Entries by

詩篇第十篇

2019-08-07 in /by

詩篇第十篇

1耶和華啊，祢為什麼站在遠處？在患難的時候為什麼隱藏？
2 惡人在驕橫中把困苦人追得火急，願他們陷在自己所設的計謀裡。
3 因為惡人以心願自誇，貪財的背棄耶和華，並且輕慢他。
4 惡人面帶驕傲，說：「耶和華必不追究。」他一切所想的，都以為沒有神。
5 凡他所做的，時常穩固，祢的審判超過他的眼界。至於他一切的敵人，他都向他們噴氣。
6 他心裡說：「我必不動搖，世世代代不遭災難。」
7 他滿口是咒罵、詭詐、欺壓，舌底是毒害、奸惡。
8 他在村莊埋伏等候，他在隱密處殺害無辜的人，他的眼睛窺探無倚無靠的人。
9 他埋伏在暗地，如獅子蹲在洞中。他埋伏，要擄去困苦人；他拉網，就把困苦人擄去。
10 他屈身蹲伏，無倚無靠的人就倒在他爪牙之下。…………

在希臘七十士譯本裡，詩篇第9/10篇是同一詩篇，但是在國王詹姆斯(King James)版本裡分成了兩個詩篇。從內容來看，第10篇更注重在個人與神的關係。通常以色列人在吹角節到贖罪日的十天裡，會朗讀這首詩歌。

在香港的局勢如此不穩定時，讀這詩篇似乎很合此時的心境。誰是惡人？誰是義人？似乎在每個團體裡都有惡人，也有義人。我們看到港警一些不合宜的作法，也看到有些港警試著偷偷地保護民眾，叫他們快跑不要被抓到；我們看到港民和平示威，也看到有港民作亂。在我們不知如何為香港禱告時，這首詩篇似乎派上了用場。因為只有監察人心的神知道誰是惡人，誰是義人。

If You Love That Person, Do THIS Before You Challenge or Criticize Them

2019-08-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today we begin the book of Philemon, a letter Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome between 61 to 63 AD (imprisoned for preaching the gospel).  Here is some background you will find helpful: 

Paul wrote this letter to a man called Philemon.  Who was Philemon?  Philemon lived in the city of Colosse and came to faith in Christ through the ministry of Paul (v19).  Later on Philemon would open up his home for the church in Colosse to use as their meeting place.  The fact that Philemon had a home large enough to host a church and owned slaves like Onesimus suggests that Philemon was wealthy.
Paul’s reason for writing Philemon personally is because one of Philemon’s slaves, called Onesimus, had stolen something from Philemon, ran away, only to meet Paul in Rome and become a Christian under his ministry.  Onesimus becomes useful to Paul’s ministry, but Paul feels it is best to send Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to forgive his former slave and take him in again. 

詩篇第九篇

2019-08-06 in /by

詩篇第九篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。調用慕拉便。

1 我要一心稱謝耶和華，我要傳揚祢一切奇妙的作為。
2 我要因祢歡喜快樂，至高者啊，我要歌頌祢的名！
3 我的仇敵轉身退去的時候，他們一見祢的面，就跌倒滅亡。
4 因祢已經為我申冤，為我辨屈；祢坐在寶座上，按公義審判。
5 祢曾斥責外邦，祢曾滅絕惡人，祢曾塗抹他們的名，直到永永遠遠。
6 仇敵到了盡頭，他們被毀壞，直到永遠；祢拆毀他們的城邑，連他們的名號都歸於無有。
7 唯耶和華坐著為王，直到永遠，祂已經為審判設擺他的寶座。
8 祂要按公義審判世界，按正直判斷萬民。
9 耶和華又要給受欺壓的人做高臺，在患難的時候做高臺。
10 耶和華啊，認識祢名的人要倚靠祢，因祢沒有離棄尋求祢的人。………….

這首詩的週用慕拉便Muth-labben，令人摸不著頭腦。因為它的直譯是「兒子死了」，幸好因為是曲調名所以不能這樣譯。在這裡給大家看不同譯本的譯法：七十士譯本：少壯的力量 /呂振中譯本：男高音或假聲 ，也有人說在此應該是男孩子唱高音或用嘹亮的高音，等等。總結起來似乎以男高音最合適了。換句話說，這首調子比較高，是給男高音唱的。慕拉便就是男高音。

這首詩的主題是：惡人雖然暫時縱橫，但公義至終得勝。詩篇第九篇和十篇原是相連，但在編輯時被分成兩個詩篇。

The Most Important Thing You Can Do

2019-08-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 29:21-30.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 29:22 (NIV) 
22  They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the LORD to be ruler and Zadok to be priest.
 
On verses 21-22:  It touches my heart deeply to think that David’s last act as king of Israel, before he handed the reigns of his kingdom to his son Solomon, was to lead his people in worshiping the Lord, both through giving the most generous offering they could muster together (v1-9) and giving God praise through prayer and song (v10-20).  And now, one day later, the people are at it again, giving God worship through generous sacrifices and offerings (v21).  They eat and drink together with great joy before recognizing and anointing Solomon as their king and ruler (v22).  What can we learn from this? The most important thing you can do with the power God has given you is lead others to know and worship the Lord.  Like David, may you do it until you don’t have the power to do it anymore.

詩篇第八篇 詩篇

2019-08-05 in /by

詩篇第八篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。用迦特樂器。

1 耶和華我們的主啊，祢的名在全地何其美，祢將祢的榮耀彰顯於天！
2 祢因敵人的緣故，從嬰孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力，使仇敵和報仇的閉口無言。
3 我觀看你指頭所造的天，並祢所陳設的月亮星宿，
4 便說：「人算什麼，祢竟顧念他？世人算什麼，祢竟眷顧他？
5 祢叫他比天使微小一點，並賜他榮耀尊貴為冠冕。
6 祢派他管理祢手所造的，使萬物，就是一切的牛羊，田野的獸，空中的鳥，海裡的魚，凡經行海道的，都服在他的腳下。」
9 耶和華我們的主啊，祢的名在全地何其美！

從〈詩篇〉第3-7篇裡，大衛經歷了許多的痛苦憂傷，但是當他仰望神時，他皂心就充滿了喜槳和讚美。這詩篇提醒我們，不要一直注目在地上的人事物，要抬頭仰望，因為神也在看我們，要藉著祂的創造賜給我們信心。神將祂的榮耀彰顯於天，所以當我們看天空時，時時感到驚奇。晨曦帶來的生命力，天空中的顏色變幻無窮，夕陽之美，夜裡繁星燦爛，沒有一刻是無聊的。

Your Wealth Is From God and For God

2019-08-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 29:10-20.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 29:10 (NIV) 
10  David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

On verse 10-13:  Having given the most personal and precious offering he has ever given, and having seen how his officials and the people respond in kind by giving willingly and generously toward the building of the temple as well, David praises God.  Notice a few things about how David praises God:

David is the king of Israel, the most powerful man in his country, and yet David says to God, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor…Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (v11)

詩篇第七篇

2019-08-04 in /by

詩篇第七篇

大衛指著便雅憫人古實的話，向耶和華唱的流離歌。

1 耶和華我的神啊，我投靠祢，求祢救我脫離一切追趕我的人，將我救拔出來，
2 恐怕他們像獅子撕裂我，甚至撕碎，無人搭救。
3 耶和華我的神啊，我若行了這事，若有罪孽在我手裡，
4 我若以惡報那與我交好的人（連那無故與我為敵的，我也救了他），
5 就任憑仇敵追趕我，直到追上，將我的性命踏在地下，使我的榮耀歸於灰塵！（細拉）
6 耶和華啊，求祢在怒中起來，挺身而立，抵擋我敵人的暴怒；求祢為我興起，你已經命定施行審判。
7 願眾民的會環繞你，願祢從其上歸於高位。
8 耶和華向眾民施行審判。耶和華啊，求祢按我的公義和我心中的純正判斷我。
9 願惡人的惡斷絕，願你堅立義人，因為公義的神察驗人的心腸肺腑。
10 神是我的盾牌，祂拯救心裡正直的人。……….

大衛王是這首詩的作者，但是便雅憫人古實是指誰呢？流離歌是一種不規則的抒情詩，有點像我們的現代詩，隨著當時的心情和情景而吟頌的詩。古實的意思原是黑色，但在此是一個人的名字，因為冠上了便雅憫人，不免讓人聯想到掃羅。掃羅就是便雅憫人，所以當掃羅在追殺大衛時，他的族人必然傾心相助，也去追趕大衛。古實很可能就是緊追大衛不捨的一個。

在這首詩裡講到正義之人看起來彷彿很軟弱，就像他和掃羅相比，掃羅是王，擁有軍隊，而大衛手無寸鐵，只有一把非利士人哥利亞的刀，還有一批流浪者跟著他，兩相比較，大衛何等虛弱。但大衛到神面前祈求時，他以自己的公義求神判斷，他相信神必拯救無辜之人。因為神是公義的審判者。

Great Leaders Lead by Example

2019-08-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 29:1-9.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 29:3 (NIV) 
3  Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple…

On verses 1-9:  After commissioning his son Solomon to build the temple and encouraging his top leaders in chapter 28, here in chapter 29 David addresses the whole assembly of Israelites.  He tells them of the great vision ahead of them to build a temple for the Lord.  He also tells them of the great challenges that are before them as they pursue this vision (v1).  Then David announces that he has already donated a tremendous amount toward this cause from all his own personal resources, which probably consisted of spoils that he had acquired over time as king (v2).  Now David says he is about to make an even greater personal donation (v3-5a).  This greater personal donation – which in the Hebrew means “my most personal treasure” – consisted of 3,000 talents of gold from Ophir (the most coveted gold in the region at that time) as well as 7,000 talents of refined silver.   Then he asks the entire assembly “Who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” (v5b), meaning “Who will give of themselves personally toward building the temple?” (In fact, the word “consecrate” in Hebrew literally means to “fill the hand”.) 

詩篇第六篇

2019-08-02 in /by

詩篇第六篇

1 耶和華啊，求你不要在怒中責備我，也不要在烈怒中懲罰我！
2 耶和華啊，求你可憐我，因為我軟弱。耶和華啊，求你醫治我，因為我的骨頭發戰。
3 我心也大大地驚惶。耶和華啊，你要到幾時才救我呢？
4 耶和華啊，求你轉回，搭救我，因你的慈愛拯救我。
5 因為在死地無人記念你，在陰間有誰稱謝你？
6 我因唉哼而困乏，我每夜流淚，把床榻漂起，把褥子濕透。
7 我因憂愁眼睛乾癟，又因我一切的敵人眼睛昏花。
8 你們一切作孽的人，離開我吧！因為耶和華聽了我哀哭的聲音。
9 耶和華聽了我的懇求，耶和華必收納我的禱告。
10 我的一切仇敵都必羞愧，大大驚惶；他們必要退後，忽然羞愧。

這是大衛的詩歌，也是詩篇裡七首懺悔詩篇的第一首。這篇詩歌寫出在患病或正在受苦的人的心聲，也表達了以色列遭受他國壓迫和被蹂躪時的苦楚。

大衛王因罪惹動了神的怒氣，在詩歌裡他寫出他的痛苦不只是因為對手的反擊，而且他深深感受到永死，也就是與神隔絕的恐怖。他迫切渴望能得到神的寬恕。他對神的訴求是，倘若神在憤怒中取走他的性命，那麼還有誰像他一樣能讚美神，稱謝神？