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安息年和禧年

〈利未记〉25章21-22节    我必在第六年将我所命的福赐给你们,地便生三年的土产。第八年,你们要耕种,也要吃陈粮,等到第九年出产收来的时候,你们还吃陈粮。」

在〈利未记〉24章里记载了一个不幸的例子。有个以色列但支派的妇人嫁给一个埃及人,很有可能是在埃及歌珊地时,埃及人看上以色列女子而娶来为妻。他们跟着以色列人出埃及,有可能因为在十个神蹟里看到耶和华神的大能,因此一起跟着摩西出埃及;也可能在逾越节的神蹟之后,埃及人催赶以色列人离开,众怒难犯,因此那个埃及丈夫不得不跟着出埃及,但是心里并不是真的跟随神。

他们生了一个儿子,有一天这个儿子跟一个以色列人争斗,这以色列妇人的儿子亵渎了圣名,并且咒诅。因此被送到摩西那里。想想看,这个以色列妇人的儿子为何胆敢亵渎神的圣名,并且咒诅?会不会是在家里听到父亲如此说话而学起来呢?父母都是儿女学习的榜样,有好榜样,也有坏榜样。因此在争斗时,他不自觉地就亵渎了圣名,并且咒诅。当然,也有可能是他自己不好,不能都怪父母。

我们看到摩西的谦卑和敬虔,在这样的事上,他先把那人收在监里,再等候神的指示。摩西的谦卑和尊神为大,永远是我们学习的功课。我们都太着急,想要凭著自己的聪明去决定事情,不愿意等候。但我们的神是不着急的神,凡事在祂永不误时。

摩西写下神的判决:1. 把那人带到营外,因为营内是大家生活的地方。2. 叫听见的人都把手放在他头上,把这罪归于他自己;也表示有超过两三位的见证人,见证此事的确发生过。3. 确定了他的罪,全会众一起用石头打死他。这是团体执行死刑,见证他的不是;也让大家明白犯这样的罪之下场,因而得到警戒。亵渎耶和华名的,必被治死。

The God of Second Chances

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 8:1-8.  Let’s go!

Joshua 8:1-8 (NIV) 
1  Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. 
2  You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.” 
3  So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night 
4  with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. ……

On verses 1-8:  Joshua hears God’s command to go attack Ai once again.  Though Ai is a relatively small town, God commands Joshua to take his whole army with him to attack it (v1).  This time they would be allowed to take plunder with them (v2).  God also gives Joshua a new strategy for attacking Ai, which is to set an ambush (v2).  Joshua chooses his 30,000 best fighting men to be part of the ambush (v3).

耶和华的节期

〈利未记〉23章1-3节    耶和华对摩西说:你晓谕以色列人说:耶和华的节期,你们要宣告为圣会的节期。六日要做工,第七日是圣安息日,当有圣会;你们甚么工都不可做。这是在你们一切的住处向耶和华守的安息日。

咚咚咚咚,这星期有个犹太人的大节日,你猜猜看是什么节?耶稣当年也有过此节喔! 给你一个大贴示,它的标志也是一个灯台,但是它比圣殿里的金灯台多了两个灯座。

在〈约翰福音〉第十章22-23节说,在耶路撒冷有修殿节,是冬天的时候。耶稣在殿里所罗门的廊下行走。这修殿节又称为光明节或哈努卡节,在希伯来文是 חנוכה ( Hannukah/ Chanukah )。这是纪念马加比一家人为真理而战,在神的帮助下以寡击众,战胜希腊人,夺回被亵渎的圣殿,赢得将近一百年的独立。今年的光明节从12月10日-18日,也就是这个星期四开始。但这个节期不算是耶和华的节期,它和普珥节一样,都算是犹太人的民间节日。

哪些节日才算是耶和华的节期呢?

你能把它们的秩序按著日期排一下吗?

1.住棚节    2.无酵节    3.初熟节   4. 吹角节     5.五旬节    6.逾越节     7.赎罪日

我们来回忆一下,摩西领以色列人出埃及前要做何事,法老才终于首肯,让以色列人离开埃及呢?神派死亡的天使杀了埃及所有头生的人和牲畜,却没有杀以色列人头生的人和牲畜。因为神叫他们要杀一只羊,把羊血涂在门楣和两边,死亡的天使看到门上有血,就越过去了。所以就订为逾越节,死亡的天使逾越过去,不杀以色列人,保存他们性命的日子。

How to Avoid Coveting What Is Not Yours

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 7:19-26.  Let’s go!

Joshua 7:19 (NIV) 
19  Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

On verse 19:  “Give glory to the Lord” was a Jewish way of saying, “Tell the truth”.  For another example, see John 9:24.   May we give glory to God by living lives of integrity.

Joshua 7:20-23 (NIV) 
20  Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 
21  When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” 
22  So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 
23  They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.

祭司要自洁成圣

〈利未记〉21:22   神的食物,无论是圣的、至圣的,他都可以吃,

在旧约里,祭司是指亚伦没有残疾的男性后裔;在新约里,彼得说:「你们来到主面前,也就像活石,被建造成为灵宫,作圣洁的祭司,借着耶稣基督奉献 神所悦纳的灵祭。(彼前2:5)」句首的「你们」是指当时的受信人,也就是分散在本都、加拉太、加帕多家、亚细亚、庇推尼寄居的信徒(彼前1:1)。当然,现在这个「你们」就变成「我们」了,就是照父 神的先见被拣选,借着圣灵得成圣洁,以致顺服耶稣基督,又蒙祂血所洒的人(彼前1:2)。

那么,以前的祭司该守的圣洁条例,我们是不是也要遵守呢?不要害怕,因为在〈使徒行传〉15章的耶路撒冷会议里,己经决定不把「我们祖宗和我们所不能负的轭」加在外邦使徒身上,所以我们大可不必惊慌。但是从这一章里,我们又可以明白一些旧约的事蹟。

例如在亚伦和四个儿子承接祭司之职的第八天,亚伦的两个儿子拿答和亚比户各拿自己的香炉,盛上火,加上香,在耶和华面前献上凡火,是耶和华没有吩咐他们的。有火从耶和华面前出来,把他们烧灭,他们就死在耶和华面前(利10:1-2)。

事情发生后,摩西对亚伦和他儿子以利亚撒、以他玛说:「不可蓬头散发,也不可撕裂衣裳,免得你们死亡,又免得耶和华向会众发怒;只要你们的弟兄以色列全家为耶和华所发的火哀哭。 你们也不可出会幕的门,恐怕你们死亡,因为耶和华的膏油在你们的身上。」

摩西所说的便是按著神的律法去提醒亚伦,因为「在弟兄中作大祭司、头上倒了膏油、又承接圣职,穿了圣衣的,不可蓬头散发,也不可撕裂衣服。不可挨近死尸,也不可为父母沾染自己。不可出圣所,也不可亵渎神的圣所,因为神膏油的冠冕在他头上。我是耶和华。(利21:10-12)」

You Can’t Hide From God Forever

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 7:10-18.  Let’s go!

Joshua 7:10-18 (NIV) 
10  The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 
11  Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
12  That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. ……

On verses 10-18:  Earlier God had specifically commanded that the Israelites were not to take any loot from the city of Jericho for themselves (Joshua 6:18).  However, God tells Joshua that Israel violated God’s command by taking for themselves some of Jericho’s riches (v11).  Until this sin was confessed and dealt with, the Israelites could not be victorious in battle (v12).  So God tells Joshua to present all of Israel before Him and initiate a process by which Israel’s population would be widdled down tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by family, until eventually they came to the man who was responsible for this sin.  They go through this process and find that Achan is chosen.

找到真正的价值

登山宝训:找到真正的价值(太6:25-32)

从一个社会现象看起__关于行乞

  这段经文很大篇幅地提到我们生活基本的吃喝与穿着。人的吃喝与穿着并不是生命中最重要,而是非常次要的事情。计志文牧师说:「一个人不能供应自己生活需要的人,连蚂蚁都不如,因为连蚂蚁都能供应自己生活的需要。」他把人的价值、责任与需要配合起来,跟蚂蚁做一个重要的对比,他说:「有上帝形象的人有智慧、知识、计画、工作的能力,可以好好解决我们生活的需要,但如果人连这一点都达不到,要怎样好好做人呢?」

  有时候你看人在路边行乞,便伸出手来帮助他们,这些帮助使你感到自己做了善事,觉得自己在社会上有贡献,从另一方面来看,你是帮助人更懒惰、不做工,变成社会的寄生虫,变成拖累别人的人。贫富悬殊是人间最大的困难之一。你到旧金山的市政厅,会发现周围都是无家可归的游民。有一次我经过那边,心想:「连美国路上都有这么多乞丐」。但有些社会现象是我们难以理解的,正像有些旧金山的游民在银行有上万美金的存款,既然他有这么多的存款,为什么需要透过行乞来供应生活的所需?(并不是每个游民都是如此)

不要轻重不分、本末倒置

  耶稣在这段经文提到花、鸟、树木有令人欣赏漂亮的地方,最后不存在了,究竟要讲什么呢?每段《圣经》都有不同的地方,这段经文是很难解释。特别在新冠肺炎蔓延全球的时代,很多人死了、破产了、失业了,不能重操旧业,特别是音乐家的生活变得相当困难,因为多数人认为音乐与果腹没有多大关系,也不认为音乐是生命的必需。耶稣在这里所要说的,是贵贱、本末、轻重的价值排列。

  

Rely on God in the Little Things

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 7:1-9.  Let’s go!

Joshua 7:1-6 (NIV) 
1  But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. 
2  Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 
3  When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the people will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there.” ……

On verses 1-6:  Riding the wave of their great victory at Jericho, Joshua uses the same strategy when attacking the next city, Ai. Joshua first sends spies to spy out Ai.  Based on the spies’ report about Ai’s small population, Joshua decides not to send so many troops to Ai (v3).  However, Joshua’s army is routed by the small town of Ai.  It’s the first defeat Israel has experienced under Joshua’s leadership.  The defeat leads Joshua and Israel’s elders to humble themselves before God.

Make Your Heart Jesus’ Hiding Place

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 6:15-27.  Let’s go!

Joshua 6:15-27 (NIV) 
15  On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 
16  The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! 
17  The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. ……

On verses 15-27:  On the seventh day in accordance with God’s instructions, Joshua commands his army to march around the city of Jericho seven times and then, at the sound of a trumpet blast, to shout.  The army does so, and at their shouts the city walls of Jericho come down and the Israelite army charge in and take the city, sparing only Rahab the prostitute and her family “because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho” (v25).

与万民有别

〈利未记〉20章26节    你们要归我为圣,因为我─耶和华是圣的,并叫你们与万民有分别,使你们作我的民。

在古老的中国有个传说,大约是主前五世纪,有个人名叫西门豹。因为他很有才能,被派往黄河旁的一个地方邺地作县令。当地有个传说,黄河里住着河神,若不给河神娶媳妇,黄河就会发大水。百姓苦不堪言,因为替河神娶媳妇要强征民女,又征收额外的税捐,但是税捐却由官府和巫婆们私分。那年又到了河神娶媳妇的时候了,西门豹带了士兵也去参加。城里有权势的富人、官府里的衙役及被选中的女孩都到了,还有一个七十多岁的老巫婆和她的弟子们。

西门豹说:「把河神的老婆带过来,看看她漂亮不漂亮。」有人把女孩带过来,站在西门豹面前。西门豹看了一眼,就回头对众人说:「这个女孩不漂亮, 够不上做河神的老婆。可是河神今天一定等著迎亲,就请大巫婆走一趟,到河里通知河神,等找到一个漂亮的女子,过一天再来。」说著,还没等众人明白是怎么回事,就命令士兵抬起老巫婆,抛进河里去了。隔了一会儿,西门豹说:「巫婆怎么走了这么长时间还没有回话,叫个徒弟去催催她。」于是又命令士兵把巫婆的一个徒弟扔进河里,这样前前后后,扔了三个徒弟到河里。

河边站着的富人们、官府里的人和围观的人都惊呆了,再看西门豹,却是毕恭毕敬,一幅虔诚的样子,像是专心等待河神的回话。又过了一会儿,西门豹说 :「看来河神太好客了,留住了这些使者不让回来,还是再去一个人去催催吧。」说完,他向那些操办这件事的地方富绅和官吏看去,这些人从惊吓中回神过来 ,全都跪在地上求饶,生怕西门豹把自己也扔下河。西门豹宣告:「河神娶媳妇本是骗人的把戏,以 后如果谁再操办这件事,就把谁扔到河里去见河神。」从此,邺地河神娶媳妇的闹剧就绝迹了。