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以利沙求加倍的感动

2021-11-11 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 2:9b以利沙说：「愿感动你的灵加倍地感动我。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下2:1-25

耶和华要用旋风接以利亚升天的时候，我但愿自己也在场，亲眼看见那万分荣耀的一刻。以利沙何等执著，他坚决要看见那奇妙的一刻，所以他紧紧地跟随以利亚。我们若想看见神的荣耀，就要有以利沙这样的心志，紧紧跟随主，不偏左右地跟随。

“愿感动你的灵加倍地感动我”。以利沙对以利亚说的这句话感动了很多人，也成为许多人的祷告。因为很多人都直觉地认为，以利沙要的是以利亚加倍的能力。但是我们再仔地读一读，以利沙所指的是能力吗？以利沙讲的是：愿感动你的“灵”－加倍感动我。愿感动你的“灵”，是指什么呢？我想大家都会同意是指圣灵，也可以说是神。加倍感动我，是何意呢？有从上面来的感动，人会有何反应？以利亚的表现就是顺服，神叫他做什么，他就做什么；神要他说什么，他就说什么。可不可以这样说，以利沙若被神加倍地感动，那么以利沙就会更加顺服神。先知在这里求的，不是加倍的能力，而是在神里面，更进一步的顺服，被神感动，被神使用。

想要如此祷告的人，必须明白，加倍的感动，要有加倍的心理准备，放弃自己，因为神要成全的是祂的计划，不是你的计划。为了求感动以利亚的灵感动自己，以利沙不辞辛苦地，紧紧跟随以利亚，从吉甲到伯特利，从伯特利到耶利哥，再过约旦河。当所有的门徒都在远处观看时，只有以利沙紧紧跟随，为了求神的灵感动他，像感动以利亚一样，不是一样，是加倍。为何要加倍呢？他不是已经蒙召了吗？以利亚已经按著神的心意呼召他了，他为何还不满足？

Seek God’s Will, Protect God’s Name

2021-11-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 24:10-23.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 24:10-23 (NIV)
10  Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
11  The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)
12  They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them…….

On verses 10-23:  Leviticus 24:10-23 describes how Moses dealt with a half-Israelite, half-Egyptian man who had been found “blaspheming the name of God” (that is, misusing God’s name and speaking about God’s name disrespectfully).  The people bring this man to Moses, Moses waits until he has a clear direction from God, and eventually the man is stoned in accordance with God’s command.  Here are two lessons we can learn from this passage:

1. Seek God’s will when making a tough decision.  Are you needing to make a tough decision?  Don’t rush it.  Don’t decide based on how you feel.  Otherwise, you might miss the will of God.  Instead, when you’re faced with a difficult question, go to God and seek His will until it’s clear in your heart and mind what He wants you to do.  That’s what Moses did in verse 12: “They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.”

亚哈谢遣使找以利亚

2021-11-10 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 1:3b 你们去问以革伦神巴力西卜，岂因以色列中没有神吗？

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下 1:1-17

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰

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

有姐妹来信指出，在〈历代志下〉廿一章第2节的最后一句说：“这都是以色列王约沙法的儿子”，她希望有所解释，使大家明白为何这里说约沙法是以色列王。〈历代志〉和〈列王纪〉虽然都是记载犹大和以色列历代的王，但是〈历代志〉的作者并不承认以色列北国的王，所以〈历代志下〉只记录大卫的后裔。所有大卫的后裔做王的，在〈历代志〉作者眼中才是正统的，全以色列的王，因而用“以色列王”来称呼约沙法，而不是犹大王。但是〈列王纪〉记录了以色列国分裂成犹大南国和以色列北国的实情，因此在〈列王纪〉里，我们就明白约沙法其实是犹大南国的王。也因此我们需要参考这两本书一起读，使读者对列王的历史更有系统的理解。大家也可以看到诸王的名字有时都一样，因此列出来使大家可以看得更清楚。

以革伦是非利士人五个主要城巿中最北的一个，他们拜巴力。巴力一向被认为是创造苍蝇之神访之主) ，有控制那些为祸中东地区的害虫之能力。巴力西卜的原文是苍蝇王，新约译为魔王或鬼王；也因为巴力西卜以赐人神谕闻名，有人认为神谕就是藉苍蝇飞来飞去的嗡嗡声赐下的。

Keep Burning Brightly

2021-11-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 24:1-9.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 24:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.
3  Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
4  The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually.

On verses 1-4:   In Leviticus 24:2 God tells Moses that the lamps used to light up the tent of meeting are to keep burning continually.  In the same way, you and I, as followers of Jesus, are what Jesus calls “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16).  Just like the lamps in Leviticus 24:2, we were made to keep burning continually and shining a light for God in this world.

How do you keep burning continually for God?  You need His Holy Spirit.  Just as lamps in Moses’ time needed the “clear oil of pressed olives…so that the lamps may be kept burning continually” (v2), so likewise we need God’s Holy Spirit to keep on burning.  In fact, oil is often a symbol in the Bible for the Holy Spirit.

约沙法卒约兰继位

2021-11-09 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 21:6 他行以色列诸王的道，与亚哈家一样；因他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 21:1-20

约沙法是个敬畏神的王，但是他做父亲时，却为儿子约兰娶了一门拜偶像的媳妇，以致为犹大家带来的前所未有的灾难。

约兰有一个最敬虔的父亲，和一个最恶毒的妻子。当一个男人结婚后，你觉得谁对他会有最大的影响？这是约沙法当初没有想到的。他和亚哈结成亲家，使他的儿子们都死于非命，百姓被引诱去拜偶像和假神，他所有的工作都功亏一匮。一个错误的决定，影响何等深远。这是他所料不及的。所以我们在做决定时，不要以为无所谓，不要以为结婚后对方会因你而改变，不要以为你有能力可以改变任何人，不要自以为很有能力。

约沙法有七个儿子，约兰是长子，因此约沙法把王位交给约兰。当约沙法在位时，他将许多金银、财宝和犹大地的坚固城赐给他的儿子们；但是约兰一上位就把六个弟弟和别的王子们（堂表兄弟）全部杀掉。这里用“奋勇自强”是不合宜的，因为他是为了扩展自己的权势而杀掉其他的王子们。英文是：he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

作者很快就提到，约兰行以色列诸王的道，与亚哈家一样，因他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻，所以在妻子的影响之下，做尽耶和华眼中看为恶的事。父亲的教导他完全不放在心上，反而跟着妻子去拜偶像，杀亲兄弟，成为一个十恶不赦的王。但是神依然有怜悯，因着与大卫立的约，仍然给他悔改的时间和机会。

So Many Reasons to Give Thanks

2021-11-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:26-44.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:26-32 (NIV)
26  The LORD said to Moses,
27  “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.
28  Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.
29  Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.
30  I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day.
31  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
32  It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

On verses 26-32:  Verses 26-32 describe the Day of Atonement, a day when the people remembered how God atoned for their sins so that they could be forgiven.  Why was God so strict about people not doing any work on the Day of Atonement?  In part it was to emphasize that we cannot work for and earn our atonement.  Rather, our atonement was and is God’s work, something He does on our behalf so that we could receive it freely.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

约沙法祈祷赞美败敌

2021-11-08 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 20:3 约沙法便惧怕，定意寻求耶和华，在犹大全地宣告禁食。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 20:1-37

提到隐基底，可能大家都记得，那是大卫逃亡时住过的地方。因为那是在犹大旷野里唯一有水泉之处。隐基底位于犹大旷野的尽头，不仅是犹大人逃亡的躲避之处，也因它位于犹大境的东南边缘，所以又是犹大国的后门。这一带的地势有旷野，有山寨，有水泉，也有山地。在约沙法晚年时，摩押人、亚扪人和米乌尼人联合进攻犹大，面对强敌压境，约沙法要如何[应对？

约沙法是一个很勤奋的王，做王不久，他就奋勇自强，不仅防备北国以色列人，且安置军兵在犹大一切坚固城里，又安置防兵在犹大地和他父亚撒所得以法莲的城邑中。他在犹大建造营寨和积货城，又在犹大城邑中有许多工程，又召集勇士，以致于非利士人和阿拉伯人都来朝贡。以色列王亚哈也邀他一起出兵去打亚兰。所以他不是没有兵力，也不是一个胆怯的王，但是当他看到那么多的敌军一起来袭时，约沙法也惧怕了。

一个有神同在的王，蒙神祝福的王，也只是一个人。是人就会有惧怕，只是愿不愿意承认，或是还没有碰到巨大困扰的差别。当约沙法惧怕时，他为我们设立了一个很好的榜样，不是像亚撒去求亚兰的帮助，而是定意寻求耶和华，在犹大全地宣告禁食，寻求耶和华的帮助。约沙法在神面前坦承“我们无力抵挡这来攻击我们的大军，我们也不知道怎样行”，这叫“自知之明”。人有自知之明，知道自己有多少斤两，才不会被无知所敝，而盲目行事。承认自己软弱，承认自己有限，承认自己不知道，并不是羞耻，因为这是人的本相；反而为了面子而逞强的人，往往把事情弄得一团糟。

You Were Made For More Than Just Surviving

2021-11-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:15-25.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:15-22 (NIV)
15  “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.
16  Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.
17  From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first fruits to the LORD…….

On verses 15-22:  Leviticus 23 is basically the Israelites’ event calendar, listing out all the biggest holidays that God wanted the Israelites to celebrate during the year.  It starts with the weekly Sabbath day, meant as a day of rest (Leviticus 23:3).  Then there’s the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8), meant to commemorate the day when God spared (“passed over”) every firstborn Israelite male by sacrificing a lamb instead and had everyone eat bread made without yeast in preparation for their swift escape out of Egypt.  Then there’s the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14), which is all about giving God the first part of the harvest, recognizing that their land belongs to God and that God is their provider.  Some consider the Feast of Firstfruits part of the Passover since the Feast of Firstfruits happens during the Passover.

This leads us to verses 15-22, which describe the Feast of Weeks.  What is the Feast of Weeks?  The Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost.  Pentecost was one of the big three festivals in the Jewish calendar (the other two being the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles).

约沙法和亚哈谢

2021-11-07 in , /by

〈历代志〉下 19:6 你们办事应当谨慎，因为你们判断不是为人，乃是为耶和华，判断的时候祂必与你们同在。

阅读经文：〈历代志〉下 19:1-11

约沙法可能碍于情面，与亲家亚哈一起去打仗，想帮他取回失地拉末。但是先见却带来神的警告：「你岂当帮助恶人，爱那恨恶耶和华的人呢？因此耶和华的愤怒临到你。……」这句话听了令人心头为之一颤，原来我们和什么人一起行事，神都知道；并且，神不喜欢我们和不敬畏神的人共同行事。正如保罗说的：「你们和不信的原不相配，不要同负一轭。」原来和恨恶神的人同工，会引起神的慎怒。

这种事在政治上更为明显，有不少从政者为了选票，什么庙都进，什么香都拿。诚然，这世界上没有完人，即使有敬畏神的竞选者，也不见得就可以处事谈话都讨人的喜悦和满意。但是按著耶户说的这两个原则，神的儿女还是应当选择敬虔的人同工。他做得好不好是另一回事，但我们应当怎样行则是我们在神面前应有的心志。但神也褒奖约沙法做得对之事，便是除掉偶像，立定心意寻求神。因此神不再追究他的过犯。祂是赏罚分明的神。

约沙法是一位非常敬畏神的人，在他之前之后都没有像他那样注重把百姓带到神面前的王。他不只是派人出去教导百姓律法，更亲自出巡民间，引导百姓归向耶和华神。当一个人爱神时，就会很注重审判的公义。因此他设立审判官时特别嘱咐两件事：一，判断不是为人，乃是为耶华。二，神不偏待人，也不受贿赂。所以他们也当像神一样，不偏待人，也不可以收贿赂，因为他们的工作是代表神在地上的审判。巴不得每个国家的法官们都有这样的心思去施行审判。

Time To Party

2021-11-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 23:1-14.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 23:1-14 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses, 
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 
3  “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
4  “‘These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 
5  The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. ……

On verses 1-14:  When you read in Leviticus 23of all the various feasts that God told the Israelites to observe, let it be a reminder that God loves to party.  Notice that in Leviticus 23God doesn’t tell the people to stop and complain about everything that’s wrong with their life or wrong with the world.  (That’s something we do quite naturally without anybody telling us.)  Instead, God tells the people to stop what they’re doing and celebrate!  It’s like God’s saying, “Focus on the good things I have done in your life and have a celebration.”  In fact, God is so much about celebrating that He tells His people to schedule it into their calendars.

Certainly there are times we need to weep and mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4), but as our lifestyle and as a daily habit, the God of the Bible much prefers that we rejoice always and celebrate (give thanks) in all circumstances (1Thessalonians 5:18).