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The King and The Lamb

2019-10-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 35:1-27.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-19:  King Josiah leads his nation of Judah in celebrating the Feast of the Passover, a time when God’s people remembered the way that He saved them and delivered them from certain death through the sacrifice of a Passover lamb.  King Josiah provides 30,000 lambs and young goats as the people’s Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king’s own flocks and herds (v7).  The celebration is done as prescribed in the Book of Moses (v12).  Never had there been such a Passover celebration since the time that Samuel led as judge over Israel (v18). 

What can we learn from this?  Centuries later another king would make a costly sacrifice on Passover weekend.  But rather than sacrificing lambs, goats and cattle of his own, this king would make a far greater sacrifice: Jesus would become the Passover lamb and sacrifice himself on the cross to take away our sins and to save us from certain death.

On verses 20-27:  King Neco of Egypt is getting ready to fight another nation, but King Josiah musters his army to confront King Neco.  King Neco warns King Josiah that God has told King Neco to hurry and that Josiah should best get out of the way lest he get hurt.  But King Josiah refuses to listen.  He disguises himself in battle and is fatally wounded.  

诗篇五十八篇

2019-10-02 in /by

大卫的金诗，交于伶长。调用休要毁坏。

1 世人哪，你们默然不语，真合公义吗？施行审判，岂按正直吗？
2 不然！你们是心中作恶，你们在地上称出你们手所行的强暴。
3 恶人一出母胎，就与神疏远；一离母腹，便走错路，说谎话。
4 他们的毒气好像蛇的毒气，他们好像塞耳的聋虺，
5 不听行法术的声音，虽用极灵的咒语，也是不听。
6 神啊，求祢敲碎他们口中的牙！耶和华啊，求祢敲掉少壮狮子的大牙！
7 愿他们消灭如急流的水一般，他们瞅准射箭的时候，愿箭头仿佛砍断。
8 愿他们像蜗牛消化过去，又像妇人坠落未见天日的胎。
9 你们用荆棘烧火，锅还未热，祂要用旋风把青的和烧着的一齐刮去。
10 义人见仇敌遭报就欢喜，要在恶人的血中洗脚。
11 因此，人必说：「义人诚然有善报，在地上果有施行判断的神。」

在这篇诗篇里，大卫经历著一场内心的交战，正如我们有时也会有的交战一样；就是当义人受苦，看到恶人或压迫他们的人越来越强盛时的不理解和不服气。为什么恶人不遭报应，反得祝福？有时我们觉得自己做得比别人好，生活也比他人敬虔，为什么神反而让那些不比我们敬虔的人得意呢？义人真的会有善报吗？在世上真有施行判断的神吗？

再一次，毕德生牧师的翻译让我们可以从另一个角度来看这段经文1-2节： Is this any way to run a country? Is there an honest politician in the house? Behind the scenes you brew cauldrons of evil, behind closed doors you make deals with demons. 这是统治一个国家的方法吗？难道一个诚实的政治人物都没有？他们在私底下酿造邪恶的大锅，在关闭的门后与魔鬼谈交易。

If You Want to Experience More of God, THIS Is Crucial

2019-10-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 34:14-33.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 34:27 (NIV) 
27  Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.

On verses 14-33:  While bringing out money that was stored in the temple, Hilkiah the priest finds and brings out the most precious treasure of all: God’s Word as contained in the Book of the Law.  He gives it to Shaphan the secretary who reads the Book of the Law in King Josiah’s presence.  In response to the reading of God’s Word, Josiah weeps, tears his robes and orders Hilkiah the priest, Shaphan the secretary and other servants to inquire of God as what they should do, since they have not kept much of what was written in the Book.  They in turn consult Huldah the prophetess who tells them that indeed disaster is awaiting the people of Judah for their failure to obey God’s commands.  However, because Josiah was humble and responsive to God’s Word, that disaster would not take place during his lifetime (v28). 

Josiah responds again to God’s Word, this time spoken through the prophet Huldah.  He gathers all of Judah for an assembly where he reads God’s Word to the people.  Then he stands at the pillar in the temple where a king would usually stand when making an important proclamation and commits to personally obeying God’s Word. 

诗篇五十七篇

2019-10-01 in /by

大卫逃避扫罗，藏在洞里。那时，他作这金诗，交于伶长。调用休要毁坏。

1 神啊，求祢怜悯我，怜悯我，因为我的心投靠祢。我要投靠在祢翅膀的荫下，等到灾害过去。
2 我要求告至高的神，就是为我成全诸事的神。
3 那要吞我的人辱骂我的时候，神从天上必施恩救我，也必向我发出慈爱和诚实。
4 我的性命在狮子中间，我躺卧在性如烈火的世人当中，他们的牙齿是枪、箭，他们的舌头是快刀。
5 神啊，愿祢崇高过于诸天，愿祢的荣耀高过全地！
6 他们为我的脚设下网罗，压制我的心。他们在我面前挖了坑，自己反掉在其中。（细拉）
7 神啊，我心坚定，我心坚定！我要唱诗，我要歌颂！
8 我的灵啊，你当醒起！琴瑟啊，你们当醒起！我自己要极早醒起。
9 主啊，我要在万民中称谢你，在列邦中歌颂你。
10 因为祢的慈爱高及诸天，祢的诚实达到穹苍。
11 神啊，愿祢崇高过于诸天，愿祢的荣耀高过全地！

这篇诗也是大卫的金诗之一，金诗的意思就是经过生命的熬炼所产生的诗篇，特别宝贵。这篇诗写的是大卫一个极特别的经历。

在隐基底的旷野里，扫罗带了三千军兵去追捕大卫，希望把大卫和跟随他的人一举歼灭。这样的阵仗真的吓到大卫了，三千军兵不是普通人，个个都骁勇善战，而且离大卫藏躲之处甚近。近到怎样的一个地步呢？扫罗竟然跑进了大卫他们藏躲的一个山洞里大解了。

大卫形容他的敌人像狮子，是性如烈火的世人，他们的牙齿是枪、箭，舌头是快刀，件件能杀人。他们设下天网罗要杀他，不料却自投罗网，把自己送到大卫面前。大卫只要一出手，扫罗就必死无疑。但是大卫敬畏神，只割下了扫罗的衣襟。

诗篇五十六篇

2019-09-30 in /by

非利士人在迦特拿住大卫。那时，他作这金诗，交于伶长。调用远方无声鸽。

1 神啊，求祢怜悯我，因为人要把我吞了，终日攻击欺压我。
2 我的仇敌终日要把我吞了，因逞骄傲攻击我的人甚多。
3 我惧怕的时候要倚靠祢。
4 我倚靠神，我要赞美祂的话。我倚靠神，必不惧怕，血气之辈能把我怎么样呢？
5 他们终日颠倒我的话，他们一切的心思都是要害我。
6 他们聚集、埋伏，窥探我的脚踪，等候要害我的命。
7 他们岂能因罪孽逃脱吗？神啊，求祢在怒中使众民堕落！
8 我几次流离，你都记数，求祢把我眼泪装在你的皮袋里。这不都记在祢册子上吗？
9 我呼求的日子，我的仇敌都要转身退后。神帮助我，这是我所知道的。…….

在大卫逃亡的日子里，有两次逃到非利士人的迦特，第一次是在逃亡的初期，第二次是在快要结束逃亡时。第一次到迦特时，非利士人对他有很强的敌意，因为他们还记得大卫杀了歌利亚，所以大卫查觉到他们的敌意和杀机胜腾腾，因此扮疯逃离。第二次再去迦特时，可能非利士人都己经知道他是个流亡之人，正被扫罗追杀，所以亚吉把大卫留下来，他们也不再反对。

这诗篇里所记载的，大家一般都认为是第一次在迦特的经历。我觉得毕德生牧师的信息圣经翻译得特别传神：take my side, God— I’m getting kicked round,  stomped on every day. Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty to beat me up. When I get really afraid  ，I come to you in trust. I’m proud to praise God;    fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do? 神啊，请祢站在我这边。我终日被人踢来跺去。每一天都有人打我，以打我为己任。当我万分恐惧时，我凭信心来到祢的面前，我骄傲地赞美祢，毫不胆怯。我倚靠神，必不惧怕，血气之辈能把我怎么样呢？

Seek Jesus While You Are Young

2019-09-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 34:1-13.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 34:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
2  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3  In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.

On verses 1-3:  At eight years old, Josiah becomes king of Judah in place of his murdered father Amon. At 16, “while he was still young”, Josiah begins to seek the Lord (v3).  At 20, Josiah is initiating a nation wide campaign to cleanse his kingdom of idols.

What can we learn from this?  It is good to seek the Lord while you are still young.  The earlier you seek hard after God, the earlier and the longer God can use your life to impact this world for His glory.  The apostle Paul would have been proud of Josiah, for Paul once wrote to another young leader Timothy, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).  Josiah did just that.

诗篇五十五篇

2019-09-29 in /by

大卫的训诲诗，交于伶长。用丝弦的乐器。

1 神啊，求祢留心听我的祷告，不要隐藏不听我的恳求。
2 求祢侧耳听我，应允我。我哀叹不安，发声唉哼，
3 都因仇敌的声音，恶人的欺压。因为他们将罪孽加在我身上，发怒气逼迫我。
4 我心在我里面甚是疼痛，死的惊惶临到我身。
5 恐惧战兢归到我身，惊恐漫过了我。
6 我说：「但愿我有翅膀像鸽子，我就飞去，得享安息。
7 我必远游，宿在旷野。（细拉）
8 我必速速逃到避所，脱离狂风暴雨。」
9 主啊，求祢吞灭他们，变乱他们的舌头，因为我在城中见了强暴争竞的事。
10 他们在城墙上昼夜绕行，在城内也有罪孽和奸恶。……

读完这诗篇，你心里可能会开始搜索，那个曾经是大卫的同伴，可以当上大卫知己的朋友，可以和大卫经常彼此谈论，后来又背叛大卫的人会是谁呢？我第一个想到的就是亚西多弗。他曾经是大卫的总参谋长，圣经上说那时亚希多弗所出的主意好像人问神的话一样。他和大卫曾经在一起多年，大卫靠他的计谋打了不少胜仗。但是大卫从来没有想到，自己得罪了这个智谋双全的老伙伴。

原来亚希多弗是拔示巴的祖父，大卫和拔示巴通奸，又和元帅约押设计谋杀了拔示巴的丈夫乌利亚，然后娶了拔示巴为妻。这件事看在亚希多弗的眼里，必然十分愤怒，而想找机会报复。因此押沙龙一叛变，他就投靠过去了。令大卫痛不欲生。当然，大卫有错，神也惩罚他了；但是死罪可免，活罪难逃。大卫的家中开始有了刀剑的阴影，血光的弥漫。大卫开始感到恐惧战兢，被惊恐所罩。他的心在他里面疼痛，死的惊惶也抓住大卫不放。一个曾经高高在上的王，叱吒风云的英雄，此时仿佛过街老鼠，人人喊打。