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猶大王瑪拿西

2021-12-16 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 33:13他祈禱耶和華，耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道唯獨耶和華是神。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下 21:1-18
〈歷代志〉下 33

瑪拿西是舊約聖經裡出名的浪子。就像耶穌所說的浪子比喻，瑪拿西用盡了神藉著希西家留給他的美好產業，最後被亞述擄去。敵人用鐃鉤鉤住他，用銅鏈鎖住他，他失去一切，成為階下囚，連尊嚴也失去。在急難時，他和浪子一樣，想起了他的父親。但瑪拿西想起的是天上的父親，神。當他自卑，悔改時，神就饒恕他。奇蹟似地，讓他能夠回到耶路撒冷，仍舊做王。這時瑪拿西才知道唯獨耶和華是真神。這是很多拜偶像、信假神的人，成為基督徒時所做的類似的見證。

可能有很多人不覺得拜偶像是罪，拜假神是可咒詛的。放眼社會上，那麼多人都在拜偶像，親近邪靈，要是說他們都在行惡，很可能會被套上一頂蔑視他人的大帽子，甚至還可能琅璫入獄。最近有一些拒絕為同性戀服務的例子，都遭到了麻煩。用這樣的尺度來看瑪拿西，你實在不會覺得他有多壞。不過就是不信耶和華神罷了，他豈沒有選擇宗教信仰的自由？這也是一些父母的想法，不要在孩子年幼時帶他們去教堂，讓他們長大成人時，自己去做選擇。他們覺得從小教孩子學《聖經》是剝奪了他們的人權。

問題是，我看到很多父母親因為愛小孩，在孩子尚未出生之前，已經很注意母親的飲食和生活習慣；在孩子出生後，更是要孩子吃最天然的食品，準備最好的環境，甚至在孩子出生後就開始選最好的幼稚園，以便上最好的小學，最好的中學，最好的大學。但是誰知道今年“最好的”，明年或後年是否還是“最好的”？在世界上的選擇，父母都要選最好的給孩子，為何獨獨漏掉孩子靈魂之所依？為何要孩子認識他們的父母、父母、外祖父母，甚至姑姑、伯伯、叔叔、舅舅，卻單單不要他們認識賜予他們生命的主？

God and Sex

2021-12-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 8:1-15.  Let’s go!

Exodus 8:1-6 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2  If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
3  The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.
4  The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'”
5  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'”
6  So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.

On verses 1-6:  The ancient Egyptians worshiped Heket, who was known as the goddess of fertility and was represented by the frog.  Sculptures and paintings of Heket depict her with the face of a frog.  Apparently the worship of Heket informed the way Egyptians viewed sex and having babies.  By causing frogs to appear everywhere in Egypt – in people’s bedrooms and homes – and later causing the frogs to die in verse 13, the Lord was communicating that the Lord is far greater than Heket and that it is the Lord, not Heket, who reigns over the issues of sex and fertility.

God is Gentle with You

2021-12-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 7:14-25.  Let’s go!

Exodus 7:14-21 (NIV)
14  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
15  Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
16  Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened.
17  This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.

On verses 14-21:  The Egyptians worshiped the god Hapy as the god who had power over the Nile. By turning the Nile River into blood, God was communicating that He had power over the Nile, that He alone was the one true God, and that life ultimately comes from Him, not the Nile.

Also, I find it interesting that the first miracle God enables Moses to perform in the sight of all the Egyptians (and not just in Pharaoh’s court) is turning water into blood.  It was a message of warning and judgment that God was sending to Pharaoh and all of Egypt.   Fast forward to the New Testament and you’ll find that the first miracle Jesus performs is turning water into wine.  It’s a message of joy, life and restoration, where God is not taking away the water supply but enhancing it.  Why the difference?  Didn’t the same God send both Moses and Jesus?  

希西家的感恩之歌

2021-12-15 in , /by

〈以賽亞書〉 38:17 看哪，我受大苦本為使我得平安，祢因愛我的靈魂，便救我脫離敗壞的坑，因為祢將我一切的罪扔在祢的背後。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下 20
〈歷代志〉下 32:24-31

希西家是一個很有信心的君王，但君王也是凡胎俗體，免不了會生病。希西家病得要死，當以賽亞先知去看他時，也是這樣告訴他：“你當留遺命於你的家，因為你必死，不能活了。”倘若是你聽到這樣的宣告，怎麼辦呢？死路一條。希西家不敢說什麼，轉臉朝牆，向神禱告。他希望神因為他對神所存完全的心，又做神所喜悅的事，希望神能夠憐憫他。希西家是希望神因為他的“用功和成績”，或許給他一點額外的恩惠。神不是因為希西家的作為而醫治他，因為人做好是應當的，在神面前沒有功德這一論。就像主耶穌說的，我們只當說，這是僕人當做的。神醫治希西家是因為希西家的祈求，神聽見了他的禱告，看見了他的眼淚，因而醫治他。

但是這樣祈求來的壽命也是有限的。此事讓我們明白，神聽得見我們的禱告，也看得見我們流下的眼淚。但神要用什麼方法幫助或醫治，我們不知道，因為在神每個人身上的計劃都不一樣，但是信徒的禱告必不徒然，眼淚也不會白流。以賽亞離開希西家，還沒走到皇宮的中院，都還沒出門，神就告訴他，要增加希西家十五年的壽數。有的人得了癌症，卻可以不立刻死，又活了好幾年，但不管神再給多少年的壽命，都是有限的。神給人最好的禮物是永生，在世上多少年就不用太計較了。

希西家喜出望外，擦乾眼淚不哭了，像小孩子一樣，向以賽亞求兆頭。因為一個病重得快死的人，兩天之後就會好起來，第三天就可以上聖殿，簡直不可思議。希西家要求一個日影往後退十度的兆頭，神就讓亞哈斯的日晷向前進的日影往後退了十度。以賽亞叫人拿一塊無花果餅貼在希西家的瘡上，王便痊癒了。現在我們已經知道食用無花果對人有很多好處，也可以醫痔瘡，把無花果餅貼在瘡上，不知有沒有人試過？但是只要神願意醫治，凡物都可作為媒介。

The End of Myself

2021-12-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 7:1-13.  For context, we’ll also include Exodus 6:28-30.  Let’s go! 

Exodus 6:28-Exodus 7:1 (NIV)
28  Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt,
29  he said to him, “I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
30  But Moses said to the LORD, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

On Exodus 6:28-Exodus 7:1:  Notice the difference in the way Moses saw himself and the way God saw Moses.  Moses focuses on his inability and weakness, his “faltering lips” (v30).  God says He has made Moses to be like God to Pharaoh and Aaron to be Moses’ prophet (v1). It goes to show that God sees us differently than the way we naturally see ourselves.  If like Moses you have a tendency to focus on your weaknesses and limitations, know that God sees you in a completely different light: He sees you as forgiven, strong, an overcomer (see 1 John 2:12-14).  Part of becoming more godly is learning to see yourself the way God sees you.

Exodus 7:2-7 (NIV)
2  You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.
3  But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
4  he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
5  And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6  Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.

亞述王西拿基立被殺

2021-12-14 in , /by

〈列王記下〉下 19:30猶大家所逃脫餘剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上結果。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下19:1-37

這真是每個遇到霸凌的人最高興的結局，霸凌被解決掉了，從此可以高枕無憂了。但是在霸凌被除掉之前，我們要先明白必須有怎樣的信心才能度過面對霸凌的日子。希西家盡全心去建築工事和裝備，也勉勵百姓要倚靠神。但是當眼前的局勢越變越糟時，他的信心還站立得住嗎？靠近非利士邊境的拉吉被亞述佔據了，而亞述正在攻擊立拿。這兩個地方都是軍事重鎮，可以阻擋從埃及來的軍隊。亞述王聽到古實王要出來與他爭戰的話，更希望趕快攻下耶路撒冷，免得兩面受敵，因此要先拿下立拿和拉吉，好讓埃及軍隊不能經過。有人說這位古實王其實是古實籍的埃及王，也有人說是埃及尼羅河北部的古實之王。因為埃及離猶大和以色列比較近，所以有時會向他們求援。

希西家派家宰和書記披上麻布去見先知以賽亞，說：「今日是急難、責罰、凌辱的日子，就如婦人將要生產嬰孩，卻沒有力量生產。或者耶和華你的神聽見拉伯沙基的一切話，就是他主人亞述王打發他來辱罵永生神的話，耶和華你的神聽見這話就發斥責。故此，求你為餘剩的民揚聲禱告」。在等待的時候，在危難中看不見希望之際，希西家沒有離棄神，他派人去找神的僕人，請他代禱。在急難、責罰、凌辱的日子裡，希西家依然仰望神。有的人看到情勢不對，就去算命、抽籤，希望從別處得到指引。但是希西家認定了唯有耶和華是真神，他就不像其他的王轉向假神，反而去找神的僕人。

這樣的信心得到神的肯定，因此神藉著先知回應希西家：「你聽見亞述王的僕人褻瀆我的話，不要懼怕。我必驚動他的心，他要聽見風聲，就歸回本地，我必使他在那裡倒在刀下」。哇，多麼令人得安慰的話，神終於應允要出手了。但是亞述王給希西家的信卻令他傷痛不已。不是為了國勢的危險，而是他所敬畏的神被亞述王眨得一文不值，被亞述王拿來與其他國家的假神相比。希西家把信件拿到聖殿，在神的面前展開，求神救猶大脫離亞述的手，使天下萬國都知道，唯獨耶和華是神。希西家的禱告蒙神垂聽了，因為神必不讓自己和其他的假神做比較。我們若要為霸凌事件禱告，也要這樣禱告，讓耶和華神彰顯祂自己的榮耀，使世上的人都知道，我們倚靠的是真神。

Bigger Than Our Brokenness

2021-12-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 6:14-30.  For context, we’ll start at Exodus 6:13.  Let’s go!

Exodus 6:13-27 (NIV)
13  Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
14  These were the heads of their families: The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15  The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

On verses 13-27:  Just before we get into the big action scenes of Exodus, we are first given a genealogy (i.e. a summary of the family line) for Moses and Aaron.  The purpose of this genealogy was to show future generations of Israelites where exactly Moses and Aaron fit under the family tree of their nation’s patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (also known as Israel).  It is an abbreviated, selective genealogy that does not show every name and every generation in Moses and Aaron’s family tree, but just enough to show that Moses and Aaron were descendants of Israel’s third son Levi, and the origins of some of Aaron’s descendants like Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Phinehas, who would play prominent roles in Israel later on.

亞述王進攻猶大

2021-12-13 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下32:8 與他們同在的是肉臂，與我們同在的是耶和華我們的神，他必幫助我們，為我們爭戰。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下18:5-37

在信徒的人生中難免也會碰到不講理的人，想要罷佔他產業的人，或是其他方式的霸凌。最近不止在學校中有霸凌，網路上也有霸凌，有的人因為氣不過就自殺了。被欺負當然很可憐，但是自殺就太不值得了，只要你不死，你就有爭口氣的機會，一死就冤死了，白白吃了那麼多年的飯。希西家倚靠神，在他前後的猶大列王中，沒有一個及他的，他辦事都很順利，甚至還有能力可以去攻打非利士人。

在以色列亡國之際，亞述王撒珥根過世，趁著亞述內部動亂不安，無暇顧及迦南地時，希西家趁機向西擴展領土，直到非利士人的領土迦薩（Gaza），並囚禁原本忠於亞述的非利士人的以革倫王帕第（Padi）。這件事記載在撒珥根二世兒子西拿基立的年鑒上：“因著Padi對亞述神的忠心，他的貴冑、臣僕和官員們把他交在猶太人手中。希西家王就非法地，把他當作敵人，囚禁起來。” 他的父親亞哈斯被非利士人攻擊，現在輪到他去攻擊非利士人。但是他也遇到了當時的國際霸凌，亞述。

在希西家當王的前幾年，不斷有消息傳來，亞述怎樣圍攻以色列北國的新聞，聽著都讓人害怕。因為亞述人的行徑實在太殘酷了。亞述攻了三年，終於攻下撒瑪利亞，希西家看到以色列人流離失所，被亞述擄去，心裡也發毛。猶大南國在亞哈斯王執政期間，亞哈斯不停地用錢去餵飽亞述人的胃口，但是亞述人後來不但不幫他，還欺負他，只拿錢，不幫忙打仗了。亞哈斯死的時候，猶大人己經民不聊生，十分窮困，猶大淪為亞述的藩屬，但是在希西家的經營下，終於有了復興的跡象。希西家再也不肯像他父親那樣，一味地拿錢去討好亞述了，他要倚靠神來脫離亞述的霸權。這話說來容易，做起來不容易。

希西家定獻祭之例

2021-12-12 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下31:21 凡他所行的，無論是辦神殿的事，是遵律法守誡命，是尋求他的神，都是盡心去行，無不亨通。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下31:1-21
〈列王紀〉下18:1-4

在希西家帶領以色列人和猶大人過完逾越節之後，以色列眾人就到猶大的城邑打碎柱像，砍斷木偶，甚至到以色列北國去拆毀丘壇和祭壇，這是猶大地和以色列地的信仰大復興。希西家還打碎摩西所造的銅蛇，這是一件非常勇敢的創舉。摩西是誰？他帶領以色列人出埃及後，近迦南時所造的銅蛇，竟然有百姓還在拜它。希西家稱那銅蛇為銅塊，因為他知道那是一堆銅所塑造出來的東西，並不是耶和華神。這也幫助我們明白為何神要隱藏摩西的屍體，因為若有人找到摩西的屍體，或被魔鬼拿去，那麼後果必然十分可怕。連個銅蛇過了幾百年都還有人在膜拜，何況是以摩西形像出現的“人”，必然使人十分困惑，甚至遠離真神。

以色列人和猶大人在耶路撒冷過了極為喜樂的雙倍除酵節之後，這個喜樂和敬拜並沒有因為節日的過去而停止，他們回家拆除偶像，並且遵行律法，按時獻祭，供應利未人和祭司。所以和神建立關係之後，我們的喜樂並不是停留在教會或特會裡，真正的敬虔是讓聖靈繼續帶領之後的每天的生活，讓神居首位。聚會時的“high”是情緒一時的興奮，但是每天的生活才是真正與神同行。所以我們不要一直停留在對聚會時之高潮的懷念，也不要一直倚靠聚會或特會來使我們感覺神的同在，因為神是以馬內利，永遠與我們同在的神。我們若遵行神的話語，就是時時刻刻在“充電”了。

當人們不敬畏神時，祭司和利未人就少吃少穿，甚至無法生活下去，只好去兼差，好像〈士師記〉裡有個利未人去米迦的家裡做祭司一樣，米迦的祭司後來還被但族人搶走。因此希西家下了諭旨，分咐百姓供應祭司和利未人應得的份。當百姓都樂意獻上十分之一時，祭司和利未人就吃不完兜著走了（正面的意思）。當神的僕人不用再為生活而奔波時，自然可以專心侍奉。希西家繼續吩咐，教導利未人和祭司管理所收到的奉獻，並且公平地分給亞倫的子孫和一切載入家譜的利未人。

Because I Am, I Will

2021-12-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 6:1-13.  Let’s go!

Exodus 6:1 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

On verse 1:  Moses and Aaron had approached Pharaoh about letting the Israelite slaves go, but Pharaoh rejected their request and even increased the Israelite slaves’ workload as a result.  Moses could not understand why, especially when God had promised that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go (see Exodus 5:22-23).  God reassures Moses that Pharaoh will (eventually) let the Israelite people go.

What can we learn from this?  When God promises to do something, He will do it according to His timing, not your timing.  Rather than getting upset with God because God didn’t do things according to your way and timing, trust God that His way and His timing are perfect.  When God doesn’t do it in your way and your time, it means that He is writing a greater story than the one you have in mind.

Exodus 6:2-8 (NIV)
2  God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD.
3  I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.