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The Difference Jesus Makes to Our Relationships Both Vertically and Horizontally

2019-10-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:19-25. Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) 
19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 
20  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 
21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 
22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 
23  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ……
 
On verses 19-25:  So far in Hebrews the author has written in depth about how Jesus is our great high priest (v21) and how through Jesus’ shed blood and sacrificed body we are able to freely enter God’s holy presence (v19-20).  

詩篇七十八篇

2019-10-25 in /by

亞薩的訓誨詩。

1 我的民哪，你們要留心聽我的訓誨，側耳聽我口中的話。
2 我要開口說比喻，我要說出古時的謎語，
3 是我們所聽見所知道的，也是我們的祖宗告訴我們的。
4 我們不將這些事向他們的子孫隱瞞，要將耶和華的美德和祂的能力，並祂奇妙的作為，述說給後代聽。
5 因為祂在雅各中立法度，在以色列中設律法，是祂吩咐我們祖宗要傳給子孫的，
6 使將要生的後代子孫可以曉得。他們也要起來告訴他們的子孫，
7 好叫他們仰望神，不忘記神的作為，唯要守祂的命令，
8 不要像他們的祖宗，是頑梗悖逆居心不正之輩，向著神心不誠實。
9 以法蓮的子孫帶著兵器拿著弓，臨陣之日轉身退後。
10 他們不遵守神的約，不肯照祂的律法行。……

《詩篇》78篇是《詩篇》119篇以外，最長的一首詩，共有72節。這篇的小標題註明是“亞薩的訓誨詩”。亞薩是3千年前，大衛和所羅門時代，利未支派的領袖，受指派在耶路撒冷聖殿中，帶領眾人用詩歌敬拜神（《代上》16；《代下》5：12）。

他擅長各種樂器，也會寫作不同類型的詩歌。當時與他同擔當此任的，還有利未的子孫希幔和以探（參《代上》15：17，25：1，以探可能又名耶杜頓）。亞薩也被稱為“先見”。他的詩歌和大衛的詩歌，成為250年以後，希西家王帶領屬靈復興的重要動力（參《代下》29：30）。屬靈的復興，往往與偉大的詩歌密不可分。《詩篇》第三卷是以亞薩的詩歌為主（《詩》73-83），或許即是那時留下來的作品。

詩篇七十七篇

2019-10-24 in /by

亞薩的詩，照耶杜頓的做法，交於伶長。

1 我要向神發聲呼求，我向神發聲，祂必留心聽我。
2 我在患難之日尋求主，我在夜間不住地舉手禱告，我的心不肯受安慰。
3 我想念神，就煩躁不安；我沉吟悲傷，心便發昏。（細拉）
4 祢叫我不能閉眼，我煩亂不安，甚至不能說話。
5 我追想古時之日，上古之年。
6 我想起我夜間的歌曲，捫心自問，我心裡也仔細省察：
7 難道主要永遠丟棄我，不再施恩嗎？
8 難道祂的慈愛永遠窮盡，祂的應許世世廢棄嗎？
9 難道神忘記開恩，因發怒就止住祂的慈悲嗎？（細拉）
10 我便說：「這是我的懦弱，但我要追念至高者顯出右手之年代。」……

在這詩篇開始有一段小字：“亞薩的詩、照耶杜頓的作法、交與伶長”。這裡說亞薩是作者但用的是耶杜頓所作的曲調，在150篇詩篇中，有三篇詩跟耶杜頓這個作曲家有關，就是39，62，和77篇。39篇和62篇都是大衛寫的，77篇是亞薩寫的，都是用耶杜頓的調子。在大衛作王的時代，耶杜頓、亞薩和希幔是大衛的詩班長，專門給大衛的詩配樂，耶杜頓的名字又作以探(代上15:17)。這三篇詩篇用的都是耶杜頓所作的曲調，所以他們必定是類似的詩歌，如果我們看這三篇的一開始，會發現一個相似的地方，39:1，2我要謹慎我的言行……我默然無聲，連好話也不出口……62:1我的心默默無聲，專等候神，我的救恩是從祂而來。77:1我要向神發聲呼求，我向神發聲，祂必留心聽我。

Once and For All

2019-10-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:11-18.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV) 
11  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
13  Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
14  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

On verses 11-14:  Here we see the theme again of “once and for all”.  Jesus laid down His life once, and this was enough to take away the sins of everyone who places their trusts in Jesus.  Compare that to the priests under the old covenant who could never take away the sins of the people or make them holy in God’s sight despite offering the same sacrifices again and again.

dAlso, notice this mystery: Jesus “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (v14).  Here the Bible recognizes this dual reality in our lives. 

詩篇七十六篇

2019-10-23 in /by

亞薩的詩歌，交於伶長。用絲弦的樂器。

1 在猶大，神為人所認識；在以色列，祂的名為大。
2 在撒冷有祂的帳幕，在錫安有祂的居所。
3 祂在那裡折斷弓上的火箭並盾牌、刀劍和爭戰的兵器。（細拉）
4 祢從有野食之山而來，有光華和榮美。
5 心中勇敢的人都被搶奪，他們睡了長覺，沒有一個英雄能措手。
6 雅各的神啊，你的斥責一發，坐車的、騎馬的都沉睡了。
7 唯獨祢是可畏的，祢怒氣一發，誰能在祢面前站得住呢？
8 祢從天上使人聽判斷——
9 神起來施行審判，要救地上一切謙卑的人——那時地就懼怕而靜默。（細拉）
10 人的憤怒要成全祢的榮美，人的餘怒祢要禁止。
11 你們許願，當向耶和華你們的神還願；在祂四面的人，都當拿貢物獻給那可畏的主。
12 祂要挫折王子的驕氣，祂向地上的君王顯威可畏。

根據傳統的說法，這詩篇寫於亞述王西拿基立的軍隊威脅耶路撒冷，被神摧毀之後。因此七十譯本稱之為：“得勝亞述人的歌”。在希西家做猶大王時，亞述王西拿基立率領大軍圍困耶路撒冷，希西家因而求神拯救。後來耶和華的使者出去，在亞述營中殺了十八萬五千人；西拿基立逃回去之後，被他兩個兒子殺死。這詩篇被為亞薩的詩歌，可能因為亞薩的後裔接續他在聖殿中的事奉，所以還是以他為名。

詩篇七十五篇

2019-10-22 in /by

亞薩的詩歌，交於伶長。調用休要毀壞。

1 神啊，我們稱謝祢，我們稱謝祢！因為祢的名相近，人都述說祢奇妙的作為。
2 「我到了所定的日期，必按正直施行審判。
3 地和其上的居民都消化了，我曾立了地的柱子。（細拉）
4 我對狂傲人說：『不要行事狂傲！』對凶惡人說：『不要舉角，
5 不要把你們的角高舉，不要挺著頸項說話！』」
6 因為高舉非從東，非從西，也非從南而來；
7 唯有神斷定，祂使這人降卑，使那人升高。
8 耶和華手裡有杯，其中的酒起沫，杯內滿了摻雜的酒。祂倒出來，地上的惡人必都喝這酒的渣滓，而且喝盡。
9 但我要宣揚，直到永遠，我要歌頌雅各的神。
10 「惡人一切的角，我要砍斷；唯有義人的角，必被高舉。」

在動物界裡，‘角’是很多動物攻擊其他動物的武器，也是牠們力量集中之處。在這詩篇裡，亞薩在四節經文裡都提到‘角’，‘角’有什麼特別的意義嗎？在《聖經》裡，‘角’聲代表大約有十五種記號。

1.迎接神的同在或迎接約櫃時。在〈出埃及記〉19章（13節），神叫摩西用角聲召聚以色列人到西及山下，迎接神的降臨；〈撒下6:15〉，當大衛迎接約櫃進耶路撒冷時，大衛和以色列的全家歡呼吹角，將耶和華的約櫃抬上來。

Jesus’ Death Made Your Inheritance Possible

2019-10-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 9:15-28.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 9:16-17 (NIV) 
16  In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 
17  because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

On verses 15-22:  During my time practicing law, clients would often ask me to help them write their will.  A will is a legal document by which a person spells out, among other things, what they want to do with their assets and whom they want to gift those assets to as an inheritance when they die.  The person making the will signs it in the presence of witnesses.  All the gifts described in the will do not take effect until that person dies.  That’s why a will is often called a person’s “last will and testament”.  As verse 17 says, “a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”  
 

詩篇七十四篇

2019-10-22 in /by

亞薩的訓誨詩。

1 神啊，祢為何永遠丟棄我們呢？祢為何向祢草場的羊發怒，如煙冒出呢？
2 求祢記念祢古時所得來的會眾，就是祢所贖做祢產業支派的，並記念祢向來所居住的錫安山。
3 求祢舉步去看那日久荒涼之地，仇敵在聖所中所行的一切惡事。
4 祢的敵人在祢會中吼叫，他們豎了自己的旗為記號。
5 他們好像人揚起斧子，砍伐林中的樹。
6 聖所中一切雕刻的，他們現在用斧子錘子打壞了。
7 他們用火焚燒祢的聖所，褻瀆祢名的居所，拆毀到地。
8 他們心裡說：「我們要盡行毀滅！」他們就在遍地把神的會所都燒毀了。
9 我們不見我們的標幟，不再有先知，我們內中也沒有人知道，這災禍要到幾時呢。
10 神啊，敵人辱罵要到幾時呢？仇敵褻瀆祢的名要到永遠嗎？……

大衛和眾首領分派亞薩，希幔並耶杜頓的子孫，彈琴，鼓瑟，敲鈸，唱歌。他們供職的人數，記在下面；亞薩的兒子撒刻，約瑟，尼探雅，亞薩莉拉，都歸亞薩指教，遵王的旨意唱歌，頌贊耶和華。(代上25:l-3)

亞薩終于登上王室樂團的首位了。他寫了十二首著名的詩篇；然而，他的出身卻只是一個寂寂無聞的鈸手(代上15:19)。鈸是最謙卑的伴奏樂器，卻不是很容易敲得好的；在〈詩篇〉最後的一篇贊美詩中曾兩次提到鈸，可見在贊美神時它占了很重要的地位。鈸手必須有持續的力量。其他樂器會有偶發的高潮，也有休止的時候，但是鈸手卻不可以停頓。這種沒有停頓、沒有變化、穩定持久的能力是一切真贊美的基礎。

Jesus’ Blood, Your Key to a Clean Conscience

2019-10-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 8:1-13. Let’s go!

On verses 1-14: Verses 1-7 give us a good visual of what worshiping at the tabernacle in the Old Testament looked like. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, an inner room representing God’s presence. There he would offer the blood of bulls and goats as a sacrifice for his sins and the people’s sins (v7).

As detailed, ornate, and organized as this Old Testament system was, the writer of Hebrews points out an important fact: there was a curtain that separated the people from the Most Holy Place (v3). Other than the high priest, people could not see or enter the Most Holy Place because of the curtain. Despite the priests sacrificing hundreds of thousands of bulls and goats over the centuries, that curtain never opened. No one could access the Most Holy Place except the high priest. It wasn’t until Jesus sacrificed Himself and shed His blood that the curtain supernaturally tore in two and everyone in the temple could now see into the Most Holy Place (Matthew 27:51; Mark15:38; Luke 23:45).
 

4 Reasons Why Jesus’ New Covenant is Better than Moses’ Old Covenant

2019-10-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 8:1-13. Let’s go!

Hebrews 8:1-2 (NIV)
1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

On verses 1-5: Here the writer of Hebrews notes that the location where Jesus now serves as our high priest is in heaven (v1-2), while priests who are appointed by the law of Moses serve on earth (v4). The sanctuary and tabernacle where these earthly priests would serve are an imperfect “copy and shadow of what is in heaven”, while the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus serves is “the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not man” (v2). It’s a reminder for me that as much as we try to help create our excellent worship experiences each weekend for people at Thrive, they are just a shadow and an imperfect copy of what worshiping Jesus will be like when we get to heaven. The best really is yet to come!