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Aim High

2020-12-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:12-21.   Let’s go!

Joshua 10:12-15 (NIV) 
12  On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 
13  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 
14  There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! 
15  Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

On verses 12-15:  So far in the book of Joshua, whenever Joshua experienced a miracle, it was because he heard the Lord speak and responded in faith.  This time, however, Joshua takes the initiative and God responds, as verse 14 suggests.  Joshua says to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon” (v12).  According to these verses, the sun and moon obeyed Joshua’s voice. 

The Most Powerful Alliance You Can Form

2020-12-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:1-11.  Let’s go!

Joshua 10:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. 
2  He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 
3  So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 
4  “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 
5  Then the five kings of the Amorites–the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon–joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.

On verses 1-5: Upon hearing that the Gibeonites had formed a peace treaty (or an alliance) with Joshua, five Amorite kings led by Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem form an alliance against the Gibeonites. Why? It’s because the Gibeonites were already a significant force to be reckoned with in their own right (v2). The Amorite kings were probably scared of what the Gibeonites could do if allied with Joshua. So this alliance of Amorite kings decides to attack the Gibeonites.

拿细耳人之愿

2020-12-15 in /by

〈民数记〉6:1-2     耶和华对摩西说：「你晓谕以色列人说：无论男女许了特别的愿，就是拿细耳人的愿，要离俗归耶和华。」

在〈民数记〉之前，《圣经》一般都偏重于神和男人的立约。但是在这里，神立了一个特别的约，就是男人和女人都可许的愿，就是拿细耳人之愿。拿细耳就是归主的意思，归主就是与世俗分开，即分别为圣。

神拣选利未人去服侍祂，那么若有其他人也想要服侍神，岂不是没办法了吗？这会不会是神立下拿细耳人之例的原因呢? 神看到在其他支派中也有许多爱祂的人，因此立下这个约，让所有爱祂的人，都可以一偿服事神的心愿。

从利未人身上，我们看到分别为圣的生活并不容易，是要付代价的。利未人不能为自己选工作，他们的工作都已经被指定了；利未人不能有自己的产业，要等其他人分给他们。如雅各临终的预言，他们被分散在各支派之中，不能联合在一起生活；利未人要分别为圣，所以他们的生活必须比其他人更严谨，等等。

因此想做拿细耳人，离俗归耶和华的人要有心理准备：一，要远离一切葡萄树上所结的果子，自核至皮所做的物，都不可吃，也不可喝。二，在他一切许愿离俗的日子，不可用剃头刀剃头，要由发绺长长了。三，不可挨近死尸。即使父母或兄弟姐妹死了，也不可以挨近死尸，而使自己不洁净。若是他旁边出其不意，有人死了，那么他的愿就必须重头再算起。

对于犹太人而言，这三件事都很困难。1. 在中东地区的水源经常被污染，因此人们经常以酒代水，免得生病。但是拿细耳人不可以清酒或浓酒，因此他们必须凭信心只喝水。2. 在古时候，长头发很容易生蝨子和跳蚤，要清洁很不方便；3. 不碰死尸也有点困难，因为瘟疫一旦发作，很可能忽然就有人死在旁边，谁能预料？因此拿细耳人之愿，又称为the vow of separation（离俗之愿）。离俗之愿的意思就是把自己和众人分开，免得沾染不洁，才有可能分别为圣。

No Longer a Slave to Fear

2020-12-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 9:15-27.  Let’s go!

Joshua 9:15-21 (NIV) 
15  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 
16  Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. 
17  So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. 
18  But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 
19  but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 
20  This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.”
21  They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept. 

On verses 15-21:  Just as the Israelites kept their promise not to attack the Gibeonites, you and I should do everything we can to be those who keep our word or fulfill our promises, even when it hurts (Psalm 15:4). 

神的拣选

2020-12-14 in /by

民数记 3:41 我是耶和华。你要拣选利未人归我，代替以色列人所有头生的；也取利未人的牲畜，代替以色列所有头生的牲畜。

这是摩西和亚伦生命中很重要的时刻。神呼召亚伦和摩西同工，但是摩西一离开，亚伦就帮助百姓造金牛犊。当摩西质问他时，他把所有的责任都推到百姓身上。但是神没有离弃他，神饶恕他，再给他一个机会，是一个极大的荣耀。

神拣选他做第一任的大祭司，让他的儿子们做第一批的祭司。神命定祭司必须是亚伦的后裔，所以第一批的祭司只有亚伦的四个儿子。没想到拿答和亚比户一开始事奉就没有按照神的吩咐，献凡火，以致神当场把他们烧死。亚伦接受了最高的荣誉，也承受了最大的悲伤。

现在只剩下以利亚撒和以他玛两个祭司了。神不在乎事奉的人少，祂宁可要忠心的仆人，也不要任意妄为、自以为大的祭司。这是一个神接受人的敬拜之开始，不能出错，神若任凭他们，不予管教，以后就会全盘皆错。亚伦在这些事上，怎样看他和神的关系呢？他开始明白，敬拜神不是儿戏。

他看到神召集所有利未支派的人来服侍他，协助他献祭和办理帐幕的事，他发现神竟然把他和他的家放在以色列人最崇高的位置上，甚至胜过摩西的后裔。他开始明白，神不是故意杀死拿答和亚比户，而是在神的圣洁上，容不得人的罪之审判。审判从神的家开始(彼前4:17)，也就是从他的家开始。

他也因而明白，自己和后裔成了神和人之间的桥梁，在这个位置上若不谨慎，就会有生命危险。因为神在鉴察。亚伦的属灵生命开始改变，开始有了敬畏之心。

Inquire of God before Making a Big Decision

2020-12-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

Joshua 9:1-14 (NIV) 
1  Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things–those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)– 
2  they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel. 
3  However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 
4  they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ……

On verses 1-14:  Unlike the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who form an alliance to fight Joshua and the Israelites (v1-2), the Gibeonites take another approach (v3).  Believing they are no match for the Israelites, they decide instead to send a worn out looking delegation pretending to come from a far away country and wanting to make a peace treaty with the Israelites (v4-6).  Without looking into the issue too much, and without praying and asking God for guidance, the Israelites eventually make the peace treaty with the Gibeonites (v7-14).  Only later do you they discover that the Gibeonites actually lived very close to the Israelites.

不忧虑的秘诀(上)

2020-12-11 in /by

马太福音6章33-34节    你们要先求祂的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。所以，不要为明天忧虑，因为明天自有明天的忧虑；一天的难处一天当就够了。

挂虑侵蚀生命

　　我相信这段经文是有关人生在世真正过一个平稳生活的最好写照。没有人没有困难或没有忧虑的地方，因为人是有限的，我们对将来如何没有把握，我们就经常挂虑，把思想用错地方。忧虑是不需要的，计画是需要的，但许多时候我们没有计画，没有思考怎样尽心尽力预备应对可能来到的困难的能力，我们尝试把思想放在不需要的挂虑上。

　　信仰排除挂虑，一个有真正信心依靠上帝的人应该不是被挂虑綑绑的人，但因为我们的软弱，我们常常看不清，没有把握地相信上帝一定照顾、一定引导、一定赐福、保全我们的生活。缺乏信心让挂虑侵蚀我们生命的中心点，使我们受不信的影响，天天不平安，没有真正的信仰产生有把握的生活。心理学告诉我们人一生挂虑的事情百分之七十五以上没有发生过，换句话说我们有一大堆的思想是用在不应该用的地方。如果我们增强信心，我们的信仰就能把挂虑排除出去。

　　我这一生可以说相当仰望上帝、依靠上帝，知道上帝施恩，我的挂虑应当比别人更少，但仍然无法完全。好像前天我孩子撞车的事情，我感觉孩子应当感谢上帝，因为没有任何人死就是一个大恩典，也没有撞死任何人，也是一个大恩典。我们一生撞车可能好几次，如果有一次撞死别人，我们以后良心将何等痛苦，要怎样过生活呢？

Take a Moment to Be Still and Worship

2020-12-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 8:28-35.  Let’s go!

Joshua 8:28-29 (NIV) 
28  So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. 
29  He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

On verses 28-29:  Whenever there is a change in regime, the leader of that old regime must “die”.  In ancient cultures and in times of war, this has been expressed through the king or leader of the losing nation to be killed, as in the case here where the king of Ai is hung and buried under a pile of rocks at the entrance of Ai’s city gate (v29).  In more modern times, the “death” of the old regime’s leader could mean, depending on the context, deposing the incumbent leader in the case of politics, firing the president and CEO in the case of a business, or changing general managers or head coaches in the case of sports. The same goes for the regime change that took place in your heart when you invited Jesus Christ into your life.  On that day, Jesus Christ took over as king of your life and the old leader, the old king – that is, you – died.  Christian, may you always remember who is now the king of your life.

在旷野里

2020-12-10 in /by

〈民数记〉2:34   以色列人就这样行，各人照他们的家室、宗族归于本纛，安营起行，都是照耶和华所吩咐摩西的。

根据维基百科，〈民数记〉（Numbers）这个名字采自《通俗拉丁文本圣经》中纽米利(Numeri)一词，而这个字词则从希腊文《七十士译本》的阿利夫摩依(Arithmoi′)演变而来。然而，犹太人更贴切地将这本书称为必密巴(Bemidhbar′)，意即「在旷野里」。密巴(midh•bar′)这个希伯来字是指一个没有城镇的旷野之地。这卷书的拉丁名是Numeri，希腊名是Arithmoi「在荒漠」，希伯来语Bemidbar，「in the wilderness of” [Sinai] 」在西乃的旷野。数点民众这件事发生于此旷野，本书内容讲述以色列百姓「在旷野」历时 38 年漂流迁徙「信心拉扯」的经历。

〈出埃及记〉的第19章第1节说：「以色列人出埃及地以后，满了三个月的那一天，就来到西奈的旷野。」而在〈民数记〉的第1章第1节已经是「第二年二月初一日」，他们在西乃山下已经住了整整十个月了。在这段时间里，神没有急急忙忙地把他们带到迦南地，而是要他们停下来，学习神的律法，做好会幕，建立与神的关系。

这是我们在圣灵里经常要学习的功课，便是停下来。我们渴望成功，巴不得立刻就离开旷野到迦南。但是神要我们先建立和祂的关系，学习聆听神的声音，等候神的带领。神并不把“成功”作为人生的里程碑，因为在神有什么成功不成功，只要是在神的手里，就没有失败。在今年的疫情里，我们都在学这个功课，停下来，等待神的带领。

做好会幕之后，神要摩西计算所有能出去打仗的男丁。神让以色列人在埃及，从家族变成一个民族，现在要把这个民族变成一个国家。国家需要法律，也需要军队；有律法才能建规矩，有军队才能御外侮，保护国民。「耶和华怎样吩咐摩西，他就怎样在西奈的旷野数点他们。」摩西在神面前何等谦卑。可能有人会觉得，数点人数有什么困难，让我来吧。因而没办法听到神说，数点廿岁以上的就好啊！想要学摩西，不能不学会安静的听。

以色列人和华人有一个很相似之处，华人的生肖以动物为记号；以色列人出埃及之后，好几个支派的徽记都以动物为记号。犹大的旗纛上是狮子，流便的旗纛是水，以法莲的旗纛是牛，但的旗纛是鹰，以萨迦是驴，便雅悯是狼，拿弗他利是鹿；希布仑是船，迦得和西缅是不一样的城堡，亚设是粮食，约瑟是结果子的树枝，等等，都是按著雅各给十二个儿子的祝福而设立的记号。