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Receive the Father’s Highest Blessing

2021-06-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 27:15-29.  Let’s go!

Genesis 27:15-29 (NIV)
15  Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.
16  She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.
17  Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.
18  He went to his father and said, “My father.” “Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”
19  Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing.”……

On verses 15-29:  Rebekah dresses Jacob in Esau’s clothes (v15) and places goatskins on his hands and neck to mimic Esau’s hairiness (v16).  Carrying his father’s favourite meal (v17), Jacob then approaches his father Isaac in hopes of getting the blessing that was meant for Esau (v18-19).  Isaac is put off by two things.  First is the fact that the meal he requested was prepared so quickly (v20).  Second, the person approaching him sounds like Jacob but his hands feel like those of Esau (v21-22).  After being reassured by Jacob that the son before him is indeed Esau, Isaac eats the meal presented to him, asks the son before him to give him a kiss, and then blesses him.  Thinking he is blessing Esau, Isaac prays over Jacob a blessing of prosperity (v28), lordship over his brothers (v29) and protection.

波阿斯娶路得為妻

2021-06-10 in , /by

〈路得記〉4:15 他必提起你的精神，奉養你的老，因為是愛慕你的那兒婦所生的。有這兒婦比有七個兒子還好。

閱讀經文：〈路得記〉4:1-22 

每個人都想尋得真正的愛情，而愛情又唯有碰到試驗時，才能顯露出其本質。甜言蜜語很容易，但若是要用財產去換取，你願不願意？波阿斯就受到了這樣的考驗。在波阿斯所講的那位至近的親屬眼中，路得是誰？他知道拿俄米，因為他們是至親，但是路得是個摩押女子，與他何干？若是娶了拿俄米，這個老太婆生不出孩子，以利米勒的地就歸他了；若是娶了路得，年輕女人總還會生育，生了第一個兒子，地就是這個小傢伙的，那他落得兩袖清風，何苦？因此他寧可脫鞋。

在〈申命記〉第25章裡記載：「弟兄同居，若死了一個，沒有兒子，死人的妻不可出嫁外人，她丈夫的兄弟當盡弟兄的本分，娶她為妻，與與她同房。婦人生的長子必歸死兄的名下，免得他的名在以色列中塗抹了。」若兄弟不願意，「他哥哥的妻就要當著長老到那人的跟前，脫了他的鞋，吐唾沫在他臉上，說：『凡不為哥哥建立家室的都要這樣待他。  在以色列中，他的名必稱為脫鞋之家 』 」。這「弟兄”也包括至近的親屬。

為何有人不願意為哥哥或至近的親屬建立家室呢？因為於自己的產業有礙。路得於這至近的親屬是一個會影響他產業的負數，所以他不要。但是波阿斯為什麼寧可冒著對自己的產業有礙的風險，去娶路得呢？因為路得在他的眼中是個寶。他欣賞路得的品德，他明白路得是一個不可多得的女性，他寧可損失一些財產，也不願意失去路得。這就是路得在波阿斯心中的地位，勝過他的財產。

When the Direction You’re Considering Is A Wrong Shortcut

2021-06-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 27:1-14.  Let’s go!

Genesis 27:1-14 (NIV)
1  When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered.
2  Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.
3  Now then, get your weapons–your quiver and bow–and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.
4  Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”……

On verses 1-14:  Isaac, up in years and eager to give his blessing to his firstborn son Esau before he dies, tells Esau to prepare his favourite meal so that he can give Esau his blessing.  Rebekah overhears Isaac’s plan, thinks about the fact that the older twin Esau was always meant to serve the younger twin Jacob.  So Rebekah decides to take matters into her own hands.  Instead of trying to reason with her husband Isaac as to why their firstborn Esau should not get the blessing, Rebekah chooses a dishonest, deceitful shortcut approach to trying to secure the blessing for her younger son Jacob. She thought, “I’ll just go behind Isaac’s back and trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing instead of Esau.” While it is true that in the short-term Rebekah would get what she wanted, her plan also led to several painful long-term consequences that Rebecca never intended:

路得有求於波阿斯

2021-06-09 in , /by

〈路得記〉  3:5     路得說：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行。」

閱讀經文：〈路得記〉 3:1-18

 在男女交往之間，一直以來有個不成文的規定，一般都是鳳求凰。因而也有人問，那麼就不可以凰求鳳嗎？當然有凰求鳳的例子，而且成功的還不少。當拿俄米向路得提出這個凰求鳳的建議時，路得的反應是：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行」。路得不是以色列人，可能不懂得以色列人的規矩和傳統，但是她相信拿俄米。在她要跟著拿俄米回伯利恒時，她已經說了：「你往哪裡去，我也往哪裡去；你在哪裡住宿，我也在哪裡住宿。你的國就是我的國，你的神就是我的神。你在哪裡死，我也在哪裡死，也葬在那裡。除非死能使你我相離。」這種信心，就是神向我們要的信心，但是即使死也不能使我們與主分離。

路得不明白以色列人的傳統，但是因為相信拿俄米，她就完全順服。這種順服也是神所求於我們的，因為相信神，所以不管明不明白，都願意順服。拿俄米叫路得去做的事，不是花好月圓那回事。拿俄米是要路得去探探波阿斯心裡有什麼想法？拿俄米所關心的是路得的終生幸福，不是她自己的利益關係。這樣的婆婆殊是難得，人都想養兒防老，沒兒了，有個願緊緊跟隨的媳婦，還能不把她抓緊一點，看緊一點？哪裡還讓她去跟別的男人製造機會？

但是拿俄米心裡還有件事，她的丈夫以利米勒和兒子都死了，以利米勒的產業沒人去贖回。除非有個至近的親屬，例如拿俄米的丈夫的兄弟再娶拿俄米，為拿俄米的丈夫生個兒子，才能繼承以利米勒的產業。

Forgiving Brings New Blessings

2021-06-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:23-35.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:23-25 (NIV)
23  From there he went up to Beersheba.
24  That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”
25  Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

On verses 23-25:  One thing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, three generations of men, had in common was that after hearing God speak, each of them would build an altar to God and call on His name.  It’s a reminder to me that:

1. God wants to personally speak to people in every generation.  You were made not simply to hear about God from the generation before you.  You were made to personally hear from God yourself and to worship Him. 

2. Just as Isaac pitched his tent and dug a well in the same place where he worshiped God and heard from God, so may you choose to live near God’s presence every day, make worship your priority, and seek to add more blessings and prosperity to the place where you worship and hear from God.    

波阿斯厚待路得

2021-06-08 in , /by

〈路得記〉   2:12   願耶和華照你所行的賞賜你。你來投靠耶和華以色列神的翅膀下，願你滿得祂的賞賜。

閱讀經文：〈路得記〉   2:1-23

路得之所以被世人所稱讚，除了她願意犧牲自己美好的青春年華，去侍候一個年老的婆婆，還有她那善體人意的好心腸。她跟著拿俄米回伯利恒，並不是為了要享福。她很清楚知道自己將要面臨的生活，必須承擔起照顧婆婆的責任。伯利恒對她而言是塊陌生的土地，幸好語言方面並無障礙，她已習慣了和婆婆溝通的方式。回到伯利恒解決了住的問題，其次就是吃的問題。她沒有日坐愁城地等待，而是決定成為一個可以供應家庭的人。

有的人喜歡被人侍候，覺得有人侍候才算是上等人，因此寧可什麼事都不做，找很多的藉口來搪塞。但是神賜給我們的五官四體若是不使用，就會逐漸喪失其功能。最明顯的就是骨折之後的手或腳，因為需要時間使骨骼長成，不能使用，因此肌肉就會慢慢消失，骨骼也會僵硬；要逐漸按摩，適當運動之後，才能恢復其功能。所以我們的身體若是越動就越能動，越不動就真的不動啦！所以工作勤快的人，表面看起來好像吃虧，因為做的事比較多，但實際上神已經祝福他了，因為他的身體各方面都能聯絡得更好。

路得主動提出要去田間拾取麥穗，因為這是最直接可以得到糧食的方法，也是不用錢可以溫飽之道。在山東省有個老太太，從小經歷了好多次的饑荒，對糧食特別愛惜。兒女長大有了好工作，生活富裕之後，她依然去拾取麥穗和稻米。她說，機器收割糧食掉的多，她一季可拾取100多斤麥穗，有時撿回去的稻米，一家人半個月都吃不完。上帝很公平，勤勞的人餓不死，光是用撿的都可以餵飽一家人。

When You Face Problem After Problem

2021-06-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:12-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:12-22 (NIV)
12  Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.
13  The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.
14  He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
15  So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth…….

On verses 12-22:  God blesses Isaac with great wealth (v12-13), so much so that the Philistines begin to envy him (v14) and stop up the wells that Isaac’s father Abraham had dug (v15).  In fact, despite Isaac trying to cooperate with the government of Gerar (v16-17) and doing what was within his rights (v18), over and over the Philistines cause problems for Isaac, disputing with Isaac over one well after another (v19-21).  Despite encountering problem after problem and dispute after dispute, Isaac refuses to give up.  He persists in his well digging until he can find a well that no one will fight with him over.  When he finally finds it, he calls the well Rehoboth, meaning “room” (v22), believing that now God has given him and his family the room to grow.

你的神就是我的神

2021-06-07 in , /by

〈路得記〉  1:16  路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你！你往哪裡去，我也往哪裡去；你在哪裡住宿，我也在哪裡住宿。你的國就是我的國，你的神就是我的神。」

閱讀經文：〈路得記〉 1:1-22 

〈路得記〉是發生在士師秉政時期的一個溫馨感人的故事，也再一次讓我們看到人若有對耶和華神的信心，神的祝福是何等地大。從亞伯拉罕到迦南地開始，我們就不時看到迦南地有饑荒。亞伯拉罕曾因而下埃及、到非利士地去躲避饑荒；以撒也曾經想去埃及，但是神叫他留在基拉耳，非利士人之地。在士師秉政時，迦南地又有饑荒，伯利恒素來稱「為魚米之鄉」，阿拉伯語的意思是「肉籃子」，希伯來文之意是「麵包之家」，麵包是指各樣的糧食，所以又稱「糧倉」，主要都在形容她的富庶。現在她以耶穌誕生的聖地聞名於世，生產以橄欖木和珍珠貝為原料的宗教記念品、刺繡工藝品，也是農產巿場和貿易中心。

這樣一個以生產糧食著稱的地區，竟然發生饑荒，有的人就會想外出找糧食了。但是當拿俄米回去伯利恒時，正是動手割大麥的時候。那麼，以利米勒把全家遷到摩押地，是否是個明智的決定呢？那些沒有遷移的人，留在伯利恒都得到了神的祝福，「因為她在摩押地聽見耶和華眷顧自己的百姓，賜糧食於他們」。假如以利米勒跟其他人留在伯利恒，那麼後果是否會完全不一樣？以利米勒把全家都遷到摩押地，其結果是他和兩個兒子都客死異鄉，留下三個孤苦的女人。這種後果，讓人想到，當我們離開神的應許之地時，那結果必是可悲的吧。亞伯拉罕兩次離開迦南地，都害怕被人所害，因而說謊，置妻子於險地。最後他還是回到迦南地。

為便雅憫人娶妻

2021-06-06 in , /by

〈士師記〉    21:25  那時以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉   21:1-25

在〈士師記〉   的初期，以色列人還可以為了征討不法之人而同心敵愾；在底波拉時，有的支派各自營生，已經無法同心；到了參孫時，神只能用他單打獨鬥非利士人。在〈士師記〉   裡，以色列人猶如一盤散沙，沒有王，因而各人任意而行。以色列人攻打便雅憫人時，正是亞倫的孫子，以利亞撒的兒子非尼哈做大祭司的時候，所以這場內戰應發生在〈士師記〉   的早期。以色列人在米斯巴集合，如同一人去攻打便雅憫人，但是他們打勝仗之後，卻痛哭不止，為什麼？

打勝仗不是應該歡呼慶祝嗎？以色列人得勝了，但是他們很痛苦，因為這是一場內戰，是他們在懲治自己的弟兄。他們原本以為給他們下馬威，只要他們交出犯罪的人即可。沒想到便雅憫人不肯，因此他們就發動戰爭了。這些作法從人的眼光來看，似乎理所當然，但是我們看到他們對自己處理的後果並不滿意，反而很痛心，因為死傷了太多人，都是自己人，便雅憫人幾乎都被他們殺光了，以色列的十二支派中有一支派被自己人幾乎滅絕了。在人的意氣用事之下，雖然理直氣壯，沒想到後果竟如此嚴重。

這就是人的本相，我們有時看到不法之事就怒氣填胸，立刻用自己的方法去解決，往往兩敗俱傷。但是神的意念高過人的意念，倘若我們可以在生氣時學會禱告，讓神來負責整件事，後果必然完全不一樣。有位姐妹作見證，有次有位同事對她很不客氣，她本想立即反擊。但是她立刻安靜下來，在心裡禱告，聖靈立刻給她一節經文：「要愛你的仇敵」。此時姐妹一抬頭，那位同事正好也在看她，姐妹衝她微微一笑。同事整個人都傻住了。可想而知，這位姐妹不但沒有豎敵，反而多了一個朋友。當我們看不法之事時，都會有意氣之爭。我們很可能有道理，理都在我們這邊，但是我們解決事情的方法是否高明，那就不一定了。

Like Father, Like Son

2021-06-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:1-11.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:1-6 (NIV)
1  Now there was a famine in the land–besides the earlier famine of Abraham’s time–and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar.
2  The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.
3  Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.
4  I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
5  because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”
6  So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

On verses 1-6:  Because of a famine in the land, Isaac moves his family to Gerar where they live among the Philistines and their king Abimelech.  Isaac was thinking about then moving his family to Egypt, but God appears to Isaac and tells him instead to stay in this land because God will be with him, will bless him, and will give him this land and other lands as God promised his father Abraham.  In verse 4 God gives the same promise to Isaac that God gave Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (v4).  The reason God gives for giving Isaac this promise is “because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements…” (v5).  Isaac believes in God’s promises and by faith decides to stay in Gerar.