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The Walk of Faith

2020-11-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 3:9-17.  Let’s go!

Joshua 3:9-14 (NIV) 
9  Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 
10  This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 
11  See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 
12  Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 
13  And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD–the Lord of all the earth–set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” 
14  So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

On verses 9-14:  The priests carrying the ark of the covenant go ahead of the people to lead the way through the Jordan River.  What can we learn from this?  A good leader will not tell his or her people to do what he himself is unwilling to do.  The best leaders lead not just with their words but also with their example.  

患漏症的处理

2020-11-26 in /by

利未记15章11节   患漏症的人没有用水涮手，无论摸了谁，谁必不洁净到晚上，并要洗衣服，用水洗澡。

可能有的人看到这章经文的主题会觉得很不自在，怎么在这样神圣的一本书里，会出现这样的主题呢？这种事情不是都隐秘不宣的吗？但是当我们再读下去时，就会发现原来只有造人的神才知道人的每一层需要；也相对地发现，耶稣所讲的：「从人里面出来的，那才能污秽人。」这句话何等真实。原来人的里面是那样地藏污纳垢，从亚伦的两个儿子取凡火献祭，到人长大痲疯，以及屋子长大痲疯如何洁净，让我们充份体会到人的本质是何等地肮脏悖逆。也让我们明白，原来罪的本质，非用血不能得以洁净。

英文比较能表达这一章所要说的，有关人身体产生的分泌物discharge，一旦到了体外便是不洁，需要注意如何去洁净，以免细菌到处感染，使人生病。因为分泌物包括的不只是男女性器官流出的东西，分泌物也包括口里吐出的痰。只要我们思想一下，便会承认凡是从肉体里出来的东西，都是不洁的。以前有些老祖母把食物在嘴里嚼烂了，再放到婴儿或小孩嘴里，虽是一番好意，但是给现代母亲看到，一定会大叫，「不要这样，太脏了。」为什么口水在自己嘴里不觉得脏，一旦到了嘴巴外面就变脏了？以前的华人比较没有卫生的概念，上至君王，下至贩夫走卒，走到哪儿就吐痰吐到哪儿。有的人还洋洋得意，练得一口吐痰的痰功，一口飞痰可以把人打晕。但我想，也有可能是被吓晕的，想到一口脏兮兮的痰向你飞来，能不先吓晕吗？

When You’re Not Sure Which Way to Go

2020-11-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 3:1-8.  Let’s go!

Joshua 3:1-4a (NIV) 
1  Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 
2  After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 
3  giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 
4  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.

On verses 1-4a:  Here Joshua and the Israelites are preparing to cross the Jordan River on their way to Canaan, also known as the promised land.  Joshua orders his officers, who in turn order the people to move out and follow two things: (1) the ark of the covenant, which was an ornate, gold-plated box that symbolized the presence of God; and (2) and the priests carrying that ark.  That way they knew which way to go (v4).

染疾之宅洁净之例

2020-11-25 in /by

利未记 14: 34 -36    你们到了我赐给你们为业的迦南地，我若使你们所得为业之地的房屋中有大痲疯的灾病，房主就要去告诉祭司说：『据我看，房屋中似乎有灾病。』祭司还没有进去察看灾病以前，就要吩咐人把房子腾空，免得房子里所有的都成了不洁净；然后祭司要进去察看房子。

这一段经文是神给以色列人的预备，让他们知道进了迦南地之后，若是碰到屋子有问题时，应该如何处理。因为以色列人在旷野住帐蓬，到迦南地居住的情况就会不一样。因为在旷野里经常有太阳在晒，帐蓬里十分干燥，而且经常移动，比较不会有发霉的问题；但是屋子不一样，屋子住久了就会有问题，因为屋子是不移动的，例如浴室或卫生间若是一直很潮湿，墙壁和天花板缝隙便会逐渐产生霉菌，影响到居住者的健康。有人说，霉菌和潮湿的墙壁是孪生兄弟，因此神把处理房子的一些问题事先教导他们，免得他们的健康受影响。

但是神既然带领以色列人进迦南，又应允他们所得为业之地房屋，为何会领他们到发霉的屋子里去住呢？在〈申命记〉六章10-11节，摩西说：「耶和华你的神领你进祂向你列祖亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓应许给你的地，那里有城邑，又大又美，非你所建造的；有房屋，装满各样美物，非你所装满的；有凿成的水井，非你所凿成的；还有葡萄园、橄榄园，非你所栽种的，你吃了，而且饱足。」就像以色列人出埃及时，神让埃及人因为惧怕，而把所有的美物都给了以色列人；神也应许，不仅把迦南地赐给以色列人，就连迦南人的房屋和美物也都要赐给以色列人。

因此当以色列人战胜赶走一些迦南人之后，便顺理成章住进迦南人的房屋里，但是神知道那些房屋有的有问题 ，可能连迦南人住了生病，自己都不知道是怎么一回事。有许多洁净的概念和作法都是从《圣经》最先开始的，例如洗手再吃东西的概念。

Your Scarlet Cord + When Making Big Decisions

2020-11-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 2:14-24.  Let’s go!

Joshua 2:14-21 (NIV) 
14  “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.” 
15  So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 
16  Now she had said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” ……

On verses 14-21:  So that the Israelite army would know which house to spare, the Israelite spies tell Rahab to tie a scarlet cord to her window.  That way when the Israelites were attacking the city of Jericho, they would see the scarlet cord in Rahab’s window and know to leave that house alone.

This reminds me of an earlier incident in Exodus 12, where Moses instructs each Israelite family to take the blood of a lamb and put the blood on the doorframe of their house.  That way, when God was going through the land, He would see the blood of the lamb, pass over that house and spare the family inside.

Is it Okay to Lie?

2020-11-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

Joshua 2:1a (NIV) 
1  Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.”…

On verse 1: Before commanding his troops to enter the land they are planning to conquer, Joshua first sends two spies to look over the land. 

What can we learn from this?  Before making a big decision, do your due diligence first.  Whether it’s a relationship, a financial decision, a job opportunity, or something else that will involve a major investment of your time, heart, energy and resources, look before you leap.  Know what you’re getting into before getting into it.

Joshua 2:1b-7 (NIV)
1…So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 
2  The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 
3  So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 

长大痲疯得洁净的日子

2020-11-24 in /by

利未记14章8-9节     求洁净的人当洗衣服，剃去毛发，用水洗澡，就洁净了；然后可以进营，只是要在自己的帐棚外居住七天。第七天，再把头上所有的头发与胡须、眉毛，并全身的毛，都剃了；又要洗衣服，用水洗身，就洁净了。

《圣经》里的大痲疯包括了不同种类的皮肤病，因此当我们读到「长大痲疯得洁净的日子」时，就明白有的皮肤病会因为自身抵抗力或免疫力的增强而痊愈；但是真正的大痲疯（韩森氏病Hansen’s Disease）因为是由麻风杆菌引起，则必须接受治疗才会痊愈。根据维基百科，目前确诊痳疯病在吃药的一周内就有99%的病菌能被消除，并切断传染性，持续吃药两年，病情能基本治愈。那么在没有药物治疗，又没有神蹟的情况下，患者怎么能够得到洁净呢？

一般的疾病得到医治后，我们称之为痊愈。但是长大痲疯的人被称为不洁，若有人不小心与之接触到，那人也会变为不洁，需要隔离观察一段时间，确定没有被感染。因此若有长大痲疯（会传染的皮肤病）的人痊愈，《圣经》称之为洁净了，就需要让祭司检查，才能回到社区生活。

在检查痲疯病时有一种现象，「全身的肉若长满了大痲疯，就要定那患灾病的为洁净，全身都变为白，他乃洁净了。但红肉几时显在他的身上，就几时不洁净。」以前希腊的医学家把这种现象称为痲疯的鳞状皮肤疾病（lepra for the scaly skin disease），现代人称之为银屑病（psoriasis），华人称为干癣。

银屑病（干癣）是一种自体免疫系统失调，并不是传染病，是一种常见的慢性皮肤病。临床表现为边界清楚的隆起红色斑块，表面有层状银白色鳞屑。皮损好发于头皮和四肢伸侧，尤其在肘和膝关节附近。局部盖有多层银白色鳞屑的丘疹或斑片，刮去鳞屑及下面发亮薄膜后有点状出血，感觉痒，夏季常减轻或自愈，冬季又恶化复发（节录自维基百科）。

不洁净了！不洁净了！

2020-11-24 in /by

利未记 13:9人有了大痲疯的灾病，就要将他带到祭司面前。

当祭司很不容易，除了要学习怎样维持圣所的供奉，献祭时宰牛宰羊，还要学习诊断大痲疯，真是十八般武艺样样都要会。但是真正的大痲疯和《圣经》里讲的大痲疯不大一样，真正的大痲疯是「韩生氏病Hansen’s Disease」，由癞杆菌（又称痲疯杆菌）所引起，主要侵犯人体的皮肤、粘膜以及周围末梢神经，有时也侵犯人体器官，若不治疗会造成知觉麻木，最后 丧失肌肉控制力和手脚残障。但是癞杆菌一遇到空气极易死亡，到目前尚无法在实验室培养，且95%的人都有自然的免疫力，因此并不像人们传言的那么恐怖。

《圣经》里所讲的大痲疯，包括了许多种皮肤病，例如癣、疖和白斑；就如中国的传统医书也把疠、癞、大风、痲疯、天刑等，都称为癞病（即痲疯病）。真正的大痲疯虽不易传染，但有很多种皮肤病都会传染。古代没有什么公共卫生的知识，若不把会传染的皮肤病加以隔离，那必然很难控制疾病的蔓延。因此皮肤若有异样，隔离一段时间，加以观察，再确定是否留在社群中或予以隔离，不但可以保护健康的百姓，也可以保护有病的患者，让他们有足够的时间和空间去疗养和康复。神定的「七天」，正是大部份病毒或病菌发展的时间，也是看看患者是否能自己产生抵抗力而自行痊愈的一段时间。

一旦人被祭司诊断身上有长大痲疯灾病，他要撕裂衣服，也要蓬头散发，蒙着上唇，喊叫说：「不洁净了！不洁净了！」然后要独居营外。这是患者最可怜之处，想想看一个人要高声大叫自己不洁净，免得被别人不小心碰到，那种羞耻感会何等地深；而独居营外不仅是肉体的孤独，更是灵魂上的孤单，仿佛被这个世界遗弃了。家人不能再跟你拥抱，朋友不能再找你一起做事，没有人要你靠近，你变成这世界上没有人要的「孤魂野鬼」。