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The Difference One Life Can Make

2021-07-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 36:1-43.  Let’s go!

Genesis 36:1-43 (NIV)
1  This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).
2  Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite–
3  also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4  Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,……

On verses 1-43:  Here we see the evolution of Esau (also known as Edom) from a man (v1) to a husband (v2-3) to a father (v4-5) to a wealthy businessman (v6-7).  Because Jacob and Esau had so much livestock between the two of them, they could not live in the same vicinity in a sustainable way (v7).  So Esau moves to the hill country of Seir (v8).  It is in Seir that Esau goes from being the patriarch of a large family (v9-14) to becoming a man from whom a city ruled by chiefs would originate, to an entire nation with its own kings (v15-43), the nation known as the Edomites (v43).

Here we see that over time, and over many generations, Esau went from one man to a nation.

What can we learn from this?

First, God doesn’t just see who you are today or who you are in this lifetime.  He sees the story He is writing with your life over generations.  When you see how your life is connected to the generations before you and those who will come after you, you start to see your life from a new perspective.

第六封信：给非拉铁非教会

2021-07-02 in , /by

非拉铁非，这名是指兄弟之爱。当初建这座城是为了将希腊文化传到这地，再传往亚洲，人称「通往东方之门」，为宣扬古希腊文化和生活方式。这里的土壤十分肥沃，适合种葡萄树，但永远不知何时会发生地震，居民常必须在地震过后重建，特别重视建筑物的品质，因此信中提到门、钥匙和柱子等有关建筑的物品，都是他们熟知的。

非拉铁非教会很小，他们自卑地努力求生存；充满活力的撒狄教会就在附近，多半的人都想去撒狄。这个忠心但弱小的教会，信徒对所在的城市显然没有太大的影响力，增长的速度也不快。但耶稣却不用严厉的语气向他们说话，也不想挫败他们的信心。耶稣在这封信上的自我介绍最长，因为祂似乎想表明，他们在这七个教会中最但最重要；鼓励他们也许不起眼、没有影响力，但所需要的一切，都在耶稣里面。

耶稣提到自己是圣洁、真实，是那位圣者，这是上帝的称号，在启示录中有用相同的称号，来称呼上帝和耶稣，表明耶稣就是上帝，如阿拉法、俄梅戛；首先的、末后的，启示录一章如此称呼上帝，最后一章也这样称呼耶稣。

〈以赛亚书〉廿二章曾提到掌银库的家宰权力最大，有大卫王宫的钥匙，权力仅次于王。当时家宰舍伯那骄傲，以为自己的地位比王还重要，开始为自己凿皇家规格的墓穴，后来上帝刻意将此人驱逐出境，他在国外某处死了。以利亚敬取代他的地位，这是个谦卑可靠的人、值得信赖，他开的门无人能关，他关的门无人能开。耶稣在这里如此说，为了相较这世上的统治者趾高气扬，为自己盖巨大的坟墓，耶稣是谦卑可靠掌管王宫的那位。〈启示录〉提到旧约圣经约四百多次，若不了解旧约圣经，很难了解〈启示录〉。

约拿单大败非利士人

2021-07-01 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 14:6   我们不如过到未受割礼人的防营那里去，或者耶和华为我们施展能力。因为耶和华使人得胜，不在乎人多人少。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上〉 14:1-23

扫罗登基的第二年，他面临了与非利士人的战争。他领了二千人驻守在密抹和伯特利山，他的儿子约拿单带领一千人驻守基比亚。他的儿子约拿单攻击迦巴非利士人的防营，扫罗也召集人去攻打。 约拿单攻取了迦巴，但扫罗却战败，从伯特利山和密抹退守到吉甲（撒上13:3-4）。此时非利士人又增加兵力到密抹，很多以色列人都逃过约但河，到迦得和基列去躲避，扫罗原有的二千人只余下六百人。扫罗在吉甲等候撒母耳，但是还没等到撒母耳就自行献祭，未遵耶和华的命令（撒上13:5-14）。扫罗从吉甲回到基比亚，又和约拿单一起在迦巴安营。此时，非利士人在密抹安营，又派了三队掠兵出去（撒上13:15-18）。

第14章是这场战争的延续。从约拿单对拿他兵器的少年人说：「我们不如过到未受割礼人的防营那里去，或者耶和华为我们施展能力。因为耶和华使人得胜，不在乎人多人少。」可以知道约拿单是个敬畏神的年轻人。当他想决定要不要去攻击非利士人时，他不随便出击，要得到神的印证才出击；并且他明白“耶和华使人得胜，不在乎人多人少”。人若没有这样的信心，就没有办法得到神的带领和祝福。面对像海沙那样多的非利士步兵，约拿单却明白，得胜在乎耶和华，不在乎人多人少。这个道理好像很容易讲，但是只有在面对挑战时，才能知道自己是否真的有这样的信心。换句话说，有时我们实在知道自己很有限，碰到考试或申请学校、找工作、想买房子，等等；有的人会忧虑得无法睡觉，烦燥得生气。但若真的明白“耶和华使人得胜，不在乎你有多少”时，就会勇于交托，尽力而为。

扫罗回到基比亚的边境，坐在米矶仑(或译: 打谷场)的石榴树下。可能因为他按兵不动，激起约拿单想突击非利士人在密抹的防营之想法。迦巴（Geba)和密抹(Michmash)隔着山谷遥遥相对，密抹在山谷的北边，地势较高，可以监视山谷南边迦巴的动静。所以非利士的防兵对约拿单说：「你们上到这里来，我们有一件事指示你们。」因为从迦巴到密抹，地势是由下而上。

A Child at God’s Right Hand

2021-07-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 35:16-29.  Let’s go!

Genesis 35:16-18 (NIV)
16  Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty.
17  And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.”
18  As she breathed her last–for she was dying–she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

On verses 16-18:  Rachel is giving birth to a second child but there are major complications with the delivery.  Rachel dies in the process but not before giving birth to a son and calling him “Ben-Oni” meaning “son of my trouble”.  Back then it was believed that a child’s name reflected the child’s destiny.  Not wanting his newborn son to be destined for a life of trouble, Jacob steps in and renames him “Benjamin”, meaning “son at my right hand”.  In Jacob’s culture, a father’s right hand symbolized his favour.

Benjamin went from son of my trouble to son of my right hand all because his father spoke a new word into his life that changed his name, changed his identity, changed his destiny.   Similarly, when we were destined for trouble, your Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ to speak a new word into your life that would change your identity and destiny, so that we would go from being children destined for trouble to children destined to live at the right hand of God’s presence, protection and blessing.  The pain and trouble that we were destined for, God placed on His Son Jesus and the status that Jesus deserved – to be a son at the Father’s right hand – was given to us. All because of a Father stepped in.

God of Many Generations

2021-06-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 35:1-15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 35:1 (NIV)
1  Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

On verse 1:  Keep in mind what happened right before this chapter.  To Jacob’s dismay, Jacob’s sons have massacred a city, kidnapped all the women and children in that city, and taken the wealth of the city as their own.  Jacob is now fearing for his life and the lives of his children and grandchildren (Genesis 34:30).  It’s an incredibly stressful and fearful time for Jacob.  It’s in this context that God tells Jacob to go back to Bethel, to the place where Jacob first encountered God (in Genesis 28:19) many years before and build an altar there.  God reminds Jacob of who God is, how God appeared to Jacob the last time Jacob was fleeing for his life when he ran from his brother Esau (v1). 

What can we learn from this?  When you’re stressed and fearing what will happen in the future, go back – at least in your mind – to the times in your past when God delivered you from similarly stressful and fearful times.  Remember that the same God who delivered you then is faithful to deliver you again now. 

扫罗越权献祭

2021-06-30 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上 〉13:14 现在你的王位必不长久。耶和华已经寻着一个合他心意的人，立他做百姓的君，因为你没有遵守耶和华所吩咐你的。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记上 〉13:1-23 

从扫罗作王开始，我们就看到以色列人政教分离了。国王管政治，祭司管宗教。撒母耳从士师的位置上退下来了，扫罗却不知天高地厚地去献祭司的火祭，这就是问题的开始。以后也有君王想去献祭，便受到神的惩罚。好像亚撒利雅王（又叫乌西雅），因为想要去献祭烧香，祭司劝阻不肯听，神便让他长大痲疯，直到死日（王下15）。可见神非常看重祭司的职责，不是每个人都可以做的。直到彼得告诉信徒：“唯有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司”，所以我们可以借着主耶稣的名，直接向神献上生命的祭、感谢的祭，等等。何等的福份！

“扫罗登基年四十岁”，这句话有颇多争议，有的人说原文里没有四十这个记数，是根据后人的臆测加上去的。不过，我们都不是解经家，所以就看人和事吧。有兴趣的人可以自行去研究。在扫罗第二年做王时，以色列人和非利士人又生冲突，这次非利士人来势汹汹，聚集了三万辆车（这个数目有学者认为是误抄，可能是三千，因为比兵马数目超越太多），六千兵马，还有像海边的沙一般多的步兵，仿佛要来生吞活剥以色列人，不把他们灭掉势不甘心。以色列人这下急了，往山洞、丛林、石穴、隐密处和坑中去躲藏起来，有些还跑过约旦河，逃到迦得和基列地。

扫罗作王后已经和亚扪人交战过，神使他大获全胜，现在第二波考验又到了，这次的战势比上次更加紧急。面对非利士人的装备，以色列人就好像非洲人对美国人一样，什么都没有。以色列全地没有一个铁匠，因为非利士人不给以色列人制造刀枪，以色列人要磨锄、犁、斧、铲，就下到非利士人那里去磨，但有锉可以锉铲、犁、三齿叉、斧子并赶牛锥。全以色列的军队中，只有扫罗和他儿子约拿单有刀枪。其他人都只能拿着棍子吧。两边的军备何等悬殊，扫罗的心里怎能不紧张？

撒母耳退休感言

2021-06-29 in , /by

〈撒母耳记上〉 12:23 至于我，断不停止为你们祷告，以致得罪耶和华。我必以善道正路指教你们。

阅读经文:〈撒母耳记上〉 12:1-25 

那天，正是割小麦（wheat）的时候，撒母耳召聚了以色列人来，情况有点感伤。因为第一个以色列王已经上位，撒母耳要从士师的位置上退下来了。在神和人的面前，他都要做一个交代。他要说些什么呢？假如你是撒母耳，你会对以色列人说什么？对了，第一部份是自白。他要百姓在神面前为他作见证，当他在位时，他可曾夺过谁的牛，抢过谁的驴，欺负过谁，虐待过谁，从谁手里受过贿赂；若有，他必偿还。这是撒母耳的心态，非常坦然。

我们每个人也都有从神交给我们的工作上退下来的时候，我们敢不敢像撒母耳那样，在神和人面前，看看自己有没有什么过失，以求弥补，然后荣耀地下台。一个在人前事奉的人，尤其困难，因为要面对很多的人际关系，可能会有一些敌人控告我们。可见撒母耳非常洁身自爱，因此神也一直与他同在，让他所说的话，一句都不落空。“你们在我手里没有找著什么”，在神和人面前没有得罪任何人，占过任何便宜，所有出席者都同意这点。让撒母耳可以安心退休。

第二部份，他讲到耶和华神和以色列人列祖的公义；神的信实，以色列人的悖逆；神总是帮助他们，他们总是忘记神。他们又想学外邦人，拥立人为王，而忘记耶和华神是他们的王。所以神对撒母耳说，“他们不是厌弃你，乃是厌弃我，不要我做他们的王”（撒上8:7）。好啦，现在神满足他们的愿望了，但是有一件事他们必须知道，王和以色列人若不听神的话，神的手必攻击他们。因为不管怎样，他们还是神从万人中拣选出来的子民。因着和亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各立的约，神永远不会放弃他们。

What Rage Can Do and Why We Must Get Rid of It

2021-06-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 34:18-31.  Let’s go! 

Genesis 34:18-19 (NIV)
18  Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
19  The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s household, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

On verses 18-19:  Verse 19 describes Shechem as a young man “who was the most honored of all his father’s household” (v19), which suggests that Shechem was a man of reputable status among his people.  That Shechem would succumb to the temptation to sexually molest Dinah and rape her is a reminder that no matter how high ranking, powerful or well respected a person may be, no one is immune from temptation and anyone can fall into sin if not careful.  But praise God that whenever we are tempted God always provides a way out.  As 1 Corinthians 10:13 says:  “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 

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.