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扫罗在吉甲立国

2021-06-28 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 11:14 撒母耳对百姓说：「我们要往吉甲去，在那里立国。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 11:1-15

基列雅比，这个名字听起来耳熟吗？还记不记得在〈士师记〉里，当以色列人要和便雅悯人作战时，曾在主前立誓，若不出来一起作战的，便要把他们杀死。结果查出雅比人没有出来应战，因此便把他们的男人和已婚妇女都杀掉，抢走了他们四百个处女，给剩下的便雅悯人为妻，以留后代。扫罗是便雅悯人，因此他很有可能也是便雅悯人和雅比人联姻的后代之一。雅比人遇到麻烦了，扫罗会如何？以前他只是一个小老百姓，现在他是以色列王了，虽然还要赶牛耕地，究竟会有何不同？

虽然在旧约圣经里没有注明这件事的背景，但是在死海古卷里找到的撒母耳记却有这段记载：Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, sorely oppressed the children of Gad and the children of Reuben, and he gouged out a their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. There was not left one among the children of Israel bey[ond the Jordan who]se right eye was not put out by Nahash king of the children of Ammon; except that seven thousand men fled from the children of Ammon and entered Jabesh-Gilead. About a month later Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead. 这段英文的大意是：当时的亚扪人迫害以色列人，已经战胜了河东地的鲁本和迦得支派，他们的右眼都被剜了，但是其中有七千人逃到基列雅比。这件事使整个以色列都震惊且吓坏了。大约在一个月后，亚扪人围攻基列雅比，就是要把那些逃掉的人和基列雅比人的眼睛也都剜出来。（资料取自Wikipedia）

雅比人要求亚扪人给他们七日的期限，亚扪人很爽快地答应了，他们胸有成竹，认定以色列里没有人可以来救他们。神的时间就是如此巧妙，扫罗在此时被拣选为王，不找他，还找谁呢？当撒母耳油膏扫罗之后，要他趁时而作，就是有机会时要好好表现一番，使人服他，因为神与他同在。这不就是个机会吗？一个王的主要职责，不就是保护他的百姓吗？

Lust vs. Love

2021-06-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 34:1-17.  Let’s go!

Genesis 34:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.
2  When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her.
3  His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
4  And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

On verses 1-4:  Shechem was in love with Jacob’s daughter Dinah and wanted her more than anything, but he went about it in completely the wrong way, taking her and raping her (v2).  That is what lust does.  Lust says “now”.  Love says “I’ll wait”.  Lust says “me first”.  Love says “you first”.  Lust takes.  Love gives.  Lust violates.  Love protects.  Lust says “I don’t care if it’s wrong. It’s what I feel like doing.”  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.

Genesis 34:5-12 (NIV)
5  When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home.
6  Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.
7  Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter–a thing that should not be done.

撒母耳膏扫罗为王

2021-06-27 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 10: 6 耶和华的灵必大大感动你，你就与他们一同受感说话，你要变为新人。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 10:1-27

撒母耳按著神的带领，膏扫罗为第一个以色列人的王。在〈申命记〉里，神已经立下选以色列王的规则：“你总要立耶和华你神所拣选的人为王。必从你弟兄中立一人，不可立你弟兄以外的人为王（申17:15）”。可见神早已知道会有这样的一天，以色列人会要求立王。但是扫罗的心中踏实吗？他怎能确定自己不是在作梦？他怎么找驴找到变成以色列人的王了？这事说出去谁会相信？

撒母耳仿佛知道扫罗心中的意念，他列举了扫罗在回家的路上会碰到四批人：一, 他要遇见两个人对他说驴已找到；二, 在他泊的橡树那里会碰到三个人各带着羊、饼和酒，他们会给扫罗两个饼；三, 到了神的山（何烈山），他会看到非利士人的防兵；四, 进城时会碰到一班先知，扫罗会跟着先知们一起受感说话，神要让他成为一个新人。这些人和事就像撒母耳亲眼看到似的，都一一应验了。为了让扫罗明白，这是从神来的拣选，神一连给他四个印证。好让他知道此事不是出于偶然。

神让扫罗变为新人，是什么意思？扫罗本来只是一个无名小卒，现在神把他抬举成以色列中的至高者，他必须有不同的眼光，不同的心性去面对这个新的身份。曾经有一位传道人说他的见证，神给了他一个梦，让他在梦中看到有许多人在海中沉沦呼救。当他醒来之后，神的呼召就成了他一生的目标，他不再是从前那个为自己而活的人，变成了一个为了神而活的传道人。神的灵感动扫罗，让他不再为了像找驴这样的事而活，神给他有一个王的心志，为以色列人而活。

The Gift That Reunites

2021-06-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 33:1-20.  Let’s go!

Genesis 33:1-4 (NIV)
1  Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants.
2  He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear.
3  He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4  But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

On verses 1-4:  With his wives and children walking behind him, Jacob goes on ahead to meet Esau.  He humbles himself before Esau, bowing down seven times while approaching him.  Esau also responds with passion and humility.  The way Esau responds – how Esau “ran to meet Jacob…threw his arms around his neck and kissed him” – is so similar to Jesus’ parable of the lost son where the father, seeing his son a long way off, “ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).  It’s an emotional reunion between two estranged brothers who seemingly decide to put their difficult past behind them.

What can we learn from this?  Whereas our pride keeps the conflict going, humility allows us to put aside our differences and to reconcile.

第五封信：撒狄教会(下)

2021-06-25 in , /by

2.主责备他们的原因，为甚么责备他们按名是活的，其实是死的？有三个原因：

A.不儆醒──因为不儆醒的缘故，所以造成按名是活的，其实是死的。为甚么他们不儆醒，因为他们不注重主再来。我们查攷《圣经》，主常叫信徒儆醒，就是题到主再来，应儆醒，不可与主分离。

B.不坚固──不是不坚固自己，乃是不坚固别人，即那些剩下将要衰微的人，或说将死的人。他们完全不知道自己有坚强的力量，必须肯帮助别人，尤其是帮助软弱的人。

大卫说：「神阿，求祢为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵。不要丢弃我，使我离开祢的面，不要从我收回祢的圣灵，求祢使我仍得救恩之乐。赐我乐意的灵扶持我，我就把祢的道指教有过犯的人，罪人必归顺祢。」保罗写信给加拉太人说：「弟兄们，若有人偶然被过犯所胜，你们属灵的人，就当用温柔的心把他挽回过来。」各位，你有没有这样做？有没有坚固别人的软弱。

C.不完全──「因我见你的行为，在我神面前，没有一样是完全的。」各位，他们为甚么按名是活的，其实是死的？就是因为他们不完全，太不完全了。谁看见他们不完全呢？不是人看见他们，乃是主亲眼见到的。主看人，不同人看人，人看外貌，主是看内心的。用主眼睛看清楚了撒狄教会，知道他们是不完全的。有甚么不完全呢？乃是他们的行为不完全。各位弟兄姊妹，撒狄教会这种情形，我们现在自己问一下自己，我们的行为是不是不完全？我们的主要我们完全。我们就要完全。虽然信主得救，但不要在糊涂里过日子。

The Purpose of God’s Gifts + The Lesson of the Limp

2021-06-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 32:13-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 32:13-21 (NIV)
13  He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau:
14  two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15  thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
16  He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”……

On verses 13-21:  To hopefully appease Esau’s anger and soften Esau’s heart, Jacob sends a series of lavish gifts to Esau consisting of one herd of animals after another.  The picture of Jacob sending all these gifts to Esau makes me think of the way God sends gift after gift in the form of people and other blessings that God places in our lives.  As John 1:16 says, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.”  God sends us many gifts so that we would know His heart.  The gifts were always meant to point to the Giver.  Yet our tendency is to focus on the gifts and forget about the Giver.  So the next time you think about the blessings in your life, remember this: God gives us blessings not just for our enjoyment, but even more so that we would know the Giver of those blessings, because knowing the Giver is the greatest blessing of all.

The Comfort of God’s Presence and God’s Word

2021-06-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 32:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 32:1-12 (NIV)
1  Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2  When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

On verses 1-2:  As Jacob continues his journey back to his homeland, he is met by angels, although we are given no details of what those angels looked like or what the angels did or said.  He calls the place “Mahanaim”, which means two camps, which is perhaps a reference to the fact that Jacob’s camp was now met by what Jacob described as “the camp of God”.   

What can we learn from this? 

First, when you move forward in faith trusting in the Lord, you’ll find that you move as two camps. There’s the visible camp consisting of you and the people you are with, but there’s also the invisible camp consisting of the Holy Spirit and God’s angels whom God sends to be with you.  Blessed are those who recognize that wherever they go there are two camps (2 Kings 6:16-17).

扫罗寻驴

2021-06-24 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 9: 17 撒母耳看见扫罗的时候，耶和华对他说：「看哪，这人就是我对你所说的，他必治理我的民。」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 9:1-27 

在茫茫人海中，你怎样知道神为你拣选的对象呢？很多人对神的带领都有很大的好奇心。从神对撒母耳的带领里，我们不难发现，要明白神的心意有几个原则。第一，要保守自己在神的心意里，像撒母耳一样留心倾听神的声音。假如你很喜欢听人的声音，一天到晚都去问别人的意见，那么你可能听不见神的声音，因为你的心已经被人的声音填满了。

第二，若是出于神的拣选，神必然有预备，有带领，让你不会搞错，不会感到迷糊或混乱。假如你觉得是出于神的带领，你一定要求印证。唯有清楚明白神的带领，才不会三心两意，患得患失。神在扫罗到达的前一日，就已经指示撒母耳了，所以撒母耳就可以先做预备。

我们再一次看到神奇妙的作为，和祂那无微不致的幽默感。祂用几头遗失的驴把扫罗引到撒母耳面前。当扫罗在找驴时，他越过以法莲山地，又走过以利沙地，又过了沙琳地，再过便雅悯地，一直走到苏弗地。他以为他是在找驴，其实是神的灵一直让他往前走，要把他带到撒母耳那里去。撒母耳住的拉玛就在苏弗地。

所以我们看到，若是出于神的带领，必然是两边的带领，而不会只有一方有感动。在团契里，有时自己也会有感动想要做某件事，若是出于神的带领，神也会准备其他人的心。所以出于自己的热心和出于神的带领，是两回事，我们要把它分清楚。有时我们觉得某件事或某个想法很好，可是别人都没有同样的看见或感动，那么自己就要冷静下来，再继续祷告，不要强迫别人跟你有同样的感动，这是强迫不来的。

以色列人求立王

2021-06-23 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 8:6 撒母耳不喜悦他们说立一个王治理我们，他就祷告耶和华。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 8:1-22

撒母耳在年老时，碰到了一件很不高兴的事。他终年奔波，在以色列四境巡行审判，终于把四分五裂的以色列人团结起来，并且国泰民安。原以为以色列人会很感谢他，却没有想到，以色列人不要他的儿子继续做士师，反而想要立王。但是撒母耳处事的方法和摩西一样，他虽然不高兴以色列人的要求，还是把事情呈到耶和华神的面前，让神去定夺，这就是对神的敬畏。

以色列人想要立王有两个原因，其一是他们很羡慕别人的国家有王的治理；其二，因为撒母耳的儿子们不行撒母耳的道，所以他们不服。所以人很难完美。撒母耳如此敬畏神，殷勤事奉神，但是他却看不到儿子们的倒行逆施，就像以利和他的两个儿子一样。他的儿子们贪图财利，收受贿赂，屈枉正直，以色列人怎么能对他们产生信心？撒母耳在这事上也循私了，每个士师都是神所兴起的，怎么他竟想世袭了呢？

撒母耳和以利一样，儿子都不争气。本来以为撒母耳看到以利和儿子们的关系，他会有所警惕而有所改进，但是他顾得全以色列，就顾不了自己的儿子们了。在老一辈的传道人家庭里也偶有这样的事情发生，因为父母亲太专注于教会事工，以致对儿女疏于管教。例如葛培里的儿子就曾经因而叛逆，走入歧途，而身陷囹圄。还好，他后来悔改，现在已经接下了葛牧师的工作。现在的传道人也因而更加注意到这个问题，不能只顾外面的工作，而忘记自己是丈夫和父亲的本份。若是自己的家庭乱七八糟，事工做得再好，也会落入魔鬼的网罗。

Refined By Hardship

2021-06-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:45-55.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:45-48 (NIV)
45  So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
46  He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
47  Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
48  Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed.

On verses 45-48:  Getting ready to make a covenant with Laban, Jacob and his relatives pile stones in a heap.  (I find it funny that later Laban says that he did it in verse 51.)  Laban calls the heap “Jegar Sahadutha”, which means “witness heap” in Aramaic.  Jacob calls the heap “Galeed”, which means the same thing – “witness heap” – in Hebrew, Jacob’s mother tongue.  It’s a reminder that Jacob and Laban came from two different cultures and spoke two different languages, which likely contributed to the misunderstandings between them.