

Saved by the Power of God’s Love

2022-01-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 14:15-31.  Let’s go!

Exodus 14:15-22 (NIV)
15  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
16  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
17  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
18  The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19  Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,
20  coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21  Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
22  and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

On verses 15-22:  In arguably the most incredible scene in all the Old Testament, God parts the seas so that the Israelites can walk right through to safety on the other side, with a wall of water on their right and left.  Get ready for THRIVE Church online today (www.thrivechurch.ca/online) as we take a close look at this passage together.  You don’t want to miss this powerful message!

巴比倫亡

2022-01-02 in , /by

〈但以理書〉5:22伯沙撒啊，你是他的兒子，你雖知道這一切，你心仍不自卑。

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉5:1-31

尼布甲尼撒曾經希望巴比倫能夠永永遠遠地堅立，可惜事與人違，才88年就結束了。在尼王死後，他的兒子以未米羅達於西元562年繼位，兩年後在叛變中被殺；由尼王的女婿尼甲沙利薛繼位，在位四年就去世。尼甲沙利薛的兒子拉巴施瑪度做王九個月被殺。尼王的另一個女婿拿波尼度被擁立為王，他做王後將阿拉伯沙漠北部的提瑪城當成是巴比倫國的第二首都，長期住在提瑪城，指派長子伯沙撒在巴比倫城幫他管理政務，所以伯沙撒在主前553年左右跟其父親同時攝政。相傳伯沙撒的母親是尼布甲尼撒王的女兒，也是拿波尼度的妻子。但以理說伯沙撒是尼王的兒子，原文有小字指是祖父或先祖之意。

大凡一個政權敗落都不是沒有原因的，就好像以色列北國和猶大南國的滅亡，都是因為離棄耶和華神，拜偶像，行敗壞的事，以致於被神管教。所以神說：“亞述是我怒氣的棍，手中拿我惱恨的杖。（賽10:5）”又說：“以色列是打散的羊，是被獅子趕出的。首先是亞述王將他吞滅，末後是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒將他的骨頭折斷。 (耶50:17) ”但是這些國家因為行惡太甚，所以也嚐到了被神刑罰的後果。

巴比倫在尼王統治期間的國勢最為強大，巴比倫城的人口達到十多萬，且因地處交通要衝，世界各國的商 人都到這裡來，是當時亞洲西部著名的商業和文化中心，被稱為“上天的門戶”。但是在強盛的背後卻有許多可見的危機，其一是被征服的外族人對巴比倫奴隸主的仇恨和反抗不斷發生，本族的貧民和農民因破産淪為奴隸，加劇了國內的階級矛盾。其二是源於巴比倫的宗教信仰。據希臘學者希羅多德記載，在每個巴比倫婦女的一生中，都要到阿芙洛蒂忒神廟裡做廟妓，與陌生男子性交。但她們不算是妓女，而是阿芙洛蒂忒神的替身。

The One Who Fights For You

2022-01-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Exodus 14:1-4 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses,
2  “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.
3  Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’
4  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So the Israelites did this.

On verses 1-4:  At first the fleeing Israelites were heading southeast (according to some historians), and now Moses’ GPS (the LORD) tells Moses to lead the Israelites in a new direction, which is north toward the sea.  Knowing that Moses and the Israelites would question this move, God tells Moses the reason why: He was making the Israelites look like they were lost and confused in order to bait Pharaoh to go out and pursue them (v3-4a).  God reassures Moses, “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

《聖經中各種審判》16 — 對以色列的審判

2022-01-01 in , /by

在上帝主權統管下的意志

　　聖經說：「我要使法老的心剛硬」，我們怎麼理解？上帝的主權超越人的意志，人心能否順從都在神主權的統管下。聖經說：「耶和華說：『我要顯我一切的恩慈，在你面前經過，宣告我的名。我要恩待誰就恩待誰；要憐憫誰就憐憫誰。』」（出 33:19）一個人的生命要敗壞下去，不是他決定就可以，也要上帝的許可。

有關上帝的主權與旨意，我分成四大階層：一、上帝計劃中的旨意，二、上帝許可中的自由，三、上帝引導人的轉變，四、上帝任憑人的滅亡，這四樣都在神的主權之下。你說：「我自己決定，所以我有這樣的地步」，你沒有想到你所打的主意有上帝的主權在你身上的彰顯，如果你能好，是因為上帝施恩給你，如果你不好，是上帝任憑你硬著你的心，因著上帝的主權與施恩決定一個人能領受多少恩典，如果上帝沒有施恩，我們只能抵擋上帝，剛硬著心。聖經說：「我要使法老的心剛硬」，這不是指硬心是上帝的決定，而是說這其中有上帝的許可，甚至是上帝的任憑。人自己本意的敗壞是上帝的任憑，不讓你悔改，繼續硬心下去。人以為他的抵擋連上帝都束手無策，把上帝的干涉當作是對自己的攪擾，在蒙蔽之中不知道自己犯了什麼錯，不知道如果上帝不施恩，他也無法悔改。

聖經說：「我使法老的心剛硬，要在他身上顯出我的榮耀」，因為法老的剛硬，人看見上帝憑己意行萬事 ，上帝行事使祂的百姓得恩典，祂施行審判使祂的仇敵受災殃。

十災顯明埃及諸神非真神

　　上帝降下十災最大的目的只有一個：顯明埃及人所敬拜的是假神，不能造福人群，解救百姓。在降災的事上，術士可以模仿先知所做的事 ，無論是杖變蛇或水變血，假先知所做的事情與神的僕人好像一樣，但在結局上，你看見法老的術士只能降災，顯明邪惡的能力無法施行拯救，這是聖經記載正邪之間真正的分別。

The One Who Goes Before You

2021-12-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 13:11-22.  Let’s go!

Exodus 13:11-16 (NIV)
11  “After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers,
12  you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.
13  Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.
14  “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
15  When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’
16  And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

On verses 11-16:  Here the LORD reiterates that every firstborn belongs to Him, whether it’s a firstborn child or the firstborn male among one’s livestock.  To get that firstborn back, an Israelite would need to redeem (i.e. buy back) that firstborn by sacrificing something in the firstborn’s place.  This system of redeeming (buying back) the firstborn was to be an obvious reminder (“like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead”) of how the Lord saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt with the death of Egypt’s firstborn.  But this system of redeeming (buying back) the firstborn with the life of something else was also pointing forward to the day that God would redeem us by giving up His Son Jesus Christ.  That is why Paul would later say to the Christians in Corinth: “you are not your own; were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a).  It is because you and I have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

尼布甲尼撒的大樹夢

2021-12-30 in , /by

〈但以理書〉 4:3 祂的神蹟何其大，祂的奇事何其盛！祂的國是永遠的，祂的權柄存到萬代！

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉4:1-37

尼布甲尼撒（以下簡稱：尼王）把但以理的三個朋友丟入烈火窯中，卻看到神子釋放他們，並與他們同行。他驚訝萬分地把那三位叫出火窯。再次曉喻住在全地各方、各國、各族的人，至高的神向他所行的神蹟奇事；終於願意承認唯有至高神的國是永遠的，祂的權柄存到萬代。但是尼王正處在他人生的顛峰，世界諸國向他稱臣，又建造了世界一大奇蹟的空中花園。巴比倫城以兩道圍牆圍繞．外牆以外，還有一道護城河，城內的主幹道中央以白色及玫瑰色石板鋪成，另城有八個城門，其中的北門就是著名的伊絲達爾門（獅門），表面用青色琉璃磚裝飾，磚上有許多公牛和神話中的怪物等浮雕。巴比倫城被建設得宏偉壯麗，直到100多年後，希臘歷史學家，被稱為「歷史之父」的希羅多德來到巴比倫城時，仍稱它為世界上最壯麗的城市。

巴比倫城的空中花園北邊就是巴比倫的米羅達神廟，形狀和〈創世記〉裡的巴別塔很像。尼王把各個戰敗國的廟殿裡的寶物都收到廟裡，表示他的神最偉大，勝過其他國家的神。尼王顯然是個才華過人的君主，不但在軍事戰略上十分出色，還是個罕見的建築天才，但也是一個熱衷於宗教的人。他深信占星術、占卜和天象，因此身邊總有一群哲士和迦勒底人。在〈以西結書〉廿一章21節裡說：“因為巴比倫王站在岔路那裡，在兩條路口上要占卜（攻打亞捫或猶大）。他搖籤求問神像，察看犧牲的肝。” 因為巴比倫人就是利用肝臟來求問吉凶。因此當他做了異夢時，他相信一定是出於神明的指示。

Not Just the What, But the Why

2021-12-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 13:1-10.  Let’s go!

Exodus 13:1-2 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal.”

On verses 1-2:  To consecrate means to declare that something belongs to God.  The Israelites were expected to consecrate their firstborn child and even the firstborn from among their livestock.  The idea that the first fruits belong to God comes up over and over again in Exodus through Deuteronomy, whether we’re talking about children, livestock, or crops. 

When you see the first fruits of what you produce as belonging to God, it changes the way you look at the people and things God has given to you.  You start seeing yourself as a trustee and a steward, rather than as the centre of your own universe.  

Exodus 13:3-8 (NIV)   
3  Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.
4  Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.

烈火窯中的神子

2021-12-29 in , /by

〈但以理書〉 3:18 即或不然，王啊，你當知道：我們決不侍奉你的神，也不敬拜你所立的金像！

閱讀經文：〈但以理書〉3:1-30

在但以理為尼王解夢之後，尼王俯伏在地，向他下拜，又說：“你既能顯明這奧祕的事，你們的神誠然是萬神之神，萬王之主，又是顯明奧祕事的。”但是在他的心裡是否真的如此想呢？有時向人傳福音，人家有困難時為他禱告，當事情解決之後，對方是否會真的認為我們相信的神很厲害，是唯一的真神而投靠祂呢？嘴巴說的和心裡想的，往往是不一樣的。

當但以理為尼王解釋了夢中的人像之後，尼王心裡又是怎麼想的？從尼王所造的金像，我們可以試著去揣摩一二。在尼王的夢中，巴比倫在尼布甲尼撒的時期代表了像的金頭，但以後會有其他的國家相繼興起，雖然都不及巴比倫，不及尼王的偉大，但是對於一個相當自負的尼王而言，這豈是可忍受的？他的國度怎麼會就只有一個頭呢？就像秦始皇一樣，他也希望他的國家可以千秋萬世地傳下去，永無止盡，所以他派徐福帶了五百童男童女去找長生不老藥。徐福一去不回頭，據說他那批人變成了現在日本人的祖先。

而尼王呢？他造了一座又高又大的金像，很可能不是精金而是鑲金的。將兩個像一比較，就知道尼王想要表達的心意了，他要他的國度存到永世，而不是只有一個頭的時間。這就是人的野心和不知量力。會有非人手鑿出來的一塊石頭從山而出，打碎列國嗎？好，尼王現在就差人將總督、欽差、巡撫、臬司、藩司、謀士、法官和各省的官員都召了來，為此像行開光之禮，統一他國內的宗教。這些人有許多是從其他國擄來的，他們有各自的信仰，各自拜的神明，但是尼布甲尼撒打敗了諸國，把各神殿中的器皿都放進米羅達的神廟裡，所以尼王認為巴比倫所拜的米羅達勝過一切的神明。現在就要求所有的巴比倫子民，無論是巴比倫人或擄來的，通通放棄自己的信仰，都來拜最偉大的米羅達神。這樣，會不會安全一點？可以抵擋那塊非人手鑿出來的石頭？

Don’t Break His Legs

2021-12-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 12:43-51.  Let’s go!

Exodus 12:43-51 (NIV)
43  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover: “No foreigner is to eat of it.
44  Any slave you have bought may eat of it after you have circumcised him,
45  but a temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat of it.
46  “It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.
47  The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.
48  “An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it.
49  The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.”
50  All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.
51  And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.

On verses 43-51:  In these verses the LORD makes certain distinctions concerning who may eat the Passover meal and who may not.  The distinction goes like this:  if you have placed your faith in the LORD, as evidenced by circumcision (in the case of males) (v48), then you may, in fact you must, partake of the Passover meal.  If your faith is not in Yahweh, you were not to eat the Passover meal; instead, eat something else.  This principle applied regardless of your social status and whether the person was an Israelite by birth or a foreigner who became an Israelite later on in life.