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扫罗嫉恨大卫

2021-07-11 in , /by

〈撒母耳记〉上 18:14   大卫做事无不精明，耶和华也与他同在。

阅读经文:  〈撒母耳记上〉 18:1-30 

当歌利亚向以色列人骂阵时，以色列人没有一个敢出去应战，包括扫罗。扫罗曾经悬赏：“若有能杀他的，王必赏赐他大财，将自己的女儿给他为妻，并在以色列人中免他父家纳粮当差。（撒上17:25）”但是当大卫杀了歌利亚之后，三件事扫罗一件也没有付之实现。本来是可以免当差的，这下却被扫罗扣住了，不容他再回父家。反而是扫罗的儿子约拿单和大卫变成了好朋友。约拿单对大卫的爱，不是指同性恋的爱；这种心的契合，也不是那种情欲之恋，而是一种伯牙和钟子期那种相遇有知音的感受。因为他们对神单纯的信心，使他们能相知相惜，并且建立圣洁的友谊。

那时候，以色列营中只有扫罗和约拿单有刀有枪（撒上13:22），追赶非利士人之后，可能会获得许多战利品，包括刀枪。但是身上的战衣、腰带等等，不是别人有的，因为那些装备代表了约拿单王子的身份。但是约拿单爱大卫如同爱自己的性命，就把自己最宝贵的外袍、战衣、刀、弓、腰带都给了大卫。大卫原是个牧童，一下子穿上约拿单这些装备，定然判若两人吧。约拿单又和大卫结盟，表示与大卫共生死。一个当朝的王子，可以说是太子，因此后来扫罗责备约拿单：“耶西的儿子若在世间活着，你和你的国位必站立不住（撒上20:31）”，竟然和一个小牧童结盟，对大卫而言，这是何等的际遇。

虽然撒母耳已经在大卫的家人面前膏大卫为王，但是大卫的心里一点都不因而感到骄傲。扫罗叫他做什么，他就做什么，并且努力去做，因此众百姓和扫罗的臣仆都喜欢他。但是这样的谦卑并没有给他带来平安，因为他们回城时，众妇女的赞美还是激怒了扫罗。

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：给老底嘉教会 (上)

2021-07-09 in , /by

老底嘉教会代表教会第七个时代（主后1900年至主再来）。这末世时代的教会。是最败坏，最被主所厌弃的，所以自始至终，主没有一句称赞的话。请大家留心看，《圣经》所说，主对他们没有一句称赞的话，总是责备的话。为甚么呢？因为老底嘉教会，败坏到这样不堪的地步。他们败坏，有两大原因：

1.从撒但而来，如果谨慎查巧七教会的过程，就可以看见在七教会中，由始至终，都有魔鬼在后面破坏，以弗所教会失去起初大有爱心。士每拿教会，撒但乃变更计划，使患难逼迫临到他们。后来看见患难逼迫不能使教会破坏，就引诱别迦摩教会与世界联婚。到了推雅推喇教会，撒但更变本加厉，使他们管辖世界。撒狄教会，从推雅推喇教会出来。魔鬼又使他们有名无实。非拉铁非很有爱心，但魔鬼就使他变为不冷不热的老底嘉教会。我们知道这七个教会中，最好就是非拉铁非教会，最坏的是老底嘉教会。这样看来，可见魔鬼的工作，实在利害，尽力来破坏教会到不可收拾的地步。最好的教会，也变成最坏的教会。由非拉铁非教会变为老底嘉教会，真是可惜，这都是魔鬼的作为。

2.另一方面是从教会而来的。各位，你知道「老底嘉」的名义吗？「老底嘉」原文由两个字拼成的，就是「老斯」「底细亚」两个字。「老斯」是「平民」之意，「底细亚」是「风俗」或「意见」之意。老底嘉教会是普通人民的风俗，或是普通人的意见，这普通人是指教会里面的人。老底嘉教会是普通人的意思，因为这教会的制度，是由全体负责，不是由少数人负责。他们以为教会是教友的教会，大家事由大家去做。各人的事随着公众的意见去行。一切行政，少数应该服从多数。各位，现在的教会，就是老底嘉教会的情形。

大卫击杀歌利亚

2021-07-08 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 17:45 大卫对非利士人说：你来攻击我，是靠着刀枪和铜戟。我来攻击你，是靠着万军之耶和华的名，就是你所怒骂带领以色列军队的神。

〈撒母耳记上〉 17:41-58 

美丽的以拉谷，绿草如茵，却被一群野心勃勃的非利士人给践踏了。因为它起于希伯仑，逐渐向北下落，绵延数十里，至桑特河时与其他山谷汇合，形成宽约 3公里的平坦谷地。正是非利士人最喜欢穿越去攻打以色列人的途径。这一回，扫罗带着以色列人在此安营，抵挡非利士人。非利士人派出一个巨人歌利亚出来向以色列人单挑，面对巨大的歌利亚和他在当时几近完美的装备，以色列人没有一个敢出来应战。

小小的大卫那时有多大呢？连当兵的年纪都不到，只能算是个青少年吧，为了对耶和华神的爱，他公然应战。因为这人竟敢辱骂永生神的军队，却没有人敢去杀他，因此他要去除掉以色列人的耻辱。当歌利亚看到大卫应战时，他可能气疯了，以色列人竟敢戏弄他，派一个乳臭未干的小伙子，来和他这身经百战的大巨人争战。大卫只拿着牧羊的杖，无刀也无枪，歌利亚觉得大卫太瞧不起他了，把他当成狗了？

歌利亚看不起这个年轻，面色光红，容貌俊美的小伙子，但是大卫的回答却落地有声。大卫指出，歌利亚作战靠的是刀枪和铜戟，但是他去攻击歌利亚是靠着万军之耶和华的名。我们碰到事情时，也要学习大卫这样的逻辑思维：刀枪铜戟和万军之耶和华的名，两相比较，哪一个更可靠，更有实力？你可以把你的困难或仇敌的优势放在刀枪铜戟的位置，然后决定要倚靠哪一方去取得最后的胜利。

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.   

大卫自请出战歌利亚

2021-07-07 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 17:37 a   大卫又说：「耶和华救我脱离狮子和熊的爪，也必救我脱离这非利士人的手。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 17:1-40

在我印象中的巨人，大概就是某次在芝加哥机场过境时看到的那些黑人，当他们走过我身旁时，我的头竟不及他们的腰。这个经验使我稍微能明白，当以色列人的探子说他们在迦南人面前就像蚱蜢一般，我也有类似的感觉。这个歌利亚有多高呢？在《七十士译本》里记载“四肘零一虎口”，约两公尺高。《七十士译本》是指大约在公元三世纪前，埃及为了充实亚历山大图书馆，聘请了七十二位希伯来人的文士，到埃及把希伯来文的《圣经》翻译成希腊文。

现今的和合本《圣经》是采用《马索拉文本Masoretic Text》，马索拉学士意为「传统」的大师，他们主张力求保持文中的原貌。「传统」这个字词在希伯来文是「马索喇赫」或「马索肋特」。到公元第六世纪，那些以准确抄写希伯来文《圣经》为己任的人被称为马索拉学士。他们写成的抄本则称为《马索拉文本》。《马索拉文本》记载歌利亚的身高是六肘零一虎口，约三公尺高。虽然两者在尺寸上有点出入，但我们可以明白歌利亚是个相当高大的巨人。

《圣经》记载歌利亚是非利士人，但也有人认为歌利亚是亚衲族裔的后代。西元前十三世纪的阿纳斯塔西第一蒲草纸Papyrus Anastasi I，记载迦南地有些战士身高7-9呎，相当于 210到270公分，另外也挖到两具身高210 公分的女性骸骨。所以亚衲族人的存在并非是虚假的传说。他头戴铜盔，身穿铠甲，甲重五千舍客勒（约57公斤）。铠甲的原文是“鱼鳞”，意即有甲的保护衣，甲是指一片片铜制造的，鳞状的保护衣。他的腿上有铜护膝，两肩之中背负铜戟； 枪杆粗如织布的机轴，铁枪头重六百舍客勒（约6.84公斤）。还有人拿盾牌在他前面走。从这些装备来看，你觉得他是一个怎样的人？他比别人都高大强壮，浑身都是保护，还要有人拿盾牌在他前面走。我觉得这个人相当胆小啊！他靠的不是能枪善战，而是块头大和重量，不把人压扁就把人撞晕。他对着比他矮小甚多的以色列人单挑，其实是不公平的。

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! 

撒母耳膏大卫

2021-07-06 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 16:7  耶和华却对撒母耳说：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为，耶和华不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和华是看内心。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 16:1-23

当撒母耳对扫罗说：“今日耶和华使以色列国与你断绝，将这国赐予比你更好的人。以色列的大能者必不至说谎，也不至后悔。因为他迥非世人，决不后悔。（撒上15:28-29）”时，扫罗害怕了，但是他可能没有想到神已经真的找到了另一个人要取代他。撒母耳为扫罗难过，为扫罗悲哀，但是神要他往前走，向前看。因为神虽然曾经拣选扫罗，但是一旦扫罗不肯听从神的话，神也离开他了。这件事让我们明白，不遵从神的话，在神的眼中是无可饶恕的；即使花言巧语为自己找理由，也无济于事。

神要撒母耳重新出发，去膏立神所拣选的新王。神要撒母耳去伯利恒找耶西，这耶西是摩押妇人路得和波阿斯的孙子。撒母耳没有想到，神要膏立的是一个可爱的少年人。他的哥哥们一个个从撒母耳面前经过，却没有一个是神拣选的。神对撒母耳说：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为耶和华不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心”。但是你可能还记得，扫罗比众百姓都高过一个头，他的外貌不是很出众吗？神为何选他呢？

在十五章里，撒母耳对扫罗说：“从前你虽然以自己为小，岂不是被立为以色列支派的元首吗？”扫罗在作王之前是很谦卑的，他觉得便雅悯支派是以色列支派中最小的；而他的家族又是便雅悯中最小的族。若论选王，怎样也轮不到他。所以当撒母耳要向众百姓介绍他时，他还躲了起来。那时的扫罗一点都不骄傲。但是作王之后，他变了，变得非常自大，比神还大，所以他不听神的，他忽悠神。该做的不做，还找理由塘塞，并且推卸责任。他不把神当做神来敬畏，他以为神看不见他的所作所为。社会新闻里，我们有时也会看到一些变节的牧者或传道人，他们一开始都是非常认真而忠心的神仆，但是后来在各种引诱下，他们失节了。

听命胜于献祭

2021-07-05 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 15:22撒母耳说：耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂如喜悦人听从祂的话呢？听命胜于献祭；顺从胜于公羊的脂油。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 15:1-35

撒母耳上次因为扫罗代他献祭，违背了神的命令，对扫罗很不高兴。但是这次，撒母耳再来见扫罗，为何他要再见扫罗？因为他要传神的话。不管他对扫罗如何失望，神还是要再给扫罗一次机会。看看扫罗是否真的能明白神的用心良苦，因而回转。所以撒母耳提醒扫罗，他能够做以色列人的王，不是出于他自己的能力或才华，而是出于神的拣选，因此扫罗应该珍惜，应该听从神的话，免得神一怒之下，取走他的王权。因为神可以使人升高，也可以使人降低，所以人在祂面前应当存谦卑的心，不要妄自尊大。心存谦卑的人就会听从神的话，心里骄傲的人则恰恰相反。所以从一个人顺服神的程度，可以看出他实在是谦卑或骄傲。

撒母耳传达神的命令，要扫罗去灭尽亚玛力人。在以色列人出埃及时，亚玛力人尾随以色列人，在以色列人的队伍后面攻击抢劫老少妇孺。神没有忘记他们的恶。所以我们可以明白神的性情，谁攻击祂的子民，祂必报仇。这是神对祂的子民之爱的表现，同时也是神公义的一面，神不会放过作恶的人。这是神给扫罗最后一次的机会，要看扫罗肯不肯听从祂的话。扫罗能不能把这个机会，使神的心意回转？

有的人以为神是无比慈爱的神，所以他可以尽情犯罪，只要找一些借口塘塞就可以了。神真是那么好骗的吗？还是他们在骗自己？扫罗很有人情味，先去劝基尼人避避风头。在〈士师记〉第一章曾经提到，摩西的内兄是基尼人，摩西曾经邀请他的岳父和以色列人同去，并在旷野做他们的眼目，并应许将来耶和华有什么好处待以色列人，以色列人也必以什么好处待他们（民10:29-32）。也因为他们在以色列人出埃及时，曾经恩待以色列人，从那时起，基尼人就和以色列人住在一起，而且相处得很好。（也有一说，摩西的岳父是米甸人，因为基尼人是米甸人里的一族）。