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大卫为圣殿预备

2020-07-19 in /by

撒母耳记下 七章2节   王对拿单先知说：「你看，我住在香柏木的宫中，神的约柜却停在幔子里。」

今天这节经文是令我深为感动的一节经文。世界上多的是父母为儿女购屋置产，会想到在自己住家附近为父母购置住处的人甚少。大卫纵使有百般不是，但是他对神的心却是那么真诚。他经常会想到：「 我能为耶和华神做何事？  」

有些人在谈恋爱时，会天天为对方预备早餐，有的会替对方洗脚按摩，有的人会送花，预备假日出游的行程，准备一些惊喜，等等。但是结婚之后，就一切从简，送鲜花不如送塑胶花，一劳永逸；更别说会经常想到生他养他，什么都给他的父母。但是大卫不是这样，神恩待他，他铭刻于心，时时想念。

当他向先知约拿单谈这件事时，约拿单立刻说：「你可以完全照你的心意去做，因为耶和华与你同在。」这件事让我们明白，有时候神的仆人也会按着人的心意去判断事情，但是神的心意和人的心意不见得会一致，因此我们自己要凡事求问神，确定是出于神的带领，才不会后悔。

当晚神就向约拿单显现，表明祂自己的心意。因为大卫是个战士，流血太多，所以神要让大卫的儿子，生在太平时代的所罗门为他建殿(代上22:8)。大卫听后虽然感到遗憾，却并不气馁。反而更积极地为建殿的事工做各方面的准备。圣殿建好后，没有人记念大卫的功绩，但是大卫不介意，他的心只想讨神的欢喜。

我们有时也可能爱慕某些事奉，但是没有神的托付。我们要学习大卫，只为了讨神喜悦，自己的得失都不计较，尽力与他人配合，做幕后工作也开心，只愿神的名被高举，神得到荣耀。

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

2020-07-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 15:1-8.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  Here Ezekiel senses the Lord give him the first of three parables concerning the unfaithfulness of the people living in Jerusalem.  In this parable, the Lord compares the people living in Jerusalem to a fruitless vine whose wood is unusable (v2-3) especially after having been burned in a fire (v4-5).  The people living in Jerusalem had already “come out of the fire” of one Babylonian attack in 597 B.C. (v7).  However, the Lord warns that a similar “fire will yet consume them” again (v7), meaning that they would be subject to another Babylonian attack.  As history would show, this “fire” would take place in 586 B.C. due to the Israelites’ unfaithfulness to God (v8).

What can we learn from this?  These verses remind me of what Jesus says about the disciple who does not bear fruit.  God made us to bear fruit for Him.   As Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last.” (John 15:8, 16a)

What kind of fruit does God make us to bear? 

安息日的意义

2020-07-17 in /by

20世纪著名希伯来语作家Asher Ginsburg说: 『不是犹太人持守-保存了安息日，而是安息日「扶持-保存了」犹太人』

每个星期五的傍晚，当太阳落下、漆黑的夜晚出现明亮之星时，就是进入安息日那圣洁，又欢愉的美好时刻。

因为这一天，是「家人团聚」的家庭日，在外地工作或当兵的儿女们，在安息日的时候，一定会回家吃这一顿安息日晚餐，和父母亲聊聊天、话家常，分享过去一周生活的点点滴滴、酸天苦辣。而作父母的也会预备丰盛的佳肴，等著儿女们归家，当每一位家庭成员全数到齐，确认阖家平安，于是就开始安息日的晚宴，这样的场景就好像华人过的农历春节一般，只是犹太人每周都要「全家团聚」个一次

安息日，当然也是一周六天辛勤劳苦工作后的「休息日」，安息日希伯来文(שבת) 读音Shabbat，这个字的字根意思就是「停工、罢工」，而且是「有意识地停止」手边的任何工作。所以，在以色列的星期五，过了下午四、五点之后，你会发现:路上行驶的车辆变得越来越少，马路上的行人也寥寥可数，整座城市似乎变空城一般，那是因为，大家下班后都急着赶回家「要过安息日」。

安息日，除了是一个家庭日、休息日之外，也是犹太人要守的一个「宗教诫律」，前面提过，安息日是一个「有意识地去停止」工作的一个日子。因为在希伯来圣经中的《创世记》2:1-3节记载：「天地万物都造齐了。到第七日，神造物的工已经完毕，就在第七日歇了他一切的工，安息了。上帝赐福给第七日，定为圣日」所以，犹太人守安息日，乃是纪念上帝的创造，并且承认神是世界的主宰，一切都是借由祂所创造的。因此，犹太人守安息日，是对于神祂的真实存在，以及伟大创造的「见证」。

You Can’t Save Yourself. The One We Need Is Jesus.

2020-07-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 14:12-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 12-21:  Here the Lord continues to speak to Ezekiel while Ezekiel is sitting down with the Jewish elders (see Ezekiel 14:1).  The Lord describes four ways that He could discipline a country that is unfaithful to Him: by famine (v13-14), by wild beasts (v15-16), by sword (v17-18), and by plague (v19-20).  The Lord says that in each case not even the righteousness (or moral purity) of some of Israel’s historically most godly men – Noah, Daniel and Job – could save a nation from their sins.

What can we learn from this?

With the exception of only one person, there is no one whose righteousness is so great that they could save an entire nation, or even another individual (see v14, 16, 18, 19) from their sins with their righteousness.  As Psalm 49:7-8 says, “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him– the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough”.  Who is the one person whose righteousness is enough to save others, even an entire nation?  Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ righteousness was enough to save not just an entire nation, but the entire world.  Are you placing your faith in your own righteousness, or in the righteousness of Jesus to save you from your sins?

大卫迎约柜

2020-07-16 in /by

撒母耳记下六章21节   我也必更加卑微，自己看为低贱。至于你所说的那些使女，她们反而尊重我。

大卫迎约柜两次，第一次失败了，第二次才成功。你想不想知道他为什么失败？又为何成功迎回约柜吗？

大卫做以色列王不久，就想到要迎回约柜。就像有的弟兄姐妹一置屋或迁居就会请牧者去祷告或做感恩礼拜，为了要以基督为一家之主，并且蒙主祝福。大卫虽然做了王，但是他心里尊主为大，渴望有主的同在，因此迫不及待要把神的约柜迎回来。

在撒母耳之前的士师和大祭司是以利，在以利年迈之际，以色列人和非利士人打仗，神的约柜被非利士人抢去，留在他们那里七个月。后来非利士人把约柜送回伯示麦，以色列人把约柜从伯示麦带到基列耶琳(巴拉‧犹大就是基列耶琳)，存放在亚比拿达家里。在撒母耳做士师和大祭司时，在扫罗登基以前，约柜停在耶路撒冷十里以内的亚比拿达家中，直到扫罗被弃，约柜仍稳妥地停留在那里。约柜在亚比拿达家里停放了大约七十年，直到大卫作出安排把它运往耶路撒冷为止。

大卫挑选了三万人前往，将神的约柜从山冈上亚比拿达的家里抬出来，放在新车上；又带着松木制造的各样乐器和琴、瑟、鼓、钹、锣跳舞，一路上载歌载舞地要把约柜和神接回大卫的保障。

一切都非常美好，但是到了拿艮的禾场，忽然牛失前蹄，亚比拿达的儿子乌撒，立刻用手去扶约柜。不料，立即被神击打，死在约柜旁。原本欢乐的气氛一下子变成悲伤痛苦，忧愁满布。为什么神击打乌撒？

大卫不知道哪里得罪了神，不敢再继续行程，就把约柜送到迦特人俄别以东的家里。在神刚刚惩罚乌撒后，谁还敢把约柜放在自己家里？俄别以东是谁？俄别是指仆人，全名就是以东的仆人，一个卑微的名字。圣经上说他是迦特人。

Don’t Set That Up in Your Heart

2020-07-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 14:1-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  Ezekiel is sitting with the Jewish elders who have apparently come to see him to get some guidance from the Lord (v1).  All of a sudden Ezekiel receives a word from the Lord that actually these elders have set up idols in their hearts.  Thus the Lord questions whether He should answer these elders at all (v2).  The Lord then instructs Ezekiel to speak a message to the elders which would shed light upon their idolatry and encourage them to return to God (v3-11).

Notice that in these verses the following phrase gets repeated almost word for word in verses 3, 4 and 7: “sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet”.  Ezekiel was evidently describing exactly what the elders had done: consult idols before going to him for the Lord’s counsel.

What can we learn from this?

Idolatry is a heart matter.  Idolatry is when a person “sets up” (v3, 4, 7) the idol “in his heart” (v3, 4, 7) and treats it as being more important than the Lord.
Idolatry is a stumbling block to others.  If I set up an idol in my heart, my idolatry will impact every person within my circle of influence and be “a stumbling block to other people”.  More than anyone else, it is my family who is affected when I set up an idol in my heart.  So make it your goal not to set up any idol in your heart, lest those you love the most be affected negatively.

巴力‧毗拉心=冲破的神

2020-07-15 in /by

撒母耳记下 五章19节     大卫求问耶和华说：「我可以上去攻打非利士人吗？你将他们交在我手里吗？」耶和华对大卫说：「你可以上去，我必将非利士人交在你手里。」

约瑟在卅岁时做了埃及的宰相，大卫在卅岁时做了全以色列的王，耶稣在卅岁时开始出来传道。可见卅岁是人生的黄金时期，在这之前他们都受过人生的磨炼，约瑟从奴隶、囚犯做到宰相，大卫也是逃亡了好几年，耶稣则默默地跟随他肉身的父亲做名不经传的木匠。人生必须有旷野时期，因为那正是造就的时候。

大卫做了全以色列的王，推罗王希兰也派使者把香柏木运到大卫那里，又派木匠和石匠给大卫建造宫殿。使大卫知道耶和华坚立他作以色列王，又为自己百姓以色列的缘故，使他的国兴盛。大卫把一切的好处归于耶和华的祝福，而不是自己或从人的英勇。正如〈申命记〉8章18节说的：「你要记念耶和华你的神，因为得货财的力量是祂给你的。」

扫罗初做王时也很谦卑，但是过了两年就大胆代替撒母耳献祭，后来对神的话也是虚与委蛇。但是大卫在做王之前，在旷野时遇事必求问神再行动，他做了全以色列的王之后依然如是。

当大卫登基时，是非利士人最辉煌的日子，他们打败了扫罗父子，夺走了以色列大部份的土地。但是大卫很有军事眼光，他没有急着去拿回失去的土地，他先去拿下耶布斯，也就是后来的耶路撒冷。耶布斯在当地是最高最易防难攻的一个城巿，大卫以她为立足点，也给了非利士人一个下马威，因为非利士人动都不敢动耶布斯。

不过这也挑动了非利士人的神经，他们对大卫是又惧又怕又恨。当年大卫投靠迦特王亚吉时，非利士的首领和军长根本就不相信大卫的「投诚」。事实也证明他们是对的，为了避免后患，他们希望尽快除掉大卫。

Giving and Receiving Prophetic Words

2020-07-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 13:1-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-9:  Here God gives Ezekiel a word to speak against the false prophets of Israel, who claim to hear from God but who actually only “prophesy out of their own imagination” (v2) and who “follow their own spirit” (v3) but “have seen nothing” (v3).  God calls their visions false and their divinations (i.e. their attempts to discern God’s will) a lie (v6-7).  Because of their false visions and lying divinations, God says that the false prophets will face two consequences.  First, God is against them (“I am against you” – v8b; “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations” – v9a). Second, the false prophets will ultimately be cut off from God’s people (“They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel” – v9b).

What can we learn from this?

When you hear what may be presented to you as “a prophetic word”, be careful to test it.  As 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  How do you test a prophetic word?  Here are three things you can do:  (1) Test what you hear against the written Word of God, for God will never say anything that contradicts what He has already said in Scripture.  (2) Test what you hear by bouncing it off other believers whose relationship with God you respect.  (3) Test what you hear by asking the Holy Spirit to give you peace about it if it is truly a word from God.

神的应许应验了

2020-07-14 in /by

撒母耳记下 五章4-5节   大卫登基的时候年30岁，在位40年。 在希伯仑做犹大王七年零六个月，在耶路撒冷做以色列和犹大王33年。

在以色列的元帅押尼珥被杀之后，以色列的两个军长也想去大卫那里讨个一官半职，因此杀了以色列王伊施波设，拿了他的首级去见大卫。没想到他们的背叛换来的不是高官厚褖，而是死亡和羞辱。大卫最痛恨这样的小人，如此便吓止了小人相傚之风。

现在押尼珥死了，伊施波设死了，两个军长也死了。以色列再没有可以支撑的人，众支派的长老们终于来找大卫，他们举出了三件事来证明他们的诚意。一，他们之间是骨肉的关系，都是雅各的子孙。二，在扫罗作王时，大卫当战士长，所以是大卫率领以色列人出入。他们承认大卫的领袖地位。三，撒母耳曾经膏大卫为王，那是神对大卫的应许。因此大卫在希伯仑和他们立约，他们就膏大卫做以色列的王，此时犹大支派和以色列其他的支派终于统一了。大卫没有采取流血的手段，他耐心等待，直到神的时间来到，神亲自感动以色列人来和他立约，成就了和平统一。这是大卫第三次被膏为王。

大卫作王之后，便思索打耶布斯，因为它座落在以色列中央山脉最高处的平台上，海拔在750公尺左右；东边有汲沦溪，西边和南边是欣嫩溪；东南有俄斐勒山，东有摩利亚山，东北有贝西大山，西北有亚克拉山，西南有锡安山，其东还有橄榄山，真正是群山环绕，外敌难以进入，是个易守难攻，交通却四通八达的地方，拿来做首都正好。大卫是个有眼光有异象的政治家，当他挑选上这个地方做以色列人国的首都时，他心里已经有了策略，要打造出一个让外敌都不敢侵犯的以色列国。

但是正如上面所述，耶布斯是一个很难攻取的地方。当大卫计划要进攻耶布斯时，里面的人嘲笑大卫：就凭瞎眼的和破脚的，就可以抵挡你们了。在〈历代志上〉11章5节，耶布斯人对大卫说：「你决不能进这地方。」大卫便征求勇士：「谁先攻打耶布斯人，必作首领元帅。」在撒下五章，大卫露了一点打仗的秘密：「当上水沟攻打我心里所恨恶的瘸子、瞎子。」上水沟是何意呢？

The Exile Symbolized

2020-07-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 12:17-28.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 12:17-20 (NIV) 
17  The word of the LORD came to me:
18  “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.
19  Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there.
20  The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'”

On verses 17-20:  The Lord gives Ezekiel a message for the people still living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel.  The Lord tells Ezekiel to act out the fear and the trembling that these people will experience because of the coming desolation that they will face.  In this case they“will know that I am the LORD” not by His presence but by His absence from the city.

What can we learn from this?  Sometimes, for those who are especially stubborn and slow to learn, the only way to teach them that they have taken a great blessing for granted is to take the blessing away, at least temporarily.  This is what God did with the people living in Jerusalem and the land of Israel, as He removes His presence and protection from them and allows the people living there to feel the fear and trembling of not having God’s presence and protection in the city.