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To Follow the Lord Wholeheartedly, You Need to Do These 2 Things

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 14:10-15.  Let’s go!

Joshua 14:10-15 (ESV) 
10  And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 
11  I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 
12  So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORDwill be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.” 
13  Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 
14  Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. 
15  Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

可拉黨之亂

〈民數記〉16:30 倘若耶和華創作一件新事,使地開口,把他們和一切屬他們的都吞下去,叫他們活活地墜落陰間,你們就明白這些人是藐視耶和華了。

在新聞上,我們有時候會看到某些國家的政變,有的國家可以和平轉移政權,有的國家卻不然。至於革命,我們也明白是怎麼一回事,當權的太腐敗,民不聊生,就會有強人興起,推翻政府;至於逼宮,我們也宮庭電視電影上也見得多了。只是沒有想到,會發生在一個這麼年輕的「國家」裡,其實,他們甚至還不能稱為一個「國家」。

以色列人剛領受了神極重的刑罰,38年在曠野生活,那一代的男人,除了約書亞和迦勒,直到死都不能進迦南地。因為他們試探神,不信神。但是他們把怒氣全算在摩西頭上。

這是利未支派的爭鬥。

利未有三個兒子:革順、哥轄、米拉利。哥轄的兒子是暗蘭、以斯哈、希伯倫、烏薛。暗蘭的兒女是米利暗,亞倫和摩西。以斯哈的兒子是可拉。

神把祭司的職份賜給亞倫和其後裔。聖所內的事奉工作,以及在祭壇主持獻祭,都只限祭司才能做。因 祭司身上有膏油和壇上的血,使他們能成聖 (利8:30),所以可以進入聖所工作,並可主持獻祭,以及包裝與拆解聖物(民 4:5-6)。

利未人是祭司的助手,作協助祭司的工作。

How to Be Uncommonly Blessed

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 14:1-9.  Let’s go!

Joshua 14:1-9 (NIV) 
1  Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. 
2  Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine-and-a-half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. 
3  Moses had granted the two-and-a-half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, ……

On verses 1-9:  The previous chapter (Joshua 13) described the lands east of the Jordan River that would belong to two and a half tribes of Israel (Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh).  Now here in Joshua 14, attention turns to the lands west of the Jordan River that would belong to the remaining nine and a half tribes of Israel.  Before describing in detail how the lands west of the Jordan would be divided among the nine and a half tribes, Joshua 14 first notes three important facts that would affect how the land west of the Jordan would be divided:

安息日撿柴的人

〈民數記〉15:40 使你們記念遵行我一切的命令,成為聖潔,歸於你們的神。

假如你昨天(主日)在家裡敬拜後就去超巿買菜,回家後就被抓去關,兩天後執行死刑。你的家人和朋友們會有怎樣的反應呢?

〈民數記〉15章記載了一件事:以色列人在曠野的時候,遇見一個人在安息日撿柴。遇見他撿柴的人,就把他帶到摩西、亞倫並全會眾那裡,將他收在監內;因為當怎樣辦他,還沒有指明。耶和華吩咐摩西說:「總要把那人治死;全會眾要在營外用石頭把他打死。」於是全會眾將他帶到營外,用石頭打死他,是照耶和華所吩咐摩西的。

神告誡百姓,人若誤犯了罪,贖罪後必得赦免;但那擅敢行事的,無論是本地人是寄居的,他褻瀆了耶和華,必從民中剪除。因他藐視耶和華的言語,違背耶和華的命令,他的罪孽要歸到他身上。

安息日撿柴,是為了燒火,可能是為了煮東西。守安息日是十誡中的第四誡,摩西己經告誡以色列人多次,不可干犯安息日。所以這個人在安息日去撿柴,是屬於「擅敢行事的」,也就是「藐視耶和華的言語」,「違背耶和華的命令」,所以必須接受用石頭打死的死刑。

這也是為何在耶路撒冷會議上,彼得說:「現在為什麼試探神,要把我們祖宗和我們所不能負的軛放在門徒的頸項上呢?」所以使徒們沒有要求外邦信徒按著律法行事,保羅也強調因信稱義。所以今天我們做完禮拜就去飲茶,買菜,和親友出遊,都不妨事,因為我們是外邦信徒,不在律法之下。我們只要守三件事就行了,就是:「禁戒偶像的污穢和姦淫,並勒死的牲畜和血。」(徒15章)

Your Forever Inheritance

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 13:24-33.  Let’s go!

Joshua 13:24-33 (NIV) 
24  This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, clan by clan:
25  The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;
26  and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir;
27  and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth)…….

On verses 24-33:  Verses 24 to 28 describe the lands that Moses had allotted to the tribe of Gad, and then verses 29 to 32 describe the lands that Moses had allotted to half of the tribe of Manasseh.  But then verse 33 makes a contrast between what Gad and Manasseh got and what the tribe of Levi got.  Just as verse 14 did earlier, here verse 33 tells of how the tribe of Levi did not receive any land from Moses.  Instead the inheritance given to the tribe of Levi was that they got to be priests who enjoyed a special relationship and closeness to God.  As verse 33 says, “to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.”

耶穌為什麼到世上來?

〈約翰福音〉10章10節   耶穌說:「盜賊來,無非要偷竊,殺害,毀壞;我來了,是要叫羊(或作:人)得生命,並且得的更豐盛。」

耶穌為什麼到世上來?這是耶穌到世上六次宣言之一。耶穌說祂來,1.為要尋找拯救失喪的人,2.為要呼召罪人而非尋找義人,3.要捨命做多人的贖價,4.並要給人生命且得的更豐盛,這四大宣布就是基督道成肉身最大的目的。除此之外,還有〈詩篇〉與〈希伯來書〉提到耶穌來了為要遵行天父的旨意。這些都是耶穌從天降到地上道成肉身所成就的大事。

耶穌把自己在世上與強盜做一個完全不同的對比,「盜賊來,無非要偷竊,殺害,毀壞;我來了,是要叫羊(或作:人)得生命,並且得的更豐盛」,這個宣布是所有宗教家沒有人說過的。耶穌說「我來」,而不是「我生出」,表示祂是從另一個地方特地來到世界。耶穌從哪裡來?怎麼說到這個世界來?「我從父出來,到了世界;我又離開世界,往父那裡去。」(約16:28)祂來是從父那裏出來,祂去世回到父那裡去,父把偉大的使命交給祂,把偉大的差遣賜給祂,耶穌到世上來是要遵行天父的旨意,成全天父的計畫,祂是帶著使命到世界上,為了遵行上帝的計畫來到世上,祂成全了這個計劃之後回到天父那裡去。

這世界太多盜賊了,盜賊來是來偷東西、毀壞世界、殺害人的生命,耶穌說祂不是,祂乃是要叫人得生命。生命是上帝永遠的旨意,永生是上帝對人所定的最大計畫,所以〈約翰一書〉第二章告訴我們:「主所應許我們的就是永生」(約一2:25),這才是從神而來的生命。你說:「我會吸呼、會聽、會行動,難道沒有生命嗎?」我們每個人都有生命,我們的生命是被造的生命,我們的生命是會死、是暫時的、靠著肉體存活的生命,這不是〈約翰一書〉所說的生命。

The Treasure In Your Hands

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 13:8-23.  Let’s go!

Joshua 13:8-23 (NIV) 
8  The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the LORD, had assigned it to them. 
9  It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, 
10  and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites. 
11  It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah– ……

On verses 8-23:  These verses as well as verses 24-33 describe the land east of the Jordan River that was given to 2.5 Israelite tribes, namely, Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Moses had led the Israelites in conquering these lands, taking them from kings like Og king of Bashan (v12) and Sihon king of the Amorites (v10).  Verses 15 to 23 describe the lands allotted specifically to the tribe of Reuben.

摩西遣探子窺迦南地

〈民數記〉13:30  迦勒在摩西面前安撫百姓,說:「我們立刻上去得那地吧,我們足能得勝!」

離開西乃山之後,沒有用很多時間,以色列就到達迦南地的邊境巴蘭的曠野,加低斯。這是西乃半島中最肥沃的一塊綠洲。雖然神曾經再三跟摩西介紹迦南地,但是為了讓以色列人更放心,神叫摩西派人去窺探迦南地。每個支派要派出一個首領,要窺探三件事:一,要看那地所住的民是強或弱;二,所住之地如何,是營盤是堅城(camps or strongholds帳棚或堡壘);三,看那地土是肥美是瘠薄,有沒有樹木,有的話就帶些果子回來。

在迦南地,葡萄初熟時是大約陽曆七月,以色列人從西乃山走到此地,大約是兩個月的時間。所以他們真正走曠野的時間不是很長。到目前為止,最長的時間就是在西乃山下的裝備,神不僅頒佈律法,並且讓以色列人造了會幕,設立了軍隊。神讓以色列人從埃及的奴隸,變成一個獨立自主的民族,不僅有了法律,還有自己完整的軍隊體系。即使在現今,要成立一個國家,也沒有這樣的速度吧!現在我們回頭看,會覺得當時以色列人只要再多忍耐一下,那麼就不必再多走曠野38年。但是設身處地的想,若換成我們天天在乾燥無比的曠野行走,前不見村,後不見店,日復一日是荒涼的沙漠和曠野,我們是否也會失去盼望?我們有沒有可能相信,迦南就快到了?我們有時形容自己在困境時,好像在曠野行走,那麼就要相信,神必然領我們到迦南地,只要再忍耐一下就好了,迦南就快到了。

「他們上去窺探那地,從尋的曠野到利合,直到哈馬口。」尋的曠野是位於死海南端與地中海之間直線以南,又稱為南地,是迦南地的南界;利合經常被認為是地中海和夏瑣中間的巴拉特伯利合遺址;哈馬口在迦南的北界。當時探子們探查了約但河和地中海之間,整個南北全長三百五十哩的地區,幾乎概括了以色列全地。共花了四十天的時間。

The Story Will Continue

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 13:1-7.  Let’s go!

Joshua 13:1-7 (NIV) 
1  When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, “You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over. 
2  “This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites: 
3  from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite (the territory of the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron–that of the Avvites); 
4  from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek, the region of the Amorites, 
5  the area of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 
6  “As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, 
7  and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

On verses 1-7:  The Lord speaks to Joshua in his old age and tells him that there are still very large areas of land that the Israelites have yet to take over. After describing these remaining lands (v2-5), God promises to Joshua that He Himself will drive out the Sidonians living in the mountain regions (v6).  In other words, God would do this part without Joshua.  God tells Joshua to allocate this area to Israel, dividing it among the nine and a half tribes of Israel that would be living west of the Jordan (v7).

Kings to Conquer

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 12:9-24.  Let’s go!

Joshua 12:9-24 (NIV) 
9  the king of Jericho, one the king of Ai (near Bethel), one 
10  the king of Jerusalem, one the king of Hebron, one 
11  the king of Jarmuth, one the king of Lachish, one 
12  the king of Eglon, one the king of Gezer, one 
13  the king of Debir, one the king of Geder, one 
14  the king of Hormah, one the king of Arad, one …….

On verses 9-24:  What can we learn from this list of 31 kings that Joshua and the Israelites defeated?    As I look at this list of conquered kings, I am reminded that we all have certain kings to conquer in our lives.  Maybe it’s a king called worry, a king called laziness, a king called pride, or self-centeredness? Maybe it’s the king of negativity and complaining? Maybe it’s the king of jealousy or bitterness?  Which king poses the biggest threat to you at this time?