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耶路巴力—基甸(2)

士师记六章32节  所以那日人称基甸为耶路巴力,意思是:「他拆毁了巴力的坛,让巴力与他争辩吧。」

有的人和基甸一样,虽然听闻有神,却因为看到这个世界有太多灾难而怀疑神的存在。当神的使者来找基甸时,基甸就把他的疑惑都说出来,我觉得这是一个很好的开始。当我们心里有疑惑时,当告诉神,只有祂知道如何解决你心里的疑惑。很多无神论者因而成为神的仆人,到处传福音。

基甸一旦知道有神,他的人生目标就整个改变了,他开始学习顺服神。神给他的第一个使命不容易,神要他去拆掉他父亲拜巴力的祭坛,还要砍下旁边的亚舍拉当柴烧。就像我们信主后的第一个使命,便是跟家人传福音,去掉他们拜的偶像,有的人为此祷告了几十年。

基甸不敢在白天做,怕犯众怒,便带着仆人偷偷在夜里做。第二天,自然有人发现,并且发现是基甸做的,便要求基甸的父亲阿施把儿子交出来。奇妙的是,约阿施护着儿子,对站着敌对他的众人说:「你们是为巴力辩护吗?你们要救它吗?谁为它辩护,就在早晨把谁处死吧!巴力如果是 神,有人拆毁了它的坛,就让它为自己辩护吧!」巴力如果是神,就可以为自己辩护;巴力若不是神,为它辩护岂不是多此一举?

The Real Lion King

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 19:1-14. Let’s go!

Ezekiel 19:1 (NIV)
1 “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel

On verse 1: Here in chapter 19, God tells Ezekiel to write down a “lament”. A lament is a funeral song honouring someone who has died and expressing the feeling of loss and grief of losing that person. In this case the lament concerns “the princes of Israel”, which is Ezekiel’s term for the kings who led Israel in its most recent history. As we will see, the lament consists of two pictures or parables.

On verses 2-9: The first parable describes how a mother lion raises one of her cubs to be a strong and powerful lion, but that lion cub is trapped and taken to Egypt as a captive. The mother lion then raises another one of her cubs to be an even stronger and more powerful lion, but the nations trap him and take him to Babylon as a captive.

大能的勇士—基甸(1)

士师记六章17节  基甸对他说:「我若在你眼前蒙恩,求你给我一个证据,证明是你在跟我说话。」

今天是以色列人的圣殿被毁日(希伯来语:תשעה באב‎或ט׳ באב‎;Tisha B’Av,意为「埃波月第九日」),是犹太教一年一度的禁食日,纪念耶路撒冷第一圣殿和第二圣殿的被毁。这一天也是为了纪念发生在同一天的其他降临犹太人的灾难,其中包括在公元135年超过50万犹太人在罗马被屠杀。 圣殿被毁日被认为是犹太日历最悲伤的一天。很多犹太人因为发生在以色列的灾难,而不能相信有一位耶和华神在眷顾他们。

〈希伯来书〉的作者说:「人非有信,就不能讨神的喜悦,因为到神面前来的人必须信有神,并且信祂会赏赐寻求祂的人。(希11:6)」 但是并非每个人都像底波拉一样,对神有满满的信心。当你诸事不顺时,你相信世上有神吗?

当底波拉过世之后,以色列人又远离耶和华神,转去拜外邦人的偶像,神就让米甸人辖制他们。每当以色列人撒种之后,米甸、亚玛力和东边的人都上来攻打他们,对着他们安营,毁坏那地的农作物,直到迦萨,没有给以色列留下食物,牛、羊、驴也没有留下。那些人带着他们的牲畜和帐棚上来,像蝗虫那样多;人和骆驼无数,都进入境内,毁坏全地。

〈士师记〉第六章形容他们的困苦,为了躲避米甸人,以色列人就在山中挖洞穴,挖洞建营寨。所以当神的使者去看基甸时,他正躲在酒榨那里打麦子。有一种出土的酒榨,上池约8英尺见方,15英寸深,下方约2英尺处有一个用来承接果汁的较小的池。基甸就是用这种酒榨来打小麦。酒榨是为了要把葡萄榨成汁,所以只需要一个很小的地方;但是打麦子要在空旷的地方,因为需要利用风力将麦糠和麦子分开,才能有最多的收成。在一个不通风的地方打麦子,麦糠会到处飘,连呼吸都不容易。但是基甸没有办法,他不敢去外面空旷的地方打麦子,免得被米甸人发现来抢他的粮食。

I Can’t, But Jesus Can

Hi GAMErs,

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

On verses 21-32: When you read these verses, at first you might find a reason for some humanistic hope, thinking, “Okay, so if I clean up my entire act, turn away from my sins and keep God’s decrees, doing what is just and right, I will have eternal life.” But if you really consciously try to keep all of God’s decrees, you’ll find that there is absolutely no way that you can do it. No matter how hard we try, there is no way we can turn away from “all the sins” we have committed (v21) and keep “all” of God’s decrees (v21), for nobody’s perfect. As much as God does not want us to die and be separated from Him eternally, and as much as we don’t want that either, there is no way we could ever be free of sin by our own strength. What we need is a Saviour who can do what we ourselves can’t do. Praise God for Jesus Christ who lived the perfect life on our behalf and suffered death on the cross for our sins, so that through Jesus Christ we can have eternal life.

These verses also show us repeatedly God’s heart, that while God is just and in His justice needs to punish sin, God takes no pleasure in punishing or destroying anyone for their sin. As verse 32 says, “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (v32, see also verse 23). Rather God delights in giving people a new start with “a new heart and a new spirit” (v31).

底波拉

箴言 3章 5-6节   你要专心仰赖耶和华、不可倚靠自己的聪明. 在你一切所行的事上、都要认定祂,祂必指引你的路。

在烈阳发威时,突然想起了一位很聪明的女士师兼先知。她喜欢坐在一棵棕树底下,为百姓排解纠纷。因此大家都称那棵棕树是底波拉的棕树。

在士师管理的时代,以色列人有一个不好的习惯,当他们顺利平安时,就去拜外邦人的偶像,耶和华神就任由外邦人欺负他们。当以色列人被欺负得民不聊生时,就会转向耶和华神祈求。

约书亚过世之后,便是士师的时代。第一个士师是约书亚的女婿俄陀聂,他战胜了美索不达米亚王古珊‧利萨田,获得四十年的太平;接着是以笏刺杀了摩押王伊矶伦,以色列太平八十年;以笏之后,有亚拿的儿子珊迦,他用赶牛的棍子打死六百非利士人。底波拉是第四任的士师兼先知。

根据底波拉在〈士师记〉第五章的史诗,她说:「在亚拿之子珊迦的时候,在雅亿的日子,大道无人行走,过路人绕道而行。以色列农村荒芜,空无一人,直到我底波拉兴起,兴起作以色列之母!」珊迦虽然用赶牛棍打死六百非利士人,获得一时的平安。但是珊迦没有带领以色列人抗敌,也没有带领以色列人转向神。

因此以色列人很快又被迦南人辖制。迦南人把守要道,又四出掳掠,大道不安全,百姓须绕小道而行。「以色列农村荒芜,空无一人」,因为农村缺乏防卫的条件和力量,并且迦南人时时来抢劫,人们不敢耕种都逃走躲起来,因此田地都荒废了。田地荒废就没有粮食,何等困苦的处境。

Don’t Play the Blame Game

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 18:1-20. Let’s go!

Ezekiel 18:1-3 (NIV)
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

On verses 1-3: In Ezekiel’s day, this was a popular saying among the Israelites: “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (v2). What did that saying mean and why would the Israelites say it? The Israelites would say this phrase as a way of blaming their ancestors for their current difficulties. When people would ask the Israelites, “Why are you going through such difficulties and suffering right now?” many Israelites would respond by saying, “It’s not my fault. It’s my father’s fault.” Here in chapter 18, God responds to this tendency of many Israelites to blame their problems on their parents.

大卫的人生下半场

历代志上 29章20节 大卫对全会众说:「你们应当称颂耶和华—你们的 神。」

很多人奋斗了大半生,有很好的成果,但是到了人生的下半场,因为舒坦了,一个不慎就再回头己百年身。所以有的人把男人的中年阶段起了个名字,就是中年危机。

大卫人生的前半场,虽然有点辛苦,但是他活得十分精采,也充满了神同在的恩典。但是经过了与拔示巴这一段,神恕他死罪,却难逃活罪。这活罪就是罪带来的苦果,神的咒诅:1.刀剑必永不离开大卫的家,2.神要从大卫家中兴起灾祸攻击大卫;神必在大卫眼前把他的妃嫔赐给他身边的人,他要在光天化日下与大卫的妃嫔同寝。3. 大卫和拔示巴生的第一个孩子必定要死。

原本和谐安兴旺的家,在一夕之间因为大卫的罪而变得危机四伏,杀机重重。第一个应验的,便是大卫和拔示巴生的第一个孩子死了。接着大卫的长子暗嫰用计奸了同父异母的妹妹她玛,她玛的哥哥押沙龙存心报复,杀了暗嫰;后来更蓄意纂位,使大卫不得不逃离耶路撒冷。

大卫逃离耶路撒冷后,在光天化日下与大卫的妃嫔同寝的,便是大卫的儿子押沙龙。当押沙龙去追杀大卫时,因为他的头发太多太长,在森林里被树枝绕住,就悬挂起来,所骑的骡子便离他而去。约押收到报告,立刻赶去,拿三杆短枪刺透押沙龙的心,把他杀死。这才解了大卫的危机。

God Alone Is Sovereign

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 17:11-24. Let’s go!

Ezekiel 17:11-14 (NIV)
11 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
12 “Say to this rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon.
13 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land,
14 so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty.

On verses 11-14: After capturing King Jehoichin of Judah and taking him to Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would appoint Zedekiah, Jehoichin’s uncle (“a member of the royal family” – v13), to stay in Jerusalem and to take Jehoichin’s place as ruler in Judah. Nebuchadnezzar would place Zedekiah under oath and make him sign a treaty promising that he would cooperate with Nebuchadnezzar’s policies.

基督徒该守安息日吗?

一、我们首先来看圣经中第一次出现安息日的原因和意义:

创世记第一章记载神用六天创造了天地万物,最后造了有神形像的人,神把人摆在祂所造的万物当中,神看着非常满意,说,「甚好。」(创1:31)。于是,「到第七日,神造作的工已经完毕,就在第七日歇了祂一切造作的工,安息了。神赐福给第七日,将其分别为圣,因为在这日神歇了祂一切创造和造作的工,就安息了。」(创2:2~3)

神为何在第七日歇了一切的工,安息了呢?

因为人有了神的形像,将会使祂的荣耀得着彰显;神的权柄也将要施行,以征服祂的仇敌撒但。只要人彰显神并对付神的仇敌,神就得着满足而能安息。后来神在制定十诫时,就为以色列人制定了他们要在第七日记念为安息日。(出20:8∼11。)

因此,安息日不是休息日,而是神在创造时得着人,神满足了;也在救赎了以色列人作神的子民,要他们记念神为他们所成功的救赎。

二、安息与休息完全不同

人做事会疲累的,累了就需要休息。人以为神作了六天的创造工作,一定也很累了,所以第七天神就需要休息。但是神会累吗?

诗篇121:4 说,「看哪,保护以色列的,也不打盹,也不睡觉。」

希伯来书1:3说,「用祂大能的话维持、载着并推动万有。」万有的运作、维持是不能停顿一时一刻的。神的大能是人想像不到的,完全不需要休息。

Shortcuts Can Be Deceiving

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 17:1-10.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 17:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me:
2  “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable.

On verses 1-2:  Here the Lord gives Ezekiel another picture (also called an allegory or a parable – v2) to tell the house of Israel.  Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, we see that God loves to use pictures and stories to communicate spiritual truths to His people.  For some reason God made us to be drawn to stories.  Keep this in mind the next time you want to communicate a spiritual truth to others.

Ezekiel 17:3a (NIV)
3  Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon…

On verses 3a:  Who is this great eagle?  Most scholars agree that the great eagle here symbolizes King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who would come to Israel (that is, Lebanon).