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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).

詩篇一百卅四篇

2020-01-23 in /by

上行之詩。

1 耶和華的僕人，夜間站在耶和華殿中的，你們當稱頌耶和華！
2 你們當向聖所舉手，稱頌耶和華！
3 願造天地的耶和華，從錫安賜福給你們！

上行到耶路撒冷是朝聖者的心願，這些人一來希望能夠有機會去聖殿敬拜神，二來希望能享受到與屬靈肢體的溝通，三來則希望領受到神的祝福。因此在〈詩篇〉第133篇裡說到弟兄和睦同居是何等的美，何等的善，似乎在講一個屬靈的高峰就是享受與主內肢體和睦同居的關係，也就是說倘若在主裡有很好的人際關係，是靈裡生活的一個非常美好的境界。但是134篇向我們指出了另一個事實，就是當朝聖者都散去回家時，入夜後，聖殿裡只留下幾個看守聖殿的祭司，和在聖殿服侍的人。朝聖者回家後也要面對類似的，靈性上的孤獨和寂寞。

在享受過肢體交通的喜樂之後，在教會的敬拜之後，在團契的聚會結束之後，你可記得有哪些人留下來默默地收拾？這些在事後收拾的，神的僕人，即使感到孤獨、冷清或有點寂寞，詩人說，在這樣的情況下，應當稱頌耶和華！夜間的守望者，是孤獨的，卻不孤單，因為聖殿裡的主角，我們信仰的尊者，仍然與他們同在，也與每一個敬拜神的人同在。

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.”

詩篇一百卅三篇

2020-01-22 in /by

大衛上行之詩。

1 看哪，弟兄和睦同居是何等地善，何等地美！
2 這好比那貴重的油澆在亞倫的頭上，流到鬍鬚，又流到他的衣襟。
3 又好比黑門的甘露降在錫安山，因為在那裡有耶和華所命定的福，就是永遠的生命。

群山雖是獨立個體，卻又彼此相和，弟兄和睦相居也是。

黑門山的甘露會降在錫安山。黑門山位於以色列的北方，是中東地區第二高山（最高的為黎巴嫩群山的主峰，高度3000公尺），高度2760公尺。

鍚安山位於以色列的南方，是個丘陵，高度743公尺，兩人的間距約180公里。

黑門山的甘露，怎麼會降在遠處的錫安山呢？甘露會移動那麼遠嗎？山與山不連在一起，也會傳送露珠嗎？

答案是肯定的。

黑門山是座大山，涵蓋面積約一千平方公里，山呈南北縱向，西部吹進的海風，受阻於黑門山，海風向山上騰，每上升一百公尺，溫度約下降攝氏一度，上升黑門山頂已經成為冷氣團。環繞在山頭的冷氣團，停滯在山上就形成露珠；白天溫度較高時，冷氣團順著約旦河兵陵南下，一直移動到約旦河底，甚至到以法蓮山地的錫安山。

詩篇一百卅二篇

2020-01-21 in /by

上行之詩。

1 耶和華啊，求祢記念大衛所受的一切苦難。
2 他怎樣向耶和華起誓，向雅各的大能者許願，
3 說：「我必不進我的帳幕，也不上我的床榻。
4 我不容我的眼睛睡覺，也不容我的眼目打盹。
5 直等我為耶和華尋得所在，為雅各的大能者尋得居所。」
6 我們聽說約櫃在以法他，我們在基列耶琳就尋見了。
7 我們要進祂的居所，在祂腳凳前下拜。
8 耶和華啊，求祢興起，和祢有能力的約櫃同入安息之所。
9 願祢的祭司披上公義，願祢的聖民歡呼。
10 求祢因祢僕人大衛的緣故，不要厭棄祢的受膏者。…….

這詩篇和〈撒母耳記〉下第七章有異曲同工之妙，大衛住在自己的王宮內，想到約櫃還在幔子（帳幕）裡，就想要為神建殿。大衛在這詩篇中把他的迫切表達得十分透徹：“我必不進我的帳幕，也不上我的床榻。我不容我的眼睛睡覺，也不容我的眼目打盹。直等我為耶和華尋得所在，為雅各的大能者尋得居所。” 他覺得神的約櫃沒有住處，他也無法住得安穩，這是大衛對神的愛。

大衛差人把神的約櫃從基列耶琳迎回耶路撒冷，但是因為祭司沒有按著神的教導抬約櫃，以致駄著約櫃的牛失前蹄，烏撒用手去扶，被神擊殺；約櫃因而安置到俄別以東的家，三個月後才抬到大衛的城裡安置。大衛渴慕神的同在，這是他最蒙神喜悅的一點吧。整本新舊約聖經裡，只有一個人得到神如此的稱許，合神的心意，就是大衛。大衛有他的軟弱，大衛不完全，但是他對神的渴慕無人能比。

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! 

詩篇一百卅一篇

2020-01-20 in /by

大衛上行之詩。

1 耶和華啊，我的心不狂傲，我的眼不高大，重大和測不透的事，我也不敢行。
2 我的心平穩安靜，好像斷過奶的孩子在他母親的懷中，我的心在我裡面真像斷過奶的孩子。
3 以色列啊，你當仰望耶和華，從今時直到永遠。

現代中文譯本

131:1     上主啊，我不敢再狂傲，也不敢再妄自尊大。我不敢再有大企圖，也不敢再做力所不及的事。
131:2     我安適滿足。像斷奶的嬰兒倚偎在母親懷裏，我的心寧靜。
131:3     以色列啊，要信靠上主，從現在直到永遠。

詩篇131篇是一首很短的詩篇，因為它很短，若是能背下來，又變成你的寶藏之一了。這首詩篇一開始，是詩人對上帝的祈禱，並且是認罪的祈禱。有一些版本的譯文沒有將詩人的心境很清楚的表達出來，若我們看現代中文譯本的翻譯，就能夠比較清楚的體會詩人的心境。多一個“再”字讓詩人的意思更清楚。

他說：「上主啊，我不敢再狂傲，也不敢再妄自尊大。我不敢再有大企圖，也不敢再做艱難的事。」（詩131：1）在《聖經》裡並不是只有做錯事才是罪或得罪神，有時人以為正面的事，在神的眼中也是罪。例如當大衛迎約櫃回耶路撒冷時，米甲因為大衛跳舞露出下體而看輕大衛。對米甲而言，她是一個公主，對皇家禮儀甚為重視，她認為大衛做王也該有同樣的認知，在神眼中卻完全相反，她對皇室禮儀的看重只是出於心裡驕傲或優越感，而大衛忘記身份的舉止卻蒙神悅納。

詩篇一百卅篇

2020-01-19 in /by

上行之詩。

1 耶和華啊，我從深處向祢求告。
2 主啊，求祢聽我的聲音！願祢側耳聽我懇求的聲音！
3 主耶和華啊，祢若究察罪孽，誰能站得住呢？
4 但在祢有赦免之恩，要叫人敬畏祢。
5 我等候耶和華，我的心等候，我也仰望祂的話。
6 我的心等候主，勝於守夜的等候天亮，勝於守夜的等候天亮。
7 以色列啊，你當仰望耶和華，因祂有慈愛，有豐盛的救恩。
8 祂必救贖以色列脫離一切的罪孽。

詩人從深處向神求告，深處是指什麼或是哪裡？你可曾在深處向神求告過？深處讓我想到舊約裡的先知約拿在魚腹中的處境，當約拿被魚吞進肚子時，他的處境十分危險。人的胃裡有胃酸，胃酸是一種強酸，通常情況下對人體不會造成傷害，因為胃內的表面的黏液細胞可以分泌一種黏液，使其成為弱酸性；但若是分泌過多就會將粘膜或肌肉“燒破”，以致傷到胃壁、十二指腸，等等。約拿若是到了大魚的胃裡，魚的胃酸足以把他腐蝕致死，實在驚險萬分。

T.H.I.N.K. before you speak

2020-01-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 11:13-20.  Let’s go!

Job 11:14-15 (NIV) 
14  if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
15  then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.

On verses 13-20:  When you look at Zophar’s entire speech in chapter 11, a good portion of what Zophar has said is technically correct.  For example, yesterday in our look at verses 1 to 13 we identified numerous points that Zophar correctly made.  Now what was wrong with what Zophar said?  The problem is that Zophar’s guiding assumption was incorrect:  like Eliphaz and Bildad before him, Zophar falsely assumed that Job’s sin was the cause of his suffering (v14).  Thus, no matter how technically true Zophar’s statements were, virtually all of what Zophar had to say was not helpful or relevant for Job to hear.  Zophar was trying to sell something to Job that Job did not need and that would not help Job’s situation.