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第七封信：給老底嘉教會 (下)

2021-07-16 in , /by

(續) 2.主第二次責備他們：17節「你說，我是富足，已經發了財，一樣都不缺。卻不知你是那困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。」老底嘉教會看自己是甚麼？他們看高了自己，以為富足，一樣都不缺。他說我是富足，已經發了財，一樣都不缺。老底嘉教會是怎樣情形呢，教堂建築華麗，教友多。自誇教秩序好，合主心意。自誇教友多，自誇歌詩班好，所唱的詩好聽。自誇牧師傳道夠資格，教友地位高，有學問，有財富。各位，但主不喜歡人自誇。團體自誇，個人自誇主都不歡喜。如〈路加福音〉18章所記載那法利賽人，說到自己如何好，不像別人勒索不義，姦淫，也不像這個稅吏。把自己提得何等高。不知這是中了魔鬼的詭計。你們想想撒但的結局何等可悲。

從前有一個南方人，很羨慕學說北方話，所以他到了北方學說官話，因為記憶力不好，學來學去，只學了六個字，就是「是我」「不錯」「好的。」他認為很滿意，就大搖大擺的回來。來到他的家門前，敲門，他的妻子認不出是誰，不敢開門。就門內問：「誰呀？他用官話回答：「是我。」他的妻子聽了嚇了一跳，以為北洋軍來懼怕得很。但他走是在門外用官話大聲說：「是我，是我，是我……」後來他妻子留心聽，才認出是自己的丈夫，於是快快的開門，把他接入來，知道他學懂了說官話，更歡喜。於是遇見人就說自己的丈夫學懂了說官話。因此周圍的人知道他會說官話。有一天，發生了案，有人被謀殺。官府就來調查，但這官府是北方人，那地方的人於是請他出來代回答官府的問話。官長問他：「誰殺死這個人。」他說：「是我。」又問：「真的是你？」他答：「不錯。」官長說：「你殺死人就要償命。」他說：「好的。」他因此被判了死刑。各位，把自己提得太高，就會有大危險。主怎樣批評他們呢？主說：「卻不知你是那困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。」在主的眼睛看來，他們是何等困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼赤身的。

三、主對他們的勸勉──18至20節「我勸你向我買火煉的金子，叫你富足。又買白衣穿上，叫你赤身的羞恥不露出來，又買眼藥擦你的眼睛，使你能看見。凡我所疼愛的，我就責備管教他，所以你要發熱心，也要悔改。看哪，我站在門外叩門，若有聽見我聲音就開門的，我要進到他那裏去，我與他，他與我一同坐席。」這三節經文裏面，給我們見到主對老底嘉教會的勸勉，主對他們有三樣勸勉：

You’re Not Bound By Your Past Mistakes

2021-07-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 44:18-34.  Let’s go!

Genesis 44:18-34 (NIV)
18  Then Judah went up to him and said: “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
19  My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20  And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21  “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’……

In fact you could argue that there is no one in the book of Genesis who is recorded as making more mistakes than Judah.  Yet here in this passage Judah does something noble, loving and sacrificial.  With Benjamin on the verge of being taken as a slave, Judah recounts to the Egyptian authority how Judah promised his father that he would make sure nothing bad happened to his brother Benjamin.  He offers to serve as a slave for the rest of his life in place of Benjamin so that Benjamin can go free.

大衛匿於亞杜蘭洞

2021-07-15 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 22:1    大衛就離開那裡，逃到亞杜蘭洞。他的弟兄和他父親的全家聽見了，就都下到他那裡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 22:1-23 

這章的經文裡記述了一個小人物的堀起，和一個大人物的自堀墳墓。從表面上看來，大衛好像是落魄了，但是跟隨他的人從各地而來。大衛從一個逃犯變成了一個小頭目。掃羅命令人去殺祭司，卻沒有人肯做，只有以東人多益才敢做如此得罪神的事情。掃羅的作為使他失去人心，使他成為一個殘殺子民的王，一個走向末日的王。從來是，得人心者得天下，失人心者失天下。大衛和掃羅的情形正反映了這句話的真實。

大衛欺騙亞希米勒大祭司以求餅，又裝瘋欺騙非利士王亞吉以求生，當他想得到人的幫助時，他發現除了欺騙沒有別的辦法。即使如此，欺騙不僅沒有為他解決問題，反而讓他要面對更大的問題。挪伯一城的血債都由他而起，何等沉重！大衛離開亞吉之後，就逃到亞杜蘭洞。他再也無法倚靠任何人。有時候，神會把我們逼到一個地步，讓我們只能倚靠祂。反而是當大衛開始倚靠神時，他就成了別人可以倚靠的人。這真是很奇妙的事，當我們什麼都沒有，只能倚靠神時，神就因而彰顯榮耀，讓我們可以成為他人的幫助。

亞杜蘭在希伯倫西北約16公里，以拉谷的南側， 介于迦特和伯利恆中間，在猶大高原上，該地區的山中有很多石灰岩洞穴，洞穴彼此互通，可容人居住。最出名的洞穴就是大衛住過的亞杜蘭洞。大衛逃到亞杜蘭洞時，他的弟兄和父親的全家都去投靠他，很可能因為掃羅也開始逼迫他們，要他們說出大衛的所在。大衛有三個哥哥都在掃羅的軍隊裡，一旦掃羅以大衛為敵，他的哥哥們在軍隊裡可能也受到莫須有的對待，以致他們寧可叛逃也不要在軍隊裡呆下去；他們一逃，其他的家人豈能不逃？

大衛逃至挪伯和迦特

2021-07-14 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 21:10  那日大衛起來，躲避掃羅，逃到迦特王亞吉那裡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 21:1-15 

這是大衛的人生裡比較多苦難的一段日子。雖然沒有做錯什麼，雖然全心全意地在為以色列人爭戰，雖然盡心盡意地服侍掃羅，卻換來懷疑、嫉恨和追殺，甚至有家歸不得。你說他冤不冤？世界上感到自己很委屈，很冤枉的人到處都是，但是能像大衛在感到委屈和冤枉時仰望神的人就不多了。掃羅坐在王位上，卻因為沒有神的同在，因而疑神疑鬼；大衛雖在逃亡途中，但因為有神的同在，在苦境中亦可領略到神的恩典。

挪伯是便雅憫地一座祭司居住的小鎮，在約櫃被非利士人搶走後，會幕就從示羅搬到挪伯，約櫃則繼續留在基列耶琳。亞希米勒是以利的孫子，有解經家認為他就是十四章第三節裡穿著以弗得的亞西亞祭司。在十四章裡，亞西亞（即亞希米勒）是跟著掃羅的祭司，換句話說，他是掃羅的“御用”祭司。所對政治也有點敏感度。當他看到大衛獨自前來時，就感覺得有點不對勁，因此戰戰兢兢地出來迎接大衛。

大衛是戰士長的身份，理當有人隨侍左右，怎麼他會獨自一人前來？大衛可能為了尋得亞比米勒的幫助，而向他撒謊。經常有人認為撒一下白謊無所謂，又不會害人。為了保護自己，編一下故事又何妨？但是我們若知道亞希米 勒和整個挪伯城都因為大衛的白謊而被掃羅屠城，可能對白謊會有更深的認識。

The Testing Before The Blessing

2021-07-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 44:1-17.  Let’s go!

Genesis 44:1-17 (NIV)
1  Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
2  Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3  As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4  They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?……

On verses 1-17:  Here Joseph plants his own silver cup into his brother Benjamin’s sack without Benjamin knowing.  Then after sending the brothers off, Joseph gets his men to chase after the brothers, alleging that one of them had stolen his silver cup.  It turns out that Joseph, a son of Jacob the original trickster, has a trick up his own sleeve.  Yet we will see that Joseph ultimately had a good intention by playing this trick on his brothers.

God Sees Right Through

2021-07-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 42:1-20.  Let’s go!

Genesis 42:1-2 (NIV)
1  When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?”
2  He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

On verses 1-2:  Jacob by this point was old, but his penchant for wanting to get things done and finding that the people around him were too slow was alive and well.

Genesis 42:3-20 (NIV)
3  Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4  But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.
5  So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6  Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

約拿單與大衛結盟

2021-07-13 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 20:42   願耶和華在你我中間，並你我後裔中間為證，直到永遠！

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 20:1-42 

約拿單和大衛的友誼是神很奇妙的安排。因為一般而言，要做朋友大多是年齡相當，背景類似，才容易談得來。但是約拿單是王子，大衛是平民，而且是個放羊的，兩人的地位甚為懸殊；年齡上約拿單也比大衛大許多，約拿單是掃羅的長子，大衛是耶西的么兒。當約拿單已經是個奔馳於彊場的勇士時，大衛還只是個放羊的小孩。但是大衛對神的信心吸引了約拿單，使他們一見如故，其實說是約拿單特別疼愛大衛，也不為過。因為大衛在一開始很可能不敢高攀，是約拿單的誠意使大衛可以放心跟他做朋友。

約拿單是敬畏神的人，因此他在靈裡的感覺也很敏銳。他說的每一句話都好像在交代遺囑，雖然他自己不知道將會發生何事。我們教會裡有一位老媽媽在過世之前的主日，不知為何，就站在教會門口跟每一個人打招呼。等她過世後，大家猛一回想，才覺得那天早上她的行為很特別，彷彿是在向大家告別。雖然她自己也不知道那週之間她會返回天家。約拿單和大衛結盟的內容是：“你要照耶和華的慈愛恩待我，不但我活著的時候免我死亡，就是我死後，耶和華從地上剪除你仇敵的時候，你也永不可向我家絕了恩惠。”他是王子，為何需要大衛免他死亡？他彷彿在預言，有一天大衛的權位會比他高，可以有生殺之權。倘若他死了，也不可向他家絕了恩惠。彷彿他已經知道，有一天他的家會需要大衛的保護。

當約拿單明白他的父親非殺大衛不可的決心後，他更加求大衛記念他們之間的約，“願耶和華在你我中間，並你我後裔中間為證，直到永遠！”所以約拿單顯然已經查覺，耶和華神已經不再與他的父親同在，因為他說：“願耶和華與你同在，如同從前與我父親同在一樣”。他很清楚，神與大衛同在，神已經不再和他父親同在。

God Prepares Before He Promotes

2021-07-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 41:37-57.  Let’s go!

Genesis 41:37-44 (NIV)
37  The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.
38  So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
39  Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
40  You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41  So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”
42  Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
43  He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44  Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”

On verses 37-44:  Joseph goes from a prisoner to being put in charge of the whole land of Egypt.  For the first time since he was a child, Joseph is even given a robe that speaks of his favoured status (v42).  What a promotion.  You could make the argument that God was preparing Joseph for a role like this his whole life, whether Joseph knew it or not.  Before God promotes a person, He prepares them.  

大衛逃避掃羅

2021-07-12 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 19:12    於是米甲將大衛從窗戶裡縋下去，大衛就逃走，躲避了。

閱讀經文: 〈撒母耳記〉上 19:1-24 

掃羅隱藏的殺機終於再也無法隱瞞，他把這個想法公諸於世，向眾臣僕和約拿單說他要殺大衛。但是就像約拿單說的，大衛不但沒有犯錯，反而拚命殺非利士人，他對掃羅是有益、有幫助的，少了一個這樣的英雄，以色列人能打得過非利士人嗎？除了掃羅，大家都能看得清楚，以色列人需要大衛這樣勇敢的戰士。我們有時會不會想，神的同在和不同在，於我們有何關係？為何《聖經》常常強調神的同在，好像那是一件很重要的事？

掃羅和大衛是個很好的例子，讓我們看到一個人有神同在和沒有神同在的光景。掃羅失去了神的同在，雖然位極王尊，卻一點安全感也沒有，整天活在害怕和恐懼之中。他的表面很風光，有很多人侍候左右，有很多人聽從他的調度，他想怎樣就怎樣，甚至想殺人時就去殺人。他有極大的生殺之權，但是他一點平安也沒有。因此惡魔時時來找他，其實更正確的說法是，因為沒有神的同在，他無從求告，被自己的愁煩和嫉恨所纏繞，所以自己一個人時，越想越著急，就有精神錯亂的現象出現，變成一個失去理智的人，忘恩負義的人。

大衛每遇非利士人來爭戰，他就出去努力抗敵，掃羅卻視他為眼中釘。嫉恨使人失去正確的判斷，掃羅不感謝大衛的功勞或苦勞，只是不斷地擔心自己的聲譽下降，大衛的聲譽升隆。有時候我們在服侍神時也會碰到這樣的情況，害怕別人的表現出色，取代了自己的位置，因而對心裡嫉妒的人百般掣肘，甚至不給服侍的機會。掃羅和大衛的事發生在神所揀選的子民國度裡，所以在神的家裡，人若沒有神的同在，就會發生比社會上的人更不公平的現象，使人對神的家灰心失望。

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.