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詩篇一百四十四篇

大衛的詩。

1 耶和華我的磐石是應當稱頌的!祂教導我的手爭戰,教導我的指頭打仗。
2 祂是我慈愛的主,我的山寨,我的高臺,我的救主,我的盾牌,是我所投靠的,祂使我的百姓服在我以下。
3 耶和華啊,人算什麼,祢竟認識他?世人算什麼,祢竟顧念他?
4 人好像一口氣,他的年日如同影兒快快過去。
5 耶和華啊,求祢使天下垂,親自降臨;摸山,山就冒煙。
6 求祢發出閃電,使他們四散,射出祢的箭,使他們擾亂。
7 求祢從上伸手救拔我,救我出離大水,救我脫離外邦人的手。
8 他們的口說謊話,他們的右手起假誓。
9 神啊,我要向祢唱新歌,用十弦瑟向祢歌頌。
10 祢是那拯救君王的,祢是那救僕人大衛脫離害命之刀的。…….

這是一首戰士的詩篇。接下來的詩篇145-150都是讚美耶和華的詩篇,所以144篇可以說是前面所有詩篇的縮影。詩篇第一篇說到人應該離開邪惡的道路,並因為喜愛神的話語,遵從神的律法而蒙福。而大衛藉著詩篇寫下自己的生命因為跟隨神,而勝過了一切的仇敵,征服了許多敵人,得回許多土地,建立了一個強大的以色列國的經歷。

在這過程中有許多的艱苦和眼淚,有許多大衛的禱告,讓我們知道他在神面前深刻的信仰,以及他和神緊密的關係。耶穌說,“信的人必有神蹟隨著他們”(可16:17)。人要先相信,神的作為就顯現了。這就是大衛平生的見證,他相信神,所以不怕巨人歌利亞;他相信神,所以他放羊時不怕來襲的野獸。因為他相信,所以他凡事求問神,在每一個重要事情上,他不求問神就不行動。所以他很清楚地告訴世人,不是因為他的智慧或能力比人強,而是“祂教導我的手爭戰,教導我的指頭打仗”。

Renew Your Perspective in God’s Presence

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 21:1-16.  Let’s go!

Job 21:1-16 (NIV) 
1  Then Job replied: 
2  “Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. 
3  Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. 
4  “Is my complaint directed to man? Why should I not be impatient? 
5  Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth. 
6  When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. 
7  Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? 
8  They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. 
9  Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. 
10  Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. ……

On verses 1-16:  Contrary to Zophar’s assertion in Job 20 that the wicked always die young, Job can’t understand why God allows some wicked people to prosper, living seemingly comfortable lives “growing old and increasing in power” (v7), all the while being indifferent and rebellious toward God (v14-15).

While Job wants nothing to do with the wicked and believes any prosperity they enjoy is ultimately due to the hand of God and “not in their own hands” (v16), still Job is disturbed when he sees those who seem to live rich, prosperous and comfortable lives despite not trusting or even believing in God. 

詩篇一百四十三篇

大衛的詩。

1 耶和華啊,求祢聽我的禱告,留心聽我的懇求,憑祢的信實和公義應允我!
2 求祢不要審問僕人,因為在祢面前,凡活著的人沒有一個是義的。
3 原來仇敵逼迫我,將我打倒在地,使我住在幽暗之處,像死了許久的人一樣。
4 所以我的靈在我裡面發昏,我的心在我裡面悽慘。
5 我追想古時之日,思想祢的一切作為,默念祢手的工作。
6 我向祢舉手,我的心渴想祢,如乾旱之地盼雨一樣。(細拉)
7 耶和華啊,求祢速速應允我,我心神耗盡!不要向我掩面,免得我像那些下坑的人一樣。
8 求祢使我清晨得聽祢慈愛之言,因我倚靠祢;求祢使我知道當行的路,因我的心仰望祢。
9 耶和華啊,求祢救我脫離我的仇敵,我往祢那裡藏身。
10 求祢指教我遵行祢的旨意,因祢是我的神。祢的靈本為善,求祢引我到平坦之地。
11 耶和華啊,求祢為祢的名將我救活,憑祢的公義將我從患難中領出來。
12 憑祢的慈愛剪除我的仇敵,滅絕一切苦待我的人,因我是祢的僕人。

在〈詩篇〉中有七篇被歷代教會定為懺悔詩,為了在復活節之前讓會眾默想,以準備迎接復活節。它們分別是第6、第32、第38、第51,第102、第130、第143篇。第六篇是病中的祈禱,32篇是認罪與蒙赦免的祈禱,38篇是受苦者的祈禱,51篇是認罪悔改的祈禱,102篇是吐露苦情的祈禱,130篇是在深處的祈禱,最後一篇就是143篇,是靈裡發昏的祈禱。

The Hyphen In Between

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 20:1-29.

Job 20:5-8 (NIV) 
5  …the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. 
6  Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, 
7  he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ 
8  Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night. 

On verses 1-29:  Here Zophar echoes the same message that Eliphaz and Bildad have spoken in Job 15 and Job 18 respectively: that terror, calamity and disaster are the fate of the wicked.  Zophar, in particular, emphasizes how the wicked die young – how they prosper briefly only to be cut down in the prime of their youth and at the height of their power.  For example, in verse 5 Zophar says, “the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts only a moment”.  About the wicked man Zophar says “the youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust” (v11). 

詩篇一百四十二篇

大衛在洞裡作的訓誨詩,乃是祈禱。

1 我發聲哀告耶和華,發聲懇求耶和華。
2 我在祂面前吐露我的苦情,陳說我的患難。
3 我的靈在我裡面發昏的時候,祢知道我的道路。在我行的路上,敵人為我暗設網羅。
4 求祢向我右邊觀看,因為沒有人認識我;我無處避難,也沒有人眷顧我。
5 耶和華啊,我曾向祢哀求,我說:「祢是我的避難所,在活人之地祢是我的福分。」
6 求祢側耳聽我的呼求,因我落到極卑之地;求祢救我脫離逼迫我的人,因為他們比我強盛。
7 求祢領我出離被囚之地,我好稱讚祢的名。義人必環繞我,因為祢是用厚恩待我。

這詩篇是大衛寫的詩篇,而且是在洞裡寫的。根據希伯來文的詩篇,這裡的“洞”是指亞杜蘭洞,也就是大衛在躲避掃羅的追殺時所躲的山洞。那時的大衛非常孤單,他逃到迦特非利士王亞吉那裡,但是亞吉的手下記得大衛殺死歌利亞一事,因此大衛害怕亞吉會因而殺他,只好裝瘋。後來亞吉就把他放了。他就逃回以色列境內,伯利恒附近的亞杜蘭洞裡。

Your Redeemer Is For You, Not Against You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 15:17-35. 

Job 19:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then Job replied: 
2  “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? 
3  Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. 
4  If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone.
 
On verses 1-4:  Job continues to fight against his friends’ persistent and hurtful attacks.  At the end of this chapter, Job will have a stern warning for his friends.
 
Job 19:5-7 (NIV) 
5  If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, 
6  then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. 
7  “Though I cry, ‘I’ve been wronged!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.
 

詩篇一百四十一篇

大衛的詩。

1 耶和華啊,我曾求告祢,求祢快快臨到我這裡!我求告祢的時候,願祢留心聽我的聲音。
2 願我的禱告如香陳列在祢面前,願我舉手祈求,如獻晚祭。
3 耶和華啊,求祢禁止我的口,把守我的嘴。
4 求祢不叫我的心偏向邪惡,以致我和作孽的人同行惡事,也不叫我吃他們的美食。
5 任憑義人擊打我,這算為仁慈,任憑他責備我,這算為頭上的膏油,我的頭不要躲閃。正在他們行惡的時候,我仍要祈禱。
6 他們的審判官被扔在巖下,眾人要聽我的話,因為這話甘甜。
7 我們的骨頭散在墓旁,好像人耕田刨地的土塊。
8 主耶和華啊,我的眼目仰望祢。我投靠祢,求祢不要將我撇得孤苦。
9 求祢保護我脫離惡人為我設的網羅,和作孽之人的圈套。
10 願惡人落在自己的網裡,我卻得以逃脫。

大衛的詩是給想學習禱告的人一個很好的範本。大衛的禱告是迫切的,一點也不畏縮,就好像一個孩子在跟父親說話。

大衛禱告的時候,他很直接地說;“快快臨到我這裡,留心聽我的聲音。”不是可有可無,不是客氣地說“若你方便”,而是要神快快來,留心聽,是非常迫切,毫無懷疑的呼求。也表達了他和神關係的密切。一個和神疏遠的人,斷斷不敢如此祈求。

3 Ways to Respond to Criticism

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 18:1-21.  Let’s go!

Job 18:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2  “When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3  Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?
4  You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place?

On verses 1-21:  Bildad keeps making the same mistake despite receiving feedback from Job.  Job has already repeatedly expressed, with directness and clarity, how he wishes his friends would talk to him differently (Job 6:25-26; Job 13:3-4; 16:2-4).  Yet instead of giving real consideration to what Job is saying, instead of recognizing the error of his ways and adjusting, Bildad at first gets defensive (v3-4) and then continues on with his same mistaken approach.  Bildad continues to attack Job and uses his indirect but not so subtle way of linking what has happened to Job with what happens to wicked people (v5-21).

詩篇一百四十篇

大衛的詩,交於伶長。

1 耶和華啊,求祢拯救我脫離凶惡的人,保護我脫離強暴的人。
2 他們心中圖謀奸惡,常常聚集要爭戰。
3 他們使舌頭尖利如蛇,嘴裡有虺蛇的毒氣。(細拉)
4 耶和華啊,求祢拯救我脫離惡人的手,保護我脫離強暴的人,他們圖謀推我跌倒。
5 驕傲人為我暗設網羅和繩索,他們在路旁鋪下網,設下圈套。(細拉)
6 我曾對耶和華說:「祢是我的神。」耶和華啊,求祢留心聽我懇求的聲音!
7 主耶和華,我救恩的力量啊,在爭戰的日子,祢遮蔽了我的頭。
8 耶和華啊,求祢不要遂惡人的心願,不要成就他們的計謀,恐怕他們自高。(細拉)
9 至於那些昂首圍困我的人,願他們嘴唇的奸惡陷害自己。
10 願火炭落在他們身上,願他們被丟在火中,拋在深坑裡,不能再起來。……

我覺得這是一篇很重要的祈禱文。因為在簡短的主禱文裡,主耶穌就己經為我們祈求:“救我們脫離凶惡”。天父知道我們的軟弱和有限。有位弟兄說起他看過一個異象,神讓他看到在所有的凶惡和強暴背後都有撒旦的作為。我們怎能逃脫撒旦的邪惡呢?

大衛形容惡人:他們心中圖謀奸惡,常常聚集要爭戰;他們使舌頭尖利如蛇,嘴裡有虺蛇的毒氣;他們暗設網羅和繩索,在路旁鋪下網,設下圈套。勇猛如大衛知道敵人的可怕,知道敵人的心思何等可怕。

The Best Security for You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 17:1-16.  It is one of the harder passages in Job so far to interpret, but the lessons are worth digging for.
 
Job 17:1-3 (NIV) 
1  My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me. 
2  Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility. 
3  “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me? 

On Job 16:22 to 17:3:  Job feels like his life is slipping away (v1).  He is bothered by those who mock him (v2).  So Job looks to God as his back up (v3).  In verse 3 Job says to God, “Lay down a pledge for me with you; who is there who will put up security for me?” (Job 17:3 (ESV))  What does Job mean?  Job is boldly asking God to put up security on his behalf.  When I put up security for a friend, I’m saying, “If my friend doesn’t perform what he said he would perform, I will perform it for him.  If he owes you anything, take it from me instead.”  The Bible actually warns about the dangers of putting up security for others.  For example, Proverbs 11:15 says, “He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.”