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Clean Because of Jesus

2021-10-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:40-59.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:40-46 (NIV)
40  “When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.
41  If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean.
42  But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead.
43  The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease,
44  the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.
45  “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’
46  As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.

On verses 40-46:  In Leviticus 13:45-46 we read of the way in which people with leprosy were kept away from the rest of society: they would need to tear their clothes, cover their faces, cry out “unclean!” whenever anyone came near, and live alone outside the camp away from everyone.  Sadly, for the protection of the rest of the community, lepers were treated as the untouchables of Israelite society.

Given this, it is amazing to read about the way Jesus treated lepers.  In Luke 5:12-16, a man covered in leprosy sees Jesus and falls with his face to the ground and begs Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus’ response is, literally, touching.  The Bible says Jesus reached out his hand and touched this man, who probably had not felt the touch of another human being in a very long time.  When no one else was willing to get near him, let alone touch him, Jesus touched and said, “I am willing.  Be clean!”  And when Jesus touched the leper, the leprosy left him immediately.

犹大王亚比央 / 亚比雅

2021-10-21 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 12:8  然而他们必做示撒的仆人，好叫他们知道服侍我与服侍外邦人有何分别。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  15:1-8 
  〈历代志〉下 13:1-21

从〈列王纪〉和〈历代志〉的记载，我们不难发现亚比央／亚比雅有不同的母亲名。可能很多读者都已经知道亚比央就是亚比雅，就好像现代人除了有姓氏first name ，还有中间小名middle name，以及一般常用的名字。但是他的母亲好像是两个不同的人，又是怎么一回事呢？根据圣经学者的解释：玛迦是押沙龙的外孙女，又名米该亚。押沙龙只有一个女儿，名叫她玛（撒下14:27），她嫁给基比亚人乌利，生下玛迦（代下13:2）。玛迦嫁给罗波安，生下亚比央，又叫亚比雅。他是罗波安所生的28个儿子中的一个，不是长子，但是罗波安偏爱玛迦，因此立亚比央为继位者。亚比央的意思是：「我父是大海」；亚比雅的意思是：「我父是耶和华」。可见当罗波安在为儿子取名时，依然有尊崇神的心在里面。只可惜，在神的眼中，他是一个心怀二意，不专心遵守主道的恶王。

我们来回顾一下犹大王和以色列王的顺序，免得再读下去就乱套了，因为名字越来越多了，很不好记。以色列王从扫罗开始，再来是大卫，所罗门，接着就是王国的分裂，分裂成犹大南国和以色列北国。犹大南国从罗波安开始，现在亚比央是第二任的犹大王。此时北国以色列的第一任王耶罗波安还健在。罗波安曾经想要进攻取回以色列北国，恢复统一时，神借着先知示玛雅去阻止他们。但可能因为国界太相近了，所以经常有冲突。到了亚比央时，终于爆发了一场大战。

在这场大的战事中，亚比央（就是亚比雅）率领挑选的兵四十万摆阵，耶罗波安也挑选了大能的勇士八十万摆阵。在战事之前，亚比央对着以色列的军士强调三点：一，以色列国是神赐给大卫和他的后裔，是神与大卫立的盐约，是无法改变的。所以若不是大卫的后裔作王，就名不正言不顺，所以必须讨伐耶罗波安。二，以色列北国离弃耶和华神，驱逐耶和华的祭司亚伦的后裔和利未人。无论何人牵一只公牛犊、七只公绵羊将自己分别出来，就可做虚无之神的祭司。指责以色列北国在灵性上的背叛。三，犹大南国没有离弃神，依然守着律法，在圣殿敬拜和献祭。因此和犹大南国为敌就是与耶和华神为敌。

罗波安做犹大王

2021-10-20 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 12:8  然而他们必做示撒的仆人，好叫他们知道服侍我与服侍外邦人有何分别。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  14:21-31 
  〈历代志〉下 11:1-23 

罗波安41岁时做王，所罗门做王40年，所以在所罗门王做王之前，罗波安已经出生。换句话说，在所罗门王尚未娶埃及法老的女儿之前，所罗门已经和耶罗波安的亚扪人妈妈结婚了。因为受到所罗门王被异邦的妃嫔诱惑去拜偶像的影响，等到罗波安做王时，犹大人已经失去了大卫时代的敬虔。他们在各高冈上、各青翠树下筑坛，立柱像和木偶。国中也有娈童，犹大人学着外邦人做一切神所憎恶的事。罗波安在成长的过程中，看着他父亲的转变，从敬畏神到跟着外邦的妻妾去拜假神；他耳濡目染，做王后也娶了18个妻，立了60个妾。，又为他的众子们多寻妻子。

在台湾设立了奇美医院和奇美博物馆的企业家许文龙先生，有次谈到不把财产留给儿子们的原因之一，是因为儿子们若有了许多财产，很可能再去娶妾，反而会破坏他们家庭的和谐。这真是智者之见。玛拉基先知说：“虽然神有灵的余力能造多人，祂不是单造一人吗？为何只造一人呢？乃是祂愿人得虔诚的后裔。所以当谨守你们的心，谁也不可以诡诈待幼年所娶的妻。（玛2:15）”

大卫留给所罗门对耶和华的信仰和建圣殿的大业；所罗门留给罗波安的是破产的信仰和失去十个支派的剧变。但是神并没有因而离开罗波安。神本来只给大卫的后裔一个支派，但是不仅便雅悯支派留下来，利未人也纷纷放弃家园来归向罗波安。因为耶罗波安转去拜金牛犊，不让他们侍奉耶和华。这是一个很大的变迁，利未人宁可放弃郊野的产业回到犹大地，那些立定心意要寻求耶和华的，都随着利未人来到耶路撒冷。因此在罗波安手下有了更多的百姓。这对罗波安是何等的鼓励，因为对耶和华神的信仰，犹大和其他支派寻求神的人团结起来。神让罗波安强盛了三年。因为罗波安和百姓专心遵行大卫的道。为何还加上所罗门呢？因为在所罗门做王的前期，也是遵行神的道。神都记得。

In Christ You Are Clean in God’s Sight

2021-10-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:18-39.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:18-39 (NIV)
18  “When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals,
19  and in the place where the boil was, a white swelling or reddish-white spot appears, he must present himself to the priest.
20  The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease that has broken out where the boil was.
21  But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days.
22  If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is infectious…….

On verses 18-39:  Here we read that it was the priest’s responsibility to examine certain issues people would have with their skin and to make certain pronouncements concerning their condition.  In fact in these verses the word “examine” appears no less than 11 times and the word “pronounce” no less than 10 times.

This reminds me that, like a priest in Leviticus, God examines not just our physical condition, but our spiritual condition as well.  For example, check out the following verses:

Psalm 11:4 (NLT2)
4  But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

Jesus Gets You Where You Can’t Go

2021-10-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:1-17.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:1-17 (NLT2)
1  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2  “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.
3  The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.
4  “But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days…….

On verses 1-17:  What does it mean to be ceremonially unclean in Leviticus?  When someone is ceremonially unclean, it means that he or she, from a ceremonial worship standpoint, is unable to participate in the community worship activities of the Israelites for as long as he or she is “unclean”.  When the period of being “unclean” is over, that’s when he or she can then join the rest of the community in its community worship services.

神对耶罗波安之审判

2021-10-19 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上14:11 凡属耶罗波安的人，死在城中的必被狗吃，死在田野的必被空中的鸟吃。这是耶和华说的。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  14:1-20 

耶罗波安是“不见棺材不流泪”的典型。神人去见他，他要抓神人；倘若不是他的手枯干了，他还不软下口来请神人为他祷告。可是神人为他祷告，让他的手痊愈后，他依然我行我素，根本不把神放在心里。现在他的儿子病了，他就想到先知亚希雅。神的祝福他都要，就是不要神。从《圣经》里，我们没有看到什么大道理，只是现实的人，实际的生命表现，人的内心借着所作所为的真实呈现。借着《圣经》里的每一个人，仿佛一面镜子，照出我们心里的耶罗波安。

耶罗安要他的妻子去找先知亚希雅，因为亚希雅曾告诉他：“你必做这民的王”。他把亚希雅放大了，觉得亚希雅很“神”，很有能力，他看不见亚希雅后面的神。是谁使亚希雅知道他要做王？是谁让亚希雅有这样的能力知道将来？我们很容易被“有能力”的人吸引，并且在无形中把他放大，却忘记了我们都是人，使人有能力的是谁？这样去想时，我们才不会被邪灵所欺骗。

此时的亚希雅已经年迈，因而眼睛看不见了。一个看不见的先知依然可以成耶罗波安的希望，那是因为神用他，神可以把任何事放进他的心里。因此改装的耶罗波安之妻也无法蒙骗这个瞎了眼的老人。保罗说：“属灵的人能看透万事，却没有一人能看透了他”（林前2:15），是因为圣灵参透万事，神又借着圣灵向人显明。是圣灵的运行，让亚希雅可以参透万事，在眼睛看不见的情况下，可以“看见”耶罗波安的妻子。不管我们怎样伪装，或是去整容，也逃不过神的眼睛。

You’re Rich Because Jesus Became Poor

2021-10-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 12:1-8.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 12:1-8 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
3  On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
4  Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
5  If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding…….

On verses 1-8:  Have you ever wondered what being ceremonially unclean really means? We’re going to look at this together tomorrow.

In the meantime, why is it that a woman is ceremonially unclean for only 7 days when she gives birth to a son whereas she is ceremonially unclean for two weeks when she gives birth to a daughter?  We don’t know for sure.  In any event, we can be confident that the differing periods of ceremonial uncleanness were NOT because a son was worth more than a daughter.  The fact that in verses 6-7 the same animal sacrifice is required whether the baby born is a son or daughter suggests that in God’s eyes baby boys and baby girls are of equal worth and value in God’s eyes.

神仆警告耶罗波安

2021-10-18 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上13:3 当日，神人设个预兆，说：「这坛必破裂，坛上的灰必倾撒，这是耶和华说的预兆。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  13:1-33 

有的人总问，假如我们离弃神时，神还会与我们同在吗？从耶罗波安的例子来看，耶罗波安离弃神，而且做了那么多得罪神的事情，但是神并没有离弃他，神依然派神人去伯特利警告他，并且让他晓得有一天大卫的后裔约西亚会拆掉他所建的祭坛。这个预言在大约两百多年后，约西亚作王时应验了。约西亚将伯特利的坛拆毁焚烧，打碎成灰，他回头看见山上的坟墓，就打发人将坟墓里的骸骨取出来，烧在坛上，污秽了坛；又将丘坛的祭司都杀在坛上，并在坛上烧人的骨头。正如从前神人宣传耶和华的话（王下23:16/20）。

为了让耶罗波安相信那是神的预告，神人又说：“这坛必破裂，坛上的灰必倾撒，这是耶和华说的预兆。” 坛就破裂了，坛上的灰也倾撒了。但是耶罗波安有所警觉吗？他不但不予理会，还叫人去抓住神人。他伸出的手就枯干了。那是何等可怕的一刹那，他的手枯干了。他害怕了。这就是人心刚硬的一面，不等自己的身体受到惩罚不会服软。他一意孤行，想的只是不能让以色列人再去敬拜耶和华神，不然有一天他们都会离开他，他就不能再做王了。所以他要想尽办法去保留他的王权。这就是权势于人的影响。

许多人在没有权势之前，对神十分恭敬谦卑，一旦掌权便害怕失去，因而不再听神的话，只想用自己的办法抓住权势。那种害怕使他谁也不信，只信权势。这是一些领导者所面对的挑战，当他拥有了高高在上的权力时，他是否能记得自己依然只是个平凡的人？当我们成为团契的领导者，教会的领导者，主日学的领导者时，甚至是做了父母，我们是否能记得自己只是个人，那个位置是个恩典，为要让我们更看见自己的不足，而懂得向神寻求带领和智慧？有的人一旦坐上高位就变成狂人，所作所为都是为了巩固自己的位置，而忘记了给他位置的神。

耶罗波安陷民于罪

2021-10-17 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上12: 31  耶罗波安在丘坛那里建殿，将那不属利未人的凡民立为祭司。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上  12:20-33 

在所罗门王去世后，本来罗波安要往示剑去，因为以色列人都到了示剑，要立他做王（王上12:1）。没有想到以色列的百姓背叛他，打死他派去的亚多兰，他只好逃回耶路撒冷。后来反而是耶罗波安在示剑称王。人生的变化有时和我们的计划是不一样的。罗波安没有想到他会失去十个支派，只成了犹大和便雅悯支派的王；耶罗波安也没有想到他是一个寡妇的儿子可以变成以色列王，但是他对此有感激之心吗？

华人在海外吃自助餐的形象曾经不是很好，因为贪心拿太多，吃不完就浪费了。这种习惯是不是因为以前曾经饿肚子，所以现在看到食物就恨不得一口气把它们都吃下去，以后两三年都不用愁？耶罗波安很可能也有这样的忧心情结。小时候在单亲家庭长大，是否经常被人欺负？因而发奋图强，终于被所罗门王看上，出人头地。没想到被先知预言为王的事被所罗门王知道后要杀他，只好逃到埃及。现在终于做了以色列王，在万人之上，何等荣耀的时刻。但是他的心里升起的却不是对神的感恩，而是唯恐失去的恐惧。

他的第一个念头是：“恐怕这国仍归大卫家。这民若上耶路撒冷去，在耶和华的殿里献祭，他们的心必归向他们的主犹大王罗波安，就把我杀了，仍归犹大王罗波安。”他没有安全感，因为他对神的认识太肤浅了。不然，就是他忘了先知对他说的话，也忘了这个国家是神交付他的，反而以为这是他自己努力得来的。一个没有安全感，不认识神的人，就会经常活在恐惧和嫉妒、猜疑之中。因为他们总以为只能用自己的能力去把握住自己的一切，他们害怕失去。所以一个认识神的信实之人，就不会患得患失，这种自信来自于对神的信心。因为认识神，才会产生信心。你对神的认识有多少，你的信心就有多大。

Learning to Trust Even When You Don’t Understand

2021-10-17 in /by

Today’s passage is Leviticus 11:1-47.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 11:1-47 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:
3  You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
4  “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.
5  The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.
6  The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you…….

On verses 1-47:  What was God’s criteria for determining that certain creatures were clean and permissible for the Israelites to eat while calling other creatures unclean and forbidden to eat?  Over the centuries people have tried to come up with different explanations, but it seems that the best explanation for why certain animals were considered clean and certain animals were unclean is simply this:  God said so.  In other words, it wasn’t necessarily because there was anything inherently wrong, evil, inferior or dangerous about the “unclean” animals or anything especially good, healthy or beneficial about the “clean” animals.  Rather, it was simply a distinction God in His wisdom chose to make and expected the Israelites to follow.

What can we learn from this?  The first lesson is that sometimes God will tell us to do something where we do not or cannot understand His reasons why.  That is where faith and humility come in. Instead of insisting that we must understand or agree with God’s reasoning before we will obey, we are to trust God that He knows better than we do.  Our obedience to God’s commands is not conditional on our understanding of God’s commands.