Entries by

God’s Plans for You Are Always the Best

2019-09-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 25:1-28.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 25:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. 
2  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. 
3  After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 
4  Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins.”

On verses 1-4:  Amaziah takes over the throne of Judah after the death of his father Joash.  One of his first orders of business is to execute the officials who had murdered his father.  He does not put their sons to death because in Deuteronomy 24:16 it says that children are not to be put to death for their fathers’ sins, and vice versa, and that each is die for his own sins. 

詩篇四十三篇

2019-09-15 in /by

1神啊，求祢申我的冤，向不虔誠的國為我辨屈，求祢救我脫離詭詐不義的人！
2 因為祢是賜我力量的神。為何丟棄我呢？我為何因仇敵的欺壓時常哀痛呢？
3 求祢發出祢的亮光和真實，好引導我，帶我到祢的聖山，到祢的居所。
4 我就走到神的祭壇，到我最喜樂的神那裡。神啊，我的神，我要彈琴稱讚祢。
5 我的心哪，祢為何憂悶？為何在我裡面煩躁？應當仰望神，因我還要稱讚祂，祂是我臉上的光榮，是我的神。

這篇是可拉後裔寫的詩篇之一。在舊約裡的“可拉”有兩個可能的來源：第一個是以掃和阿何莉巴瑪的兒子可拉；以掃也有一個孫子亦名叫可拉，是以掃和另一個妻子亞大生的兒子以利法的兒子；以利法的後裔中就有一個可拉族。

另一個可拉是雅各的兒子利未的曾孫。利未生哥轄，哥轄生以斯哈，以斯哈生可拉。他是利未的曾孫，摩西和亞倫的堂兄弟。因為舊約記載的事蹟多是雅各家族的事蹟，所以相信這詩篇是利未的後裔可拉之後裔之一所寫。

有位猶太拉比註解，在這詩篇裡作者形容他們跟隨神的會幕從曠野到應許之地，隨後有14年在吉甲，369年在示羅，還有54年在基遍；大約經過了440年，以色列(雅各)的兒女們，在所羅門的帶領下終於在耶路撒冷為神建立了永久的休息之所，也就是聖殿。

希伯來文的會幕Tabernacle，其字根的意思是“居住dwell”，所以在第三節的結尾所說的“居所”，就是指神的會幕。神的會幕在沙漠曠野時是一個臨時的居所，經常要遷移，後來大衛立國後把會幕遷到耶路撒冷大衛城。所羅門建了聖殿之後，約櫃放到聖殿裡，會幕就不再被人提起了。

Be Proactive And Get Godly Advice

2019-09-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 24:17-27.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 24:17-22 (NIV) 
17  After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 
18  They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem. 
19  Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. 
20  Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the LORD’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'” 
21  But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. 
22  King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the LORDsee this and call you to account.”

On verses 17-22:  Jehoiada the priest was like a father to Joash.  While Jehoiada was alive, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (see verse 2).  But after Jehoiada dies, Joash stops getting advice from, and stops aligning himself with, people who trusted the Lord.  

詩篇四十二篇

2019-09-13 in /by

可拉後裔的訓誨詩，交於伶長。

1 神啊，我的心切慕祢，如鹿切慕溪水。
2 我的心渴想神，就是永生神，我幾時得朝見神呢？
3 我晝夜以眼淚當飲食，人不住地對我說：「你的神在哪裡呢？」
4 我從前與眾人同往，用歡呼稱讚的聲音，領他們到神的殿裡，大家守節。我追想這些事，我的心極其悲傷。
5 我的心哪，你為何憂悶？為何在我裡面煩躁？應當仰望神，因祂笑臉幫助我，我還要稱讚祂。
6 我的神啊，我的心在我裡面憂悶，所以我從約旦地，從黑門嶺，從米薩山，記念祢。
7 祢的瀑布發聲，深淵就與深淵響應，祢的波浪洪濤漫過我身。
8 白晝，耶和華必向我施慈愛；黑夜，我要歌頌、禱告賜我生命的神。
9 我要對神我的磐石說：「祢為何忘記我呢？我為何因仇敵的欺壓時常哀痛呢？」
10 我的敵人辱罵我，好像打碎我的骨頭，不住地對我說：「你的神在哪裡呢？」
11 我的心哪，你為何憂悶？為何在我裡面煩躁？應當仰望神，因我還要稱讚祂，祂是我臉上的光榮，是我的神。

〈詩篇〉第42-49篇是可拉的後代寫的，42篇也是〈詩篇〉第二份的開始。雅各的兒子利未有三個兒子，是革順、哥轄、米拉利。哥轄有四個兒子，是暗蘭、以斯哈、希伯倫、烏薛。暗蘭的後代就是亞摩、摩西和米利暗，三個都成了以色列的領袖。哥轄諸族以烏薛的兒子以利撒反為宗室的首領。以斯哈族和希伯崙族都沒有擔當到領袖的位置，可想而知，其中必有人不滿。以斯哈的後代可拉在曠野中帶領其他宗室起來反叛摩西和亞倫，被神除滅（民16:1-35）。

God’s House, My Home

2019-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 24:1-16.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 24:4 (NIV) 
4  Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the LORD.

On verses 1-14:   When Athaliah was ruling Judah, she abandoned the temple of the Lord and allowed it to go into disrepair.  Not just that, during that time worshipers of Baal, the idol that Athaliah worshiped, would break into the temple of the Lord and steal its sacred objects for use in their worship of Baal (v7).  Athaliah looked down on the temple of the Lord.  In contrast, King Joash comes into power and has a heart for the temple.  To finance the temple repairs, Joash orders the priests and Levites to collect monies that the law of the Lord required the people to give.  When the priests and Levites are slow to act, Joash rebukes Jehoiada the lead priest and decides to institute another way to collect the funds:  he issues a proclamation in all Judah and Jerusalem that everyone is to bring in the tax that Moses required.  The people responded gladly, pouring so many offerings into the collection chest that after the temple was repaired and rebuilt, there was money left over to make new articles for the temple (v10-14). 

詩篇四十一篇

2019-09-12 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 眷顧貧窮的有福了！他遭難的日子，耶和華必搭救他。
2 耶和華必保全他，使他存活，他必在地上享福——求祢不要把他交給仇敵，遂其所願。
3 他病重在榻，耶和華必扶持他；他在病中，祢必給他鋪床。
4 我曾說：「耶和華啊，求祢憐恤我，醫治我，因為我得罪了祢。」
5 我的仇敵用惡言議論我說：「他幾時死，他的名才滅亡呢？」
6 他來看我，就說假話；他心存奸惡，走到外邊才說出來。
7 一切恨我的，都交頭接耳地議論我，他們設計要害我。
8 他們說：「有怪病貼在他身上，他已躺臥，必不能再起來。」
9 連我知己的朋友，我所倚靠吃過我飯的，也用腳踢我。
10 耶和華啊，求祢憐恤我，使我起來，好報復他們。……

這是一首“落魄之歌”，是大衛在病重時體會世態炎涼的作品。我記得滌然師母的分享，當她的癌症一再復發時，躺在床上想到大衛在〈詩篇〉第六篇第6節寫的：“我因唉哼而困乏，我每夜流淚，把床榻漂起，把褥子濕透”，特別感同身受；在沒有人可以安慰她時，她也想到這詩篇的第3節，想到她在病中，主會為她來舖床。她的心就覺得很感恩。

人在病中感情特別脆弱，看到有人來探病，聽到的都是一套套說詞，有時會特別煩。有的人去探病，叫病人要在神面前反省，看看有沒有得罪神或人的地方？有的人直接叫病人要悔改認罪! 有的人提供很多的自然醫療法或建議服用偏方，這些都讓人特別不舒服。

The Key to True Peace: Let Jesus Reign

2019-09-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 23:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 23:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. 
2  They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, 
3  the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David. 

On verses 1-21:  Jehoiada the priest has spent years hiding and protecting young Joash, the rightful heir to the throne of Judah, from the murderous queen mother Athaliah.  Now Jehoiada is ready to proclaim Joash as the new king.  He gathers the military, religious and family leaders of Judah together at the temple and says to the whole assembly, “The king’s son shall reign” (v3).  At the same time Jehoiada takes a number of steps to protect Joash:

詩篇四十篇

2019-09-11 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 我曾耐性等候耶和華，祂垂聽我的呼求。
2 祂從禍坑裡，從淤泥中，把我拉上來，使我的腳立在磐石上，使我腳步穩當。
3 祂使我口唱新歌，就是讚美我們神的話。許多人必看見而懼怕，並要倚靠耶和華。
4 那倚靠耶和華，不理會狂傲和偏向虛假之輩的，這人便為有福！
5 耶和華我的神啊，祢所行的奇事，並祢向我們所懷的意念甚多，不能向祢陳明。若要陳明，其事不可勝數。
6 祭物和禮物祢不喜悅，祢已經開通我的耳朵，燔祭和贖罪祭非祢所要。
7 那時我說：「看哪，我來了，我的事在經卷上已經記載了。
8 我的神啊，我樂意照祢的旨意行，祢的律法在我心裡。」
9 我在大會中宣傳公義的佳音，我必不止住我的嘴唇，耶和華啊，這是祢所知道的。
10 我未曾把祢的公義藏在心裡，我已陳明祢的信實和祢的救恩，我在大會中未曾隱瞞祢的慈愛和誠實。……

大衛寫的這詩篇彷彿是在回應〈詩篇〉27篇的最後一節：「要等候耶和華！當壯膽，堅固你的心！我再說，要等候耶和華！」所以這篇的第一節說：「我曾耐性等候耶和華，祂垂聽我的呼求。」然後繼續解釋神怎樣把他救出禍坑，淤泥似的環境中，所以他要用口唱新歌讚美神! 何等美好的見證!

You Are Rescued Royalty

2019-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 22:1-12.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (NIV) 
3  He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. 
4  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.

On verses 1-9:  One of the big, ongoing themes of 2 Chronicles is that it matters whom you get advice from and whom you partner with.  After Jehoram king of Judah dies, his youngest son Ahaziah takes over the throne, since raiders have killed off all of Jehoram’s older sons (v1).  Like his father before him, Ahaziah is heavily influenced by Athaliah Ahaziah’s mother, “who encouraged him to act wickedly” (v3).  Ahaziah is also heavily influenced by Athaliah’s side of the family, the house of King Ahab of Israel, who “became his advisers, to his undoing” (v4).  As a result of these corrupt influences on Ahaziah’s life, we see three effects on Ahaziah.  First, Ahaziah “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done” (v4).  Second, Ahaziah would end up fighting battles he was never meant to fight and facing dangerous situations he was never meant to be in.  For example, due to his alliance with the house of Ahab, Ahaziah ends up:

詩篇卅九 篇

2019-09-10 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長耶杜頓。

1 我曾說：「我要謹慎我的言行，免得我舌頭犯罪。惡人在我面前的時候，我要用嚼環勒住我的口。」
2 我默然無聲，連好話也不出口，我的愁苦就發動了。
3 我的心在我裡面發熱，我默想的時候，火就燒起，我便用舌頭說話。
4 耶和華啊，求祢叫我曉得我身之終，我的壽數幾何，叫我知道我的生命不長。
5 祢使我的年日窄如手掌，我一生的年數，在祢面前如同無有。各人最穩妥的時候，真是全然虛幻！（細拉）
6 世人行動實係幻影，他們忙亂真是枉然，積蓄財寶不知將來有誰收取。
7 主啊，如今我等什麼呢？我的指望在乎祢。
8 求祢救我脫離一切的過犯，不要使我受愚頑人的羞辱。
9 因我所遭遇的是出於祢，我就默然不語。
10 求祢把祢的責罰從我身上免去，因祢手的責打，我便消滅。
11 祢因人的罪惡，懲罰他的時候，叫他的笑容消滅，如衣被蟲所咬。世人真是虛幻！（細拉）
12 耶和華啊，求祢聽我的禱告，留心聽我的呼求，我流淚，求祢不要靜默無聲。因為我在祢面前是客旅，是寄居的，像我列祖一般。
13 求祢寬容我，使我在去而不返之先，可以力量復原。

這詩篇在猶太人的塔木德裡被分類為摩西寫的十篇詩篇之一，但是在馬太亨利的解經書裡則記載為大衛的詩篇。這詩篇經常在葬禮或安息禮拜時被引用，因為它提到：「因為我在祢面前是客旅，是寄居的，像我列祖一般。」

暑期剛剛過去，很多出門旅行的人都回來了；秋天一到，秋高氣爽，又有很多人會去旅行。不管去哪裡旅行，在旅途上碰到什麼不快樂的事都會盡快把它忘記；回到家就很開心。詩人提醒我們，我們在世上的日子就像在地球上旅行一樣，有一天總要回到永恒的家，所以不要太在意生活中發生的事，因為一切都會過去。