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You Are Blessed Because Jesus Obeyed

2021-11-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:1-13.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:1-2 (NIV)
1  “‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.
2  “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

On verses 1-2:  While verses 3-13 will show us all the blessings that the Lord promised to give the Israelites if they would only obey Him, verses 1-2 teach us an important, counterbalancing truth: we are to obey God and worship Him only – and not any idol – not simply because of what God will do for us in return, but because of who God is.  That is why after both verses 1 and 2, God follows up His commands with a statement about who He is: “I am the Lord yur God” (v1), “I am the Lord” (v2).  Regardless of what God does for us, the fact that God is God, the King over everything, is reason enough to worship and obey Him. 

Leviticus 26:3-13 (NIV)
3  “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,
4  I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.
5  Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

求祢使我能看见

2021-11-17 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 6:16 神人说：「不要惧怕，与我们同在的比与他们同在的更多。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下6:1-23

当我们看到以利沙行神蹟帮助别人时，他的话语往往很少。门徒砍伐树木想盖大一点的地方居住，有个人在砍树时，不小心斧头掉进水里。当他呼叫时，他指出连斧头都是借来的，不见了斧头怎么赔人家？以利沙知道后，不是大声地骂那人不小心，也不是开口就教训他，借人家的东西怎么那么不小心。以利沙的直接反应是采取行动。很多时候，意外无法避免，但是我们可以控制自己的舌头，不要逞口舌之快，落井下石，给人更多的痛苦。以利沙砍了一根木头，抛在水里，斧头就漂上来了，他就叫那个人把斧头拿上来。这个行动充份表明以利沙明白他人的需要。

有的人会说，不教训他，他下次怎么会小心？但是我们要明白，当意外发生时，往往是连当事人也不愿意的。你再骂也于事无补，反而让人家更难过，无疑雪上加霜。所以最好的应对之道，就是看自己能帮上什么忙。有个小孩拿牛奶时，因为手小，在关冰箱时，牛奶瓶掉下去了，牛奶撒了一地。当他正在惊慌时，妈妈来了。妈妈说：“哇，我从来没看过这样漂亮的牛奶大海啊！”孩子的心一下就安定下来了。此时妈妈再说，“我们一起来收拾这牛奶大海，好不好？”孩子立刻很高兴地答应了，和妈妈一起把牛奶清理干净。然后，妈妈再教他下次要怎样拿，就可以避免这样的事发生。假如妈妈一来就开骂：“你怎么这样不小心，不是教了你很多次要怎样怎样”，后果一样要清理厨房，但是就很不快乐了。意外发生，大家都不喜欢，但是我们若能控制自己的舌头，便可以减轻意外所带来的不快和痛苦。

亚兰和以色列因为比隣，所以战事频传，即使乃缦得到医治，也无法制止两国不发生战事。亚兰王在他的王宫和臣仆密谋攻打以色列，但是每一次以色列王都有所防备，让他偷袭不成。亚兰王怀疑自己的臣仆中有间谍，但是比间谍更厉害的是，连亚兰王卧房的秘密都能知道的以利沙先知。以利沙先知把“听到”的秘密都去告诉以色列王，使他有所防备。亚兰王立刻想派人去把以利沙抓起来。可是他没想到，假如以利沙都能知道他的战略机密，那么，他想抓以利沙的阴谋，以利沙会不知道吗？他以为派大军去捉拿，那以利沙不管多么厉害，也无法抵挡亚兰大军吧！

Now That You’re Free, Live Free

2021-11-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:35-55.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:35-38 (NIV)
35  “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
36  Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.
37  You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.
38  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

On verses 35-38:   Just as God showed undeserved kindness to the Israelites, God expected the Israelites to show undeserved kindness to one another.  Likewise, just as God has shown undeserved kindness to us, may we show undeserved kindness to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Leviticus 25:39-55 (NIV)
39  “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.
40  He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee.
41  Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers.

乃缦患大痲疯得医治

2021-11-16 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 5:3 她对主母说：「巴不得我主人去见撒马利亚的先知，必能治好他的大痲疯。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下5:1-27

这是旧约圣经里一个非常著名的故事，因着一个小女孩的信心，使一个大元帅得到医治。其实这个故事里有几个小人物是关键人物，没有他们，乃缦就无法得到医治。第一个大家都知道，就是被掳去服侍乃缦妻子的以色列小女子。她在成为奴婢的时候，还依然记得家乡有个先知，能够医治好乃缦的大痲疯。这个小女子的信心和以色列王的相比，真是太伟大了。以色列王枉为一国之君，连自己国家里有这么出色的先知，竟然不以为意，甚至不知道。他应该知道，只是他不把以利沙当回事。

我们很多人都知道有神，但是当我们有困难时，能有那位小女子的信心吗？还是像以色列王那样，觉得毫无办法？只会哀叫？身为以色列王，却不知道以色列中有神，就好像经常去教会敬拜，有事时却呼天抢地，不知道自己敬拜的是耶和华神。以利沙还要派人去见王，提醒王，这个王做得真窝囊，我们若经常去教会，却不认识所敬拜的神，就像以色列王一样可怜。

乃缦要见的是以利沙，不是以色列王。亚兰是以色列的对头，经常和以色列争战。但是有需要时，也可以成为朋友，要求帮助。这就是人类的本相，只要有利益关系，不是敌就是友，所以我们不必太在意别人对我们的好恶，这样我们才能在神面前有一个不改变的心志，不用为了讨好人而改变神给我们的感动，我们也不用为了讨人的高兴而活得很累。

I Sold Out But Jesus Bought Me Back

2021-11-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:23-34.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:23 (NIV)
23  “‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.

On verse 23:  Verses 23-28 describe a system where the Israelites could get back their land even after they sold it, either by buying it back themselves or, at the latest, receiving it back in the Year of Jubilee (For more on the Year of Jubilee, see my GAME sharing from yesterday On Leviticus 25:8-22.)  Why create such a system?  Why allow people to get back their land even after they had sold it?  There were several reasons: One reason was to keep the land from being owned by only a few to the detriment of everyone else.  It would help ensure that no one would be poor permanently, it gave those who struggled a second chance, and it helped regulate the disparity between the rich and the poor.  Another reason was to remind the Israelites that ultimately the entire land that they occupied ultimately belongs to God.  That is why verse 23 says, “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.”

Of course when Israel would no longer be self-governed but would come under foreign rule, this system of redeeming land would go away as well.  However, the concept of God being the ultimate owner of the land would never go away.  In Luke 20:9-19 Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who rents his land to some tenants.  But when the tenants refuse to pay rent, the landowner finally sends his son, whom the tenants they kill.  When Jesus tells this famous parable, his Jewish audience would have thought back to verses like Leviticus 25:23 where it says that God is the ultimate landowner.  His audience would realize that by calling himself the landowner’s son, Jesus was describing himself as the Son of God.

以利沙的神蹟奇事

2021-11-15 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 4:3 以利沙说：你去，向你众邻舍借空器皿，不要少借。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下4:1-44

你可曾希望拥有像以利沙一样的神力呢？那么别人有困难请你帮忙时，你就可以拿点盐加点水，倒在这里倒在那里，造福人群，那该有多好。与此同时，你也会名声大燥，成为一时的网红，网罗一堆粉丝。当耶稣受洗之后要开始服侍之前，他所遭遇的第一个试探就是这方面的试探。魔鬼要耶稣把石头变成面包。每个时代每个地区都有穷人，若能把石头变成面包，是不是就能解决所有的问题？这是一个假像，有了面包之后，人会想要更多的东西，不断地追求物质的满足，反而失去了应该注视的目标。因此耶稣以经上的话来拒绝这个试探：“人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口里所出的一切话”。因此记住神的话语比拥有神的能力更加重要。有了神的话语会保守我们走在正路上，但是拥有不该有的能力，反而会使人骄傲，甚至迷失。所以在旧约里有施行神蹟能力的先知不多，在摩西、以利亚和以利沙之外，连以赛亚大先知都没行过神蹟奇事。

以利亚和以利沙所敬拜的神，也是我们所敬拜的同一位神。所记的这些神蹟奇事，是为了让以色列人，包括我们这些外邦人，明白耶和华神是一位怎样的神，祂的权能概括在这世界的每一方面。祂有能力解决我们的问题，祂能帮助我们，挪去我们的困难。以利亚工作的范围大都是和亚哈王周旋，希望他能回转归向神；但是以利沙的工作大都是解决平民老百姓及门徒们的困难。以利沙不像耶稣走入群众中间，反而都是人有困难时，才来向他求助。所以神蹟奇事不是变魔术，而是为了让人知道神的同在，神的怜悯，神的心肠，神的慈爱，而显明的神的恩典。

在这章的第一个例子里，以利沙为门徒的妻解决了生活的问题。借着她还有的一瓶油，神让她拥有足够生活的油，用这些油可以去换钱还债，解决生活所需。在我们以为自己什么都没有时，神往往让我们看到我们的“还有”。神不会从天上丢钱下来，但是祂让我们在祂的恩典之下，有足够的能力赚到生活所需，使我们觉得有价值。做神的门徒，也会碰到生活上不够用的时候，但无论何时，只要我们转向神，祂的恩典就会临到我们。神的门徒应该比一般人更懂得仰望神。

三王合攻摩押

2021-11-14 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 3:17 因为耶和华如此说：你们虽不见风，不见雨，这谷必满了水，使你们和牲畜有水喝。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下3:1-27

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→约兰

亚哈的儿子亚哈谢做王两年就死了，因为没有儿子，因此由他的兄弟约兰接续他做王。因此说是亚哈的儿子约兰在撒玛利亚登基。作者对他的评语是，约兰比他老爸好一点点，因为除掉亚哈和耶洗别所立的巴立柱像，但还是拜金牛犊。作者何等细心，让我们知道即使是小小的功过，神都鉴察。

这是约沙法还在世时的一场联合战事。根据考古学家在18世纪，曾于亚嫩河发现摩押王米沙在主前九世纪刻的石碑。那时以色列人由暗利和其子孙作王，他们曾统治摩押。大约在亚哈谢作王的第二年，摩押王背叛，石碑上记载那时开始不再进贡。亚哈谢死后，他的儿子约兰要去攻打摩押，重新叫摩押纳贡，但是自知兵力不足，因此邀请犹大王约沙法一起进攻摩押。

约沙法很快就答应了约兰的邀请：“我肯上去。你我不分彼此，我的民与你的民一样，我的马与你的马一样。”可能那时约沙法刚刚战胜摩押和亚扪等国的攻击，有了战胜的经历，因此信心满满。更何况他已经娶了亚哈的女儿为媳妇，于情于理都不能不去帮忙。摩押王米沙在北方边筑有坚固的防御工事，因此约沙法选了一条绕过旷野的路去攻打摩押。这条路得从撒玛利亚经过耶路撒冷、希伯仑、亚得拉，再经以东的旷野才能进攻摩押。因此他们也邀请了以东王一起去进攻摩押。

Resting Takes Faith

2021-11-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:8-22.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:8-12 (NIV)
8  “‘Count off seven sabbaths of years–seven times seven years–so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years.
9  Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.
10  Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
11  The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.
12  For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

On verses 8-12:  Starting at Leviticus 25:8 we read about how every 50th year the Israelites were to proclaim it a Year of Jubilee.  The Year of Jubilee was meant to be:

– a time of reunion when Israelites would return to their family clans and to the places where they grew up (v10, 13);

– a time of rest when the people would not sow or reap (v11);

《圣经中各种审判》10 — 对埃及的审判 之四

2021-11-12 in , /by

出埃及记  7-11章

《圣经》告诉我们所有的政权都是从上帝来的，因此基督徒明白上帝比政权高，因为政权事从上帝而来，政权不是自我独立、成全，基督徒相信有一天上帝要审判政府，政府要向上帝负责。我们从《圣经》的总原则看见神权、人权、政权的次序，让我们明白人民比政府更大。如果不从总原则来处理，我们就以为我们要怕政府，事实上我们要怕的是上帝，政府应该要怕人民。孟子说：「民为贵，社稷次之，君为轻」（《孟子．尽心》），意即：人权是最高的，政权是最低的，这是最靠近民主政治的中国大哲学家，但可惜孟子并没有改变中国文化以君权神授为统治整个中国的政治哲学思想，但西方国家不认为如此。法国大革命带来民权至上的思想，但从《圣经》的思想，我们看见英国的《大宪章》才是带来真正的民主 。

神的作为与祂的子民有关系

埃及以前有几个大政体，但第一个被上帝审判的是埃及的政权，因为埃及的政权妨碍上帝在救赎历史之中要做的事情，逼害亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的后代。神的作为与祂的子民有关系。如果地上有真正敬畏上帝的人，正如上帝应许亚伯拉罕：「如果这城有五十个义人」，表示基督徒如果敬虔度日，上帝一定赐福那个国家。上帝赐福祂的子民，也赐福祂的子民所在的地方。我严格讲一句话，是很多神学家没有看见的。当埃及人逼迫在他们当中的以色列民族，当以色列人离开埃及，埃及已经不重要了。埃及的信仰是古代最为宏伟与具影响力。如果你把其他帝国的信仰与埃及的信仰相比，其他帝国完全不能与埃及帝国相比。埃及有庞大的祭司体系，法老王与宗教领袖的关系密切，埃及的宗教礼仪弘大，但上帝看虚假的宗教綑绑人、违背祂的旨意。

圣经对宗教自由的定义——离开假宗教、进到真宗教

Work Hard, Rest Well

2021-11-12 in /by

i GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 25:1-7.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 25:1-7 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD.
3  For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.
4  But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
5  Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.
6  Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you–for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you,
7  as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

On verses 1-7:  Here God prepares the Israelites for when they enter the promised land.  He commands the Israelites to work the land they have been given (i.e. sow the fields, prune the vineyards and gather the crops for six years) (v2-3), but in the seventh year they are to give their land a rest and to live off of what the land produces that year (v4-7).