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God Hears and God Sees

2021-05-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 16:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
2  so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3  So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
4  He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

On verses 1-4:  Tired of waiting for God to bless her with a child, Sarai proposes that Abram sleep with their Egyptian maidservant Hagar so that Sarai can have children through Hagar.  Perhaps Sarai thought, “Well, did God ever say the offspring had to come from my body?” (Not until the next chapter in Genesis 17:15-16 would God expressly say that Sarai will be the one to bear Abram’s offspring, although one could argue that this idea was already implied in God’s prior promises.)  According to scholars, it was a customary ancient Middle Eastern practice for a slave to bear children for the wife if the wife could not bear children.  So Abram agrees, Hagar conceives, but the relief that Sarai thought she would experience by executing her plan soon turns into regret. 

耶和華沙龍

2021-05-13 in , /by

〈士師記〉6:31 約阿施回答站著攻擊他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力爭論嗎？你們要救他嗎？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死。巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論吧！」  

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉6:19-40

神的使者向基甸顯現，基甸不敢相信他真是從耶和華神來的，因此要他等一等。基甸做了無酵餅，又預備了一隻羊羔和湯。從米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人對以色列人的壓制和搶奪之下，基甸仍然有麥子可打，有羊羔可殺，可算當時挺有本事的。神的使者用杖頭去挨了肉和無酵餅，就有火從下面的磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅，表示神的悅納。基甸此時才醒悟，原來耶和華神的使者真的向他顯現了。覿面就是面對面觀看的意思。以色列人從摩西時代就知道人不能見神的面，見到神的面必然要死。因為摩西求神讓他見到神的面時，神說：「你不能看見我的面，因為人見我的面不能存活。（出33:20）」但是神即刻安慰基甸，他必不致於死。因為神的使者以人的樣式出現，正如神以人的樣式去找亞伯拉罕一樣，是以人的樣式與他們見面，並不是以神原本的面目與他們相見。

基甸因而為耶和華神築了一座壇，起名叫耶和華沙龍Jehovah-Shalom(The-Lord-Is-Peace)，意思是：「神是平安」。因為神成為他的平安，讓他心裡不再掙扎，不再受苦。從不信到懷疑，從懷疑到相信，基甸經歷了他人生一個巨大的轉變。原本躲在酒榨中打麥子，現在神叫他去拆巴力的壇，他就在夜裡去，並且用砍下的偶像為耶和華的壇做柴。他不敢在白天做，試想在白天會引起多大的紛爭啊！在夜裡，他按著神的吩咐做好一切事。隔天一早，就引來城裡人的驚訝，問清楚是基甸做的事，便要治死他。但是基甸心裡有從神來的平安。

The Whole Way

2021-05-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
1  After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

On verse 1:  In the previous chapter, Abram refused to take any material goods from the King of Sodom, even after he had rescued the people of Sodom from Kedorlaomer.  After Abram refused to receive any reward from the King of Sodom, now the Lord comes to Abram in a vision, saying, “I am your very great reward”.  What can we learn from this?  The greatest reward, the greatest treasure we can have is to know God personally and have His presence in our lives.   

God says another thing to Abram here after Abram’s victory over Kedorlaomer in battle.  He says, “I am your shield.”  In other words, the reason why Abram was able to go into battle against a more powerful enemy and come out unscathed is because God was protecting Abram.  Similarly, you and I face Satan, an enemy more powerful than us, but God is our omnipotent shield against the enemy.  Jesus’ blood shed on the cross shields us from all further accusations that Satan would want to hurl at us.  Jesus protects us from God’s wrath against our sin.  The Lord was Abram’s shield.  He is your shield too.

神呼召基甸

2021-05-12 in , /by

〈士師記〉 6:12 耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！」

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 6:1-18

基甸的名字意思是「大能的勇士」，基甸覺得自己甚為渺小，但是神有能力使他人如其名。當神的使者找到這位大能的勇士時，他正躲在酒榨那裡打麥子。有一種考古學家挖出土的酒榨，分為上池和下池。上池約8英尺見方，15英寸深，下方約2英尺處有一個用來承接果汁的較小的池。基甸就是用這種酒榨來打小麥。酒榨是為了要把葡萄榨成汁，所以只需要一個很小的地方。但是打麥子通常在空曠的地方，因為需要利用風將麥糠和麥子分開，才能有最多的收成。在一個不通風地方打麥子，那情形必然很窘迫，連呼吸都不容易，因為飛揚的麥粒會到處飄揚。但是基甸沒有辦法，他不敢去外面空曠的地方打麥子，免得被米甸人或其他外邦人發現，就來搶他的糧食。

這就是以色列人當時的苦境。他們又轉去行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，耶和華神就把他們交在米甸人手中七年。以色列人有家歸不得，得躲到山中挖穴、挖洞，建造營寨。他們一撒種，米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人都上來攻打他們，對著他們安營，毀壞土產。他們不給以色列人留下食物，以色列人的牛、羊、驢也全被搶走了。就好像有一群匪徒跟著你，你一領薪水就被搶走，或是買完菜要回家就被搶走，他們甚至到你家廚房拿走所有可吃的東西，一點都不留給你。因為他們人多，你根本無力反抗。在這種絕境之中，以色列人才想起耶和華神，祈求祂的幫助。

這一次，神差遣先知去罵以色列人，教訓他們。教訓之後，就去找基甸了。神的心是如此不忍，不忍見祂的子民生活得如此悽苦。神原本要他們在迦南美地強盛壯大，沒想到他們卻被逼得像老鼠一樣奔逃四竄，到處挖洞築窩。神呼召我們也是希望我們過得勝的生活，享有祂的榮耀，但是我們是否依然在罪中，因自己的罪過而被魔鬼逼迫無法反擊？

Training for Battle

2021-05-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage  s Genesis 14:13-24. Let’s go! 

Genesis 14:13-14 (NIV)
13  One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.
14  When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

On verses 13-14:  The moment Abram heard about his nephew Lot being taken captive, Abram was able to call out 318 trained men born in his household to go and rescue Lot.  Notice that though Abram did not yet have a son of his own, he had over 300 men born in his household trained for battle.    

It’s a reminder that we want the people born in our home to be trained well for battle.  The Bible teaches that we are in the middle of a war between God and Satan.  If we do not train those in our homes and churches to fight and do battle against our enemy Satan, Satan will inevitably take captive the people and things we hold dear, and we will have no idea how to recover what he has stolen.  That’s why it is so important to grow up spiritually and to arm yourself in the ways Ephesians 6:10-20 describes.  One of those ways is knowing and declaring God’s Word for it is the sword of the Spirit, our weapon in battle.   

底波拉和巴拉之歌

2021-05-11 in , /by

〈士師記〉  5: 4 耶和華啊， 祢從西珥出來，由以東地行走，那時地震天漏，雲也落雨。

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉  5:1-31

在許多爭戰之後，每個民族都有不同的記錄方式。亞述人用浮雕，雕刻戰爭的戰況和得勝；以色列人則多用詩歌記錄當時的情形。這首詩歌是底波波和巴拉一起作的，但有的人把它稱為底波拉之歌。這首詩歌分成六段，每一段都有一個主題。

第一段是讚美耶和華神，因為當神介入這場戰爭時，祂的威嚴無以倫比。那時「地震天漏，雲也落雨」，描寫當時戰爭時的天氣。這天氣和戰事大有關係，因為「地震」，以致基順古河漲溢，把敵軍沖没；因為「天漏」下雨，因此地上泥濘不堪，使敵人的九百輛鐵車在泥中動彈不得，以致夏瑣的大將軍西西拉最後不得不下車奔逃。神怎麼會怕鐵車呢？是以色列人怕，神一點都不怕。再多幾百輛，也讓它變成廢鐵一堆。

有一篇寫關於以色列的文章，說以色列的國土是沙漠，一年只下卅天雨，竟然成了農業大國。在當年被警告大旱將臨時，她毫無反應，反而勸人民不用省水。因為他們有四百座把海水變為能飲用的淡水工廠。他們還能設計人造雪賣給阿爾卑斯山，維持他們的觀光經濟。以色列人的神給他們有智慧把沙漠變成綠野，也可以把別人引以為傲的前進武器鐵車變成一堆廢鐵。1948年以色列立國後，埃及、敘利亞和阿拉伯國家屢次趁其不備進攻，卻都被以色列反擊到領土被佔。以色列的領土雖看起來微不足道，卻有一個很強勢的神眷顧著他們。所以我們即使渺小，也有同一個最強勢的神眷顧著我們。這個最強勢的神卻以最卑微的方式來為我們的罪死，以無可比擬的愛來愛我們，我們怎能不降服？

士師底波拉

2021-05-10 in , /by

〈士師記〉 4:4   有一位女先知名叫底波拉，是拉比多的妻，當時做以色列的士師。

閱讀 經文：〈士師記〉 4:1-23 

有一位牧師說，底波拉的出現，是當時男人的恥辱。我覺得他太言過其實了，那麼柴契爾夫人做英國宰相時，所有的英國男人不都羞愧死了？很多男人沒有辦法接受底波拉是士師的事實，當他們在解釋這段經文時，一定要把巴拉也作為士師加進來。事實上，〈士師記〉的作者寫得很清楚，底波拉是一名女先知，又是當時的士師，而巴拉是一位將軍。所以解釋《聖經》時，若把人的意思放進去，就會變得不必要的複雜。神可以使用「左撇子以笏」，也可以讓珊迦使用趕牛棍打敗非利士人，任何人任何東西，只要神要使用，有什麼不可以呢？女人或男人是否可以服侍神，是在於神的揀選和呼召，而不在於其性別。

底波拉的工作從為以色列人作判斷開始，以色列人有糾紛就去找她，可見她有從神來的智慧，才能為人排解糾紛，並且使人樂意聽從。她也有從神來的呼召，才能當上女先知，因為神的話語臨到她。《聖經》裡有不少女先知，可見神的話語要臨到誰，是出於神的主權。男人若是沒有對神的信心，即使有神的呼召，也無法在他所做的事上得到榮耀。當神呼召一個人時，其實是讓他和神同工，因為神要與他同在，讓他得榮耀。但是巴拉不明白這一點，他看到的是可怕的敵人和九百輛鐵車，他覺得他不行，他沒有把握打這個仗。他只看自己，而沒想到，這是神吩咐他去打的仗，若是出於神的吩咐，神必負責到底。但是巴拉只看到自己的有限和無能，沒有看到神的全能和無限。這就是底波拉和巴拉不同的地方。

底拉波傳達神的話：「我必使耶賓的將軍西西拉率領他的車輛和全軍往基順河，到你那裡去。我必將他交在你手中。」但是巴拉的反應是：「你若同我去，我就去；你若不同我去，我就不去。」他居然相信底波拉勝過相信神的應許！因為他的小信，以致於神把得勝的榮耀交在另一個女人的手中。神沒有要求我們做大事，祂只要求我們相信祂，因為在每一件神要我們做的事情上，神親自要完成奇妙的工作，祂所求於人的，便是要對祂有信心。

Don’t Be Undone By Greed

2021-05-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 14:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 14:1-12 (NIV)
1  At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim
2  went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
3  All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea).
4  For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled…….

On verses 1-12:  These verses describe a war between two alliances of kings.  On one side we have Kedorlaomer king of Elam, the strongest king in the region plus three other kingdoms allied with him (Shinar, Ellasar, and Goyim).  On the other side, we have an alliance of five kingdoms consisting of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebooi, and Bela/Zoar.  At the Valley of Siddim, these two alliances battle, resulting in Kedorlaomer’s alliance defeating Sodom and Gomorrah.  As part of their victory over Sodom and Gomorrah, Kedorlaomer’s alliance kidnaps Abram’s nephew Lot, since Lot was a resident of Sodom (v12).

What can we learn from this?  These verses are setting the stage for Abram to come to Lot’s rescue and defeat Kedorlaomer, which we will read about in the next verses.  For now it is worth noting that if Kedorlaomer had just taken the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah as plunder and had left Lot untouched, Abram would never have gone to fight Kedorlaomer and defeat him.  Apparently Kedorlaomer’s greed may have been his undoing.

以笏和珊迦

2021-05-09 in , /by

〈士師記〉 3:28a    對他們說：「你們隨我來，因為耶和華已經把你們的仇敵摩押人交在你們手中。」

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 3:12-31

摩押人是羅得的大女兒和羅得的後裔，羅得是亞伯拉罕的侄子，以色列人是亞伯拉罕的後裔，所以摩押人和以色列人有親戚關係。他們之間的關係時好時壞，在〈路得記〉裡記載當伯利恒有饑荒時，有的以色列人就跑到摩押地避災；大衛逃難時，也曾把父母放到摩押地去避難。但是在這章裡，摩押人約了亞捫人和亞瑪力人一起去攻打以色列人，占據了棕樹城，也就是耶利哥城。棕樹城是耶利哥城的別名，因為在耶利哥城裡有許多棕樹。

這三族人戰勝以色列人，以色列人就服侍摩押王伊磯倫十八年。以色列人何時離開神，何時就失去力量，被敵人所勝。我們也是一樣，我們何時離開神，就會失足，或失敗。主耶穌說：「因為離了我，你們就不能做什麼。（約15:5c）」〈士師記〉裡的以色列人，正像有些相信主耶穌的人，雖然身在迦南地，卻不一定肯遵行神的話去生活，反而偏行已意，以致常被試探所勝，跌入苦難之中。但是愛我們的神卻從不曾離開我們，總是等著我們回轉，等著向我們伸出援手。

神會使用誰去拯救以色列人呢？在我們的心中，能拯救一個民族的豈不是超人嗎？現在電視電影上不僅有男超人、女超人，還有蜘蛛人、蝙蝠俠，不勝枚舉。在人的心中，能拯救人的必然有超凡的力量，一隻手可以舉起一架坦克，一跑可以快過飛機，但那些都是假的，是人幻想出來的。以色列的「超人」，都是神興起的。

God’s Plan Is Greater Than Our Mistakes

2021-05-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 13:1-18.  Let’s go!

Genesis 13:1-2 (NIV)
1  So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2  Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

Verses 1-2:  Remember who Lot is.  Lot was Abram’s nephew, the son of Abram’s deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:27).  After Haran died, Lot and Abram lived together in one household under care of Abram’s dad Terah (Genesis 11:31).  When Terah died, Abram took Lot under his wing and became a father figure in Lot’s life.  Practically speaking, because they lived so close to each other for much of their lives, Abram saw Lot like a younger brother and cared for him that way (see verse 8).

Genesis 13:3-4 (NIV)
3  From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4  and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.