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來吧,我的愛! (Lecha Dodi)

雅歌 6章3節   我屬我的良人 ,我的良人也屬我 (ani ledodi vedodi li)

來吧,我的愛! ( Lecha Dodi) 這是一首以色列人在安息日唱的歌,也就是迎接安息日的新娘進場歌。是由以色列美角網站的約阿咪所介紹。

「來吧!我的愛!」( L’cha Dodi),這麼浪漫的歌,居然是猶太人每週都要唱的歌!誰是那個愛呢?而且是大家一起在會堂裡唱這首歌唷!為什麼會有這個特別的傳統呢?

每週五晚上,就是安息日(Shabbat),猶太人這天會不工作,以紀念安息日,因為神創造天地的時候在第七天就休息了。猶太人會來到會堂一起守安息日,而其中一個很重要的環節就是「迎接」安息日。

因為卡巴拉的傳統,安息日就如要迎接一個美麗的新娘,所以這首在夕陽時刻要唱的「來吧!我的愛!」( L’cha Dodi),就是在迎接美麗的安息日。

Plunder Hell, Populate Heaven

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Zephaniah 2:1-15.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-3:  Here Zephaniah implores the people of Judah to seek the Lord and to humble themselves before it is too late, “before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you” (v2).  Later on in this chapter, Zephaniah will introduce the idea of the “remnant”, that is, a group within the people of Judah who continued to seek the Lord and humble themselves before Him despite the widespread sin and rebellion around them.  Zephaniah and other Old Testament prophesy about how the Lord will preserve and rescue this remnant from the destruction He pronounced on the land of Judah.

耶和華以勒

創世記 22章14節 亞伯拉罕給那地方起名叫耶和華以勒,直到今日人還說:「在耶和華的山上必有預備。」

聖經裡給我們看到的亞伯拉罕,並不是像一般人想的,一直都是信心滿溢。相反地,亞伯拉罕之所以成為信心之父,是經過了許多的考驗和失敗。神讓我們看到亞伯拉罕跟隨祂的點點滴滴,讓我們明白,祂知道我們不過是人,祂知道我們的軟弱和不足,即使我們失敗,祂仍然願意陪伴我們,等待我們,牽著我們的手一直到永恒。所以,明白這事之後,我們若再看到有人沒有信心的表現,也就不用太憤怒了,這就是人的本相,神允許我們慢慢成長,我們也要容忍別人的不足,讓他們慢慢成長。

在神和亞伯拉罕討論過所多瑪和蛾摩拉的存亡之後,你可能會想,有過與神面對面的經歷,這個人應該不會再犯錯了。你一定沒想到,他真的又說謊了。當他們搬到非利士地的基拉耳時,他又騙人說撒拉是他的妹妹。結果基拉耳王亞比米勒來把撒拉取去,結果全家遭天譴,婦女都不能生育了。亞比米勒知錯後向亞伯拉罕道歉,又賠他一筆錢,亞伯拉罕又賺了。神真的很憐憫恩待亞伯拉罕。

在亞伯拉罕一百歲,撒拉九十歲時,以撒出生了。大家都高興得不得了,撒拉更是欣喜若狂。在以撒斷奶後,亞伯拉罕擺設豐盛的筵席之際,撒拉看到以實瑪利在逗以撒,中文是寫戲笑,英文是mocking /poking fun,兩者都有不懷好意的成份在內。因此她即刻要求亞伯拉罕把他們母子趕出去。

Beyond Appearances, God Looks at the Heart

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Zephaniah, a short book with a powerful message and part of what is sometimes known as the “Minor Prophets” section of the Old Testament.

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

Zephaniah 1:1 (NIV)
1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

On verse 1: Who was Zephaniah? According to some scholars, the fact that Zephaniah traces his ancestry back four generations in verse 1 suggests that Zephaniah was a man of high social standing and quite possibly the great grandson of King Hezekiah. Zephaniah received this word from the Lord and wrote this book during the reign of Josiah, who reigned from 640 and 609 B.C.

亞伯拉罕的代禱

創世記 19章29節   當神毀滅平原諸城的時候,祂記念亞伯拉罕,正在傾覆羅得所住之城的時候,就打發羅得從傾覆之中出來。

在舊約裡,猶太人有接待陌生人的習俗,據說就是從亞伯拉罕開始的。因為亞伯拉罕接待三個陌生人,卻沒想到是接待了神和祂的使者,因為大家都希望也有這樣的福氣,因此這習俗便流傳下來了。

神向亞伯拉罕說明,應許之子要從撒拉出生;這次神再來跟他們確定此事:「到明年這時候,我必要回到你這裡,你的妻子撒拉必生一個兒子。」我在想,為何神要三番四次地告訴他們?是否因為亞伯拉罕和撒拉在這事裡也有當盡的責任?假如他們都沒有同房,神又沒有預備讓耶穌那時降生,那麼神豈不為難?所以神是在暗示明示,你們兩個不要拖拖拉拉的。

上次聽到這個宣告,亞伯拉罕在心裡偷笑;這次聽到宣告,撒拉在那人身後的帳篷門口偷笑。因為兩人都覺得不可能,不合邏輯。不過,這次他們兩個人總算明白了神的暗示明示。當他們完成此行的任務要離開時,亞伯拉罕就送他們一程。

Finding Hope Even When Things Aren’t Going Your Way

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Habakkuk 2:1-20.  Let’s go!

Habakkuk 3:1 (NIV) 
1  A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.
 
On verse 1:  The book of Habakkuk reads like an ongoing dialogue between Habakkuk and the Lord.  In chapter 1 Habakkuk complains about why there is injustice and evil in the world, and the Lord responds.  Then Habakkuk questions how God could use the evil Babylonians as His chosen instrument.  In chapter 2 the Lord responds by saying that He will hold the Babylonians to account for their sin as well. In chapter 3 the book of Habakkuk ends with a song of praise from Habakkuk.  On “shigionoth” is probably a musical instruction for the musicians playing this song.

割禮之約

創世記17章1-2節 亞伯蘭年九十九歲的時候,耶和華向他顯現,對他說:「我是全能的神,你當在我面前做完全人。 我就與你立約,使你的後裔極其繁多。」

夏甲生下以實瑪利時,亞伯蘭86歲。當亞伯蘭99歲時,神再度向亞伯蘭顯現,這當中有多少年神保持沉默?有的人說13年,因為以實瑪利那年13歲;有的人說14年,因為從亞伯蘭和夏甲同床後,神就靜默了。不過,我們若不算99 歲那年,就是13年吧。

最近川普說他目前不要再跟習大大說話了,聽起來有點孩子氣,不過也讓我們明白,當A不想跟B說話時,很可能因為A對B有所不滿或生氣了。神為何對亞伯蘭保持了13年的沉默呢?你能想像神氣到不想跟亞伯蘭講話的樣子嗎?祂曾經想過,亞伯蘭會用自己的方法去生孩子嗎?祂知道亞伯蘭心裡等待的煎熬嗎?日子一天天過去,他和撒萊一天天變老,生理上也不再年輕,相信有許多人都感受過亞伯蘭在等待中的絕望。

但是神期望亞伯蘭對祂是完全的相信,一百分之一百的相信,沒有一點點的懷疑。在神對亞伯蘭說的話裡,我們可以感受到神的失望和期待,祂說:「我是全能的神,你當在我面前做完全人。我就與你立約,使你的後裔極其繁多。」意思是,不管你怎樣想,要知道世界上沒有我做不到的事,因此你要全然信靠我。我不是己經和你立約,我也必使你的後裔極其繁多(所以你不應該自作主張)。

Write Down What God Says to You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Habakkuk 2:1-20.  Let’s go!

Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT2) 
1  I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.

On verse 1:  You will find that in both chapters 1 and 2 of Habakkuk, there is an ongoing dialogue that takes place between Habakkuk and God.

In chapter 1, Habakkuk voices his complaint about why God allows injustice and evil to continue (v1-4), and God gives His answer (v5-11).  Habakkuk then voices a second complaint about how God could use wicked people to accomplish His purposes (v12-17).  Now in Chapter 2, Habakkuk decides to wait for God’s answer to his second complaint (2:1), and God will answer in verses 2 to 20.

What can we learn from this?  Let your prayer life not be a one way monologue to God, but a two way dialogue with God.  Don’t just talk to God.  Like Habakkuk, wait for God to speak and take the time to listen for Him.  It’s in the waiting and the listening that life changing things happen.

看顧人的神

創世記16章13節a  夏甲就稱那對她說話的耶和華為「看顧人的神」。

今天我們要來看一個有點可悲的故事,因為亞伯蘭聽從妻子撒萊的話,接受使女夏甲為妾。夏甲是個埃及女人,看見自己懷孕了,就看不起撒萊。撒萊很覺委屈,上訴於亞伯蘭,亞伯蘭跟撒萊說,夏甲是撒萊的使女,所以撒萊可以隨意待她。

這下子不得了,為了反擊這個無知傲慢的埃及女人,撒萊全力反攻,苦待夏甲,全然忘了她是找夏甲來幫忙生小孩的,現在夏甲有孕在身了,她卻失去理智地苦待一個孕婦,全然忘了母子的安全。可見當一個女人失去理智時是很瘋狂的,最好不要讓女人失去理智。

為了保護自己,夏甲逃走了。有句話說:「人在做,天在看」,你還別不信。因為就在夏甲跑不動了,坐在一個水泉旁喘氣時,耶和華神的使者就出現了,對她說:「撒萊的使女夏甲,你從哪裡來?要往哪裡去?」夏甲說:「我從我的主母撒萊面前逃出來。」 耶和華的使者對她說:「你回到你主母那裡,服在她手下。」 又說:「我必使你的後裔極其繁多,甚至不可勝數。」 並說:「你如今懷孕要生一個兒子,可以給他起名叫以實瑪利,因為耶和華聽見了你的苦情。他為人必像野驢,他的手要攻打人,人的手也要攻打他。他必住在眾弟兄的東邊。」

這時的夏甲非常感動,也許她正在擔心何去何從。她既然是在亞伯蘭家做使女,很可能從小就被賣到他家,她可能己經沒有自己的家了,即使有家也不一定找得回去,即使找得回去,家人會不會又把她送回來?但是神的使者出現了,給絕望的她指出了一條路,而且把將來的事給她指明了。

When God Doesn’t Do What You Expect Him To

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Habakkuk.  Written approximately between 700 and 600 B.C., the book of Habakkuk is a short but powerful book by a prophet called Habakkuk.  In this book Habakkuk writes down his revelations from God at a time when Babylon is emerging as a world power and Habakkuk’s own nation of Israel is fraught with internal corruption.

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

Habakkuk 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.

On verse 1:  Little is known with certainty about Habakkuk, the author of this book.  In fact the very first line and the very last line of this book tell us more about Habakkuk then all the writing in between.  The first line tells us that Habakkuk was a prophet chosen by God.  The last line, “For the director of music.  On my stringed instruments” (Habakkuk 3:19), tells us that Habakkuk was a musician who probably played and wrote worship music for the temple where people worshiped the Lord.  The body of this book shows us that Habakkuk was sensitive to God’s voice, sensitive to the injustice he saw around him as well as the visions God was showing him.