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Don’t Trouble Yourself

2020-08-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 22:1-16.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 22:1-5 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me: 
2  “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices 
3  and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, 
4  you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. 
5  Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.
 
On verses 1-5:  In another message that God gives to Ezekiel for the city of Jerusalem, God confirms that it was the people of Jerusalem who brought trouble upon themselves.  He describes Jerusalem as the “city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood” (v3), that “defiles herself by making idols” (v3), who has “become defiled by the idols you have made” (v4) and “brought your days to a close” (v4).

英雄難過美人關(上)

2020-08-03 in /by

士師記 13章24節   後來婦人生了一個兒子，給他起名叫參孫。孩子漸漸長大，耶和華賜福給他。

和亞比米勒，耶弗他不同，參孫出生在一個非常愛他的家庭裡，他的父母都非常敬虔。參孫的出生是出於神的使者之預告，參孫的成長更充滿了神的祝福。按人的眼光來看，這樣的孩子是含著金湯匙出生的，前途無可限量。

神要求參孫做拿細耳人，也就是母親懷胎時，胎兒就歸於神了。所以參孫的母親在懷胎時，葡萄樹所結的不可吃，清酒烈酒都不可喝，任何不潔之物都不可吃。而參孫從出生到死也都要守這些例，也不可用剃刀剃頭，不可接觸死物。因為神要使用他拯救以色列人。

從人的眼光來看，這是何等榮耀的揀選；從參孫的眼光來看，這實在是很痛苦的生涯。因為從一出生，他的命運就己經被註定了。有很多人不想信耶穌，就是因為害怕被束縛，不可以做這，不可以做那，雖然明白這都是為了自己的好處，但有的人還是想穿破那一層束縛的感覺，去為心所欲。所以在參孫的一生裡，他破壞了所有拿細耳人當守的規矩。我相信他不是故意的，而只是不願被束縛，不願成為條例下的被迫者。就好像疫情當中，很多人不肯戴口罩，鬧出很多抗議遊行，甚至打人殺人事件，因為他們就是不要戴口罩，覺得扼殺了他們的人權。

但是不管參孫怎樣違背拿細耳人的條例，神還是按著祂的計劃，使用他去拯救以色列人。神的計劃，人很難明白。那時以色列人被非利士人轄制，參孫偏偏喜歡上一個非利士女子。作者說，這事出於神。

When There’s a Fork in Your Road

2020-08-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 21:18-32.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 21:18-20 (NIV) 
18  The word of the LORD came to me: 
19  “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. 
20  Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem.
 
On verses 18-20:  According to scholars, when Jerusalem (led by King Zedekiah) rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 588 B.C., there were two other cities, also under Babylonian rule, that were rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar at the same time.  Those other two cities were Rabbah (the capital of Ammon) and Tyre.  Tyre was the most difficult of the three cities to attack, so King Nebuchadnezzar narrowed it down to two options: attack Jerusalem or attack Rabbah.  Which one would he choose? 
 

兩個被父家拒絕的男人

2020-08-02 in /by

士師記 11章1節   基列人耶弗他是個大能的勇士，是妓女的兒子。基列生了耶弗他。

有許多男人不知道自己為父的重要性，到處留種，結果種下了好多禍根。因為有了孩子而不教養，以致於自己的家都破碎了。基甸就是一個這樣的例子，神雖然呼召他，他打了個勝仗後就到處風流。不僅有了七十個親生的兒子，在示劍也有個不帶回家的妾，給他生了兒子亞比米勒。亞比米勒在基甸死後，就殺掉了69個兄弟，只有一個約坦逃出去。他自立為王三年，卻不算是以色列人的士師，後來也被自己人殺死。

大約過了六十幾年後，有一個名叫基列的基列人，己有妻子兒子，又和一個妓女生下一個兒子耶弗他。基列的兒子們長大後就把耶弗他趕出門，免得他也要繼承產業。耶弗他便出去和一些無賴混在一起。

但是耶弗他可能很有智慧和能力，所以當亞捫人轄制以色列人時，基列人在沒有選擇的餘地下，只好去請耶弗他回來幫助他們。耶弗他懂得敬畏神，一接下任務，便到米斯巴將他一切的事陳述在耶和華面前。

耶弗他的智慧表現在敬畏神和論事的智慧上，他一開始想以德服人，跟亞捫人據理力爭，表現出他對以色列人的歷史十分清楚，不是只有猛力。當亞捫人不講理時，他就與他們爭戰。耶和華的靈在他身上，但是出征前他還是有太多擔心。他擔心什麼呢？

他害怕戰事失利，好不容易重新被接納，何等擔心因為失敗又被踢出去! 他相信耶和華神，但是他覺得若許個願會更可靠。你有沒有這樣的想法？在民間信仰裡，那些人去拜託偶像幫忙時都會許願，要為偶像修金身或送台戲，反正就覺得有許願，邪靈會比較肯幫忙。信徒也經常也有這樣的想法，有的人患了癌症求神醫治，便許願病好了去讀神學；有的人有難關求神幫忙，許願難關一過便奉獻多少錢給教會，有的人更許願去全世界傳福音，誇下很難做到的宏願。

Let It Run Through You

2020-08-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 21:1-17.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 21:1-7 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me: 
2  “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 
3  and say to her: ‘This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 
4  Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 
5  Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.’ 
6  “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 
7  And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.’ It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
 
On verses 1-7:  In case the Israelites did not understand the message Ezekiel was sharing in Ezekiel 20:45-48, God gives Ezekiel an even clearer and more direct message to give the Israelites about the destruction that was coming to Jerusalem and Judah (the kingdom in which Jerusalem was situated). 

安慰的安息日

2020-07-31 in /by

<安慰的安息日 (שבת נחמו)>

由塔模斯月 17 號開始 (今年陽曆7/9)，一直到埃波月 9 號 (陽曆 7/30)，中間經過的三週安息日，會有三份「責備」的先知書伴讀經文 (Haftarat of Rebuke/פרשיות הפורענות)，內容主要是關於「譴責、訓斥」以色列百姓的犯罪、偏行己路、離棄神的控訴，直到「聖殿被毀日」達到高峰。

但緊接在「聖殿被毀日」 “之後” 的第一個安息日，也就是本週的這個安息日 (7/31)，猶太人稱之為「安慰的安息日」(שבת נחמו) Shabbat Nachamu。

因為在這個安息日的 (先知書伴讀)，猶太人會誦讀《以賽亞書》40:1-26 的經文，並且，從這個安息日開始，接連的七個安息日 (包括本週)，都會誦讀關於「安慰」信息的先知書經文伴讀，以此預備心，來迎接「吹角節/猶太新年」的到來。這七份的「安慰」經文全部都在《以賽亞書》。

《以賽亞書》40章1節說: 你們的上帝說： 你們『要安慰，安慰我的百姓。』

40:2 要對耶路撒冷的心說話，向她宣告，她的苦役已結束，她的罪孽已償還；她為自己一切的罪，已經從耶和華手中加倍地領受了。(妥拉坊，鍾鹽光老師)

讀了<安慰的安息日 (שבת נחמו)>，你可能會想知道什麼是〈聖殿被毀日〉。今年(2020)的7月29-30日是猶太日曆最悲傷的一天，因為在距離646年之間，兩座聖殿在同一天被毀。現在我們來看看約阿咪介紹的〈聖殿被毀日〉(Tisha B’Av)：

No Matter What the World Around You Does, Trust God

2020-07-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 20:30-49. Let’s go!

Ezekiel 20:30-31 (NIV)
30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?
31 When you offer your gifts–the sacrifice of your sons in the fire–you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me.

On verses 30-31: As part of their idol worship, the Israelites adopted the wicked and horrific practice of sacrificing their children to the idol Molech by burning their infant children in a massive fire pit. The Israelites hoped that by sacrificing their children to Molech, Molech would bless them with prosperity. In response to this heinous crime and horrific sin, God refused to let the elders of Israel inquire of Him.

雖然疲乏，還是追趕

2020-07-30 in /by

士師記八章4節    他們雖然疲乏，還是追趕。

在神主導的戰役中，真正的主帥永遠是神。祂只給基甸留下三百人，要去對付13萬5千的敵軍，還有無數的駱駝。換了是你，會不會想逃回家？那夜，耶和華對基甸說：「起來，下去攻營，因我已把它交在你手中。」

我們仔細聽神的用語：「起來」，意思是別休息了。「下去攻營」，就是現在，要打仗了。「因我己把它交在你手中」，你己經得勝了，去領獎吧! 整去加起來，就是我己經幫你打完仗了，去領獎吧! 也知道基甸聽不懂，又加了一句：「倘若你害怕下去，可以帶你的僕人普拉下到那營裏去， 你必聽見他們所說的，這樣你的手就有力量下去攻營。」

神知道基甸心裡害怕，神也知道我們心裡的害怕。所以祂用方法去鼓勵基甸。基甸真的害怕，所以他真的帶著普拉去探敵營。到了敵營，看到敵人如同蝗蟲那樣多；他們的駱駝無數，多如海邊的沙。但是他聽到另一件事：有一人把夢告訴同伴說：「看哪，我做了一個夢。看哪，一個大麥餅滾入米甸營中，來到帳幕，把帳幕撞倒，帳幕就翻轉倒塌了。」同伴回答說：「這不是別的，而是以色列人約阿施的兒子基甸的刀。　神已把米甸和全軍都交在他手中了。」基甸看到的是環境，聽到的是神的應許，他終於願意放手一搏。

以色列人沒有刀也沒有槍，三百人要對付13萬5千的敵軍和無數的駱駝，這仗怎麼打呢？我相信《孫子兵法》裡絕對沒有這一招。基甸將三百人分成三隊，把角和空瓶交在每個人手中，瓶內有火把。 他對他們說：「看著我，你們要照樣做。看哪，我來到營邊，我怎樣做，你們也要照樣做。我和所有跟隨我的人吹角的時候，你們也要在營的四圍吹角，喊叫：『為耶和華！為基甸！』」

Rebellious Israel Purged

2020-07-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 20:1-29. There are many lessons we can learn from this passage. Let’s go!

Ezekiel 20:1-3 (NIV)
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.
2 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.’

On verses 1-3: According to many scholars, the date Ezekiel describes in verse 1 can be equated to sometime in August 591 B.C. At that time some elders of Israel come to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord. However, the Lord tells Ezekiel that He refuses to let the elders inquire of Him (v3).

Why would the Lord not let the elders of Israel inquire of Him? In the rest of chapter 20, God will explain in an indirect way His reason for not letting the Israelite elders inquire of Him: it’s because of the Israelites’ tendency to rebel against what God says. Why would God bother telling the Israelites what they should do when the Israelites would refuse to do it?