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约沙法和亚哈谢

2021-11-07 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 19:6 你们办事应当谨慎，因为你们判断不是为人，乃是为耶和华，判断的时候祂必与你们同在。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 19:1-11

约沙法可能碍于情面，与亲家亚哈一起去打仗，想帮他取回失地拉末。但是先见却带来神的警告：「你岂当帮助恶人，爱那恨恶耶和华的人呢？因此耶和华的愤怒临到你。……」这句话听了令人心头为之一颤，原来我们和什么人一起行事，神都知道；并且，神不喜欢我们和不敬畏神的人共同行事。正如保罗说的：「你们和不信的原不相配，不要同负一轭。」原来和恨恶神的人同工，会引起神的慎怒。

这种事在政治上更为明显，有不少从政者为了选票，什么庙都进，什么香都拿。诚然，这世界上没有完人，即使有敬畏神的竞选者，也不见得就可以处事谈话都讨人的喜悦和满意。但是按著耶户说的这两个原则，神的儿女还是应当选择敬虔的人同工。他做得好不好是另一回事，但我们应当怎样行则是我们在神面前应有的心志。但神也褒奖约沙法做得对之事，便是除掉偶像，立定心意寻求神。因此神不再追究他的过犯。祂是赏罚分明的神。

约沙法是一位非常敬畏神的人，在他之前之后都没有像他那样注重把百姓带到神面前的王。他不只是派人出去教导百姓律法，更亲自出巡民间，引导百姓归向耶和华神。当一个人爱神时，就会很注重审判的公义。因此他设立审判官时特别嘱咐两件事：一，判断不是为人，乃是为耶华。二，神不偏待人，也不受贿赂。所以他们也当像神一样，不偏待人，也不可以收贿赂，因为他们的工作是代表神在地上的审判。巴不得每个国家的法官们都有这样的心思去施行审判。

Time To Party

2021-11-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:1-14.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:1-14 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses, 
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 
3  “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
4  “‘These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 
5  The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. ……

On verses 1-14:  When you read in Leviticus 23of all the various feasts that God told the Israelites to observe, let it be a reminder that God loves to party.  Notice that in Leviticus 23God doesn’t tell the people to stop and complain about everything that’s wrong with their life or wrong with the world.  (That’s something we do quite naturally without anybody telling us.)  Instead, God tells the people to stop what they’re doing and celebrate!  It’s like God’s saying, “Focus on the good things I have done in your life and have a celebration.”  In fact, God is so much about celebrating that He tells His people to schedule it into their calendars.

Certainly there are times we need to weep and mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4), but as our lifestyle and as a daily habit, the God of the Bible much prefers that we rejoice always and celebrate (give thanks) in all circumstances (1Thessalonians 5:18).

《圣经中各种审判》9 — 对埃及的审判 之三

2021-11-05 in , /by

圣民是上帝赐福世人的管道

两河之间肥沃的土地产生阿卡王朝、米所波大米王朝，其中的吾珥城是当时最大的城市，上帝就是在吾珥城呼召亚伯拉罕。圣经记载第一位听见天上伟大的上帝呼召的先祖就是亚伯拉罕，当亚伯拉罕离开米所波大米，米所波大米的文明就没有什么价值了，因为上帝的选民是历史的中心，如果我们真正敬畏上帝、遵行祂的道。印尼最重要的人，就是敬爱上帝、信仰真神、事奉祂、遵行祂旨意的人，就像上帝对亚伯拉罕说：「如果所多玛、蛾摩拉有五十个义人，我就不把灾祸降在这些城市」。如果我们真心敬畏上帝，上帝要因为我们这些敬畏上帝的人赐福印尼。如果这些人被杀死、被除掉，上帝的恩典就离开这个地区，这个原则是很重要的。我们基督徒一定要过一个敬畏上帝的生活，使我们的存在成为百姓的祝福。当人遵行上帝的旨意，圣经说：「这世界和其上的情欲都要过去，惟独遵行上帝旨意的，是永远常存」（约壹2:17），有上帝给他的永生，使他在世界结束之后，他们要活在上帝面前，直到永永远远，这是圣民在世上的贡献，是真正敬畏上帝的人在人间带来的祝福。

这要出埃及的以色列人，就是上帝要赐福的亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的后代，上帝要为他们建立永恒的国度，借着他们产生弥赛亚救主，使世界因为耶稣基督的福音，看到永恒的光、上帝的爱与救赎的恩典，所以这个民族是很重要的。当这个民族受逼迫的时候，上帝兴起摩西对法老说：「让我的百姓离开埃及，到旷野敬拜我」，这是上帝首次干预伟大政权的命令。世界历史不注意圣经，但是你把世界历史所有文化的记载与圣经的记载相比，你就知道世界暂时的国度会过去，而且一去不回。埃及如今在哪里？现今的埃及人，不是摩西时代的埃及人。古埃及人自克丽奥佩脱拉七世之后，已经衰微到近乎灭绝；六百年以后，回教徒兴起，阿拉伯人争夺埃及的领土；现在的埃及人是阿拉伯人，已经没有古埃及人。

埃及什么时候开始衰微？就是摩西的时代。圣经的出埃及记比世界的埃及历史更为重要，上帝兴起在埃及受逼迫的以色列人，使他们成为改变历史的新方向。世上的帝国皆如昙花一现，上帝却在埃及中兴起一个受逼迫四百三十年的民族，因为上帝的恩典，透过摩西的带领，离开埃及，敬奉上帝。这些敬奉上帝的人，才是上帝看待世上众百姓的关键人物。逼迫的人看自己很伟大、很有权势，把军队当作转动世界潮流的枢纽，但上帝看敬畏上帝的百姓才是决定世界命运的关键。这是从上帝永恒的旨意看暂时的世界，「这地上和其上的情欲都要过去，惟独遵行上帝旨意的，是永远常存」。在世以敬虔、遵行上帝的旨意过日子，是你、我所当行的。

Gratitude Is Food For Your Soul

2021-11-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 22:17-33.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 22:17-25 (NIV) 
17  The LORD said to Moses, 
18  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you–either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel–presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 
19  you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 
20  Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. ……

On verses 17-25:  Once again we see that God’s holiness requires that almost all sacrifices need to be without defects in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.  This reminds me that:

–        When we serve God, let’s give God our very best – not the leftovers, but the first portion.

–        While we were unable to give God a perfect offering because we ourselves are not perfect, God would send His perfect Son Jesus to be the perfect atoning sacrifice for us.

When food is left over, it spoils.  By eating all the thanksgiving food right away and completely, we keep it from spoiling.  In the same way, when we don’t give thanks to God right away and completely, our thanksgiving “spoils”.  That is, over time we will be tempted to explain away God’s hand on our lives, giving the credit to ourselves, attributing it to our own efforts or to luck or to coincidence, or simply forgetting altogether that anything good happened.  Don’t let your thanksgiving spoil.  Don’t ziplock it and save it for another day.  Instead offer your thanks to God right away and completely.

犹大王约沙法

2021-11-04 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 17:6 他高兴遵行耶和华的道，并且从犹大除掉一切丘坛和木偶。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 17:1-19

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法

这是神的律：“你若留意听从耶和华你神的话，谨守遵行他的一切诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，祂必使你超乎天下万民之上。你若听从耶和华你神的话，这以下的福必追随你，临到你身上。你在城里必蒙福，在田间也必蒙福。你身所生的，地所产的，牲畜所下的，以及牛犊、羊羔，都必蒙福。你的筐子和你的抟面盆都必蒙福。你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。（申28:1-6）”当神千方百计要唤回以色列王亚哈时，在犹大南国却兴起了一位敬畏耶和华的王。

那就是约沙法，亚撒王的儿子。亚撒虽然年老失节，但是在他的大半生里，还算是遵守耶和华神律法的王，蒙神祝福的王。当约沙法在35岁登基时，他已经有一个很好的榜样，就是他的父王亚撒。

亚撒年老时，因为以色列王巴沙不准以色列人去耶路撒冷的圣殿敬拜，所以攻击犹大国，修筑拉玛，不许人从拉玛进出犹大。亚撒王便联合亚兰人攻打北国以色列，迫使巴沙停工，不再修筑拉玛。巴沙的儿子以拉接续做王，后来被心利所杀，心利输给暗利后自焚，暗利传位给亚哈。在亚撒死后，以色列王频频更换时，约沙法没有放松警戒，他奋勇自强，防备以色列人，安置军兵在犹大一切坚固城里。

约沙法除了尽力于工事保护人民之外，最重要的还是他行大卫初行的道，不寻巴力，只寻求他父亲的神；遵从耶和华神的诫命，不随从以色列人拜偶像的行为。经过亚撒王当年从国中除去娈童，又除掉他列祖所造的一切偶像，并且贬了他祖母玛迦太后的位，砍下她的偶像，烧在汲沦溪边。到了约沙法年间，犹大还有许多丘坛和木偶（即偶像）。可见在所罗门年老时，因为他不仅跟随嫔妃拜偶像，更允许她们到处设坛，以致百姓相继跟随，直到约沙法年间，那些偶像和丘坛才被除去。

Loved Despite The Defects

2021-11-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 21:1-24.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 21:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,
2  except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,
3  or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband–for her he may make himself unclean.
4  He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.

On verses 1-4:  Leviticus 21:1-4 says that a priest could not touch or get near a dead person unless that person was a close relative, lest he become ceremonially unclean himself and unable to approach God.  Amazingly, in contrast, in the gospels we see Jesus’ touching dead people and making them alive.  Rather than Jesus being negatively affected by other people’s “deadness”, Jesus’ “aliveness” made dead people come to life.  In Jesus Christ we have a high priest like no other.

Leviticus 21:5-6 (NIV)
5  “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
6  They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

耶和华的箭

2021-11-03 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 22:34 a有一人随便开弓，恰巧射入以色列王的甲缝里。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 18:1-3 *** 〈列王纪〉上22:1-40

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢

在拿伯一事上，神似乎赦免了亚哈，暂缓他的死刑。可是当事过境迁时，亚哈依然不敬畏耶和华神，渺视祂的先知。神有怜悯，却不以有罪为无罪。当人把神的怜悯和恩典视为理所当然而不悔改，不珍惜时，他的末日也就到了。

从罗波安开始，犹大南国和以色列北国就一直在过招，大小战役不停，但是到了犹大王约沙法时，这两个兄弟国竟然和解了。不仅三年没有争战，而且结成亲家了。我们不知道约沙法为何会为儿子约兰，看中亚哈那拜偶像的女儿亚她利雅，娶她为媳。这一和亲，几乎断送了犹大的王朝，若不是神的保守，犹大国就被这个“武则天”给灭掉了。可见敬畏神的人若是以为自己不管怎么做，都有神的保守，就可以不顾神的原则去做事，那就是大大的偏离，有可能给自己惹祸上身。属神的人若故意出轨，还真的很难免其祸。

在约沙法大有尊荣、资财时，就与亚哈结亲。他已经忘记所罗门娶了外邦嫔妃的后果，反而觉得这是美事，还特地去探望他的亲家亚哈。亚哈看到约沙法很高兴，这个亲家看起来很强，各国来朝，进贡不断，大可利用一下。因此向他提到了以前被亚兰抢去，那时尚在亚兰手中的一块地，就是基列的拉末。

基列的拉末原属迦得支派，后划分给祭司米拉利的后裔，南北国分裂后，以色列和亚兰争战，此地数次易手。虽然便哈达二世曾承诺把以往夺得的以色列城镇还给亚哈，但究竟没有兑现诺言。基列的拉末是约旦河东的关口，是从东方进入基列的孔道，君王大道(king’s highway)也通过此城，自古就是一个重要的军事据点，所以在以色列国的历史和地理上都占着重要地位。

God Makes Laws For Our Good

2021-11-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:23-37.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:23-25 (NIV)
23  “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24  In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
25  But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.

On verses 23-25:  Why would God forbid the Israelites from eating the fruit from a fruit tree they planted for the first three years?  Isn’t this a waste?  Why is God depriving His own people of food?  God’s purpose was not to deprive His people but opposite: so that “your harvest will be increased” (v25).  Apparently, according to some horticulturists, fruit trees that are not stripped of their fruit in their first few years but are maintained with care have the ability to produce much more fruit in subsequent years. 

What can we learn from this?  When God is seemingly depriving you or keeping you from enjoying a blessing, it’s not to be cruel to you but ultimately to bless you.  Also, the fact that the Israelites were told to give the fourth year’s harvest to the Lord before eating of the fruit themselves suggests one more truth: that the land that the Israelites were going to live in ultimately does not belong to them but to God.  It’s a reminder for us that whatever we think we own actually belongs to God.  We are just stewards and trustees of what God has given to us.

Do All the Regulations in Leviticus Apply to Christians Today

2021-11-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:11-22.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:11-22 (NIV)
11  “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.
12  “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13  “‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14  “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15  “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly…….

On verses 11-22:  What do we do with a passage like Leviticus 19:11-22?  On one hand, the first half (verses 11-18) lists commands that are easy for us to understand and that we can easily see applying just as much today as in Moses’ time: do not steal, do not lie, do not pervert justice, do not slander others, etc.  You’ll find that in verses 11-18, every other verse is punctuated with the statement “I am the LORD”, encouraging us to remember who it is who gives these commands and who it is we are accountable to – not just anyone, but God Himself.

But then in the second half (verses 19-22) we come across commands that may sound strange and foreign to us.  For example, verse 19 says to not plant two kinds of seed in the same field.  Is it wrong for you to plant tomatoes AND cucumbers in your backyard?   And how about this: do not wear clothing woven with two kinds of material (verse 19)?  Is God offended if I wear a shirt that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester?

亚哈贪谋拿伯之葡萄园

2021-11-02 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 21:3 拿伯对亚哈说：「我敬畏耶和华，万不敢将我先人留下的产业给你。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉上21:1-29

这篇经文说到亚哈王看到拿伯有个葡萄园，他想取来作为自己的菜园。没想到这个拿伯灳不管他是以色列王，因为敬畏耶和华，而不敢放弃先人留下的产业。亚哈王因为达不到目的，就像小孩子一样生闷气，躺在床上，不肯吃饭。然后，让他的邪恶皇后找人把拿伯害死，再夺他的葡萄园。神为此事而判了亚哈和耶洗别的死罪。可是没想到亚哈一自卑，撕裂衣服，禁食，身穿麻布，睡卧也穿着麻布，并且缓缓而行。神的心就软下来，要等到他儿子那一代再降祸他家。

面对像拿伯和亚哈这样明显可以分出好坏的人，我们很难明白，为何拿伯要被害死？而亚哈到最后还被赦免？拿伯为了遵行律法，不肯出卖祖产，不然他可以好好地敲亚哈一笔钱，或换更好的葡萄园，但是因为神说：“地不可永卖，因为地是我的，你们在我面前是客旅，是寄居的。（利25:23）”所以他宁可放弃更好的田产或更多的钱，也要守着他的葡萄园。这样守律法的人为何要被陷害，蒙不白之冤而死呢？假如神不保护守律法的人，那么谁还敢守律法？

像拿伯这样的例子很多，以致于有些人因而不相信神的公义，不肯信主。事实上，神让这些人成为世人的榜样，要让我们明白，守神的律法，有时要付出生命的代价，例如耶稣基督。再冤的人也冤不过耶稣，以无罪之身为世人还罪债，直到最后一刻还说：“父啊，赦免他们，因为他们所做的，他们不晓得。（路23:34）”耶稣指出一个属灵的奥秘：“那杀身体不能杀灵魂的，不要怕他们；唯有能把身体和灵魂都灭在地狱里的，正要怕祂。（太10:28）”