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The Lamb Who Suffered For Me

2021-05-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 22:13-24.  Let’s go!

Genesis 22:13-14 (NIV)
13  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14  So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

On verses 13-14: Instead of making Abraham sacrifice his only son Isaac, God provides a substitutionary sacrifice for Isaac.  Just as Abraham predicted in verse 8, God Himself provides a lamb for the offering.  It’s a ram caught by its horns in a thicket, which some scholars say was a thornbush.  Now consider this: a ram is a male adult lamb.  “Horns” in the Bible are often seen as a symbol for one’s destiny.  “Thorns” in the Bible often represent suffering.  Just as God provided an adult male lamb who destiny was to suffer  on a mountain in place of Isaac, so Jesus was the male adult lamb whose destiny was to suffer and die in our place on a hill called Calvary.  On the day Jesus was sacrificed, they even placed a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head so that, like the ram, Jesus’ head is caught in thorns.  I love how the Old Testament points us to Jesus.  Truly the Lord is our provider, as verse 14 says, for on the mountain God provided us with His sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins.

隱哈歌利

2021-05-27 in , /by

〈士師記〉 15:19 神就使利希的窪處裂開，有水從其中湧出來，參孫喝了精神復原。因此那泉名叫隱哈歌利，那泉直到今日還在利希。

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉15:1-20

從參孫處理事情的方法，你會發現他和其他的士師不一樣。其他的士師在神呼召他們之後，就登高一呼，大家就來跟隨他，一起打戰。但是參孫不同，參孫好像都是為了自己的事情在忙，為了自己的事復仇。神就是這樣使用他，讓他一人去打擊非利士人。使非利士人不敢侵犯以色列人，因為參孫會報仇，而且殺戳絕不留情。神給參孫有超人的神力，他就像是現代美國電影中的超人，凡事一腳踢，都不需要別人幫忙。

當參孫發現他的岳父竟把他的妻子給了他的陪伴（或說：他的伴郎），他生氣極了。他覺得自己有足夠的理由去殺害非利士人。他活捉了三百隻狐狸。狐狸有很靈敏的聽覺和嗅覺，牠有修長的腿，最快可以一小時跑五十公里。所以要捉到三百隻狐狸，又不讓牠們逃走，不是很容易的事。除了力氣之外，還要有十分敏捷的身手和智慧才行。參孫將狐狸尾巴一對一對地捆上，將火把捆在兩條尾巴中間， 點著火把，就放狐狸進入非利士人己收割好站著的禾稼，將堆集的禾捆和未割的禾稼，並橄欖園盡都燒了。

非利士人問清楚原委後，也用火燒死參孫的妻和她的父親。參孫知道之後，就再去殺非利士人。從非利士人和以色列人的對話裡，我們可以稍微明白，為何在此時，神只用參孫一人去救以色列人脫離非利士人的手。因為非利士人認為那些事都是參孫做的，所以他們不會對以色列人進行報復，以色列人的生活就不致受到影響。

不按規矩出牌的參孫

2021-05-26 in , /by

〈士師記 〉14:6 a耶和華的靈大大感動參孫，他雖然手無器械，卻將獅子撕裂，如同撕裂山羊羔一樣。

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉  14:1-20 

以色列人的新士師誕生了，可能沒有太多人知道，他就是神所指定，要為以色列人制服非利士人的領袖。神祝福參孫，讓他成長順利。但是直到瑪哈尼坦，神的靈才感動他。這是參孫人生的一個轉折點。在這之前，他和其他小孩一樣，無憂無慮地成長，看到非利士人來，可能就躲得遠遠地。對於非利士人擁有的東西，可能也有點羨慕。就像二戰時期，華人的小孩看到洋人的一切都感到十分好奇。那時但的支派尚未找到他們要定居的地方，他們渴望像其他支派一樣也能安定下來。

瑪哈尼坦的意思就是「但的軍營」或是「但部族的營」。在他成長時期的某一天，他去瑪哈尼坦參觀，當他在但的營中走動時，神的靈感動他。我們不知道他是否看到營裡的殘敗不堪，或是軍人的士氣不高昂，或是眾人在非利士人的高姿態之下，覺得很沒有希望。但是在這裡，神的靈感動他要為以色列人做些事情。神的靈開始準備他將來要做以色列人的士師和領導者的心思意念。瑪哈尼坦在瑣拉和以實陶中間，這兩城相距才三公里。神曾經在什麼地方感動你，讓你看到事奉的方向嗎？

但是出人意外的，被神感動之後的參孫，竟愛上了一個非利士人的女子。他的父母感到很妻慘，作為以色列人是不可以和異族通婚的，更何況是拿細耳人。一個已經屬神的人，怎麼可以做出神所不允許的事呢？他的父母一定覺得自己的教育太失敗了。多少時候，當兒女的決定和父母的想法相悖時，父母的心真是很難接受這樣的狀況。有的兒女在成長後決定離開教會，更使父母覺得自己徹底失敗。但是接下來的這句話「這事是出於耶和華」，使我們明白掌管兒女的是耶和華神，只要我們盡力教導他們，他們的決定就不在我們能管的範圍之內了。有的人需要繞一圈才能明白神的愛，像林語堂一樣年輕時還會講道，卻直到晚年才悔改信主，有什麼辦法？

When God Puts You to the Test

2021-05-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 22:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 22:1-12 (NIV)
1  Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
2  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3  Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about…….

On verses 1-12:  In one of the most shocking and powerful scenes in the Bible, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar.  This does not appear to be a spur of the moment, spontaneous event.  It would take Abraham, Isaac and their servant more than a day to travel to the place where God would tell Abraham to conduct the sacrifice (v4).

Why would God tell Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac after promising that Abraham’s line of descendants would be born through Isaac (see Genesis 21:12)?  How could God tell Abraham to sacrifice his only son whom he loves?  

參孫的出生

2021-05-25 in , /by

〈士師記〉 13:12 瑪挪亞說：「願你的話應驗！我們當怎樣待這孩子，他後來當怎樣呢？」

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 13:1-25

在士師押頓死後，以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，那是指什麼事情呢？為何神會看它為惡，並且興起非利士人來打擊以色列人呢？關於非利士人的來源有不少傳說，但是一般認為他們原先生活在克里特島和愛琴海的島嶼。曾經在埃及第十九王朝時一再攻擊埃及，被埃及法老打敗，把他們重新安置在迦南地的沿海城鎮，也就是目前的加沙走廊及以北一帶。因此這部份地帶被稱為非利士地，「巴勒斯坦」一詞起源於非利士人的希臘語和拉丁語形式。

在〈撒母耳記上〉形容：「那時，以色列全地沒有一個鐵匠；因為非利士人說，恐怕希伯來人制造刀槍。以色列人要磨、犁、斧、鏟，就下到非利士人那裡去磨。（撒上13:19-20）」 根據當時的情況，非利士人已經有相當的文明，他們已精通冶鐵的技術，而以色列人什麼都沒有。非利士人不准以色列人擁有鐵器，以色列人若想磨利農耕的用具，都得上非利士地不可。所以凡事都要看非利士人的臉色，被非利士人壓制得很辛苦。

這次我們沒有看到以色列人呼求神的拯救，神卻已經在準備拯救他們了。好像一個孩子剛生下來，父母就已經在幫他準備上大學的費用了。正好像神在以賽亞書說的：「他們尚未求告，我就應允；正說話的時候，我就垂聽。（賽65:24）」你有沒有這樣奇妙的經歷呢？有的弟兄姐妹曾經與我分享，他們只是在心裡想，都還沒有放在禱告裡，神就成全了他們心裡所想的。何等奇妙，何等愛我們的神。在我們還不知道有需要時，祂已經為我們預備了。

Take Him By the Hand

2021-05-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 21:17-34.  Let’s go!

Genesis 21:17 (NIV)
17  God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

On verse 17:  Ishmael’s name means “God hears”.  Just as God heard the cries of Hagar when she was first pregnant with Ishmael, so God was now hearing Ishmael’s cry.  God is a God who hears the cries of His people.

Genesis 21:18 (NIV)
18  Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

On verse 18:  This verse shows me that every child needs two things: support (“lift the boy up”) and leadership (“take him by the hand”).  As a parent, teacher or leader, if all you give to your child is gentle support but no pressure to improve, the child may never grow.  And if all you do is give your child is pressure to improve but no support, the child may crack under the pressure.  What a child needs is both forward-moving pressure and gentle support.

Turning Weakness into Strength + God is Forever Faithful

2021-05-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 21:1-16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 21:1-2 (NIV)
1  Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.
2  Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

On verses 1-2:  Just as God promised, Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son at the very time God promised.  God is faithful to His Word. He does what He says when He says He will do it.  You can trust God and His timing completely.

Genesis 21:3-7 (NIV)
3  Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.
4  When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.
5  Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6  Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
7  And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

示播列和西播列

2021-05-24 in , /by

〈士師記〉 12:3 我見你們不來救我，我就拼命前去攻擊亞捫人，耶和華將他們交在我手中。你們今日為什麼上我這裡來攻打我呢？」

閱讀經文：〈士師記〉 12:1-15 

我們每個人在生活上難免有與人不和的時候，有時也會碰到極為無理也無禮之人，在這種情況之下，你會怎麼辦？

以法蓮人因為被神立在雙生兄弟瑪拿西之上，在神的祝福下成了大族，儼然是帶領以色列人的支派，因此氣勢上十分地覇氣。在基甸攻打亞捫人時，他們和基甸大大爭吵：「你去與米甸人爭戰，沒有招我們同去，為什麼這樣待我們呢？」基甸讚美他們抓住米甸的兩個首領，功榮最大，他們才肯罷休。現在他們又來找耶弗他爭吵，並且出語恐嚇：「我們必用火燒你和你的房屋。」

耶弗他回答：「我和我的民與亞捫人大大爭戰，我招你們來，你們竟沒有來救我脫離他們的手。我見你們不來救我，我就拼命前去攻擊亞捫人，耶和華將他們交在我手中。你們今日為什麼上我這裡來攻打我呢？」誰有理，誰無理呢？他們控訴耶弗他沒有招他們一起去打仗，是真實的控告嗎？當我們碰到這種只要搶功勞不要做事，還要出言不遜的人，真是讓人忍無可忍。但是讓基列人不肯罷休的，是以法蓮人還譏笑基列人是以法蓮逃亡的人，暗指約但河東的基列人是從河西的以法蓮和瑪拿西分地逃亡出來的。迦得支派的分地中有逃城設在基列的拉末，可能有以法蓮人逃往基列的拉末，基列人因而被奚落是逃亡的以法蓮人。若是的話，那就是挖人瘡疤了。

以法蓮如此驕傲猖狂，講話如此狂妄，不僅耶弗他生氣，連基列人都憤怒了。這不是一場有計劃的戰爭，而是因挑釁而起的內戰。自己人打仗，彼此的強弱都很清楚。基列人深深知道以法蓮人講話的口音，因此當過河來挑釁的以法蓮人想逃回河西的老家時，基列人就叫他們說：「示播列」。但是以法蓮人總會講成「西播列」，一旦確定是以法蓮人，基列人就把他們殺了。