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诗篇九十一篇

1住在至高者隐密处的,必住在全能者的荫下。
2 我要论到耶和华说:「祂是我的避难所,是我的山寨,是我的神,是我所倚靠的。」
3 祂必救你脱离捕鸟人的网罗和毒害的瘟疫。
4 祂必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你,你要投靠在祂的翅膀底下,祂的诚实是大小的盾牌。
5 你必不怕黑夜的惊骇,或是白日飞的箭;
6 也不怕黑夜行的瘟疫,或是午间灭人的毒病。
7 虽有千人仆倒在你旁边,万人仆倒在你右边,这灾却不得临近你。
8 你唯亲眼观看,见恶人遭报。
9 耶和华是我的避难所,你已将至高者当你的居所,
10 祸患必不临到你,灾害也不挨近你的帐篷。……

这诗篇里提到神对祂子民的保护。在这里可能有人会觉得不公平,倘若是造物主,当然要一视同仁,通通保护,怎么可以只保护祂拣选的子民呢?因此诗人在第一节就说得很清楚:「住在至高者隐密处的,必住在全能者的荫下」。

我们所处的社会是一个充满罪恶的社会,充满了人的诡诈和欺骗。所以人若选择离开神的隐密处,要跟随社会的潮流,就不能抱怨得不到神的保护。因为神愿意救我们脱离捕鸟人的网罗和毒害的瘟疫,但是我们得听从祂的教导。

在十四世纪时,黑死病肆虐欧洲,但是住在欧洲的犹太人几乎没有人感染黑死病。后来犹太人领袖出来解释,因为他们的信仰教导他们要怎样注重卫生习惯,要每周沐浴,饭前洗手。这些在旧约的律法书里都有记载,愿意遵守的犹太人就因而蒙保守了。虽然后来因而激发了反犹运动,那又是另一回事了。

Move Forward Despite Fear

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 3:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-6:  After settling into their towns in Jerusalem, the priests led by Joshua and the politicians led by Zerubabbel begin building the altar of the Lord, just as the law of Moses had prescribed.  They celebrate the biggest festival in their calendar, the Feast of Tabernacles (v4), and make regular and ongoing sacrifices to the Lord (v5).  There are two verses that especially stick out to me:
“Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord” (v3)
“they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.” (v6)

Notice that the leaders of the Israelites built the altar despite their fear of the people around them (v3) and offered burnt offerings even though the foundation of the temple was not yet laid (v6).  In other words, the leaders of God’s people did not let fear or inconvenience stop them from building God’s house or giving their required offerings.   They did it anyways.

Likewise, don’t allow fear or inconvenience stop you from worshiping God and giving God a pleasing offering.  Push through, find a way and do it anyways.  That’s what separates the leader whom God uses to do great things from the one who just goes with the crowd. 

诗篇九十篇

神人摩西的祈祷。

1 主啊,祢世世代代做我们的居所。
2 诸山未曾生出,地与世界祢未曾造成,从亘古到永远,祢是神。

3 祢使人归于尘土,说:「你们世人要归回。」

4 在祢看来,千年如已过的昨日,又如夜间的一更。
5 祢叫他们如水冲去,他们如睡一觉。早晨他们如生长的草,
6 早晨发芽生长,晚上割下枯干。
7 我们因祢的怒气而消灭,因祢的愤怒而惊惶。
8 祢将我们的罪孽摆在祢面前,将我们的隐恶摆在祢面光之中。
9 我们经过的日子都在祢震怒之下,我们度尽的年岁好像一声叹息。
10 我们一生的年日是七十岁,若是强壮可到八十岁,但其中所矜夸的不过是劳苦愁烦;转眼成空,我们便如飞而去。……

这是诗篇第四卷的第一篇。很多人很喜欢这诗篇,因为觉得摩西说出了我们内心的想法。神是永恒的神,而人是有限的人。神使人归于尘土,是为了要世人归回。尘土怎能归回?不过成为永恒宇宙中的几粒沙罢了。因此我们知道除了化成尘土的肉体,我们必然还有一个灵体,那是我们用以归回朝见神的。

God Remembers Your Faith + Your Urim and Thummim

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 2:1-70.  Let’s go!

Ezra 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 
2  in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel

On verses 3-58, 64-70:   What can we learn from this long list of names of the 40,000 plus people who returned to Jerusalem? The fact that God’s Word lists by name the different families that went back to Jerusalem tells us that God remembers people for their faith. 

诗篇八十九篇

以斯拉人以探的训诲诗。

1 我要歌唱耶和华的慈爱直到永远,我要用口将祢的信实传于万代。
2 因我曾说:「祢的慈悲必建立到永远,祢的信实必坚立在天上。」
3 「我与我所拣选的人立了约,向我的仆人大卫起了誓:
4 我要建立祢的后裔直到永远,要建立祢的宝座直到万代。」(细拉)
5 耶和华啊,诸天要称赞祢的奇事,在圣者的会中要称赞祢的信实!
6 在天空,谁能比耶和华呢?神的众子中,谁能像耶和华呢?
7 祂在圣者的会中是大有威严的神,比一切在祂四围的更可畏惧。
8 耶和华万军之神啊,哪一个大能者像祢耶和华?祢的信实是在祢的四围。
9 祢管辖海的狂傲,波浪翻腾,祢就使他平静了。
10 祢打碎了拉哈伯,似乎是已杀的人,祢用有能的膀臂打散了祢的仇敌。……

这是一篇弥赛亚诗篇,因为其中提到神对大卫的应许:“我要建立你的后裔直到永远,要建立你的宝座直到万代”。这后裔是单数,能坐上宝座直到万代的,只有弥赛亚,也就是耶稣基督。这是神和大卫所立的约(撒下7:4-16; 代上17:3-15)。这诗篇的作者是以拉人以探。在列王记上第四章31节,作者说所罗门王的智慧胜过万人,胜过以斯拉人以探并玛曷的儿子希幔、甲各、达大的智慧。可见在当时以探和希幔(诗篇88篇的作者)都是当时公认的智慧人,因此他们有资格写训诲诗给以色列人去学习。

The Heart Mover

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 1:1-11.  Let’s go!

Ezra 1:2-3 (NIV) 
2  “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 
3  Anyone of his people among you–may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

On verses 1-11:  For decades the Jews had been living in exile in the land of Babylon, away from their homeland of Jerusalem.  However, in 539 B.C. Cyrus king of Persia defeats the Babylonians.  In his first year as king, Cyrus is moved in his heart by the Lord and proclaims that all the Jews may return to their homeland and build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.   The remainder of the chapter shows the Jews making their way back to Jerusalem.d covenant did not have.

诗篇八十八篇

可拉后裔的诗歌,就是以斯拉人希幔的训诲诗,交于伶长。调用麻哈拉利暗俄。

1 耶和华拯救我的神啊,我昼夜在祢面前呼吁。
2 愿我的祷告达到祢面前,求祢侧耳听我的呼求。
3 因为我心里满了患难,我的性命临近阴间。
4 我算和下坑的人同列,如同无力的人一样。
5 我被丢在死人中,好像被杀的人躺在坟墓里,他们是祢不再记念的,与祢隔绝了。
6 祢把我放在极深的坑里,在黑暗地方,在深处。
7 祢的愤怒重压我身,祢用一切的波浪困住我。(细拉)
8 祢把我所认识的隔在远处,使我为他们所憎恶。我被拘困,不得出来。
9 我的眼睛因困苦而干瘪。耶和华啊,我天天求告祢,向祢举手。
10 祢岂要行奇事给死人看吗?难道阴魂还能起来称赞祢吗?(细拉)……

这是可拉后裔在诗篇里的最后一篇诗,全文充满了灰暗的色彩,是所有诗篇里最没有盼望和喜乐的诗篇,提醒我们,即使是作为神的子民或神的儿女,有时也会碰到如此的光景。因为我们都是人,既是人,便会碰到人有可能遇见的事,生老病死,无一可免。有时祷告真的仿佛在向空气讲话,因为情况一点都没有改变;我们仿佛走在流泪谷中,在旷野,在沙漠,甚至是在漫长的黑夜里,见不到一线曙光。

Live Again Through Jesus

Today’s passage is Hebrews 13:10-25.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 13:10 (NIV) 
10  We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

On verse 10:  “Those who minister at the tabernacle” refers to priests who served under the old covenant and who would sacrifice bulls and goats according to the law of Moses.  Here the writer of Hebrews is saying that we as believers in Christ living under the new covenant have an altar – that is, we have access to God through the shed blood of Jesus – which the old covenant priests could not access by merely sacrificing the bulls and goats.  As Hebrews 10:20 says, “a new and living way [to God] opened for us” when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Once again it’s the theme that through Jesus Christ we have something incredibly special that people under the old covenant did not have.

诗篇八十七篇

可拉后裔的诗歌。

1 耶和华所立的根基在圣山上。
2 祂爱锡安的门,胜于爱雅各一切的住处。
3 神的城啊,有荣耀的事乃指著祢说的。(细拉)
4 我要提起拉哈伯和巴比伦人,是在认识我之中的;看哪,非利士和推罗并古实人,个个生在那里。
5 论到锡安,必说:「这一个那一个都生在其中。」而且至高者必亲自坚立这城。
6 当耶和华记录万民的时候,祂要点出:「这一个生在那里。」(细拉)
7 歌唱的、跳舞的都要说:「我的泉源都在祢里面!」

温哥华刚刚有过一次大风过境,森林里有不少树被连根拔起,有的倒下来横在路中间,有的就斜躺在众树之中。看到树连根拔起令人感到震惊,那么高的树,那么大的底盘,树根却抓不住泥土。在这诗篇里,诗人提到:耶和华所立的根基在圣山上。根基,是一切事物的根本,根基若不坚固,再大的事业也会倒下去。主耶稣说过一个有关屋子建在磐石和沙土的比喻,表明人若听从神的话去行,才能像屋子建在磐石上地坚立,不轻易倒下来。

7 Actions

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 13:1-11. Let’s go!

On verses 1-11:  While the book of Hebrews contains more doctrine than most of the New Testament, it also contains some of the most important teaching on how to practically live out your life as a Christian.  In these verses, the writer of Hebrews gives us 7 actions he wants his readers to take in light of all that Jesus has done for us:

Keep loving your fellow Christians as brothers and sisters.  Treat them as family (v1).
Show hospitality to strangers (v2).   As a motivating reason, the writer of Hebrews alludes to times in the Old Testament where someone entertained a stranger who turned out to be an angel (see for example Genesis 18 and 19).