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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.

可拉党之乱

〈民数记〉16:30 倘若耶和华创作一件新事,使地开口,把他们和一切属他们的都吞下去,叫他们活活地坠落阴间,你们就明白这些人是藐视耶和华了。

在新闻上,我们有时候会看到某些国家的政变,有的国家可以和平转移政权,有的国家却不然。至于革命,我们也明白是怎么一回事,当权的太腐败,民不聊生,就会有强人兴起,推翻政府;至于逼宫,我们也宫庭电视电影上也见得多了。只是没有想到,会发生在一个这么年轻的「国家」里,其实,他们甚至还不能称为一个「国家」。

以色列人刚领受了神极重的刑罚,38年在旷野生活,那一代的男人,除了约书亚和迦勒,直到死都不能进迦南地。因为他们试探神,不信神。但是他们把怒气全算在摩西头上。

这是利未支派的争斗。

利未有三个儿子:革顺、哥辖、米拉利。哥辖的儿子是暗兰、以斯哈、希伯伦、乌薛。暗兰的儿女是米利暗,亚伦和摩西。以斯哈的儿子是可拉。

神把祭司的职份赐给亚伦和其后裔。圣所内的事奉工作,以及在祭坛主持献祭,都只限祭司才能做。因 祭司身上有膏油和坛上的血,使他们能成圣 (利8:30),所以可以进入圣所工作,并可主持献祭,以及包装与拆解圣物(民 4:5-6)。

利未人是祭司的助手,作协助祭司的工作。

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:

安息日捡柴的人

〈民数记〉15:40 使你们记念遵行我一切的命令,成为圣洁,归于你们的神。

假如你昨天(主日)在家里敬拜后就去超巿买菜,回家后就被抓去关,两天后执行死刑。你的家人和朋友们会有怎样的反应呢?

〈民数记〉15章记载了一件事:以色列人在旷野的时候,遇见一个人在安息日捡柴。遇见他捡柴的人,就把他带到摩西、亚伦并全会众那里,将他收在监内;因为当怎样办他,还没有指明。耶和华吩咐摩西说:「总要把那人治死;全会众要在营外用石头把他打死。」于是全会众将他带到营外,用石头打死他,是照耶和华所吩咐摩西的。

神告诫百姓,人若误犯了罪,赎罪后必得赦免;但那擅敢行事的,无论是本地人是寄居的,他亵渎了耶和华,必从民中剪除。因他藐视耶和华的言语,违背耶和华的命令,他的罪孽要归到他身上。

安息日捡柴,是为了烧火,可能是为了煮东西。守安息日是十诫中的第四诫,摩西己经告诫以色列人多次,不可干犯安息日。所以这个人在安息日去捡柴,是属于「擅敢行事的」,也就是「藐视耶和华的言语」,「违背耶和华的命令」,所以必须接受用石头打死的死刑。

这也是为何在耶路撒冷会议上,彼得说:「现在为什么试探神,要把我们祖宗和我们所不能负的轭放在门徒的颈项上呢?」所以使徒们没有要求外邦信徒按著律法行事,保罗也强调因信称义。所以今天我们做完礼拜就去饮茶,买菜,和亲友出游,都不妨事,因为我们是外邦信徒,不在律法之下。我们只要守三件事就行了,就是:「禁戒偶像的污秽和奸淫,并勒死的牲畜和血。」(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.”

耶稣为什么到世上来?

〈约翰福音〉10章10节   耶稣说:「盗贼来,无非要偷窃,杀害,毁坏;我来了,是要叫羊(或作:人)得生命,并且得的更丰盛。」

耶稣为什么到世上来?这是耶稣到世上六次宣言之一。耶稣说祂来,1.为要寻找拯救失丧的人,2.为要呼召罪人而非寻找义人,3.要舍命做多人的赎价,4.并要给人生命且得的更丰盛,这四大宣布就是基督道成肉身最大的目的。除此之外,还有〈诗篇〉与〈希伯来书〉提到耶稣来了为要遵行天父的旨意。这些都是耶稣从天降到地上道成肉身所成就的大事。

耶稣把自己在世上与强盗做一个完全不同的对比,「盗贼来,无非要偷窃,杀害,毁坏;我来了,是要叫羊(或作:人)得生命,并且得的更丰盛」,这个宣布是所有宗教家没有人说过的。耶稣说「我来」,而不是「我生出」,表示祂是从另一个地方特地来到世界。耶稣从哪里来?怎么说到这个世界来?「我从父出来,到了世界;我又离开世界,往父那里去。」(约16:28)祂来是从父那里出来,祂去世回到父那里去,父把伟大的使命交给祂,把伟大的差遣赐给祂,耶稣到世上来是要遵行天父的旨意,成全天父的计画,祂是带着使命到世界上,为了遵行上帝的计画来到世上,祂成全了这个计划之后回到天父那里去。

这世界太多盗贼了,盗贼来是来偷东西、毁坏世界、杀害人的生命,耶稣说祂不是,祂乃是要叫人得生命。生命是上帝永远的旨意,永生是上帝对人所定的最大计画,所以〈约翰一书〉第二章告诉我们:「主所应许我们的就是永生」(约一2:25),这才是从神而来的生命。你说:「我会吸呼、会听、会行动,难道没有生命吗?」我们每个人都有生命,我们的生命是被造的生命,我们的生命是会死、是暂时的、靠着肉体存活的生命,这不是〈约翰一书〉所说的生命。

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.

摩西遣探子窥迦南地

〈民数记〉13:30  迦勒在摩西面前安抚百姓,说:「我们立刻上去得那地吧,我们足能得胜!」

离开西乃山之后,没有用很多时间,以色列就到达迦南地的边境巴兰的旷野,加低斯。这是西乃半岛中最肥沃的一块绿洲。虽然神曾经再三跟摩西介绍迦南地,但是为了让以色列人更放心,神叫摩西派人去窥探迦南地。每个支派要派出一个首领,要窥探三件事:一,要看那地所住的民是强或弱;二,所住之地如何,是营盘是坚城(camps or strongholds帐棚或堡垒);三,看那地土是肥美是瘠薄,有没有树木,有的话就带些果子回来。

在迦南地,葡萄初熟时是大约阳历七月,以色列人从西乃山走到此地,大约是两个月的时间。所以他们真正走旷野的时间不是很长。到目前为止,最长的时间就是在西乃山下的装备,神不仅颁布律法,并且让以色列人造了会幕,设立了军队。神让以色列人从埃及的奴隶,变成一个独立自主的民族,不仅有了法律,还有自己完整的军队体系。即使在现今,要成立一个国家,也没有这样的速度吧!现在我们回头看,会觉得当时以色列人只要再多忍耐一下,那么就不必再多走旷野38年。但是设身处地的想,若换成我们天天在干燥无比的旷野行走,前不见村,后不见店,日复一日是荒凉的沙漠和旷野,我们是否也会失去盼望?我们有没有可能相信,迦南就快到了?我们有时形容自己在困境时,好像在旷野行走,那么就要相信,神必然领我们到迦南地,只要再忍耐一下就好了,迦南就快到了。

「他们上去窥探那地,从寻的旷野到利合,直到哈马口。」寻的旷野是位于死海南端与地中海之间直线以南,又称为南地,是迦南地的南界;利合经常被认为是地中海和夏琐中间的巴拉特伯利合遗址;哈马口在迦南的北界。当时探子们探查了约但河和地中海之间,整个南北全长三百五十哩的地区,几乎概括了以色列全地。共花了四十天的时间。

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?