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The God Who Searches for You

2021-06-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:33-44.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:33-34 (NIV)
33  So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent.
34  Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

On verses 33-34:  Laban painstakingly searches in the tents of his daughters and their maidservants for his household gods but is unable to find them.  Little did Laban know that his daughter Rachel, who had stolen the household gods, was hiding them inside her camel’s saddle and sitting on them.

What can we learn from this?  Here we find Laban frantically searching for his household gods and unable to find them.  But earlier the one true God was searching for Laban and found him, speaking to Laban in a dream (see v24).  That’s a major difference between the God of the Bible and the gods of many other faiths.  With many other faiths, philosophies and religions in the world, it’s about human beings searching for God.  But in the Bible, God searching for human beings.

What Passes Down

2021-06-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:17-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:17-18 (NIV)
17  Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,
18  and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

On verses 17-18:  When Jacob first arrived at Paddan Aram, he was single and had nothing to his name except the clothes on his back.  Now he is leaving and going back to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan a married and very wealthy man.

Genesis 31:19-23 (NIV)
19  When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.
20  Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.
21  So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead.
22  On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.
23  Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

送約櫃獻陪罪祭

2021-06-21 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 6:19 a    耶和華因伯示麥人擅觀他的約櫃，就擊殺了他們七十人，那時有五萬人在那裡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 6:1-21

約櫃在非利士地七個月，非利士人受盡了折磨，一點也沒有得勝的歡樂。他們也有祭司和占卜的，來幫他們詢問屬靈的怪事。非利士人的祭司和占卜的能夠明白神的心意，可見靈界之間是相通的。當年主耶穌趕鬼時，鬼也認得主耶穌是誰。神可以控制術士巴蘭，也可以讓非利士人的祭司和占卜者知道祂要的是什麼。因此有時我們會讀到：「你們要稱謝萬神之神，萬主之主（詩136:1,2）」，這並不是說其他的靈也是神，而是說在萬人中所崇拜的眾多之靈（人口中的神）中，只有耶和華神才是萬「神明」中的唯一真神。人雖以為自己拜的是「神」，其實都是一廂情願罷了。它們何嘗自認為神呢？就好像大袞一樣，在約櫃的面前斷頭斷手，它豈能稱得上是「神」？不過是一些叛變的天使出來驚嚇人，欺騙人罷了。

非利士人雖然戰勝，卻哪有戰勝的氣勢，不但自己拜的「神」折頭斷手，現在還要付上賠罪禮，真是賠了夫人又折兵，真希望沒打贏那場仗啊！得罪以色列人的神，真不是好玩的，原想把祂搬來祝福自己，沒想到這下不但要送回去，還要賠禮？正在著磨之間，祭司和占卜的說了：「你們為何硬著心像埃及人和法老一樣呢？」言下之意，不聽這個神的話，就會像埃及人那樣吃大虧的。這個小虧就認了吧，金痔瘡和金老鼠，都是小事情。自家的田地被那些老鼠已經鬧得莊稼不像話了，每個人也都生了痔瘡，難道還要等待更大的災難來臨，像埃及一樣嗎？何苦呢？

這些人的話很有智慧，也很有道理，以歷史為明鑑，不重蹈古人之轍。他們教導非利士人要歸榮耀給以色列的神，這樣祂或許會把手放輕些。因為你看埃及當年的十災，一災重過一災。所以不要覺得打勝仗還要把戰利品送回去，太沒面子；在耶和華神面前沒面子不要緊，重要的是要給神有面子，歸榮耀於祂。因為耶和華神也給他們留下了性命，只是稍微警戒而已！有的人覺得放下自尊去信主很沒面子，好像自己沒本事似的。其實回歸到創造宇宙、賜人生命的神那裡，怎麼會沒面子呢？

約櫃在非利士地

2021-06-20 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 5:9 運到之後，耶和華的手攻擊那城，使那城的人大大驚慌，無論大小都生痔瘡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 5:1-12

非利士人竟然敢搶走耶和華神的寶座，他們瘋了嗎？什麼人的東西不好搶，去搶神的椅子？若有人搶你的掎子，你會不會去搶回來呢？那當然囉！只有偶像才會坐著不動，任人搬來搬去！非利士人不認識耶和華神，他們以為約櫃就是以色列人的神，所以他們也按著他們偶像崇拜的習慣，把約櫃抬到大袞廟裡。大袞是迦南人拜的偶像之一，它的形狀是一個披着魚皮的男人，或說是半人半魚的東西，是非利士人的眾神之首，被古代以色列人視為魔鬼，傳中主管農業。

亞實突人指的是住在非利士地的亞實突城裡的非利士人。讓他們十分驚訝的是，第二天他們一進到廟裡，愕然見到大袞仆倒在耶和華的約櫃前，臉伏於地。這事非同小可，大袞竟然會自己跑下來，並且跪在耶和華的約櫃前；表示非利士人的神跪拜以色列人的神。非利士人看了不明所以，就把大袞放回原處。大袞需要人搬動才能回到原處，那麼，是誰把它搬下來的？

第三天，他們一進廟裡，這次更糟，大袞不僅仆倒在約櫃前面，它的頭和手都丟在別處了，只留在殘體仆在那裡。好像在告訴非利士人，你們拜的究竟是什麼東西？連自己都保護不了！怎能保護你們呢？到這樣的景像，再沒有人要拜大袞了。神特意給他們看這樣的景像，有何用意？豈不是在向非利士人宣告，唯有祂才是真神嗎？

The Father Who Protects You From All Harm

2021-06-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:1-16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:1-5 (NIV)
1  Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”
2  And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
3  Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
4  So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.
5  He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

On verses 1-5:   Jacob hears God’s Word telling him to go back to the land of his fathers and to his relatives.  In response to God’s Word, Jacob speaks to his wives Rachel and Leah about going back. 

As part of his pitch to go back, Jacob tells of how his father-in-law Laban had acted deceitfully toward Jacob.  His attitude toward Jacob changed from one of welcoming and warmth to one of coldness.  But Jacob also had a Heavenly Father who acted faithfully toward him.  As Jacob says in verse 5, “your father’s attitude toward is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.” 

第五封信：撒狄教會(上)

2021-06-18 in , /by

撒狄教會是代表教會第五個時代（主後1517－1750年）。那時的教會情形，起先推雅推喇教會腐敗了，神給他們悔改的機會，在這一千多年的時間，推雅推喇教會始終不悔改。神乃從黑暗敗壞的教會中，興起了馬丁路德起來改革教會，所以撒狄教會，就是代表這時的教會情形。

「撒狄」二字，原文是「恢復」，「復興」之意。這是告訴我們，復興原有的教會，恢復失去的寶貝。如把「因信稱義」恢復過來，將隱藏的《聖經》恢復有機會來讀，原來神在一千五百多年的時候，揀選了馬丁路德有權力呼召神的兒女，告訴他們，人是藉著信可以稱義。那時的人看見羅馬教的工作，不能叫人稱義，因為人在神面前，無論工作多好，多完美，但在神面前如污穢的衣服，惟有披上神所給的義，纔能稱義，纔可靠。至於《聖經》方面，在羅馬教的時候是隱藏的，教王嚴禁信徒讀《聖經》。而且那時只有拉丁文，希臘文《聖經》，普通人不易懂。所以教王、主教、神父隨著自己的意思去教訓人。

神在那時藉著馬丁路德呼召神的兒女們，脫離天主教，且把《聖經》譯成德文，使人可以自由閱讀。《聖經》在這種亮光之下，好像黑暗中得著光明，神的兒女們，用不著跟從羅馬教在黑暗中摸索。所以歷史告訴我們，千千萬萬人在那時加入更正教大運動，這固然是好現象，但可惜更正教工作不完全，不澈底。因為更正教之後，所有見到的，不過為道熱心，與及神奇妙的祝福。後來就漸漸冷淡，那時更正教有很大的勢力，因此許多人是為著利用這大勢力而已，也就失去了屬靈的能力。後來復原教的意思，只不過反對羅馬教而已。總括一句話講，從馬丁路德起來改革的時候，教會似乎很好，但後來漸漸退後，成為有名無實的教會了。

一、主耶穌的自稱─13章一節的上半節「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者說，那有神的七靈和七星的，說。」主的自稱是因著每個教會的情形而定。現在主對撒狄教會說：「那有神的七靈和七星的說。」因撒狄教會與所代表的復原教相同。

Never Forget the Vision

2021-06-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 30:25-43.  Let’s go!

Genesis 30:25-26 (NIV)
25  After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.
26  Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

On verses 25-26:  Jacob has already completed the 14 years he agreed to work for Laban in exchange for his two wives Leah and Rachel.  Throughout these 14 years, Jacob never forgot God’s promise to him in Genesis 28:13-15 as well as his own prayer that God would bring him back safely to his father’s house (Genesis 28:20-22).  He is now taking steps to go back and requests Laban to let him go.  What can we learn from this?  Wherever you are, never forget God’s vision for your life and the dream God has placed in your heart.

約櫃被擄

2021-06-17 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉    4:22   她又說：「榮耀離開以色列，因為神的約櫃被擄去了。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉   4:1-22

這是以利當士師的最後一役，以色列人出去與非利士人打仗。根據以斯拉網的資料：當以色列人離開埃及時，非利士人已經大量定居於埃及與迦薩之間沿岸一帶，因此以色列人被迫繞道內陸，以避開「非利士地的道路」（出13:17）。事實上，與非利士地毗連的地中海被稱為「非利士海」（出23:31）。〈申命記〉2:23所指的迦斐託人也應該是這地區的非利士人。在約書亞的晚年，非利士人已經在迦薩、亞實基倫、亞實突、以革倫及迦特這五個城市建立了穩固的勢力（書13:2-3）。

士師時代，非利士人欺壓以色列人已有40年（士13:1）。士師參孫的一生都與非利士人有關，最終他跟眾多非利士人同歸於盡（士14:19, 15:14-15, 16:4-30）。《聖經》提過三個非利士神名：大袞（撒上5:2）、亞斯他錄（撒上31:10）及巴力西卜，非利士人向這些神明獻祭（士16:23），在戰爭時帶有護身符（撒下5:21）。他們的異教信仰往往成為以色列人的網羅 (士2:3)。從這時候起，神經常以這些人責打以色列人（士3:2-3）。

當以色列人在戰場上失利時，痛中思痛，也想找出失敗的原因。他們也想到神的同在是得勝的關鍵。但是他們心中的神是誰呢？

在你生命中最重要的，不可遺失的東西是什麼？在這章經文裡，有一個很重要的東西不見了，這個東西被提到了九次，你找得出來嗎？可能你已經猜到了，那就是約櫃。從以色列人打仗，敗得不知如何是好時，以色列的長老們想起了約櫃，而不是想起神。這兩者之間有一個很大的差別，這約櫃是神的寶座所在之處，但耶和華神不是偶像，祂是不是坐在那裡，等著人家去抬呢？能夠幫助以色列人得勝的，是神的座位，還是神呢？這件事他們竟然沒想清楚。

The Son Who Takes Away Disgrace

2021-06-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 30:14-24.  Let’s go!

Genesis 30:14-18 (NIV)
14  During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15  But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16  So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
17  God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18  Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

On verses 14-18:  “Mandrakes” were a rare Middle Eastern plant that were traditionally thought to be an aphrodisiac, and were known among Greeks as “love apples” and among Arabs as the “devil’s apples”.  Leah’s son Reuben finds some mandrakes and brings them to his mom.  Rachel wants some of the mandrakes, so Rachel and Leah strike a bargain where Leah gets to sleep with Jacob that night and Rachel gets the mandrakes.  Later Leah gets pregnant and bears a fifth son, whom she calls Issachar, meaning “reward”.  Leah sees her fifth son as a reward from God for her giving her maidservant Zilpah to her husband.

撒母耳得啟示

2021-06-16 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉    3:19  撒母耳長大了，耶和華與他同在，使他所說的話一句都不落空。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉   3:1-21

在撒母耳蒙召時，正值〈士師記〉的末期，也是以色列人信仰極其荒涼的時候。以利當大祭司，又做士師，卻無法盡職，竟讓他的兒子們在會幕裡褻瀆神、渺視神，以致百姓不願意到會幕獻祭，與神隔絕。假如牧者不盡職，講道都隨便講，會友會不會一個個跑掉呢？這是必然的，因為百姓去會幕是想親近神，卻看到祭司有如強盜般的行為，無法親近神，只好就不去了，也免得受氣。牧者若不專心牧養會眾，會眾有如羊群，便會去別的地方找屬靈的「草」吃了。

以利既然不體貼神的心意，神也就不跟他說話了，所以耶和華的言語稀少。不只稀少，而是不跟他講了。神派神人，甚至藉著小小的撒母耳去警告以利，可是以利還是無動於衷。他有權柄可以禁止他們行惡，可是他捨不得管教那兩個逆子。所以神對撒母耳說：「因他知道兒子作孽，自招咒詛，卻不禁止他們。」神為何要派人，甚至藉著小撒母耳傳話呢？假如我們這樣做，會有何用意？豈不是希望他能有所作為，有所悔改，有所行動嗎？可是以利什麼也不做。他已經98歲了，什麼都不想做了。換了是我98歲，還會有所作為嗎？不過，我記得我婆婆去世前是96歲，她頭腦很清楚，還是大是大非的。若頭腦清醒，不管歲數多少，我們都要盡量尊重神，也教導兒女尊重神。希望我們都不要像以利那樣，神已經再三遣人警告他，他依然以兒子們為重，他有權柄，卻不肯禁止兒子們作惡。

以利覺得無能為力，只好憑主旨意。但是在〈以西結書〉卅三章11節，神說：「我指著我的永生起誓，我斷不喜悅惡人死亡，唯喜悅惡人轉離所行的道而活。」神讓以利活到98歲，已經給他比常人更多的機會去悔改，可惜他浪費了神給他的所有年日。但願我們都能像摩西那樣禱告：「求祢指教我們怎樣數算自己的日子，好叫我們得著智慧的心（詩90:12）。」有了從神來的智慧，我們才能好好把握今生的日子，不會虛度一生。不管多大歲數，只要還有一口氣，我們都可以悔改，求神的憐憫。不要輕易放棄自己和兒女們。