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签名誓遵摩西所传律法

2022-02-15 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉10:32 我们又为自己定例，每年各人捐银一舍客勒三分之一，为我们神殿的使用。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉10章

想到以色列的首领、祭司和利未人一个个到台上签名，与神重新立约，要守神的律法时，那种心里的感动真是难以平复。仿佛看到一对对婚姻破裂的夫妻，重新到神的面前立约，要照主的话彼此相爱。重燃爱火，被神那永不改变的爱感动，因而愿意重新献上自己，再次为主而活。这样的爱让他们愿意多走一里路，不仅守律法，更愿意每年多捐银一舍客勒三分之一，作为圣殿的使用。

别小看了这多捐的银一舍客勒三分之一，换算起来大概只有现在的3美元，因为一舍克勒的银子大约是2.2美元。但是对于当时的人是一笔不少的钱，因为每个人的赎罪银也只收半舍克勒，好让穷人也可以付得起。更重要的是，这是他们自发要给神的，神没有向他们要，但是他们自愿在神所定的十分之一之外，加上这笔钱。这自发的心意要比钱的多少更加使神喜悦。就好像有的孩子放学回家后会自动替父母分担家务，不必叫他，就会帮母亲把地板扫一扫，帮父亲把垃圾倒掉。这些虽然不是大事，都是鸡毛蒜皮的家务。但是看在父母的眼里，该是何等欣慰！

因为心里有爱，才会心甘情愿地付出。雅各说，没有行为的信心是死的；换个说法，没有行为的爱也是死的。父母爱孩子，所以再多的付出也不心疼；夫妻之间若彼此相爱，也会勇于付出。因为只有爱，可以使金钱眨值。假如夫妻之间有一方把金钱看得比配偶还重要时，配偶会有怎样的感觉？能够感受到对方的爱吗？不可能。如此生活下去，必然越走越分歧，失去了起初的真心。人若把钱看得太重，必然使爱他的人感到伤心和不值。因此主耶稣在复活之后问彼得：“你爱我比这些更深吗？” “这些”指的便是世上的财物、事业和养生的一切。人若不能分别“这些”的价值，和神与人何者为重，便无法享有真爱的甘美。

Go Out of Your Way to Meet with God

2022-02-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 33:1-11.  Let’s go!

Exodus 33:1-6 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
2  I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
3  Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
4  When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments.
5  For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'”
6  So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

On verses 1-6: In His mercy the LORD allowed the Israelites to proceed to the promised land even after they had broken His law by committing idolatry. In His anger the LORD proposed that He not join them on the rest of their journey lest the Israelites in their stubbornness sin again and compel Him to strike them down in His anger. Instead, the LORD would send His angel to go before them.  Yet the prospect of going forward without the LORD’s personal presence was a depressing and sad one for Moses and the Israelites. Even if they were to reach the promised land, what good would it be if they didn’t have the personal presence of God?

以色列众禁食认罪

2022-02-14 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉9:2以色列人就与一切外邦人离绝，站着承认自己的罪恶和列祖的罪孽。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉9 章

在以斯拉天天为百姓们读神的话语之后，有一件意想不到的事情发生了。犹大历的七月初十是赎罪日，七月十五日是住棚节。但是在住棚节的严肃日结束之后，以色列人聚集禁食，身穿麻衣，头蒙灰尘，与一切外邦人隔绝，站着承认自己的罪恶和列祖的罪孽。这是一次自发性的禁食认罪聚会，原本可以散会回家了，他们却反而聚集禁食。所以诗人说，“祢的言语一解开，就发出亮光，使愚人通达。（诗119:130）”只有在神的话语中，人才能看见自己的罪，渴慕被洁净。

有的人把禁食祷告拿来当作要求神应允所求的一个方法，有点像小孩子威胁母亲：“你不给我买玩具，我就不吃饭！”但这里的禁食是一种发自心底的祈求，求神赦免他们和列祖的罪；是一种知错要改，为自己和列祖的罪痛心，愿意回到神面前的决志。因此在他们的禁食里，他们认罪、敬拜神，又继续唸神的话；有几个人甚至站在利未人的台上，大声哀求神。

他们的决心带出行动，与一切外邦人隔绝。因为与外邦人杂交，使他们失去了自己的信仰，在生活习性各方面都触动了耶和华神的怒气。神不是不爱外邦人，所有愿意归向祂的，与犹大人在一起的，神都一视同仁；但是对于那些不是要归向犹大人，而是把他们拖离耶和华神的，神就不喜欢了。在我小时候，父母亲也会叫我们不可以跟某些小孩玩，因为怕他们把我们带坏了。就是现，若知道有人吸毒、赌博或行为不端，我们也不希望自己的孩子去跟他们做朋友。不是看不起别人，而是怕自己的孩子染上恶习。

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.

以斯拉宣读律法书

2022-02-13 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉8:10b 你们不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉8 章

水门是耶路撒冷城东城墙上的一道门，在马门和泉门之间，门朝东。希西家王时已有该城门，尼希米时期重修。民众聚集在水门前的宽阔处，听祭司以斯拉宣读律法书。举行竣工典礼时，第一队参加庆典的人从北面向南走到水门。以色列人请文士以斯拉读律法书给他们听，他们如同一人聚集在水门前的宽阔处。亡国前的以色列人对先知的教导何等不悦，何等讨厌被先知指责。因为那时享受罪中之乐，以为神的审判永远不会来临。经过了亡国之痛，做了俘虏的悲哀，终于逐渐醒悟，若不遵照神的律法，有一天他们将永远失去神的眷顾。就像很多人在福中不知福，不明白神的怜悯和宽容，总是要等到身患绝症或走头无路时，才肯谦卑下来，才明白自己是何等的罪人。假如能早一点回头，不是可以少受很多苦吗？

当以色列人敞开心扉，愿意倾听神的话时，耶和华神的心该是何等欢喜！祭司和利未人都尽量“清清楚楚地唸神的律法书，讲明意思，使百姓明白所唸的”。这是教导神的话语很重要的几个条件，一要把神的话读得清楚。所以在自己没有学好一种语言时，不要自以为是去应用，免得让人有吃生米饭的感觉。

二要讲明意思，使百姓明白所唸的。可能很多人都知道有的神学教授对《圣经》读得滚瓜烂熟，可是却根本不信有神；所以读神的话语，却胡乱解释，自以为很科学，实在很可惜。所以我们读神的话要务求明白，才能得到神话语的滋润和供养，灵命才能成长。这也是本网站〈每日亲近神〉的目的，希望让更多人能因为明白神的话，而领受到其丰盛，并且更加亲近神。假如读神的话却不明白其精意，就好像肠胃有问题，吃了很多食物却无法吸收，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

〈尼希米记〉7:1-73 城是广大，其中的民却稀少，房屋还没有建造。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉7 章

起初波斯王古列将庞大的帝国分成七十省，在以斯帖时期划分为127省，每省都立省长管理，因为每一个省份的地域辽阔，所以当时的省长有如独立的小国王。波斯王立尼希米为犹大地的省长，因此尼希米也有权找人来管理耶路撒冷，并且对于服侍的人有一番安排；接着就是重新整理记录回归之人的家谱。

在〈以斯拉记〉里，圣殿修建完工之后已有服侍之人的安排，而以斯拉在巴比伦时也已经做了一份回归之人的家谱。以斯拉的记录的家谱和尼希米的记录有稍微的出入，因为尼希米是在耶路撒冷的城墙建成后，才按著已有的家谱名单重新整理。因为时间上的差距，在这段时间内有的人或许去世，或有其他原因，因此两份名单不尽相同也是必然。

不管是在〈以斯拉记〉或〈尼希米记〉，我们都看到圣殿服侍人员的安排都是第一线的工作，惟有把工作的范围厘清，各人按著各人的工作去执行，圣殿的工作才能有条不紊地进行。这就是秩序。从神带领以色列人出埃及之后，神在西乃山用了几乎一年的时间，教导以色列人有关律法和敬拜的事，其中很重要的就是秩序。这秩序抱括了神、人、物的秩序，敬拜时工作的分配、献祭的礼仪，等等，都要有秩序。甚至在日常生活中，哪个支派先行，哪个支派后行，帐幕在哪里搭起，都有一定的秩序。这就是在西乃山下，神给以色列人的教导，凡事都要有秩序。所以我们的生活也要有秩序，不可以杂乱无章。

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.

敌人的恐吓

2022-02-10 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉6:9b 神啊，求祢坚固我的手！

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉6 章

眼看耶路撒冷的城墙都快修好了，虽然尚未安装门扇，但是城墙本身都没有破裂之处。在修建以前，敌人嗤笑他们所修造的石墙，就是狐狸上去也必跐倒。现在看来未必啊，不仅狐狸上去不会跐倒，就是敌人想要把它撞倒也不容易。犹大人的成功使他们的仇敌更为嫉恨，于是他们想出了别的招数，邀请尼希米去阿挪平原相会。

阿挪平原在耶路撒冷和撒玛利亚中间，耶城西北约31公里之处，由波斯政府直接管理的一个地方。那时尼希米尚未为耶路撒冷的城墙安上门扇，一旦安上门扇，那么仇敌要出入耶路撒冷就更加困难。因此他们想来个调虎离山，把尼希米带离开耶路撒冷。之后呢？只要尼希米不在，其他人就会被吓跑，不敢继续再做下去。那他们就可以继续欺负压榨犹大人。尼希米一旦离开耶路撒冷，进入他们的掌握之中，会发生何事呢？一是软禁，二是谋害。在路上随便找个匪徒把他做掉，简单得很。

尼希米心知肚明，他和仇敌之间有何事需要商议？仇敌的唯一想法就是要害他，他岂能不知？敌人四次邀请，他四次回绝。不给敌人留地步。有时候我们会因为面子问题不好意思拒绝，即使知道别人不安好心，或是有引诱之意，也半推半就，因此往往被牵连或拖累。例如做生意时，对方要你去酒色场所谈生意，你可以拒绝，不一定会失去生意，因为正直的商人很可能会因而更觉得你这人可靠，有原则；你若是半推半就地去了，一来喝酒伤肝，二来情色伤人，让妻子生气，三来喜好杯中物的生意对象往往要你做某方面的妥协，不公道或不守规则的妥协，赚这种钱让你天天难以入睡，怕被人发现其中的不轨之处。

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.