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A New City Awaits You

2019-12-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 11:1-36.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 11:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.
2  The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

On verses 1-36:  Jerusalem was underpopulated and underdeveloped, with most Jews preferring to live in the neighbouring towns.  Through a system of casting lots, 1 out of every 10 were to live in Jerusalem, while the other 9 could stay in their own towns.  Anyone who volunteered to live in Jerusalem was commended.   This final chapter of Nehemiah lists various Israelites who moved to Jerusalem.

詩篇一百一十篇

2019-12-02 in /by

大衛的詩。

1 耶和華對我主說：「祢坐在我的右邊，等我使你仇敵做祢的腳凳。」
2 耶和華必使祢從錫安伸出能力的杖來，祢要在你仇敵中掌權。
3 當祢掌權的日子，祢的民要以聖潔的裝飾為衣，甘心犧牲自己，祢的民多如清晨的甘露。
4 耶和華起了誓，決不後悔，說：「祢是照著麥基洗德的等次永遠為祭司。」
5 在祢右邊的主，當祂發怒的日子，必打傷列王。
6 祂要在列邦中刑罰惡人，屍首就遍滿各處；祂要在許多國中打破仇敵的頭。
7 祂要喝路旁的河水，因此必抬起頭來。

這是一篇完全在講彌賽亞的“彌賽亞詩篇”(Messianic Psalms)，其中論到彌賽亞為君王亦為祭司，在新約裡更引述此詩篇的內容多達14次。寫這詩的是大衛，主耶穌說大衛被聖靈感動，稱他的後裔(耶穌)為主。法利賽人聽了也無法反駁。

在這詩篇裡，大衛形容彌賽亞是被耶和華神高舉的主。神學家賴希(Max Isaac Reich)在他的著作中說：“詩篇第110篇是歷史的鑰匙。 這位唯一能糾正地上錯謬、止息暴風、砍斷鎖鏈、醫治傷痛、矯正彎曲、驅除黑暗的主，是隱藏在天上的， 因地上沒有地方為祂存留，祂坐在神的右邊，這正是祂身為兒子和後嗣獨有的特權。祂忍耐等候， 直至神親自干預地上的事，那時(在千禧年時)仇敵要成為祂的腳凳。”

We Will Not Neglect God’s House

2019-12-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 10:1-27.  There are so many important lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-27:  Here is a list of the priests, Levites and other leaders, along with Nehemiah, who represented the people in signing a written agreement to say, on behalf of the Israelites, that they would obey the Lord and be faithful to Him.  To evidence how serious their commitment was, they put their own names on the line and sealed the document with their personal seals.

What can we learn from this?  I respect the guts of those who were willing to put their names on the line and sign an agreement to say that they will follow all of God’s commands.  Every family, every church, every city, every school, every company and every nation needs people who are willing to stick their neck out on behalf of the people and lead by example in following the Lord.

詩篇一百零九篇

2019-12-01 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 我所讚美的神啊，求祢不要閉口不言！
2 因為惡人的嘴和詭詐人的口已經張開攻擊我，他們用撒謊的舌頭對我說話。
3 他們圍繞我說怨恨的話，又無故地攻打我。
4 他們與我為敵以報我愛，但我專心祈禱。
5 他們向我以惡報善，以恨報愛。
6 願祢派一個惡人轄制他，派一個對頭站在他右邊。
7 他受審判的時候，願他出來擔當罪名，願他的祈禱反成為罪。
8 願他的年日短少，願別人得他的職分。
9 願他的兒女為孤兒，他的妻子為寡婦。
10 願他的兒女漂流討飯，從他們荒涼之處出來求食。……

根據拉比·薩姆森·拉斐爾·赫希（Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch）的解釋，這首詩最有可能是在大衛逃避押沙龍時所寫的。儘管大衛原諒了押沙龍殺死長子暗嫩，又讓他回到京城， 但是後者卻以惡報善，想要掠奪他的王權。在他出城的路上，便雅憫人示每咒詛大衛，更不斷向大衛和從人丟石頭。

大衛遭受到內外敵人的攻擊，心裡的沉痛無以復加，因而求神展現祂的公義和審判。示每指責大衛流掃羅全家的血，然後接續他做王，讓大衛覺得不甚委屈。因為他一直敬重掃羅是神的受膏者，即使機會來到面前，也不肯加害掃羅，而今卻被如此誤會中傷，不免心神俱痛。尤其是在親子叛變之時，不免有全世界都向他壓過來般地恐怖。

My Failure, God’s Faithfulness

2019-12-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 9:16-38.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 9:33 (NIV) 
33  In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.

On verses 16-37:  Here the Levites recount how faithful and good God has been to the Israelites throughout their history, and how despite God’s faithfulness, the Israelites persisted in sin and rebellion.  It’s a picture of the constant faithfulness of God juxtaposed against the ongoing failure of the people He loves.  The fact that God never gave up on the Israelites despite how much they grieved Him with their persistent sin shows us how amazing, steadfast, humble, unconditional and faithful is the love of God.

Thank You, Lord, for using this passage to remind me that even though I fail You time and time again, You never fail me.  You are always faithful.  Even in my failure I can always fall back on Your mercy and faithfulness.  Thank You for never giving up on me despite all the times that I have grieved You with my wrong choices.  You deliver me “time after time” (v28).  How amazing is Your faithful love for me! 

詩篇一百零八篇

2019-11-29 in /by

大衛的詩歌。

1 神啊，我心堅定，我口要唱詩歌頌！
2 琴瑟啊，你們當醒起！我自己要極早醒起。
3 耶和華啊，我要在萬民中稱謝祢，在列邦中歌頌祢。
4 因為祢的慈愛大過諸天，祢的誠實達到穹蒼。
5 神啊，願祢崇高過於諸天，願祢的榮耀高過全地！
6 求祢應允我們，用右手拯救我們，好叫祢所親愛的人得救。
7 神已經指著祂的聖潔說：「我要歡樂，我要分開示劍，丈量疏割谷。
8 基列是我的，瑪拿西是我的。以法蓮是護衛我頭的，猶大是我的杖。
9 摩押是我的沐浴盆，我要向以東拋鞋，我必因勝非利士呼喊。」
10 誰能領我進堅固城？誰能引我到以東地？
11 神啊，祢不是丟棄了我們嗎？神啊，祢不和我們的軍兵同去嗎？
12 求祢幫助我們攻擊敵人，因為人的幫助是枉然的。
13 我們倚靠神才得施展大能，因為踐踏我們敵人的就是祂。

這詩篇有一個特色，是由大衛的兩首詩的結尾組成的：前5節引自〈詩篇〉57篇7-11節，後面8節引自〈詩篇〉60篇5-12節。57篇的背景是大衛逃避掃羅的追殺，60篇的背景是大衛王和敵人作戰。所以這詩篇的作者必然是大衛王。從這詩篇裡，詩人讓我們看到，不管大衛是平民或做了王之後，對神的倚靠都沒有改變。有許多人在發達之前非常愛主，但是得勢之後便逐漸遠離主，但是大衛與他們不同，大衛對神的愛始終如一。

When You Pray, Start with Praise

2019-11-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

Nehemiah 9:1-2 (NIV) 
1  On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads. 
2  Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.

On verses 1-2:  Earlier in the month, the Israelites gathered to celebrate, rejoice and hold a feast in accordance with God’s commands (8:13-18).  Now just over two weeks later, the Israelites gather again, this time to fast, confess their sins and draw near to God.

What can we learn from this?  In church, there is a place for rejoicing and celebrating, and there’s also a place for mourning, weeping and confessing sin.   A healthy church is one that does both:  we rejoice and we repent, we celebrate victories and we confess sin, we party and we pray.
 

詩篇一百零七篇

2019-11-28 in /by

1「你們要稱謝耶和華，因祂本為善，祂的慈愛永遠長存！」
2 願耶和華的贖民說這話，就是祂從敵人手中所救贖的，
3 從各地，從東從西，從南從北所招聚來的。
4 他們在曠野荒地漂流，尋不見可住的城邑，
5 又飢又渴，心裡發昏。
6 於是他們在苦難中哀求耶和華，祂從他們的禍患中搭救他們。
7 又領他們行走直路，使他們往可居住的城邑。
8 但願人因耶和華的慈愛和他向人所行的奇事都稱讚祂！
9 因祂使心裡渴慕的人得以知足，使心裡飢餓的人得飽美物。
10 那些坐在黑暗中死蔭裡的人，被困苦和鐵鏈捆鎖，……

從詩篇103篇開始，詩人一開始就告訴我們要稱謝耶和華。103篇裡詩人稱謝神，要我們記念神的恩惠，祂用美物使我們知足，又救贖我們脫離過犯；104篇中詩人藉神所造的萬物發出感謝；105篇講到神揀選和帶領以色列人的大恩；106篇講到神對以色列人悖逆的管教之恩；107篇則是針對耶和華從東西南北招來的贖民，那就是我們這些因信耶穌基督而在神的恩典裡有份的人。

在這詩篇裡，詩人藉著歷史讓我們知道耶和華是一位怎樣的神。第一(4-9節)，祂是使漂流者安居的神。當以色列人出埃及後，他們沒有國也沒有家，面對的只是無垠的曠野和沙漠。但是神一再應允他們，迦南地是神賜給他們的地方。神給他們真實的盼望，也在路上教他們怎樣紮營，供應他們一切所需。神也為我們這些必死的人預備了永生和永恒的家鄉，使相信祂的人有真正的盼望。

4 Ways to Understand God’s Word Better

2019-11-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 8:1-18.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 8:3 (NIV) 
3  He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

On 7:73 to 8:8:  After all the Israelites had settled in their towns, Ezra the priest assembles all the people together for a worship service in the public square (v1).  Men, women and “all who were able to understand” (which probably suggests older or mature children) (v2-3) listen attentively as Ezra reads the book of the law out loud from daybreak tillnoon (that’s about 6 hours of reading out God’s Word!) (v3).  Then the people stand and join in a time of face-to-the-ground worshiping and praising God (v6).  After that a team of 13 Levites get on the stage and teach God’s Word, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (v8).

詩篇一百零六篇

2019-11-27 in /by

1你們要讚美耶和華！要稱謝耶和華，因祂本為善，祂的慈愛永遠長存！
2 誰能傳說耶和華的大能？誰能表明祂一切的美德？
3 凡遵守公平、常行公義的，這人便為有福！
4 耶和華啊，祢用恩惠待祢的百姓，求祢也用這恩惠記念我，開祢的救恩眷顧我，
5 使我見祢選民的福，樂祢國民的樂，與祢的產業一同誇耀。
6 我們與我們的祖宗一同犯罪，我們作了孽，行了惡。
7 我們的祖宗在埃及不明白祢的奇事，不記念祢豐盛的慈愛，反倒在紅海行了悖逆。
8 然而祂因自己的名拯救他們，為要彰顯祂的大能。
9 並且斥責紅海，海便乾了；祂帶領他們經過深處，如同經過曠野。
10 祂拯救他們脫離恨他們人的手，從仇敵手中救贖他們。…….

從詩篇第105篇裡，我們看到神的信實；而第106篇讓我們看到以色列人的悖逆。第105篇包括了直到出埃及的事件，第106篇概括了從出埃及到猶大亡國被巴比倫俘擄的事件。並且以神的公義慈愛和大能來對比以色列人的悖逆和罪過。第七節指出以色列人犯罪的基本模式是：不明白、不記念和行悖逆的事；換句話說，不明白神的奇事，是因為他們不思想；不記念神的慈愛，是因為他們不肯聽從神的話；行悖逆的事是因為他們自高自大，自以為義。從這三方面來看，世人和以色列人其實都是一樣的。

詩人列出以色列人過紅海之後，在曠野所犯的六個大罪和受所的刑罰(13-33節)。一是因貪慾而試探神 (13-15節) 。“神把所求的賜給他們，卻使他們的心靈軟弱。”這句話深具警告，我們常常以為神垂聽我們的禱告，把我們所想所要的給我們，就是好得無比。