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贞洁的凭据

2021-03-03 in , /by

〈申命记〉 22:22  若遇见人与有丈夫的妇人行淫，就要将奸夫淫妇一并治死。这样，就把那恶从以色列中除掉。

在古老的社会里对于处理女人是否贞洁的方法，竟然有不约而同之处。这贞洁的凭据指的是在第一天同房的晚上，女人的处女膜破裂所流出来的血，要用一块布接住，作为贞洁的凭据；倘若没有血流出来，就会被怀疑为不贞洁。这当然是很不科学的，因为有时意外或剧烈的运动都会引起处女膜的破裂，以此来鉴定，肯定会有一些冤枉的例子。但对于古时候的人，这是一个唯一的鉴定方法。

从这个试验贞洁与否的方法，我们可以连想到耶稣的母亲马利亚当年的震惊和羞辱。当天使向马利亚宣布她要从圣灵怀孕时，马利亚的头会不会吓得嗡嗡作响，因为未婚而有孕在当时是何等可怕的事，是要被石头打死的。这也是为何约瑟得知后不想宣扬，而想暗暗把她休了。因而马太说约瑟是个义人，因为在他误会时，他依然考虑到马利亚的处境，不愿意明明地羞辱她，或置她于死地。

这也是为何马利亚的回应那样激荡人心：「我是主的使女，情愿照你的话成就在我身上！」明知前面的道路不好走，明知将会处境艰难，被众人耻笑，却毅然而然地接下神的托付。这就是马利亚的承担。就像被伊斯兰国的恐怖子处死的日本记者后滕建二，他原本不必冒着生命的危险去叙利亚，但是为了营救一名被伊斯兰国关押的日本人质汤川遥菜，而被伊斯兰国拘捕，终于被杀。基督徒的人生是否以得到神的祝福为目的呢？是否只要平安喜乐而其他都不管呢？有承担的人生必然面对苦难，却能因为体会了神的心意，而享受与神共赴使命的神圣感。因此将要面对羞辱的马利亚才能发出赞美：「我心尊主为大，  我灵以神我的救主为乐！」

Safe and Secure in Jesus’ Hand

2021-03-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 10:22-30.  Let’s go!

John 10:22-23 (NIV) 
22  Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 
23  and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.

On verses 22-23:  The Feast of Dedication was a relatively new festival that the Jews first began celebrating in 164 B.C. to commemorate the reconstruction and rededication of the temple in Jerusalem by Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C. after it was destroyed by the Syrian ruler Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 B.C.  This Feast of Dedication involves a celebration of lights and is now more commonly known as Hanukkah, a festival that Jewish people continue to celebrate to this day.  During Jesus’ time on earth, whenever the Feast of Dedication was celebrated, there was an undercurrent of hope among the Jews that the Messiah would arrive at the temple and begin establishing Israel as an independent nation.  It is in this context that the Jews surround Jesus as he is walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Colonnade during the Feast of Dedication.

不可佯为不见

2021-03-02 in , /by

〈申命记〉 22:4 你若看见弟兄的牛或驴跌倒在路上，不可佯为不见，总要帮助他拉起来。

在〈申命记〉22 章1-12节里，神教导我们一些做人的原则。

在第1-4节里，神用了三次「不可佯为不见」，也就是说不可以假装看不到。

在什么情况下不可假装看不到呢？1. 你若看见弟兄的牛或羊失迷了路，不可佯为不见，总要把牠牵回来交给你的弟兄。2. 你的弟兄无论失落甚么，或是驴，或是衣服，你若遇见，都要这样行，不可佯为不见。3. 你若看见弟兄的牛或驴跌倒在路上，不可佯为不见，总要帮助他拉起来。

在今天，牛羊或驴都可以改成别的东西，例如：衣服，手机，儿女，脚踏车，雨伞，等等。只要你看到是弟兄姐妹的东西，就不要假装没看见，在他人的疏忽上，付出你的关心，使他人不遭损失。

这段经文的重点在于：「你的弟兄无论失落什么」，当然也包括姐妹。你若看见有人忘了或疏忽了他的东西，就要把它收好，或是拿去还给他，或是留着等他来取。这里所说的是第十诫的延伸：「不可贪恋。」也是主所教导的：「你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人。(路6:31)」弟兄是指认识的人，不是不认识的人。当时的人所养的牛羊身上都有自家的记号，因此看了记号就知道是哪家走失的牲畜。看到了之后，不可以佯装不见，总要把牠牵回来交给你的弟兄。若是弟兄住得远，或不知道是谁的，就要牵回家，等失主来认领。天父要我们在彼此的照顾上，让爱心有切实的行动。

The Good Shepherd

2021-03-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 10:11-21.  Let’s go!

John 10:11-13 (NIV) 
11  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 
12  The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
13  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 

On verses 11-13:  Here Jesus calls himself the good shepherd, the one who owns the sheep and loves the sheep so much that he would lay down his life for the sheep.  This is exactly what Jesus would do for us when he would die on the cross for our sins. 

Who is the “hired hand” that verses 12-13 are referring to?  It is not clear.  However, Israel had had its share of corrupt kings, lying prophets and false messiahs who should have led and taken care of Israel but only took care of themselves.  Prophets like Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 23:1-4, for example), Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 34:2) and Zechariah (see Zechariah 11) would speak against these “hired hands”.  

人若有二妻

2021-03-01 in , /by

〈申命记〉21章 15-17节 人若有二妻，一为所爱，一为所恶，所爱的、所恶的都给他生了儿子，但长子是所恶之妻生的。到了把产业分给儿子承受的时候，不可将所爱之妻生的儿子立为长子，在所恶之妻生的儿子以上，却要认所恶之妻生的儿子为长子，将产业多加一分给他；因这儿子是他力量强壮的时候生的，长子的名分本当归他。

你可能没想到，在《圣经》里居然会谈到一个人同时有两个妻子的事情。可见在神的眼里心中，祂非常清楚人的情欲所带来的罪恶及后果。神也明白人的有限，若碰到无法解决的谋杀案，以色列人应当怎样行。神没有说，祂会帮我们查清命案，但是神要人在神面前自表清白。

你会觉得很可笑，现在的人特爱说谎，上至美国总统下至平民小贩，有谁不说谎？尤其是广告，更是吹牛撒谎无所不用其极。你觉得神的方法管用吗？

有很多人喜欢看侦探片，尤其是像这种横尸在田野里，不知凶手是谁的凶杀案。若是有福尔摩斯出来，细细把那地上查一查，看看尸体身边脚印的深浅，来断定凶手是个左脚或右脚有残缺的人，然后一直追踪下去，让真凶无所遁形，那该是何等引人入胜的小说。只可惜，神并不想满足人的好奇心。

既然不知道是谁杀的，那么就到离死者最近的城里，找头未曾耕地、未曾负轭的母牛犊，把牠的颈项打断，然后在牠上面洗手，表明无辜。其实，神岂有不知道的事吗？祂一定知道是谁干的！为何祂不帮忙把真凶找出来呢？只要祂借着天使把警长或祭司长一直带到那个真凶面前，把他一抓，绳之于法，看有谁还敢做坏事？或是让凶手夜不能眠，日不能食，让他的良心痛苦得不能不去自首，还有谁敢犯罪呢？

How Jesus Leads

2021-03-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

John 10:1-5 (NIV) 
1  “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 
2  The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 
3  The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 
4  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 
5  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

On verses 1-5:  Back during Jesus’ time on earth, shepherds would bring their respective flocks together to be placed in a communal pen for the night.  One shepherd would be assigned to be the watchman to watch the flocks at night while the other shepherds slept.  In the morning, the shepherds would return to the communal pen to collect their sheep.  But how would they separate their own sheep from the rest of the sheep in the communal pen?  By the sound of the shepherd’s voice.  The shepherd would give out a special call, and based on the shepherd’s voice his own sheep would separate from the rest in the communal pen and follow the shepherd. 

战争和植树

2021-02-28 in , /by

〈申命记〉 20:19你若许久围困，攻打所要取的一座城，就不可举斧子砍坏树木。

在〈申命记〉20章里讲到以色列人作战的条例，神先宣告祂的同在，但是也宣告若有人没有准备好，就不要去参战。这是一般人想像不到的。我们以为只要人多就有气势，但是神知道得胜乃在乎耶和华，不在乎人力或军备，因此祂不要心怀二意的人加入祂的军队。

在以色列遭受周围国家的虎视眈眈和不时的挑衅时，以色列人人皆兵。我们实在很难想像，他们能够为了结婚或种葡萄园等等原因而拒绝去作战。但这确实是神的本意，倘若心里没有准备好，就不要去作战；倘若心里有所挂念，也不要去作战。因为不能专心去打战很容易受伤，也会影响到整个团队。因此，曾经有个人想要跟随 耶稣，想先去跟家人告别时；耶稣说：「手扶著犁向后看的，不配进神的国。（路9:62） 」手扶著犁向后看的人，就像心存挂虑的人，别说打仗，连进神国的路也有可能看不清楚而走到歪路上。

在正常情况下，作惯了奴隶的人要学习作战，真的很不容易。首先是心理上的建设。从前都唯唯诺诺，唯命是从的人，怎能拿起刀去杀人呢？不挨打已经很高兴了，哪敢去打人？以色列人在埃及做了四百年的奴隶，一下子变成自由人了，但是他们的心情转变过来了吗？摩西一上山，他们就学埃及人拜牛犊；路上缺水或缺粮或碰到困难，就想回埃及。他们完全不像独立自由的人，心理上一直依附着埃及。所以神要用各种方法去建设他们的心态和思想。

现在神把他们带到迦南地的边界了，摩西带领他们打了几场战争，都打了胜仗。这些战事都是神在为他们「打底」，要让他们学习怎样打仗，让他们不害怕跟人交锋。因为进了迦南之后，还有更多的战事。

Your True Spiritual Condition Is Revealed By…

2021-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 9:35-41.  Let’s go!

John 9:35-38 (NIV) 
35  Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 
36  “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 
37  Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 
38  Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

On verses 35-38:  When the healed man was thrown out by some Pharisees, Jesus goes out to find him.  During this second encounter with Jesus, Jesus teaches the healed man more of who Jesus is, calling himself the Son of Man, and leads the man to saving faith in him.

What can we learn from this? 

1.     Faith is a process.  Often people will not come to profess saving faith in Jesus after one only encounter with Jesus, but after a number of encounters.  So when you’re sharing your faith with others, don’t be discouraged if that person does not come to saving faith in Christ at that very moment.  

The Difference Jesus Makes to Our Relationships

2021-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:11-18.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV) 
11  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
13  Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
14  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

On verses 11-14:  Here we see the theme again of “once and for all”.  Jesus laid down His life once, and this was enough to take away the sins of everyone who places their trusts in Jesus.  Compare that to the priests under the old covenant who could never take away the sins of the people or make them holy in God’s sight despite offering the same sacrifices again and again.

dAlso, notice this mystery: Jesus “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (v14).  Here the Bible recognizes this dual reality in our lives. 

God Remembers Your Faith + Your Urim and Thummim

2021-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 2:1-70.  Let’s go!

Ezra 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 
2  in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel

On verses 3-58, 64-70:   What can we learn from this long list of names of the 40,000 plus people who returned to Jerusalem? The fact that God’s Word lists by name the different families that went back to Jerusalem tells us that God remembers people for their faith.