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米利暗患大痲瘋

2020-12-23 in /by

民數記 12: 7-8   我的僕人摩西不是這樣，他是在我全家盡忠的，我要與他面對面說話，乃是明說，不用謎語，並且他必見我的形像。你們毀謗我的僕人摩西，為何不懼怕呢？

摩西的古實妻子是指誰？解經家有三種解釋：一，就是摩西在米甸娶的妻子西坡拉。二，是摩西在埃及地當將軍時娶的妻子。三，西坡拉死後，摩西另娶。「Cush」古實，是希伯來文；在希臘文則稱為「Ethiopian」依索匹亞，是挪亞兒子含的後裔之一。每一種解釋都有說法，所以我們不用在這事上多費心。問題是，為何摩西的古實妻子會給米利暗和亞倫有毀謗的理由？

根據百度百科：「誹是背地議論，謗是公開指責。毀謗，指以言語相攻擊或嘲諷醜化，將不好的事誇大化，故意捏造事實，以詆毀和破壞他人名譽。」摩西有何事可以讓他們毀謗呢？若是因為他的妻子，這其中有什麼利害關係？摩西是當時以色列人的領袖，摩西的年記越來越大了，年記大了會讓人關心何事？既然神揀選亞倫做大祭司，亞倫的兒子是大祭司的接班人；那麼，誰是摩西的接班人？摩西的妻子既是古實人，不是以色列人，她生的兒子有沒有資格接摩西之位呢？除了這件事，還有何事讓摩西會因為妻子的緣故被毀謗？

因此米利暗和亞倫說：「難道耶和華單與摩西說話，不也與我們說話嗎？」在這裡「摩西為人極其謙和，勝過世上的眾人。」，在英文聖經裡都用括弧（摩西為人極其謙和，勝過世上的眾人。），表示不是摩西自己寫的，是後人加上去的。摩西謙和到一個怎樣的程度呢？他寧願讓兄姐罵他，也不把此事拿去跟神講，他默默忍受下來，把所有的委屈往肚子裡吞。米利暗和亞倫的挑釁顯露出他們追根究底，心裡極深的嫉妒。神跟米利暗說話了嗎？神跟亞倫說話了嗎？沒有，從來神都是通過摩西傳話。

耶和華的膀臂豈是縮短了

2020-12-22 in /by

〈民數記〉11:23 耶和華對摩西說：「耶和華的膀臂豈是縮短了嗎？現在要看我的話向你應驗不應驗。」

在西乃山下，神的軍隊秩序井然地向著迦南地走去。神的雲彩白天為他們遮蔽炎陽，夜裡變為火柱，給他們保暖，並且防止野獸的侵襲。清晨有嗎哪降下，日復一日。以色列人才走了三天，離西乃山不遠，興奮感卻在面對「大而可畏的曠野面前」而消失了，取而代之的可能是失望、懊惱、不舒服……等等，無論甚麼樣的情緒，引出的是對神的埋怨而非感謝。

百姓在此發怨言，耶和華聽到後怒氣發作，使火在他們中間焚燒，直燒到營的邊界。經摩西一再哀求，火才熄滅。該地因此得名「他備拉 Taberah 」，意思是 「耶和華的火在燃燒」。(民11:1-3；申9:22)

有一股怨氣在他們中間蔓延開來。除了嗎哪，還是嗎哪，以色列人開始哭號：「誰給我們肉吃呢？我們記得，在埃及的時候不花錢就吃魚，也記得有黃瓜、西瓜、韭菜、蔥、蒜。現在我們的心血枯竭了，除這嗎哪以外，在我們眼前並沒有別的東西。」

記得我母親年幼時，因為日本人統治台灣，戰爭連年不斷，大家生活非常貧困，以蕃薯（地瓜）充饑。每天都是吃蕃薯，他們翻來覆去地變花樣，吃到最後還是怕了，長大後，聽到蕃薯，不管人家說有多好吃，怎樣也不肯嚐一口了。

再好吃的食物，若給你連續吃上三天九餐，你可能也會生厭；何況以色列人是日以繼月，月以繼年地吃。百姓裡有閒雜人，也就是非以色列人。因為在埃及地時，有的埃及男人和以色列女人結婚了，當埃及人因為鉎的兒子和牲畜被殺死，因而急著要把以色列人趕出埃及時，可能也把那些和以色列人通婚的埃及人也趕了出來；還有一些埃及人或其他人種看到神的權能，因此也跟著以色列人出埃及。

Don’t Get Caught Up In Comparisons

2020-12-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 12:1-8.  Let’s go!

Joshua 12:1-8 (NIV) 
1  These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah: 
2  Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge–from the middle of the gorge–to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. This included half of Gilead. 
3  He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), to Beth Jeshimoth, and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah. ……

On verses 1-8:  In listing some of the kings and lands that the Israelites conquered, these verses show us how much each of Moses and Joshua accomplished from a military perspective.  It leads me to this question:  Do you ever feel like you’re living in someone else’s shadow? Do you often compare yourself, or do others often compare you, to someone you grew up with who accomplished great things? Maybe it was your sibling, your parent, your cousin, your spouse, a peer at school?

Joshua probably felt the burden of comparisons for a while. He was Moses’ assistant for many years.  When Joshua finally succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites, he probably compared himself, and others probably compared him, to his predecessor Moses and wondered how he could possibly fill such big shoes.

有神同行

2020-12-21 in /by

〈民數記〉10:36約櫃停住的時候，他就說：「耶和華啊，求祢回到以色列的千萬人中！」

在以色列人離開西乃山之前，神給摩西下了最後的一個指示，就是做兩支銀號。想想看，在曠野和沙漠地帶，兩三百萬人要同時行動，何等困難。即使有麥克風，也很難把領隊的意思表達得很清楚。神設立銀號，教導百姓聽聲而動，何等有效率！據史學家約瑟夫記載，銀號為直筒形，長約45公分，末端張開如喇叭，吹時可發出大、小、長、短信號。依猶太人傳統，吹長聲召集人到會幕敬拜；短而急的聲音用於起營與作戰。不同場合用不同號音，有祭司專司其職。

神的雲彩指示起行和安營，銀號指揮軍隊的行動，兩支銀號配搭來吹，如此以色列民便可行動如一人。〈民數記〉講神子民如何編組、配搭、和行動，再次讓我們看到神是一個有計劃有秩序的神。神不著急。我們做事都想一蹴而就，不想等待，但是神做事想得很遠，想到整體。即使大家在西乃山下都很想離開了，祂還是不慌不忙地叫他們先造兩支銀號。可能有的人會說，唉啊，還造銀號有啥用啊？但是這銀號造好了，對以色列人的行動可真有極大的幫助。若沒有銀號，行動時就費勁了。這邊叫了，那邊聽不到；那邊叫了，這邊還在打包！銀號一吹，大家都上路了！值不值得花一點做銀號的時間呢？更何況吹這號要成為世世代代的定例，那就更值得了。

當以色列人往前行時，他們的心裡該是何等快樂。神與他們同行，神引領他們。曠野的路雖然崎嶇險峻，但是在神的帶領下，他們終於可以向迦南地出發了。一切都按著神的安排，神的指示：猶大營先行，然後革順的子孫和米拉利的子孫拆卸帳幕，抬著帳幕往前行；再來是魯本營。哥轄人抬著聖物先往前行，他們未到以前，革順的子孫和米拉利的子孫已經把帳幕支好；等他們到了，就可把聖物一一擺進會幕裡。再來是以法蓮的營，但營壓後。軍隊和利未子孫相互交叉，有保護，也有順序，一點都不紊亂，有條有理。

It’s Not Just About You

2020-12-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 11:12-23.  Let’s go!

Joshua 11:12-15 (NIV) 
12  Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of theLORD had commanded. 
13  Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds–except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 
14  The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. 
15  As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

On verses 12-15:  Notice the emphasis on how Joshua did what his leader Moses told him to do.  Verse 15 describes it this way: “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it”.  Joshua was fully devoted not just to God but to his leader Moses.  Submission to his God-given leader was a crucial ingredient in Joshua’s recipe for success.

Focus on the Mountain Mover, Not on the Mountain

2020-12-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 11:1-11.  Let’s go!

Joshua 11:1-11 (NIV) 
1  When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, 
2  and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 
3  to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 
4  They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots–a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. ……

On verses 1-11: Joshua and the Israelites are facing a massive army made up of many allied enemy nations. Verse 4 describes them “as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. Yet God speaks to Joshua and says “Do not be afraid of them, for this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel.” (v6) The key word after that is “So”: “So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly” (v7). In other words, Joshua chooses to focus on what God says over and beyond his circumstances.  As a result Joshua and the Israelites achieve their most dominant victory yet.

第二個逾越節

2020-12-20 in /by

〈民數記〉9: 17 雲彩幾時從帳幕收上去，以色列人就幾時起行。雲彩在哪裡停住，以色列人就在哪裡安營。

第二個逾越節在這裡有兩個意思，一是指從第一次出埃及前過逾越節算起，這是第二次的逾越節；另一個意思是指若有人因為不潔淨而不能和大家一起過逾越節，那麼一個月之後可以補過逾越節，是一年之中的第二個逾越節。所以神的意思是，逾越節是一個以色列人非參加不可的節日，若有人找藉口推辭不守逾越節，那人要從民中剪除。在逾越節裡，以色列人要記念神藉著被殺的羔羊拯救他們出埃及，對基督徒而言，也是信徒非記念不可的受難節。因為藉著耶穌的受難，我們的罪得以被遮蓋；藉著祂完成的救恩，我們能與神和好。

逾越節也是一個寄居的、本地人和外人都可以向神守的節日，因為神的救恩屬於萬民，並不局限在以色列人身上。在耶穌的受難節裡，我們更看出這件事的實質，神的救恩屬於萬國萬民。守逾越節必須先潔淨自己，因此沾染了污穢的人不能參加，要延後一個月補過。不潔淨的人不能守逾越節，那麼我們若心裡有罪孽，可否守受難節？所以受難節也是基督徒自我省察的時刻。因為守節是向神守的。

再一次，我被摩西感動。當有特殊的問題出現時，摩西不是說：「讓我想想看」，他說：「你們暫且等候，我可以去聽耶和華指著你們是怎樣吩咐的。」摩西的心何等謙卑，他不是要人的榮耀，也不要做眾人的老大；他寧可等候神的差遣，等候神的回覆，等候神的帶領。他不怕麻煩，只要知道神的心意如何。

God-Given Momentum

2020-12-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:33-43.  While we’re at it, let’s also look at verses 28-32, since they go together well.  Let’s go!

Joshua 10:28-43 (NIV) 
28  That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. 
29  Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 
30  The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. 
31  Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 
32  The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah….

On verses 28-43:  After first taking over the middle portion of the promised land, in verses 28-39 we see Joshua and the Israelites taking over 7 cities in the southern part of the promised land, conquering many different kings and regions in the process.  Later in Joshua 11 they will start taking over the northern part.  Verses 40 to 42 summarize the incredible military success Joshua and the Israelites experienced before returning to their base camp at Gilgal (v43).  Verse 42 explains the reason for Israel’s success: it was because “the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” (v42)

不憂慮的秘訣(下)

2020-12-18 in /by

馬太福音6章33-34節    你們要先求祂的國和他的義，這些東西都要加給你們了。所以，不要為明天憂慮，因為明天自有明天的憂慮；一天的難處一天當就夠了。

什麼是上帝的國、上帝的義？

請問你什麼叫做「國」?你說：「我不知道，我知道我住在印尼。」「為什麼你不住在中國，到印尼來？」「這裡比較好生活，比較少掛慮。我們的苦難太多，中國兩千年來內亂不斷，我買了船票，身上帶著一點點產業，就向無限的大海走出去。」很多中國人到印尼，到死的時候不要學印尼文，他只要享受安居樂業的生活，不要顧念當地人民的需要，也不要學習當地的文化風俗，一生一世到這裡只盼望得到別人的好處，這種是很自私的心理，很不公平對待別的民族。我們住在這裡的人，我們要對印尼民族有貢獻，我們才是好的普世公民。

我是生在中國、長在印尼的華僑。既然我們住在印尼，我們在印尼得到的好處是他們給我們的，很多產品是印尼工人做的，我們應當自問：「我對印尼有什麼貢獻？」我要在印尼貢獻基督教偉大的真理的思想、公正的思想、人與人之間關係的思想，把福音的好處帶給他們，使這個民族因為我更明白什麼叫做公正、誠實、殷勤，我就平平安安地好好活在世上。

耶穌基督說你在世界上有一個優先的次序，就是求上帝的國、上帝的義。國是什麼意思？上帝的國在哪裡，世界看不見，但耶穌說：「願人都尊祢的名為聖，願祢的國降臨，願祢的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上」，這是我們一生最重要的三大禱願，「這世界的國度亂七八糟，這世界的政治很多虛假，這世界的政權爭奪不停，這世界的政局動盪不安，我盼望祢的平安降下來，祢的公義降下來，祢的正直、誠實、慈愛成為統治萬民的總原則，我在其中就享受天國的平安」。

國有幾樣最重要的元素：首先，要有一個管理的君王，天國的君王就是創造天地的上帝，耶穌基督要把食物分給別人的時候，他先禱告：「天地的主啊」，他不是孤苦伶仃，他乃是活在天地的主宰所管理、賜福、帶領的生活中；除了有統治者外，國度一定有百姓，「世界縱然敗壞，我的父、我的主是坐在天上、公平的上帝，我是天國的子民，這位公正的上帝是我的天父」；國的第三方面有法律，沒有國家沒有憲法。

Share the Honour

2020-12-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:22-32.   Let’s go!

Joshua 10:22-25 (NIV) 
22  Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 
23  So they brought the five kings out of the cave–the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 
24  When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. 
25  Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

On verses 22-25:  Joshua bring out the five Amorite kings who were hiding in the cave and in the presence of all the Israelite men he allows his army commanders to place their feet on the necks of these kings.  In doing so, Joshua was sharing his honour, authority and power with his army commanders.  What can we learn from this?

When you experience victory or success in life, be sure not to hoard all the credit for yourself, but share the honour and credit with those who have worked hard alongside you and helped you to get you to where you are.