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犹大王约哈斯和约雅敬

2021-12-22 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 23:34法老尼哥立约西亚的儿子以利亚敬接续他父亲约西亚作王，给他改名叫约雅敬，却将约哈斯带到埃及，他就死在那里。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下 23:31-37   /   〈历代志〉下 36:1-8

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）→约坦→亚哈斯→希西家→玛拿西→亚扪→约西亚→约哈斯→约雅敬（以利亚敬，约哈斯的哥哥）→约雅斤

从主前约1050年，以色列人要求立王，扫罗成为第一任以色列的王，到约雅敬作王约主前604年。在这大约400年的期间证明了一件事，神是对的。以色列人想要学外邦人有王统治，有王率领，但是约400年的经历，让我们看到，除了神，没有一个人是完全的。假如碰到一个好王，就国泰民安；若是碰到不好的王，那真是全国皆悲，一天不如一天。世界的政局也淘汰了君王制度，因为在一个有限的人管辖之下，百姓看不到希望。所有的人都要看一个人的脸色行事，太令人感到痛苦了。

约西亚想阻止埃及去攻打亚述，不仅阻挡不了埃及，并且约西亚也战死沙场。这时原本独立的犹大国变成受制于埃及了。法老尼哥二世打败约西亚后就在哈马地的利比拉安营，这是以色列北部的一个军事重镇。利比拉是军队安营的战略地点，它操控了埃及和幼发拉底河之间的南北商业及军事路线。当地水源充足，军队可以在周围的山谷和森林搜集粮食和燃料，所以是兵家必争之地。

I’m Not Negotiating

2021-12-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 10:1-20.  Let’s go!

Exodus 10:1-2 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them
2  that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”

On verses 1-2:  In previous chapters of Exodus we learned that the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was not simply God’s doing, but Pharaoh’s choice as well (see Exodus 8:15; Exodus 8:32; Exodus 9:34).  Yet despite Pharaoh choosing to harden his heart toward God, God would use this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to perform His miracles so that the Israelites would have a greater story to tell, “that you may know that I am the Lord” (v2).  What can we learn from this?  Because God is sovereign (possessing supreme authority), God will use even our mistakes and the mistakes of others to write a greater story.  Of course we are always better off obeying God early and with a soft heart, but God being sovereign will find a way to show His power one way or the other.

What Will You Choose?

2021-12-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage: Exodus 9:13-26.  Let’s go!

Exodus 9:27-30 (NIV)
27  Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.
28  Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”
29  Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
30  But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.”

On verses 27-30:  Though in verses 27-28 Pharaoh says all the right words, confessing that he has sinned and admitting that the Lord is right and he was wrong, we will see that Pharaoh evidently was still playing games with the Lord.  Pharaoh wasn’t really sorry for his sin.  If anything, perhaps, he was sorry that he was in the situation he was now in and was doing everything he can to get out of it.  It goes to show that anyone can say that they have sinned and speak the right-sounding words, but what counts is what is in the heart.

约西亚战死沙场

2021-12-21 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 23:3王站在柱旁，在耶和华面前立约，要尽心、尽性地顺从耶和华，遵守他的诫命、法度、律例，成就这书上所记的约言。众民都服从这约。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下 23:1-30   /   〈历代志〉下 35

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢→（亚她利雅）→约阿施→亚玛谢→亚撒利雅（乌西雅）→约坦→亚哈斯→希西家→玛拿西→亚扪→约西亚

在耶罗波安做第一任北国的以色列王时，他造了两个金牛犊。神派了一位神人从犹大去伯特利警告他，并且预言：“大卫家里必生一个儿子，名叫约西亚，他必将丘坛的祭司，就是在你上面烧香的，杀在你上面，人的骨头也必烧在你上面。（王上13:2）”神的预言何等准确，连约西亚的名字都在预言之中。在预言发出的三百多年后，约西亚不但拆毁焚烧耶罗波安所的坛，杀假祭司，并且打发人将坟墓里的骸骨取出来，烧在坛上。死人一般被认为不洁净，将人的骸骨烧在祭坛上，是一种污秽异教祭坛的作法。

约西亚在位时所做的一切让我们看到当时异教的风俗何等盛行：不仅拜巴力和亚舍拉，还向日、月、行星并天上万象烧香。他们在圣殿里拜巴力和亚舍拉以及天上的万象，圣殿里还有给娈童住的屋子，给妇女为亚舍拉织帐子的地方。在城里山上，从所罗门到亚哈斯、玛拿西、亚们为异教所筑的丘坛，约西亚都把它们污秽了。欣嫩子谷是指在耶路撒冷以南的一个山谷，靠近耶撒冷城的哈珥西门口。亚哈斯和玛拿西曾经在此向假神献上自己的儿女，把他们活活烧死，因此又得名“陀斐特”，即焚烧之处。此处也拿来作为崇拜摩洛之处，神曾经借着耶利米先知宣告此地将不再称为欣嫩子谷或陀斐特，而要称为“杀戳谷the Valley of Slaughter”（耶7:32），因为他们在这里流无辜人的血。在约西亚王亵渎那神龛，并禁止在那里献祭之后，这地方成为焚烧犯人、动物尸体和废物的地方。因此欣嫩子谷日后被用作“地狱”的同义词，犹太人的传统曾把此地作为地狱的入口。

犹大王约西亚

2021-12-21 in /by

〈列王纪〉下22:2  约西亚行耶和华眼中看为正的事，行他祖大卫一切所行的，不偏左右。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下22:1-20
/ 〈历代志〉下34:1-7

一个八岁的孩子做王，若是没有旁人的扶持，怎能知道如何主理国政？正好比一个八岁的孩子，怎能知道如何选择人生的信仰？不管父母觉得是否应当帮助他们先做选择，从约西亚的例子上来看，有人帮助，好过他自己去摸索。所以在记载犹大历任的王时，都会记载他们的母亲是谁，虽然无从查考每一个母亲的背景，但是在隐约之中，似乎在提醒我们，一个母亲对孩子的成长有很大的影响。约西亚能行耶和华眼中看为正的事，行他祖大卫所行的，不偏左右，不能不归功于他的母亲。因为他的父亲亚扪是一个不敬虔的君王，在他八岁时就己经过世了。

约西亚在十六岁时，尚且年幼，就寻求大卫的神，而不是学傚他父亲亚们所拜的偶像。可见当时在约西亚旁边也有一些敬虔的人在辅佐他，引导他走正路。十六岁正是开始思想的年记，很多父母发现这年记的孩子已经不听他们的话了。因为他们已经开始有了独立的心灵，要去探讨人生。他们要找出自己的路，所以父母最好是多听他们的分享，在必要时点出他们的盲点（假如父母能查觉），不要提供自己很多已经过时的想法，这样孩子才会愿意和父母交流。有的父母不知道时代的改变有多快，每一年和前一年的制度或教育体系都有很大的不同，何况与父母当年的学习环境更是天壤之别，提出一大堆不合时的意见，孩子听了，以后就不想再和父母交流了。

约西亚寻求神，到了廿岁时，开始洁净犹大和耶路撒冷，除掉丘坛、木偶、雕刻的像和铸造的像。这是出于一个廿岁青年的决定，立志跟随神，不拜偶像。就好像现在很多基督徒青年，当他们决志跟随神时，就立志过圣洁的生活，不随波逐流，不在婚前与异性（或同性）发生性关系，立志过神所喜悦的生活。这样的心志实在非常宝贵。在年轻时就立志跟随神的人何等有福，因为他们可以躲过很多引诱，远离恶人恶事，过著蒙神祝福，没有后悔的人生。

Safe in the Storm

2021-12-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage: Exodus 9:13-26.  Let’s go!

Exodus 9:13-15 (NIV)
13  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me,
14  or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
15  For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.

On verses 13-15:  These verses show us that the 10 plagues are evidence not just of God’s wrath, but of God’s patience, mercy and love.  For God could have easily wiped out all of Egypt with one single plague and rescued Israel that way, but instead God chose to turn up the heat of His wrath incrementally.  Why?  To give the Egyptians time to repent.  Thus God started with gentler plagues, so gentle that even Egyptians’ magicians could replicate them.  God would rather lose a bit of face if it meant He could save the softer hearted among the Egyptians with relatively gentler signs and wonders.  That’s the heart of God: to save and to rescue not just the Israelites, but all people.

犹大王亚们

2021-12-19 in /by

〈列王纪〉下21:24   但国民杀了那些背叛亚们王的人，立他儿子约西亚接续他做王。

阅读经文：〈列王记〉下21:19-26 / 〈历代志〉下33:21-25

在《圣经》里非常强调:“行耶和华眼中看为恶的事”。我们若仔细想想，“耶和华眼中看为恶的事”和“人眼中看为恶的事”似乎有些不同，因此还没有信主的人会觉得“我做的都比xx信徒还好，他可以上天堂，我反而不能？这样不公平的神，我不信！”。那么这两者究竟有何不同？为什么“耶和华眼中看为恶的事”有那么糟糕？亚们所做的事和玛拿西悔改之前所做的事一样，玛拿西究竟做了哪些事？

1.玛拿西重建希西家毁坏的丘坛，那些丘坛原是百姓用来献祭给偶像的。希西家毁了丘坛，希望百姓按著神的意思去圣殿献祭。所以玛拿西此举，使百姓不再尊重神。

2.他为巴力筑坛，做亚舍拉像，又敬拜侍奉天上的万象；并且更在圣殿中筑坛，不是敬拜耶和华神，而是天上的万象和亚舍拉像。此举等于是污秽圣殿，让神无法留在殿中，把神赶出祂自己的家。在新闻里，我们有时会看到一些父母被儿女把钱骗光后，逐出家门，还换了钥匙，让老人流浪街头，无家可归。此举太可恶了。背弃神的人也是如此!

3.玛拿西用自己的儿子献给假神，活活把他烧死，以求假神的祝福；并且也让百姓如此做，使犹大人陷在罪里，又流许多无辜人的血。

4. 他不寻求神的心意和带领，反而去观兆，用法术，立交鬼的和行巫术的。就好像北美的学校拒绝让学生读《圣经》，却允许巫师进学校去教巫术。有的人为了得到黑暗的权柄，让自己变得比普通人更有能力，可以去为害或操控他人，也会去参加撒旦教。

Don’t Let Pride Get in the Way

2021-12-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage: Exodus 9:1-12.  Let’s go!

Exodus 9:1-12 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”
2  If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back,
3  the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field–on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats…….

On verses 1-12:  The plagues seem to be getting worse in their severity.  Plagues 2 through 4 consisting of the frogs, the gnats, and the flies were probably minor irritations compared plague 5 where God starts hitting the Egyptians’ bank accounts by killing off their livestock as well as plague 6 with the boils.  At this point you need to wonder what Pharaoh was thinking: the people he is leading are suffering greatly, so why does he not surrender to the Lord to save his own people?  It seems that Pharaoh would rather let his people suffer than swallow his own pride.  Beware of pride, for if we’re not careful, pride can cause us to make very foolish decisions that unnecessarily harm those we are called to protect. 

Also, another lesson we learn here is that the longer we delay in obeying God and the longer we keep playing games with Him, the more painful it gets for us and those closest to us.  We’re always better off obeying God earlier than later.

A Matter of the Heart

2021-12-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 8:16-32.  Let’s go!

Exodus 8:16-19 (NIV)
16  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.”
17  They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.
18  But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals.
19  The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.

On verses 16-19:  This plague of gnats marks the first time the Egyptian magicians are not able to replicate the miracle the Lord was doing.  The magicians are convinced that God is with Moses and Aaron, but Pharaoh’s heart remains hard.  It goes to show that faith, or lack thereof, is in the end more an issue of the heart than the head.  That is not to say that people who have faith in God are stupid.  Rather, what I mean is that intellectually you can have sufficient evidence to believe, but in the end whether you actually believe and submit to God will boil down to whether or not your heart is willing.

《圣经中各种审判》15— 对埃及的审判 之十

2021-12-17 in , /by

在上帝主权统管下的意志

　　圣经说：「我要使法老的心刚硬」，我们怎么理解？上帝的主权超越人的意志，人心能否顺从都在神主权的统管下。圣经说：「耶和华说：『我要显我一切的恩慈，在你面前经过，宣告我的名。我要恩待谁就恩待谁；要怜悯谁就怜悯谁。』」（出 33:19）一个人的生命要败坏下去，不是他决定就可以，也要上帝的许可。

有关上帝的主权与旨意，我分成四大阶层：一、上帝计划中的旨意，二、上帝许可中的自由，三、上帝引导人的转变，四、上帝任凭人的灭亡，这四样都在神的主权之下。你说：「我自己决定，所以我有这样的地步」，你没有想到你所打的主意有上帝的主权在你身上的彰显，如果你能好，是因为上帝施恩给你，如果你不好，是上帝任凭你硬着你的心，因着上帝的主权与施恩决定一个人能领受多少恩典，如果上帝没有施恩，我们只能抵挡上帝，刚硬着心。圣经说：「我要使法老的心刚硬」，这不是指硬心是上帝的决定，而是说这其中有上帝的许可，甚至是上帝的任凭。人自己本意的败坏是上帝的任凭，不让你悔改，继续硬心下去。人以为他的抵挡连上帝都束手无策，把上帝的干涉当作是对自己的搅扰，在蒙蔽之中不知道自己犯了什么错，不知道如果上帝不施恩，他也无法悔改。

圣经说：「我使法老的心刚硬，要在他身上显出我的荣耀」，因为法老的刚硬，人看见上帝凭己意行万事 ，上帝行事使祂的百姓得恩典，祂施行审判使祂的仇敌受灾殃。

十灾显明埃及诸神非真神

　　上帝降下十灾最大的目的只有一个：显明埃及人所敬拜的是假神，不能造福人群，解救百姓。在降灾的事上，术士可以模仿先知所做的事 ，无论是杖变蛇或水变血，假先知所做的事情与神的仆人好像一样，但在结局上，你看见法老的术士只能降灾，显明邪恶的能力无法施行拯救，这是圣经记载正邪之间真正的分别。