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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.

利未人的潔淨禮

2020-12-17 in /by

〈民數記〉8:16 因為他們是從以色列人中全然給我的，我揀選他們歸我，是代替以色列人中一切頭生的。

摩西進會幕的至聖所，聽見法櫃的施恩座以上、二基路伯中間，有與他說話的聲音，就是耶和華與他說話。有了會幕，摩西不必再上山下山了，只要進了至聖所就能聽到神的吩咐，真的方便許多。神跟摩西說了什麼？你想知道嗎？我也想知道。

原來神要摩西教導亞倫怎樣點亮金燈臺。這裡的「燈臺」指的是會幕裡的「金燈臺」，希伯來文是  מְנוֹרָה (menorah, lampstand)。在會幕裡，金燈臺和陳設餅桌  ( שֻׁלְחָ , shulchan, table) 的位置是相對的，陳設餅的桌上排列了12個陳設餅 ( לֶחֶם פָּנִים, lechem panim, bread of the presence), 代表以色列12支派。因此， 當神吩咐「七盞燈都要向燈臺前面發光」，這七盞燈的光就照在陳設桌的陳設餅上面，象徵著神對以色列12支派的持續光照，會幕在以色列人中間， 而金燈臺的光照在會幕的聖所裡面，從會幕外面根本看不見，象徵神在以色列當中隱密的，不止息的眷顧和指引。

神從以色列人當中選出利未人來服侍神和人，這批服侍神的人被分別出來，要守各樣的潔淨之禮，要在會幕裡工作，還要幫助以色列人親近神。在這裡神很清楚讓我們看到，服侍神的人應該要知道的事情。

第一便是要潔淨利未人。潔淨他們的第一步，要用除罪水彈在他們身上。除罪水是指把一隻沒有殘疾、未曾負軛、純紅的母牛和香柏木、牛膝草、朱紅色線焚燒成灰，這叫做除罪灰。把除罪灰放在器皿裡，倒上活水（流動的水），由一個潔淨的人拿牛膝草蘸在這水中，彈在他們身上，利未人才算被潔淨了，才可以服侍。據說以色列人已經準備好了蓋新聖殿的一切事宜，只是還沒有找到一隻全紅的母牛，做不出除罪灰，調不出除罪水，利未人就不得潔淨，不能進去聖殿服侍。

會幕建成族長獻禮

2020-12-16 in /by

〈民數記〉7:1  摩西立完了帳幕，就把帳幕用膏抹了，使它成聖；又把其中的器具和壇，並壇上的器具，都抹了，使它成聖。

摩西立完了帳幕，就把帳幕用膏抹了，使它成聖；又把其中的器具和壇，並壇上的器具，都抹了，使它成聖。成聖的意思就是指這帳幕(會幕)只能用在屬神的事上，不可以用在別的事情上。

當巴比倫滅了猶大之後，把聖殿的器皿也都擄掠到巴比倫。巴比倫最後的一個王伯沙撒在飲酒作樂之時，吩咐人將他父(或:祖)尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金銀器皿拿來，王與大臣、皇后、妃嬪好用這器皿飲酒。當時，忽有人的指頭顯出，在王宮與燈臺相對的粉牆上寫字。王看見寫字的指頭，就變了臉色，心意驚惶，腰骨好像脫節，雙膝彼此相碰。王的一切哲士都不能解讀指頭在牆上寫的字。

後來也只有但以理才能解釋牆上的字，但以理對王說：「所寫的文字是：『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。』講解是這樣：彌尼，就是　神已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。提客勒，就是你被稱在天平裡，顯出你的虧欠。毘勒斯，就是你的國分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。」所以把神分別為聖的器冊拿去使用，就是一種不敬神，褻瀆的行為。

我相信很少人會把這一章的經文逐字讀完，因為從第一日到第十二日，每個首領所獻的供物內容都是一樣的。全部都是：一個銀盤子，重一百三十舍客勒，一個銀碗，重七十舍客勒，都是按聖所的平，也都盛滿了調油的細麵做素祭。一個金盂，重十舍客勒，盛滿了香。一隻公牛犢，一隻公綿羊，一隻一歲的公羊羔做燔祭；一隻公山羊做贖罪祭；兩隻公牛，五隻公綿羊，五隻公山羊，五隻一歲的公羊羔做平安祭。

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.

拿細耳人之願

2020-12-15 in /by

〈民數記〉6:1-2     耶和華對摩西說：「你曉諭以色列人說：無論男女許了特別的願，就是拿細耳人的願，要離俗歸耶和華。」

在〈民數記〉之前，《聖經》一般都偏重於神和男人的立約。但是在這裡，神立了一個特別的約，就是男人和女人都可許的願，就是拿細耳人之願。拿細耳就是歸主的意思，歸主就是與世俗分開，即分別為聖。

神揀選利未人去服侍祂，那麼若有其他人也想要服侍神，豈不是沒辦法了嗎？這會不會是神立下拿細耳人之例的原因呢? 神看到在其他支派中也有許多愛祂的人，因此立下這個約，讓所有愛祂的人，都可以一償服事神的心願。

從利未人身上，我們看到分別為聖的生活並不容易，是要付代價的。利未人不能為自己選工作，他們的工作都已經被指定了；利未人不能有自己的產業，要等其他人分給他們。如雅各臨終的預言，他們被分散在各支派之中，不能聯合在一起生活；利未人要分別為聖，所以他們的生活必須比其他人更嚴謹，等等。

因此想做拿細耳人，離俗歸耶和華的人要有心理準備：一，要遠離一切葡萄樹上所結的果子，自核至皮所做的物，都不可吃，也不可喝。二，在他一切許願離俗的日子，不可用剃頭刀剃頭，要由髮綹長長了。三，不可挨近死屍。即使父母或兄弟姐妹死了，也不可以挨近死屍，而使自己不潔淨。若是他旁邊出其不意，有人死了，那麼他的願就必須重頭再算起。

對於猶太人而言，這三件事都很困難。1. 在中東地區的水源經常被污染，因此人們經常以酒代水，免得生病。但是拿細耳人不可以清酒或濃酒，因此他們必須憑信心只喝水。2. 在古時候，長頭髮很容易生蝨子和跳蚤，要清潔很不方便；3. 不碰死屍也有點困難，因為瘟疫一旦發作，很可能忽然就有人死在旁邊，誰能預料？因此拿細耳人之願，又稱為the vow of separation（離俗之願）。離俗之願的意思就是把自己和眾人分開，免得沾染不潔，才有可能分別為聖。

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). 

神的揀選

2020-12-14 in /by

民數記 3:41 我是耶和華。你要揀選利未人歸我，代替以色列人所有頭生的；也取利未人的牲畜，代替以色列所有頭生的牲畜。

這是摩西和亞倫生命中很重要的時刻。神呼召亞倫和摩西同工，但是摩西一離開，亞倫就幫助百姓造金牛犢。當摩西質問他時，他把所有的責任都推到百姓身上。但是神沒有離棄他，神饒恕他，再給他一個機會，是一個極大的榮耀。

神揀選他做第一任的大祭司，讓他的兒子們做第一批的祭司。神命定祭司必須是亞倫的後裔，所以第一批的祭司只有亞倫的四個兒子。沒想到拿答和亞比戶一開始事奉就沒有按照神的吩咐，獻凡火，以致神當場把他們燒死。亞倫接受了最高的榮譽，也承受了最大的悲傷。

現在只剩下以利亞撒和以他瑪兩個祭司了。神不在乎事奉的人少，祂寧可要忠心的僕人，也不要任意妄為、自以為大的祭司。這是一個神接受人的敬拜之開始，不能出錯，神若任憑他們，不予管教，以後就會全盤皆錯。亞倫在這些事上，怎樣看他和神的關係呢？他開始明白，敬拜神不是兒戲。

他看到神召集所有利未支派的人來服侍他，協助他獻祭和辦理帳幕的事，他發現神竟然把他和他的家放在以色列人最崇高的位置上，甚至勝過摩西的後裔。他開始明白，神不是故意殺死拿答和亞比戶，而是在神的聖潔上，容不得人的罪之審判。審判從神的家開始(彼前4:17)，也就是從他的家開始。

他也因而明白，自己和後裔成了神和人之間的橋樑，在這個位置上若不謹慎，就會有生命危險。因為神在鑑察。亞倫的屬靈生命開始改變，開始有了敬畏之心。

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.