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诗篇一百零二篇

困苦人发昏的时候,在耶和华面前吐露苦情的祷告。

1 耶和华啊,求祢听我的祷告,容我的呼求达到祢面前!
2 我在急难的日子,求祢向我侧耳,不要向我掩面;我呼求的日子,求祢快快应允我。
3 因为我的年日如烟云消灭,我的骨头如火把烧着。
4 我的心被伤,如草枯干,甚至我忘记吃饭。
5 因我唉哼的声音,我的肉紧贴骨头。
6 我如同旷野的鹈鹕,我好像荒场的鸮鸟。
7 我警醒不睡,我像房顶上孤单的麻雀。
8 我的仇敌终日辱骂我,向我猖狂的人指着我赌咒。
9 我吃过炉灰,如同吃饭,我所喝的与眼泪掺杂,
10 这都因祢的恼恨和愤怒。祢把我拾起来,又把我摔下去。………

这首诗篇也是一首弥赛亚诗篇,因为在〈希伯来书〉的一章10-12节里引用了第25/26节的经文,在第一段1-11节里也仿佛是主耶稣在受难时的孤单和痛苦。若我们记得主在客西马尼园里的祷告情景,这诗篇里的描述更能使我们进入主的孤单,稍微体会祂当时的恐惧和哀伤。圣经学者多数认为,这是某个以色列人在被巴比伦掳去之后期所写,最可能的便是但以理。若以但以理为背景来读这首诗篇就会体会更深。

诗篇一百零一篇

大卫的诗。

1 我要歌唱慈爱和公平,耶和华啊,我要向祢歌颂。
2 我要用智慧行完全的道。你几时到我这里来呢?我要存完全的心行在我家中。
3 邪僻的事,我都不摆在我眼前;悖逆人所做的事,我甚恨恶,不容沾在我身上。
4 弯曲的心思,我必远离;一切的恶人,我不认识。
5 在暗中谗谤他邻居的,我必将他灭绝;眼目高傲、心里骄纵的,我必不容他。
6 我眼要看国中的诚实人,叫他们与我同住;行为完全的,他要伺候我。
7 行诡诈的必不得住在我家里,说谎话的必不得立在我眼前。
8 我每日早晨要灭绝国中所有的恶人,好把一切作孽的从耶和华的城里剪除。

诗篼101篇是大卫向神交的报告, 向神报告他立志做的事情。这对许多人可能是一个新的概念:什么?我们还要向神报告心里所想所做的吗?

神赋予我们生命,我们有责任告诉祂,我们想怎样活,用怎样的方式去生活,来彰显神的荣耀。

这就是在标杆人生里,华牧师说的,我们生命的重点不在于自己,而在于神。It’s not about you¸it’s all about God.

大卫为我们立了一个榜样,他每天在神面前立志如何过日子。第一是赞美神,第二是寻求神的智慧以求行事为人的完全。如此不管神何时来,都可以看到他存著完全的心行在家中。存完全的心也就是不要要邪情污念的心,不管是在外或在内,都保守自己的洁净。

Boldly Make the Ask

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 2:1-20.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 2:2-3 (NIV) 
2  so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,
3  but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

On verses 1-3:  Despite being “very much afraid” (v2), Nehemiah goes in faith, boldly choosing to enter the king’s presence with a sad face.  Then when he is questioned by the king, Nehemiah boldly but respectfully asks for:

time off from his service at the royal palace to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city (v5);
a letter from the king to the royal governors of the Trans-Euphrates guaranteeing Nehemiah’s safe passage (v7); and
a royal authorization to get timber to build the city gates and wall of Jerusalem (v8).

诗篇一百篇

称谢诗。

1 普天下当向耶和华欢呼!
2 你们当乐意侍奉耶和华,当来向他歌唱!
3 你们当晓得耶和华是神,我们是他造的,也是属他的,我们是他的民,也是他草场的羊。
4 当称谢进入他的门,当赞美进入他的院,当感谢他,称颂他的名!
5 因为耶和华本为善,他的慈爱存到永远,他的信实直到万代。

诗篇第100篇是总结“耶和华作王”的一组诗。诗篇第93篇为小引,第94篇论耶和华为审判的主,第95篇至99篇均预言基督为王,本篇则以 “称谢”为结束。有人认为本篇是在圣殿落成时,民众结队游行,进入圣殿时所唱的诗歌。以前犹太人差不多每日在会堂敬拜时唱这诗。后来有人根据本篇诗写成圣诗(普天颂赞第16与17首),成为历代以来教会所常唱的圣诗。英国讲道王子司布真说:“当人数众多的会众同唱这首诗的时候,天下没有比此种歌声更叫人感到雄伟了。”

这篇诗共有七个“当”字,是七个命令。这些是信徒事奉的总纲,也是信徒事奉的原则。我们事奉神如果有原则,事奉就有果效;有果效的事奉,才能真正的荣耀神。

一.当向耶和华欢呼(1节)

当一个人在最高兴的时候,他就会欢呼,在得到一件心爱的东西的时候会欢呼,球赛拿到总冠军的时候会欢呼,失业者得到工作的时候会欢呼,拿到博士 学位时会欢呼,得到升职加薪时会欢呼。

Great Leadership Begins with the Heart

Hi GAMErs,

Here is some background on the book of Nehemiah:

For several decades the people of Judah lived in exile in Babylon, having been ousted out of their own homeland because of persistent sin.  In 539 B.C. Cyrus King of Persia defeats the Babylonians and encourages the Jews to return to their homeland.  As we saw in the book of Ezra, the first group of Jews, about 50,000 of them, returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. (Ezra 1-2).  Under the leadership of governor Zerubabbel, the Jews rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem despite much opposition (Ezra 3-6).  In 458 B.C., Ezra leads a second group of about 1,500 Jews back to Jerusalem (Ezra 7-8).  When Ezra arrives in Jerusalem he discovers that the Jews have seriously compromised their faith by marrying unbelievers and following their idolatrous practices.  He leads them to repent and return to the Lord (Ezra 9-10).  In approximately 444 B.C., 14 years after Ezra arrives in Jerusalem, the events of Nehemiah 1 begin.  Written by Nehemiah himself in approximately 430 B.C., the book of Nehemiah chronicles Nehemiah’s long struggle to lead his people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

诗篇九十九篇

1耶和华做王,万民当战抖!祂坐在二基路伯上,地当动摇!
2 耶和华在锡安为大,祂超乎万民之上。
3 他们当称赞祂大而可畏的名,祂本为圣。
4 王有能力,喜爱公平,坚立公正,在雅各中施行公平和公义。
5 你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神,在祂脚凳前下拜,祂本为圣。
6 在祂的祭司中有摩西和亚伦,在求告祂名的人中有撒母耳,祂们求告耶和华,祂就应允祂们。
7 祂在云柱中对祂们说话,他们遵守祂的法度和祂所赐给他们的律例。
8 耶和华我们的神啊,祢应允他们。祢是赦免他们的神,却按他们所行的报应祂们。
9 你们要尊崇耶和华我们的神,在祂的圣山下拜,因为耶和华我们的神本为圣。

耶和华做王,为何万民当战抖?为何在选举总统时,万民不战抖?可能很多人觉得天高皇帝远,你做你的王,我做我的老百姓,井水不犯河水。所以,耶和华做王和人做王有何不同,为何万民当战抖?

这诗篇讲到神与人的不同。一, 神超乎万民之上。不像人间的领袖,选出来都差不多,对老百姓的生活也没什么大影响,除非是在民主路线或极权统治之间的选择。但人为的政权怎样都可以推翻,耶和华神坐王,就不是人能拒绝或推翻的,因为祂的主权来自祂原有的权柄。

Jesus, the Only Name That Saves

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 10:1-44.  Let’s go!

Ezra 10:1 (NIV) 
1  While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites–men, women and children–gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.
 
On verse 1:  Ezra weeps violently because of how his people have sinned, when eventually he is surrounded by a large crowd of men, women and children who weep with him.  What can we learn from this?  Though you might sometimes feel alone, in the kingdom of God you are not alone.  In Christ you are part of a bigger body such that there are others who feel the pain that you, most notably Jesus Christ our brother and our Saviour.

诗篇九十八篇

一篇诗。

1 你们要向耶和华唱新歌,因为祂行过奇妙的事,祂的右手和圣臂施行救恩。
2 耶和华发明了祂的救恩,在列邦人眼前显出公义。
3 记念祂向以色列家所发的慈爱、所凭的信实,地的四极都看见我们神的救恩。
4 全地都要向耶和华欢乐,要发起大声欢呼歌颂!
5 要用琴歌颂耶和华,用琴和诗歌的声音歌颂祂,
6 用号和角声在大君王耶和华面前欢呼!
7 愿海和其中所充满的澎湃,世界和住在其间的也要发声!
8 愿大水拍手,愿诸山在耶和华面前一同欢呼!
9 因为祂来要审判遍地,祂要按公义审判世界,按公正审判万民。

从93篇开始,每一篇都有赞美的主题。假如要请你写下一些赞美神的话,你会在哪些方面赞美神呢?

赞美神有时候并不容易,尤其是心情不好或健康欠佳时。好像你若身处在现在的香港,你可能只会问:「神啊,祢在哪里?」很难在满是催泪弹的街道上赞美神吧?当我写这篇灵修时,颈背十分酸痛。这事己经有几天,每天好一点,服用肌肉松弛剂后,人感到比较舒服时就赶快动手写灵修。这经历使我对那些经常在疼痛中的人充满同情,我这是短暂的痛,但有很多人身上背着长期的疼痛,也因而有许多人要倚靠大麻,或是祈求安乐死。

Don’t Marry an Unbeliever + What to Do When You Receive Upsetting News

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 9:1-15.  Let’s go!

Ezra 9:1-2 (NIV) 
1  After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 
2  They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

On verses 1-2:  Ezra learns that his fellow Israelite men, including priests, Levites, leaders and officials, have sinned by marrying foreign women who do not believe in the Lord.  In doing so, they disobeyed God’s command not to marry an unbeliever.    What is so bad, harmful and dangerous about marrying someone who does not believe in the Lord?

诗篇九十七篇

1耶和华做王!愿地快乐,愿众海岛欢喜!
2 密云和幽暗在祂的四围,公义和公平是祂宝座的根基。
3 有烈火在祂前头行,烧灭祂四围的敌人。
4 祂的闪电光照世界,大地看见便震动。
5 诸山见耶和华的面,就是全地之主的面,便消化如蜡。
6 诸天表明祂的公义,万民看见祂的荣耀。
7 愿一切侍奉雕刻的偶像,靠虚无之神自夸的,都蒙羞愧。万神哪,你们都当拜祂!
8 耶和华啊,锡安听见祢的判断就欢喜,犹大的城邑也都快乐。
9 因为祢耶和华至高,超乎全地;祢被尊崇,远超万神之上。
10 你们爱耶和华的,都当恨恶罪恶,祂保护圣民的性命,搭救祂们脱离恶人的手。
11 散布亮光是为义人,预备喜乐是为正直人。
12 你们义人当靠耶和华欢喜,称谢祂可记念的圣名!

第97篇是很完整的预言性诗篇。此诗篇向我们说明:(1)耶和华神的能力(第1-5节);(2)耶和华神的卓越(第6-9节);(3) 耶和华神的子民(第10-12节)。本诗篇预言到那日子,与前一篇的最后一节 (96:13)互相呼应 : 「因为祂来了,祂来要审判全地。祂要按公义审判世界,按祂的信实审判万民。」