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诗篇一百卅五篇

2020-01-25 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！你们要赞美耶和华的名！
2耶和华的仆人站在耶和华殿中，站在我们神殿院中的，你们要赞美祂！
3 你们要赞美耶和华，耶和华本为善；要歌颂祂的名，因为这是美好的。
4 耶和华拣选雅各归自己，拣选以色列特做自己的子民。
5 原来我知道耶和华为大，也知道我们的主超乎万神之上。
6 耶和华在天上，在地下，在海中，在一切的深处，都随自己的意旨而行。
7 祂使云雾从地极上腾，造电随雨而闪，从府库中带出风来。
8 祂将埃及头生的，连人带牲畜都击杀了。
9 埃及啊，他施行神蹟奇事在你当中，在法老和他一切臣仆身上。
10 祂击杀许多的民，又杀戮大能的王，……

耶和华的仆人要赞美祂，耶和华的仆人是指谁呢？相信神的人，有谁不是祂的仆人，而是祂的主人呢？这样一想，我们就明白，我们都是神的仆人，只是事工不同。

诗人谈到神的拣选，谈到神的本质，神的性情，用来比较外邦人所拜的偶像。今天是农历年的大年初一，这时候有很多人去庙里上香拜拜，有很多人预言，有很多人论风水，当我们处在这样的环境中时，怎样坚持我们所信的？会不会有人也很想去抽一支签，来看看自己今年的运道如何？会不会有时心痒痒，好想知道鼠年自己该穿什么颜色的衣服才会有财运？

Fact Checking Job

2020-01-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 14:1-12.  Let’s go!

Job 14:1-2 (NIV) 
1  “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 
2  He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

On verses 1-2:  In Job’s pain, anger and frustration, not everything that Job says should be taken as gospel.  Just as we had to do with Job’s friends, we need to fact check Job, separating the wheat from the chaff in his words.  Here in verses 1-2 Job speaks of how finite and short man’s life on earth is.  This is true.  It resonates with other verses in Scripture such as Psalm 103:15-16 where it says, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”   Part of living humbly before God is recognizing that life is short and that every day is a gift.  So make the most of today.
 

Don’t Be Afraid. You Got Jesus.

2020-01-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 13:20-28.

Job 13:20-28 (NIV) 
20  “Only grant me these two things, O God, and then I will not hide from you: 21  Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors.
22  Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply. 23  How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin………

On verses 20-28:  Here Job asks God to withdraw His hand from him and to stop frightening him so that he can have a conversation with Him (v21-22).  Job invites God to show him in what way he has sinned (v23).  Job goes on to describe God as a mysterious attacker who torments and chases a weak and helpless person (v25), who considers Job his enemy (v24) and who has judgment and bitter things in store for Job (v26).  Job sees God as a prison warden and himself as His prisoner (v27), whose life is wasting away for as long as God is focusing on him (v28).

诗篇一百卅四篇

2020-01-23 in /by

上行之诗。

1 耶和华的仆人，夜间站在耶和华殿中的，你们当称颂耶和华！
2 你们当向圣所举手，称颂耶和华！
3 愿造天地的耶和华，从锡安赐福给你们！

上行到耶路撒冷是朝圣者的心愿，这些人一来希望能够有机会去圣殿敬拜神，二来希望能享受到与属灵肢体的沟通，三来则希望领受到神的祝福。因此在〈诗篇〉第133篇里说到弟兄和睦同居是何等的美，何等的善，似乎在讲一个属灵的高峰就是享受与主内肢体和睦同居的关系，也就是说倘若在主里有很好的人际关系，是灵里生活的一个非常美好的境界。但是134篇向我们指出了另一个事实，就是当朝圣者都散去回家时，入夜后，圣殿里只留下几个看守圣殿的祭司，和在圣殿服侍的人。朝圣者回家后也要面对类似的，灵性上的孤独和寂寞。

在享受过肢体交通的喜乐之后，在教会的敬拜之后，在团契的聚会结束之后，你可记得有哪些人留下来默默地收拾？这些在事后收拾的，神的仆人，即使感到孤独、冷清或有点寂寞，诗人说，在这样的情况下，应当称颂耶和华！夜间的守望者，是孤独的，却不孤单，因为圣殿里的主角，我们信仰的尊者，仍然与他们同在，也与每一个敬拜神的人同在。

Lend Your Ear and Hold Your Tongue

2020-01-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 13:1-19.  Let’s go!
 
Job 13:4-5 (NIV) 
4  You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! 
5  If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.
 
On verses 1-5:   Job is frustrated and fed up with hearing from his so-called “friends”.  He tells them that whatever they have already told him he already knows (v1-2) – “what you know, I already know.  I am not inferior to you” (v2).  He calls his friends “worthless physicians” (v4), lie-smearing accusers whose advice did not help.  He tells them it would be wiser for them just to shut their mouths (“If only you were altogether silent!  For you, that would be wisdom.” (v5)). 
What can we learn from this?  Sometimes the best thing you can do as a friend is to lend your ear and hold your tongue.  Job’s friends would have helped Job far more, and been much better off themselves, had they been “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).  As Proverbs 21:23 (MSG) says, “Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.”

诗篇一百卅三篇

2020-01-22 in /by

大卫上行之诗。

1 看哪，弟兄和睦同居是何等地善，何等地美！
2 这好比那贵重的油浇在亚伦的头上，流到胡须，又流到他的衣襟。
3 又好比黑门的甘露降在锡安山，因为在那里有耶和华所命定的福，就是永远的生命。

群山虽是独立个体，却又彼此相和，弟兄和睦相居也是。

黑门山的甘露会降在锡安山。黑门山位于以色列的北方，是中东地区第二高山（最高的为黎巴嫩群山的主峰，高度3000公尺），高度2760公尺。

钖安山位于以色列的南方，是个丘陵，高度743公尺，两人的间距约180公里。

黑门山的甘露，怎么会降在远处的锡安山呢？甘露会移动那么远吗？山与山不连在一起，也会传送露珠吗？

答案是肯定的。

黑门山是座大山，涵盖面积约一千平方公里，山呈南北纵向，西部吹进的海风，受阻于黑门山，海风向山上腾，每上升一百公尺，温度约下降摄氏一度，上升黑门山顶已经成为冷气团。环绕在山头的冷气团，停滞在山上就形成露珠；白天温度较高时，冷气团顺着约旦河兵陵南下，一直移动到约旦河底，甚至到以法莲山地的锡安山。

诗篇一百卅二篇

2020-01-21 in /by

上行之诗。

1 耶和华啊，求祢记念大卫所受的一切苦难。
2 他怎样向耶和华起誓，向雅各的大能者许愿，
3 说：「我必不进我的帐幕，也不上我的床榻。
4 我不容我的眼睛睡觉，也不容我的眼目打盹。
5 直等我为耶和华寻得所在，为雅各的大能者寻得居所。」
6 我们听说约柜在以法他，我们在基列耶琳就寻见了。
7 我们要进祂的居所，在祂脚凳前下拜。
8 耶和华啊，求祢兴起，和祢有能力的约柜同入安息之所。
9 愿祢的祭司披上公义，愿祢的圣民欢呼。
10 求祢因祢仆人大卫的缘故，不要厌弃祢的受膏者。…….

这诗篇和〈撒母耳记〉下第七章有异曲同工之妙，大卫住在自己的王宫内，想到约柜还在幔子（帐幕）里，就想要为神建殿。大卫在这诗篇中把他的迫切表达得十分透彻：“我必不进我的帐幕，也不上我的床榻。我不容我的眼睛睡觉，也不容我的眼目打盹。直等我为耶和华寻得所在，为雅各的大能者寻得居所。” 他觉得神的约柜没有住处，他也无法住得安稳，这是大卫对神的爱。

大卫差人把神的约柜从基列耶琳迎回耶路撒冷，但是因为祭司没有按著神的教导抬约柜，以致駄著约柜的牛失前蹄，乌撒用手去扶，被神击杀；约柜因而安置到俄别以东的家，三个月后才抬到大卫的城里安置。大卫渴慕神的同在，这是他最蒙神喜悦的一点吧。整本新旧约圣经里，只有一个人得到神如此的称许，合神的心意，就是大卫。大卫有他的软弱，大卫不完全，但是他对神的渴慕无人能比。

The Only Absolutely Powerful One

2020-01-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 12:13-25.  Let’s go!
 
Job 12:13-16 (NIV) 
13  “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. 
14  What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released. 
15  If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land. 
16  To him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are his.
 
On verses 13-16:  There is no one like our God.  No one can match His wisdom or power (v13). Whatever God says goes (v14).  He is sovereign over creation (v15).  Neither the gullible nor the crafty are any match for Him (v16).
 
Job 12:20-21 (NIV) 
20  He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. 
21  He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.

It’s All In His Hands

2020-01-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 12:1-12.  Let’s go!
 
Job 12:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then Job replied: 
2  “Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! 
3  But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?
 
On verses 1-3:  By not hesitating to judge Job and rebuke Job based on false assumptions, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar came across as arrogant, condescending know-it-alls. What can we learn from this?  When you don’t take the time to understand the person and their situation before you rebuke them, you just end up hurting them and yourself.  You put the other person on the defensive rather than making them feel like you are on their side.
 
Job 12:4-6 (NIV) 
4  “I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered– a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! 

诗篇一百卅一篇

2020-01-20 in /by

大卫上行之诗。

1 耶和华啊，我的心不狂傲，我的眼不高大，重大和测不透的事，我也不敢行。
2 我的心平稳安静，好像断过奶的孩子在他母亲的怀中，我的心在我里面真像断过奶的孩子。
3 以色列啊，你当仰望耶和华，从今时直到永远。

现代中文译本

131:1     上主啊，我不敢再狂傲，也不敢再妄自尊大。我不敢再有大企图，也不敢再做力所不及的事。
131:2     我安适满足。像断奶的婴儿倚偎在母亲怀里，我的心宁静。
131:3     以色列啊，要信靠上主，从现在直到永远。

诗篇131篇是一首很短的诗篇，因为它很短，若是能背下来，又变成你的宝藏之一了。这首诗篇一开始，是诗人对上帝的祈祷，并且是认罪的祈祷。有一些版本的译文没有将诗人的心境很清楚的表达出来，若我们看现代中文译本的翻译，就能够比较清楚的体会诗人的心境。多一个“再”字让诗人的意思更清楚。

他说：「上主啊，我不敢再狂傲，也不敢再妄自尊大。我不敢再有大企图，也不敢再做艰难的事。」（诗131：1）在《圣经》里并不是只有做错事才是罪或得罪神，有时人以为正面的事，在神的眼中也是罪。例如当大卫迎约柜回耶路撒冷时，米甲因为大卫跳舞露出下体而看轻大卫。对米甲而言，她是一个公主，对皇家礼仪甚为重视，她认为大卫做王也该有同样的认知，在神眼中却完全相反，她对皇室礼仪的看重只是出于心里骄傲或优越感，而大卫忘记身份的举止却蒙神悦纳。