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Rely on God in the Little Things

2020-12-04 in /by

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

2020-12-03 in /by

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).

與萬民有別

2020-12-03 in /by

〈利未記〉20章26節    你們要歸我為聖，因為我─耶和華是聖的，並叫你們與萬民有分別，使你們作我的民。

在古老的中國有個傳說，大約是主前五世紀，有個人名叫西門豹。因為他很有才能，被派往黃河旁的一個地方鄴地作縣令。當地有個傳說，黃河裡住著河神，若不給河神娶媳婦，黃河就會發大水。百姓苦不堪言，因為替河神娶媳婦要強徵民女，又徵收額外的稅捐，但是稅捐卻由官府和巫婆們私分。那年又到了河神娶媳婦的時候了，西門豹帶了士兵也去參加。城裡有權勢的富人、官府裡的衙役及被選中的女孩都到了，還有一個七十多歲的老巫婆和她的弟子們。

西門豹說：「把河神的老婆帶過來，看看她漂亮不漂亮。」有人把女孩帶過來，站在西門豹面前。西門豹看了一眼，就回頭對眾人說：「這個女孩不漂亮， 夠不上做河神的老婆。可是河神今天一定等著迎親，就請大巫婆走一趟，到河裡通知河神，等找到一個漂亮的女子，過一天再來。」說著，還沒等眾人明白是怎麼回事，就命令士兵抬起老巫婆，拋進河裡去了。隔了一會兒，西門豹說：「巫婆怎麼走了這麼長時間還沒有回話，叫個徒弟去催催她。」於是又命令士兵把巫婆的一個徒弟扔進河裡，這樣前前後後，扔了三個徒弟到河裡。

河邊站著的富人們、官府裡的人和圍觀的人都驚呆了，再看西門豹，卻是畢恭畢敬，一幅虔誠的樣子，像是專心等待河神的回話。又過了一會兒，西門豹說 ：「看來河神太好客了，留住了這些使者不讓回來，還是再去一個人去催催吧。」說完，他向那些操辦這件事的地方富紳和官吏看去，這些人從驚嚇中回神過來 ，全都跪在地上求饒，生怕西門豹把自己也扔下河。西門豹宣告：「河神娶媳婦本是騙人的把戲，以 後如果誰再操辦這件事，就把誰扔到河裡去見河神。」從此，鄴地河神娶媳婦的鬧劇就絕跡了。

你們要聖潔

2020-12-03 in /by

〈利未記〉19章1-2節     耶和華對摩西說：「你曉諭以色列全會眾說：你們要聖潔，因為我耶和華─你們的　神是聖潔的。」

在網路上流行著一個住在北京的小網紅，她名叫喬治亞Georgia，父親是比利時人，母親是中國人。她才兩歲多，卻己經會用三個國家的語言流利地溝通。她有兩個大大的眼睛，捲曲的頭髮，十分可愛。她的爸爸經常這樣開始：「你今天學到什麼了？」

Geo Geo，他這樣稱呼她，就會開始回想：「不可以把雙手放在桌上……吃飯……要洗手……」有時利用小朋友，教大家怎樣分垃圾。有一次Geo Geo在公園玩不開心，嘟著嘴找爸爸，因為有幾個阿姨看她太可愛，猛拍照。爸爸就問：「Geo Geo不高興，因為這是不禮貌的，對不對？她們要先問Geo Geo可不可以拍，對不對？」小Geo Geo聽了猛點頭。

這個連續的影集叫「家有萌娃」，每一次我都覺得這個比利時爸爸好有智慧地在教導，引導他的小女兒，讓她知道對與錯，建立是與非的觀念。我有時就覺得，神也是如此在引導，教導以色列人。在埃及生活了四百年的以色列人，做了四百年的奴隸，除了以色列人一些家傳的觀念，很多事情都受到埃及人的影響，他們其實非常單純。

一旦出了埃及，要成立自己的國家，卻什麼都不懂，神就讓摩西一步步地教他們。〈利未記〉19章其實是十誡的引申，看起來似乎東一句西一句，一點章法也沒有，實際上稍微分析一下，輪廓就出來了。

神一開始跟會眾說：「你們要聖潔，因為我耶和華─你們的　神是聖潔的。」結尾說：「你們要謹守遵行我一切的律例典章。我是耶和華。」所以聖潔的意思不是叫我們活得像一張白紙，通通去當不沾世俗的道人，而是分別為聖，遵守神的律例典章，棄絕外邦人行事為人的做法。

When God’s Way Doesn’t Make Sense to You

2020-12-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 6:1-14.  Let’s go!

Joshua 6:1-14 (NIV) 
1  Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 
2  Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 
3  March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 
4  Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. ……

On verses 1-14:  Why would God tell Joshua and his army to do nothing except march around Jericho city once each day blowing trumpets until the seventh day? Was it a scare tactic meant to intimidate an already freaked out enemy, like a shark encircling its prey before it attacks? Wouldn’t Joshua and the Israelites eventually look a little foolish and be wasting resources, at the same time letting the people of Jericho take a good look at their army? It’s not clear why God commanded Israel to do this, or how marching around the city once each day would advance Israel’s cause. Yet Joshua did as the Lord commanded.

我可以試婚或同居嗎？

2020-12-02 in /by

〈利未記〉 18:4 你們要遵守我的典章，守我的律例，按此而行。我是耶和華你們的神。

讀〈利未記〉 18章時，我恍惚有種錯覺，這不是時空轉移，而是神透過時空，向人類發出的宣告。現代人以為他們要求的性自由是新運動，但是好像在遠古就有人在這樣做了，日光之下沒有新鮮的事。

我們總以為神的誡命是制止人的自由，更正確的說法，應該是神在教導人怎樣尊重自己，彼此尊重，也尊重動物和動物的生命。要做回一個神所造的人，就要先找回對自己的尊重，尊重神賜給自己的生命，性別，性情和天份，等等。

性是神賜給人在婚姻裡的美好禮物，當人把它用在不當的關係裡，就會產生許多問題。它最先會影響健康，有許多疾病都因為濫性而引起；它影響到家庭的和諧，破壞信任，甚至使孩子們成長後對婚姻產生懼怕。它甚至會召來神的審判而至滅亡，像所多瑪和蛾摩拉一樣；有許多個人的生命或社區都受到相當大的影響。

從一句「只要我喜歡，有什麼不可以」，到一夜情，到約炮，同居，試婚，換夫換妻派對，我們可以看到濫性使現代人己經無法彼此信任，他們要偷偷查對方的手機，要跟蹤，甚至請私家探，有的甚至在婚前約定彼此都可以有其他的性伴侶。現代人用性取代了對愛的要求，只求情慾的發洩，拒絕任何的責任和義務。

因此試婚和同居便成了時尚的趨勢，你不試試看，怎麼知道合得來合不來？要試多久呢？不知道。不滿意就撤，再試另一個。要試多少次，才能找到一個滿意的呢？萬一結婚後，你又不滿意了呢？你願意像貨物一樣，被人試來試去，還退貨嗎？你可以把對方當貨物來試用，不合則退嗎？在試用期間，你的心情又如何？要以真面目相待，還是虛以偽情，免得被退貨時，太過傷心。在這種情形上，誰敢真心相待？

Jesus Takes Away Your Reproach and Shame

2020-12-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 5:9-15.  Let’s go!

Joshua 5:9 (NIV)
9  Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. 

On verse 9:  After Joshua leads the Israelites to be circumcised in accordance with the Jewish law, why did God say to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”?  To commemorate the place where God rolled away this “reproach of Egypt” from the Israelites, they call this place “Gilgal”, which means “roll away”.  But what is “the reproach of Egypt” anyway? 

Keep in mind that circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with the Jewish people (Genesis 17:11).  Circumcision was a symbol that distinguished the Jewish people from their Egyptian masters and showed that they were God’s chosen people.  When Joshua had this new generation of Israelites circumcised, it was them returning back to God’s law, going back to being set apart and distinct from an unbelieving world, which Egypt represented.  So “the reproach of Egypt” may be a way of describing God’s disapproval of those who don’t trust and follow Him.  By leading a new generation of Israelites to once again honour circumcision, God was rolling away that reproach from this new generation. 

我可以吃血嗎?

2020-12-01 in /by

利未記 17:14 論到一切活物的生命，就在血中。所以我對以色列人說，無論什麼活物的血，你們都不可吃，因為一切活物的血就是牠的生命。凡吃了血的，必被剪除。

我可以吃血嗎？冬天來臨了，火鍋的季節也上巿了，巿面上正流行一樣好吃的產品，就是鴨血。聽說拿鴨血下火鍋，非常好吃。豬血雞血都有人在吃，而且特別宣傳其美味，令人食指大動。令我驚訝的是，有許多牧者都覺得吃血沒問題。因為耶穌都說了：「入口的不能污穢人，出口的乃能污穢人。(太15:11) 」

保羅也說過，「凡神所造的物都是好的，若感謝著領受，就沒有一樣可棄的。(提前4:4) 」神也曾經在異象中，三次叫彼得吃不潔之物和俗物，因為神所潔淨的，不可當作俗物 (使10:9-16)。這些都是《聖經》的教導，難道是新約和舊約的不同嗎？

那麼在〈使徒行傳〉的耶路撒冷會議中，耶穌的弟弟雅各為何做了一個總結：「所以據我的意見，不可難為那歸服神的外邦人；只要寫信，吩咐他們禁戒偶像的污穢和姦淫，並勒死的牲畜和血。」(使15:19-20)

讓我們一起來看看這個教導是從何時開始的。這是當年大洪水退去，挪亞一家八口下船向神獻祭之後，神對他們說：「你們要生養眾多，遍滿了地。凡地上的走獸和空中的飛鳥都必驚恐，懼怕你們，連地上一切的昆蟲並海裡一切的魚都交付你們的手。凡活著的動物都可以作你們的食物。這一切我都賜給你們，如同菜蔬一樣。惟獨肉帶著血，那就是牠的生命，你們不可吃。」(創9:1-4)

Circumcised by Jesus

2020-11-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 5:1-8.  Let’s go!

Joshua 5:1 (NIV) 
1  Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

On verse 1:  Upon hearing about the past miracles God had performed for the Israelites, Israel’s enemies were very much intimidated.  Nevertheless, as we will see in the verses that follow, God would lead the Israelites through an important process internally before they would be ready to enter and conquer the promised land.

What can we learn from this?  God has a promised land for you to conquer.  That promised land is the dream God has placed in your heart, the destiny God made you for, the calling on your life.  But before you can take over your promised land successfully, God has an internal, private preparation process that He wants you to go through, one which people who know you from a distance will not be aware of.  Promotion in public is preceded by preparation in private. 

贖罪日Yom Kippur

2020-11-29 in /by

利未記 16:6-10亞倫要把贖罪祭的公牛奉上，為自己和本家贖罪；也要把兩隻公山羊安置在會幕門口、耶和華面前，為那兩隻羊拈鬮，一鬮歸與耶和華，一鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒。亞倫要把那拈鬮歸與耶和華的羊獻為贖罪祭，但那拈鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒的羊要活著安置在耶和華面前，用以贖罪，打發人送到曠野去，歸與阿撒瀉勒。

根據猶太傳統：起初，上帝創造天地 (創1:1) 。創造的第一天是在希伯來提敘黎月（猶太曆七月）的第一天。猶太新年(Rosh Hashanah) 字面上的意思是「年頭」，今年(2020年)落在陽曆9月18日。當天黃昏，便進入了猶太曆5781年。猶太曆不是從亞伯拉罕被揀選、摩西被呼召或大衛王朝的時候開始，而是在宇宙被造時開始的，因為《聖經》是萬物的歷史。

對於猶太人，神在《聖經》裡有很明確的指示，新年代表審判，因此要自我內省、禱告和悔改。新年也是莊嚴的節期，用來進行個人靈命反省和思考人類未來的方向，這節日是「敬畏的日子」(Days of Awe)，用來檢視自己的生活並重新將自己歸向神，與神和好。

依《聖經》記載，新年又稱作「吹角節」。在這段節期，猶太百姓會在以色列營地四處吹起號角，尖銳剌耳的聲音是要喚起人民悔改與出征，是指屬靈爭戰。號角的聲音涉及到西奈山的啟示(出19:16)、信心(詩81)、聚集猶太子民(賽27:13)、對罪的告誡(賽58:1)、以色列國的復興和對列國的審判(撒9:14)。最終，號角聲預表了主耶穌的復臨。祂將回來審判列國(太25)，從困苦中釋放以色列子民(賽63)、和以色列國立新約(耶31)、為祂將在平安禧年掌權預備道路。