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Wisdom Is…

2021-07-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 41:1-36.  Let’s go!

Genesis 41:1-8 (NIV)
1  When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,
2  when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
3  After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.
4  And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5  He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
6  After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted–thin and scorched by the east wind.
7  The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
8  In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

On verses 1-8:  Here we see that a problem that Pharaoh could not understand and could not solve himself would ultimately lead him to God and give an opportunity for someone from among God’s people to bring a God-inspired solution.  When you face a problem for which you and others don’t have a simple solution, see it as an opportunity for God to use His people to bring the help needed. 

掃羅嫉恨大衛

2021-07-11 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 18:14   大衛做事無不精明，耶和華也與他同在。

閱讀經文:  〈撒母耳記上〉 18:1-30 

當歌利亞向以色列人罵陣時，以色列人沒有一個敢出去應戰，包括掃羅。掃羅曾經懸賞：“若有能殺他的，王必賞賜他大財，將自己的女兒給他為妻，並在以色列人中免他父家納糧當差。（撒上17:25）”但是當大衛殺了歌利亞之後，三件事掃羅一件也沒有付之實現。本來是可以免當差的，這下卻被掃羅扣住了，不容他再回父家。反而是掃羅的兒子約拿單和大衛變成了好朋友。約拿單對大衛的愛，不是指同性戀的愛；這種心的契合，也不是那種情慾之戀，而是一種伯牙和鍾子期那種相遇有知音的感受。因為他們對神單純的信心，使他們能相知相惜，並且建立聖潔的友誼。

那時候，以色列營中只有掃羅和約拿單有刀有槍（撒上13:22），追趕非利士人之後，可能會獲得許多戰利品，包括刀槍。但是身上的戰衣、腰帶等等，不是別人有的，因為那些裝備代表了約拿單王子的身份。但是約拿單愛大衛如同愛自己的性命，就把自己最寶貴的外袍、戰衣、刀、弓、腰帶都給了大衛。大衛原是個牧童，一下子穿上約拿單這些裝備，定然判若兩人吧。約拿單又和大衛結盟，表示與大衛共生死。一個當朝的王子，可以說是太子，因此後來掃羅責備約拿單：“耶西的兒子若在世間活著，你和你的國位必站立不住（撒上20:31）”，竟然和一個小牧童結盟，對大衛而言，這是何等的際遇。

雖然撒母耳已經在大衛的家人面前膏大衛為王，但是大衛的心裡一點都不因而感到驕傲。掃羅叫他做什麼，他就做什麼，並且努力去做，因此眾百姓和掃羅的臣僕都喜歡他。但是這樣的謙卑並沒有給他帶來平安，因為他們回城時，眾婦女的讚美還是激怒了掃羅。

What To Do With Bad News

2021-07-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 40:1-23.  Let’s go!

Genesis 40:1-7 (NIV)
1  Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.
2  Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
3  and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.
4  The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time,
5  each of the two men–the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison–had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
6  When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
7  So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?”

第七封信：給老底嘉教會 (上)

2021-07-09 in , /by

老底嘉教會代表教會第七個時代（主後1900年至主再來）。這末世時代的教會。是最敗壞，最被主所厭棄的，所以自始至終，主沒有一句稱讚的話。請大家留心看，《聖經》所說，主對他們沒有一句稱讚的話，總是責備的話。為甚麼呢？因為老底嘉教會，敗壞到這樣不堪的地步。他們敗壞，有兩大原因：

1.從撒但而來，如果謹慎查巧七教會的過程，就可以看見在七教會中，由始至終，都有魔鬼在後面破壞，以弗所教會失去起初大有愛心。士每拿教會，撒但乃變更計劃，使患難逼迫臨到他們。後來看見患難逼迫不能使教會破壞，就引誘別迦摩教會與世界聯婚。到了推雅推喇教會，撒但更變本加厲，使他們管轄世界。撒狄教會，從推雅推喇教會出來。魔鬼又使他們有名無實。非拉鐵非很有愛心，但魔鬼就使他變為不冷不熱的老底嘉教會。我們知道這七個教會中，最好就是非拉鐵非教會，最壞的是老底嘉教會。這樣看來，可見魔鬼的工作，實在利害，盡力來破壞教會到不可收拾的地步。最好的教會，也變成最壞的教會。由非拉鐵非教會變為老底嘉教會，真是可惜，這都是魔鬼的作為。

2.另一方面是從教會而來的。各位，你知道「老底嘉」的名義嗎？「老底嘉」原文由兩個字拼成的，就是「老斯」「底細亞」兩個字。「老斯」是「平民」之意，「底細亞」是「風俗」或「意見」之意。老底嘉教會是普通人民的風俗，或是普通人的意見，這普通人是指教會裏面的人。老底嘉教會是普通人的意思，因為這教會的制度，是由全體負責，不是由少數人負責。他們以為教會是教友的教會，大家事由大家去做。各人的事隨著公眾的意見去行。一切行政，少數應該服從多數。各位，現在的教會，就是老底嘉教會的情形。

大衛擊殺歌利亞

2021-07-08 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 17:45 大衛對非利士人說：你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟。我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名，就是你所怒罵帶領以色列軍隊的神。

〈撒母耳記上〉 17:41-58 

美麗的以拉谷，綠草如茵，卻被一群野心勃勃的非利士人給踐踏了。因為它起於希伯崙，逐漸向北下落，綿延數十裡，至桑特河時與其他山谷匯合，形成寬約 3公里的平坦谷地。正是非利士人最喜歡穿越去攻打以色列人的途徑。這一回，掃羅帶著以色列人在此安營，抵擋非利士人。非利士人派出一個巨人歌利亞出來向以色列人單挑，面對巨大的歌利亞和他在當時幾近完美的裝備，以色列人沒有一個敢出來應戰。

小小的大衛那時有多大呢？連當兵的年紀都不到，只能算是個青少年吧，為了對耶和華神的愛，他公然應戰。因為這人竟敢辱罵永生神的軍隊，卻沒有人敢去殺他，因此他要去除掉以色列人的恥辱。當歌利亞看到大衛應戰時，他可能氣瘋了，以色列人竟敢戲弄他，派一個乳臭未乾的小伙子，來和他這身經百戰的大巨人爭戰。大衛只拿著牧羊的杖，無刀也無槍，歌利亞覺得大衛太瞧不起他了，把他當成狗了？

歌利亞看不起這個年輕，面色光紅，容貌俊美的小伙子，但是大衛的回答卻落地有聲。大衛指出，歌利亞作戰靠的是刀槍和銅戟，但是他去攻擊歌利亞是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名。我們碰到事情時，也要學習大衛這樣的邏輯思維：刀槍銅戟和萬軍之耶和華的名，兩相比較，哪一個更可靠，更有實力？你可以把你的困難或仇敵的優勢放在刀槍銅戟的位置，然後決定要倚靠哪一方去取得最後的勝利。

When Life Seems Unfair

2021-07-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 39:11-23.  Let’s go! 

Genesis 39:11-18 (NIV)
11  One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.
12  She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13  When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14  she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.
15  When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16  She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
17  Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
18  But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 

On verses 11-18:  This is the second time Joseph loses his cloak.  When Potiphar’s wife could not get what she wanted from Joseph, she gives a false report alleging that Joseph tried to do something with her sexually against her will, thus putting his job and his future in jeopardy.  

Here we see another characteristic of lust: lust is selfish and doesn’t truly care for the object it is pursuing.  The person controlled by lust cares only about himself or herself and satisfying his/her craving.  When the person controlled by lust is no longer interested in the object of her lust, when that object ceases to be useful to her, she discards the object.   

大衛自請出戰歌利亞

2021-07-07 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 17:37 a   大衛又說：「耶和華救我脫離獅子和熊的爪，也必救我脫離這非利士人的手。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 17:1-40

在我印象中的巨人，大概就是某次在芝加哥機場過境時看到的那些黑人，當他們走過我身旁時，我的頭竟不及他們的腰。這個經驗使我稍微能明白，當以色列人的探子說他們在迦南人面前就像蚱蜢一般，我也有類似的感覺。這個歌利亞有多高呢？在《七十士譯本》裡記載“四肘零一虎口”，約兩公尺高。《七十士譯本》是指大約在公元三世紀前，埃及為了充實亞歷山大圖書館，聘請了七十二位希伯來人的文士，到埃及把希伯來文的《聖經》翻譯成希臘文。

現今的和合本《聖經》是採用《馬索拉文本Masoretic Text》，馬索拉學士意為「傳統」的大師，他們主張力求保持文中的原貌。「傳統」這個字詞在希伯來文是「馬索喇赫」或「馬索肋特」。到公元第六世紀，那些以準確抄寫希伯來文《聖經》為己任的人被稱為馬索拉學士。他們寫成的抄本則稱為《馬索拉文本》。《馬索拉文本》記載歌利亞的身高是六肘零一虎口，約三公尺高。雖然兩者在尺寸上有點出入，但我們可以明白歌利亞是個相當高大的巨人。

《聖經》記載歌利亞是非利士人，但也有人認為歌利亞是亞衲族裔的後代。西元前十三世紀的阿納斯塔西第一蒲草紙Papyrus Anastasi I，記載迦南地有些戰士身高7-9呎，相當於 210到270公分，另外也挖到兩具身高210 公分的女性骸骨。所以亞衲族人的存在並非是虛假的傳說。他頭戴銅盔，身穿鎧甲，甲重五千舍客勒（約57公斤）。鎧甲的原文是“魚鱗”，意即有甲的保護衣，甲是指一片片銅製造的，鱗狀的保護衣。他的腿上有銅護膝，兩肩之中背負銅戟； 槍桿粗如織布的機軸，鐵槍頭重六百舍客勒（約6.84公斤）。還有人拿盾牌在他前面走。從這些裝備來看，你覺得他是一個怎樣的人？他比別人都高大強壯，渾身都是保護，還要有人拿盾牌在他前面走。我覺得這個人相當膽小啊！他靠的不是能槍善戰，而是塊頭大和重量，不把人壓扁就把人撞暈。他對著比他矮小甚多的以色列人單挑，其實是不公平的。

3 Keys to Fighting Temptation

2021-07-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 39:1-10.  Let’s go!

Genesis 39:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2  The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
3  When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,
4  Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

On verses 1-4:  Joseph, the favoured son of Jacob, is sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.  Because of God’s favour (“The Lord was with Joseph” – v2) and presumably because Joseph did his best to be faithful with what was entrusted to him, Joseph was promoted to be in charge of Potiphar’s entire household (v4). 

What can we learn from this?  Just as cream tends to rise to the top, so you can put a guy like Joseph in a difficult situation and with God’s help he will find a way to rise and to prosper.  Like Joseph, be faithful and responsible with what God gives you and, sooner or later, God will make sure that you are promoted. 

Grave Mistakes, Greater Story

2021-07-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 38:12-30.  Let’s go!

Genesis 38:12-16a (NIV)
12  After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13  When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14  she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15  When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16  Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”…

On verses 12-16a:  According to the custom of levirate marriage, Judah was supposed to give the closest male relative – i.e. his son Shelah – to Tamar in marriage (v11), but for fear of losing Shelah like he did his other two sons, Judah refused to give Shelah to Tamar, even though Shelah was already fully grown. So Tamar decides to take matters into her own hands.  Knowing that her father-in-law Judah is traveling to Timnah, Tamar veils her face and sits on the road to Timnah.  Judah, who had earlier lost his wife, takes Tamar for a prostitute and solicits her services, not knowing that it’s his daughter-in-law! 

撒母耳膏大衛

2021-07-06 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 16:7  耶和華卻對撒母耳說：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為，耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 16:1-23

當撒母耳對掃羅說：“今日耶和華使以色列國與你斷絕，將這國賜予比你更好的人。以色列的大能者必不至說謊，也不至後悔。因為他迥非世人，決不後悔。（撒上15:28-29）”時，掃羅害怕了，但是他可能沒有想到神已經真的找到了另一個人要取代他。撒母耳為掃羅難過，為掃羅悲哀，但是神要他往前走，向前看。因為神雖然曾經揀選掃羅，但是一旦掃羅不肯聽從神的話，神也離開他了。這件事讓我們明白，不遵從神的話，在神的眼中是無可饒恕的；即使花言巧語為自己找理由，也無濟於事。

神要撒母耳重新出發，去膏立神所揀選的新王。神要撒母耳去伯利恒找耶西，這耶西是摩押婦人路得和波阿斯的孫子。撒母耳沒有想到，神要膏立的是一個可愛的少年人。他的哥哥們一個個從撒母耳面前經過，卻沒有一個是神揀選的。神對撒母耳說：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為耶和華不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心”。但是你可能還記得，掃羅比眾百姓都高過一個頭，他的外貌不是很出眾嗎？神為何選他呢？

在十五章裡，撒母耳對掃羅說：“從前你雖然以自己為小，豈不是被立為以色列支派的元首嗎？”掃羅在作王之前是很謙卑的，他覺得便雅憫支派是以色列支派中最小的；而他的家族又是便雅憫中最小的族。若論選王，怎樣也輪不到他。所以當撒母耳要向眾百姓介紹他時，他還躲了起來。那時的掃羅一點都不驕傲。但是作王之後，他變了，變得非常自大，比神還大，所以他不聽神的，他忽悠神。該做的不做，還找理由塘塞，並且推卸責任。他不把神當做神來敬畏，他以為神看不見他的所作所為。社會新聞裡，我們有時也會看到一些變節的牧者或傳道人，他們一開始都是非常認真而忠心的神僕，但是後來在各種引誘下，他們失節了。