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《聖經中各種審判》9 — 對埃及的審判 之三

2021-11-05 in , /by

聖民是上帝賜福世人的管道

兩河之間肥沃的土地產生阿卡王朝、米所波大米王朝，其中的吾珥城是當時最大的城市，上帝就是在吾珥城呼召亞伯拉罕。聖經記載第一位聽見天上偉大的上帝呼召的先祖就是亞伯拉罕，當亞伯拉罕離開米所波大米，米所波大米的文明就沒有什麼價值了，因為上帝的選民是歷史的中心，如果我們真正敬畏上帝、遵行祂的道。印尼最重要的人，就是敬愛上帝、信仰真神、事奉祂、遵行祂旨意的人，就像上帝對亞伯拉罕說：「如果所多瑪、蛾摩拉有五十個義人，我就不把災禍降在這些城市」。如果我們真心敬畏上帝，上帝要因為我們這些敬畏上帝的人賜福印尼。如果這些人被殺死、被除掉，上帝的恩典就離開這個地區，這個原則是很重要的。我們基督徒一定要過一個敬畏上帝的生活，使我們的存在成為百姓的祝福。當人遵行上帝的旨意，聖經說：「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行上帝旨意的，是永遠常存」（約壹2:17），有上帝給他的永生，使他在世界結束之後，他們要活在上帝面前，直到永永遠遠，這是聖民在世上的貢獻，是真正敬畏上帝的人在人間帶來的祝福。

這要出埃及的以色列人，就是上帝要賜福的亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的後代，上帝要為他們建立永恆的國度，藉著他們產生彌賽亞救主，使世界因為耶穌基督的福音，看到永恆的光、上帝的愛與救贖的恩典，所以這個民族是很重要的。當這個民族受逼迫的時候，上帝興起摩西對法老說：「讓我的百姓離開埃及，到曠野敬拜我」，這是上帝首次干預偉大政權的命令。世界歷史不注意聖經，但是你把世界歷史所有文化的記載與聖經的記載相比，你就知道世界暫時的國度會過去，而且一去不回。埃及如今在哪裡？現今的埃及人，不是摩西時代的埃及人。古埃及人自克麗奧佩脫拉七世之後，已經衰微到近乎滅絕；六百年以後，回教徒興起，阿拉伯人爭奪埃及的領土；現在的埃及人是阿拉伯人，已經沒有古埃及人。

埃及什麼時候開始衰微？就是摩西的時代。聖經的出埃及記比世界的埃及歷史更為重要，上帝興起在埃及受逼迫的以色列人，使他們成為改變歷史的新方向。世上的帝國皆如曇花一現，上帝卻在埃及中興起一個受逼迫四百三十年的民族，因為上帝的恩典，透過摩西的帶領，離開埃及，敬奉上帝。這些敬奉上帝的人，才是上帝看待世上眾百姓的關鍵人物。逼迫的人看自己很偉大、很有權勢，把軍隊當作轉動世界潮流的樞紐，但上帝看敬畏上帝的百姓才是決定世界命運的關鍵。這是從上帝永恆的旨意看暫時的世界，「這地上和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行上帝旨意的，是永遠常存」。在世以敬虔、遵行上帝的旨意過日子，是你、我所當行的。

Gratitude Is Food For Your Soul

2021-11-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 22:17-33.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 22:17-25 (NIV) 
17  The LORD said to Moses, 
18  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you–either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel–presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 
19  you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 
20  Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. ……

On verses 17-25:  Once again we see that God’s holiness requires that almost all sacrifices need to be without defects in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.  This reminds me that:

–        When we serve God, let’s give God our very best – not the leftovers, but the first portion.

–        While we were unable to give God a perfect offering because we ourselves are not perfect, God would send His perfect Son Jesus to be the perfect atoning sacrifice for us.

When food is left over, it spoils.  By eating all the thanksgiving food right away and completely, we keep it from spoiling.  In the same way, when we don’t give thanks to God right away and completely, our thanksgiving “spoils”.  That is, over time we will be tempted to explain away God’s hand on our lives, giving the credit to ourselves, attributing it to our own efforts or to luck or to coincidence, or simply forgetting altogether that anything good happened.  Don’t let your thanksgiving spoil.  Don’t ziplock it and save it for another day.  Instead offer your thanks to God right away and completely.

猶大王約沙法

2021-11-04 in , /by

〈歷代志〉下 17:6 他高興遵行耶和華的道，並且從猶大除掉一切丘壇和木偶。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 17:1-19

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法

這是神的律：“你若留意聽從耶和華你神的話，謹守遵行他的一切誡命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，祂必使你超乎天下萬民之上。你若聽從耶和華你神的話，這以下的福必追隨你，臨到你身上。你在城裡必蒙福，在田間也必蒙福。你身所生的，地所產的，牲畜所下的，以及牛犢、羊羔，都必蒙福。你的筐子和你的摶麵盆都必蒙福。你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。（申28:1-6）”當神千方百計要喚回以色列王亞哈時，在猶大南國卻興起了一位敬畏耶和華的王。

那就是約沙法，亞撒王的兒子。亞撒雖然年老失節，但是在他的大半生裡，還算是遵守耶和華神律法的王，蒙神祝福的王。當約沙法在35歲登基時，他已經有一個很好的榜樣，就是他的父王亞撒。

亞撒年老時，因為以色列王巴沙不准以色列人去耶路撒冷的聖殿敬拜，所以攻擊猶大國，修築拉瑪，不許人從拉瑪進出猶大。亞撒王便聯合亞蘭人攻打北國以色列，迫使巴沙停工，不再修築拉瑪。巴沙的兒子以拉接續做王，後來被心利所殺，心利輸給暗利後自焚，暗利傳位給亞哈。在亞撒死後，以色列王頻頻更換時，約沙法沒有放鬆警戒，他奮勇自強，防備以色列人，安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡。

約沙法除了盡力於工事保護人民之外，最重要的還是他行大衛初行的道，不尋巴力，只尋求他父親的神；遵從耶和華神的誡命，不隨從以色列人拜偶像的行為。經過亞撒王當年從國中除去孌童，又除掉他列祖所造的一切偶像，並且貶了他祖母瑪迦太后的位，砍下她的偶像，燒在汲淪溪邊。到了約沙法年間，猶大還有許多丘壇和木偶（即偶像）。可見在所羅門年老時，因為他不僅跟隨嬪妃拜偶像，更允許她們到處設壇，以致百姓相繼跟隨，直到約沙法年間，那些偶像和丘壇才被除去。

Loved Despite The Defects

2021-11-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 21:1-24.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 21:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,
2  except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,
3  or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband–for her he may make himself unclean.
4  He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.

On verses 1-4:  Leviticus 21:1-4 says that a priest could not touch or get near a dead person unless that person was a close relative, lest he become ceremonially unclean himself and unable to approach God.  Amazingly, in contrast, in the gospels we see Jesus’ touching dead people and making them alive.  Rather than Jesus being negatively affected by other people’s “deadness”, Jesus’ “aliveness” made dead people come to life.  In Jesus Christ we have a high priest like no other.

Leviticus 21:5-6 (NIV)
5  “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
6  They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

耶和華的箭

2021-11-03 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 22:34 a有一人隨便開弓，恰巧射入以色列王的甲縫裡。

閱讀經文：〈歷代志〉下 18:1-3 *** 〈列王紀〉上22:1-40

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法

以色列王：耶羅波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亞哈→亞哈謝

在拿伯一事上，神似乎赦免了亞哈，暫緩他的死刑。可是當事過境遷時，亞哈依然不敬畏耶和華神，渺視祂的先知。神有憐憫，卻不以有罪為無罪。當人把神的憐憫和恩典視為理所當然而不悔改，不珍惜時，他的末日也就到了。

從羅波安開始，猶大南國和以色列北國就一直在過招，大小戰役不停，但是到了猶大王約沙法時，這兩個兄弟國竟然和解了。不僅三年沒有爭戰，而且結成親家了。我們不知道約沙法為何會為兒子約蘭，看中亞哈那拜偶像的女兒亞她利雅，娶她為媳。這一和親，幾乎斷送了猶大的王朝，若不是神的保守，猶大國就被這個“武則天”給滅掉了。可見敬畏神的人若是以為自己不管怎麼做，都有神的保守，就可以不顧神的原則去做事，那就是大大的偏離，有可能給自己惹禍上身。屬神的人若故意出軌，還真的很難免其禍。

在約沙法大有尊榮、資財時，就與亞哈結親。他已經忘記所羅門娶了外邦嬪妃的後果，反而覺得這是美事，還特地去探望他的親家亞哈。亞哈看到約沙法很高興，這個親家看起來很強，各國來朝，進貢不斷，大可利用一下。因此向他提到了以前被亞蘭搶去，那時尚在亞蘭手中的一塊地，就是基列的拉末。

基列的拉末原屬迦得支派，後劃分給祭司米拉利的後裔，南北國分裂後，以色列和亞蘭爭戰，此地數次易手。雖然便哈達二世曾承諾把以往奪得的以色列城鎮還給亞哈，但究竟沒有兌現諾言。基列的拉末是約旦河東的關口，是從東方進入基列的孔道，君王大道(king’s highway)也通過此城，自古就是一個重要的軍事據點，所以在以色列國的歷史和地理上都佔着重要地位。

God Makes Laws For Our Good

2021-11-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:23-37.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:23-25 (NIV)
23  “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24  In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
25  But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.

On verses 23-25:  Why would God forbid the Israelites from eating the fruit from a fruit tree they planted for the first three years?  Isn’t this a waste?  Why is God depriving His own people of food?  God’s purpose was not to deprive His people but opposite: so that “your harvest will be increased” (v25).  Apparently, according to some horticulturists, fruit trees that are not stripped of their fruit in their first few years but are maintained with care have the ability to produce much more fruit in subsequent years. 

What can we learn from this?  When God is seemingly depriving you or keeping you from enjoying a blessing, it’s not to be cruel to you but ultimately to bless you.  Also, the fact that the Israelites were told to give the fourth year’s harvest to the Lord before eating of the fruit themselves suggests one more truth: that the land that the Israelites were going to live in ultimately does not belong to them but to God.  It’s a reminder for us that whatever we think we own actually belongs to God.  We are just stewards and trustees of what God has given to us.

Do All the Regulations in Leviticus Apply to Christians Today

2021-11-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:11-22.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 19:11-22 (NIV)
11  “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.
12  “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13  “‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14  “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15  “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly…….

On verses 11-22:  What do we do with a passage like Leviticus 19:11-22?  On one hand, the first half (verses 11-18) lists commands that are easy for us to understand and that we can easily see applying just as much today as in Moses’ time: do not steal, do not lie, do not pervert justice, do not slander others, etc.  You’ll find that in verses 11-18, every other verse is punctuated with the statement “I am the LORD”, encouraging us to remember who it is who gives these commands and who it is we are accountable to – not just anyone, but God Himself.

But then in the second half (verses 19-22) we come across commands that may sound strange and foreign to us.  For example, verse 19 says to not plant two kinds of seed in the same field.  Is it wrong for you to plant tomatoes AND cucumbers in your backyard?   And how about this: do not wear clothing woven with two kinds of material (verse 19)?  Is God offended if I wear a shirt that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester?

亞哈貪謀拿伯之葡萄園

2021-11-02 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 21:3 拿伯對亞哈說：「我敬畏耶和華，萬不敢將我先人留下的產業給你。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉上21:1-29

這篇經文說到亞哈王看到拿伯有個葡萄園，他想取來作為自己的菜園。沒想到這個拿伯灳不管他是以色列王，因為敬畏耶和華，而不敢放棄先人留下的產業。亞哈王因為達不到目的，就像小孩子一樣生悶氣，躺在床上，不肯吃飯。然後，讓他的邪惡皇后找人把拿伯害死，再奪他的葡萄園。神為此事而判了亞哈和耶洗別的死罪。可是沒想到亞哈一自卑，撕裂衣服，禁食，身穿麻布，睡臥也穿著麻布，並且緩緩而行。神的心就軟下來，要等到他兒子那一代再降禍他家。

面對像拿伯和亞哈這樣明顯可以分出好壞的人，我們很難明白，為何拿伯要被害死？而亞哈到最後還被赦免？拿伯為了遵行律法，不肯出賣祖產，不然他可以好好地敲亞哈一筆錢，或換更好的葡萄園，但是因為神說：“地不可永賣，因為地是我的，你們在我面前是客旅，是寄居的。（利25:23）”所以他寧可放棄更好的田產或更多的錢，也要守著他的葡萄園。這樣守律法的人為何要被陷害，蒙不白之冤而死呢？假如神不保護守律法的人，那麼誰還敢守律法？

像拿伯這樣的例子很多，以致於有些人因而不相信神的公義，不肯信主。事實上，神讓這些人成為世人的榜樣，要讓我們明白，守神的律法，有時要付出生命的代價，例如耶穌基督。再冤的人也冤不過耶穌，以無罪之身為世人還罪債，直到最後一刻還說：“父啊，赦免他們，因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。（路23:34）”耶穌指出一個屬靈的奧秘：“那殺身體不能殺靈魂的，不要怕他們；唯有能把身體和靈魂都滅在地獄裡的，正要怕祂。（太10:28）”

便哈達攻亞哈

2021-11-01 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 20:28b 所以我必將這一大群人都交在你手中，你們就知道我是耶和華。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉上20:1-21

《聖經》裡有三次提到亞蘭王（叙利亞王）便哈達（Ben-hadad），這個名字的意思是哈達德之子。哈達德是亞蘭人以為的掌管風暴之神，是亞蘭人和其地區所拜的神。所以很難區分是同一個王或是不同的王。但不管是哪個便哈達，都是在形容亞蘭的勢力對以色列的威脅。在亞哈王死的前五年，亞蘭王便哈達二世率領32個王，去命令亞哈交出一切最好的，包括亞哈的妻子兒女，換句話說，叫亞哈無條件投降。這32個王，可能相當於中國古時候的附庸諸侯，都是一小區一小區的霸主。

亞哈召集國中的長老去商議如何應付便哈達，長老和百姓都提議不要投降，要與之對抗。此時神派一個先知來見亞哈，教他如何應敵。神幫助亞哈打亞蘭軍的目的，因為要亞哈知道祂是耶和華神。藉著神指示的方法，亞哈在中午時分，趁著便哈達和那32個王在痛飲之際，給他來個迎頭一擊。在便哈達以為可以活捉以色列人時，神卻讓他們大敗在以色列人面前。以致便哈達和那32個王不得不落跑。打贏之後，先知又來叫亞哈要防備，因為亞蘭王第二年必再來攻擊。

便哈達回去之後，痛定思痛，和臣僕檢討失敗的原因，覺得那32個王太不可靠了，打仗時不能同心，還是自己的軍長比較可靠，能夠團結對外。他們又認為以色列人的神是山神，所以要在平原打以色列人。所以又招募軍兵，馬補馬，車補車，到亞弗安營。亞弗在加利利海的東邊，在大馬士革和耶斯列平原之間，是亞蘭人通往以色列之路。在便哈達以為耶和華神是山神不是平原的神之後，他再度帶兵來犯，結果戰敗逃入亞弗，沒想到城牆塌倒，壓死剩下的二萬七千亞蘭步兵。

God’s Heart for the Poor

2021-11-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 18:19-30.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 18:19-30 (NIV)
19  “‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20  “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21  “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22  “‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
23  “‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion…….

On verses 19-30:  Here we learn one of the reasons why God was ousting out the nations that occupied Canaan and bringing the Israelites to occupy Canaan in their place, which is that these other nations had, in God’s eyes, become defiled by their idol worship (which included sacrificing their children to the god Molech) (v21) and sexual practices which displeased God (v19-20, 22-23).  Rather than seeing themselves as subject to God’s commands, these other nations carried on life with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it.”  In carrying on these practices, verses 24b and 27 say that these other nations defiled themselves, defiled the land that they lived in, and thus were cut off and vomited out of the land.  The Israelites are told not to make the same mistakes as these other nations as they get ready to occupy that same land.

What can we learn from this?  When we live with an attitude of entitlement, thinking, “It’s my life and my body and I can do whatever I want with it”, we make ourselves the centre of our own universe and push God to the wayside.  We think that living this way is the key to our happiness, when in fact living with an attitude of entitlement eventually brings us misery, causing us eventually to be cut off from God’s presence and God’s blessings.