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诗篇第十九篇

2019-08-18 in /by

诗篇第十九篇

大卫的诗，交于伶长。

1 诸天述说神的荣耀，穹苍传扬祂的手段。
2 这日到那日发出言语，这夜到那夜传出知识。
3 无言无语，也无声音可听。
4 他的量带通遍天下，他的言语传到地极。神在其间为太阳安设帐幕，
5 太阳如同新郎出洞房，又如勇士欢然奔路。
6 它从天这边出来，绕到天那边，没有一物被隐藏不得他的热气。

7 耶和华的律法全备，能苏醒人心。耶和华的法度确定，能使愚人有智慧。

8 耶和华的训词正直，能快活人的心。耶和华的命令清洁，能明亮人的眼目。
9 耶和华的道理洁净，存到永远。耶和华的典章真实，全然公义。
10 都比金子可羡慕，且比极多的精金可羡慕；比蜜甘甜，且比蜂房下滴的蜜甘甜。……

这是大卫的诗，当他写完后交给伶长，相当于现在的诗班长或指挥，也就是负责诗班的人，让他为诗谱曲吧!这诗篇是犹太人在安息日和其他节日敬拜时经常引用的诗篇。在1-6节里，大卫用大自然来形容神的荣耀和伟大；在7-11节里，用明喻和暗喻来形容耶和华的律法之圣洁和甜蜜；12-14节是大卫对神的祈祷。C. S. Lewis说这诗篇是他认为诗篇中最伟大的诗篇，其内容堪称是世上最伟大的歌词之一。

Standing on Your God-Given Platform

2019-08-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 6:12-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 6:12-13 (NIV) 
12  Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 
13  Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

On verses 12-13:  Here Solomon has a platform on which he stands and speaks to the people of Israel.  Similarly, if you have trusted Jesus as your Saviour, God has given you a platform on which you can stand and influence others.  A big part of that platform is the set of spiritual gifts God has given you.  For a list of many of the spiritual gifts God makes available to His children, see Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 28-31; and Ephesians 4:11-13.  What spiritual gifts has God given to you?  Be sure to discover, practice, develop and use your spiritual gifts with love, humility, and in unity with your church so that others can be brought near to God and so that God’s kingdom can expand on earth.  As 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”  

诗篇第十八篇

2019-08-16 in /by

诗篇十八篇

耶和华的仆人大卫的诗，交于伶长。当耶和华救他脱离一切仇敌和扫罗之手的日子，他向耶和华念这诗的话，说：

1 耶和华我的力量啊，我爱祢！
2 耶和华是我的岩石，我的山寨，我的救主，我的神，我的磐石，我所投靠的。祂是我的盾牌，是拯救我的角，是我的高台。
3 我要求告当赞美的耶和华，这样我必从仇敌手中被救出来。
4 曾有死亡的绳索缠绕我，匪类的急流使我惊惧，
5 阴间的绳索缠绕我，死亡的网罗临到我。
6 我在急难中求告耶和华，向我的神呼求。祂从殿中听了我的声音，我在祂面前的呼求入了祂的耳中。
7 那时因祂发怒，地就摇撼战抖，山的根基也震动摇撼。
8 从祂鼻孔冒烟上腾，从祂口中发火焚烧，连炭也著了。
9 祂又使天下垂，亲自降临，有黑云在祂脚下。
10 祂坐着基路伯飞行，祂借着风的翅膀快飞。……….

这首诗和〈撒母耳记下〉22章完全一样，是大卫脱离一切仇敌和扫罗之手后所写的赞美诗，也是一首感恩诗。

倘若让你用自己的话来形容神，你会怎样形容呢？大卫形容神是他的力量，岩石，山寨，盾牌，高台，是他的神，他所投靠的。你有没有同样的感受呢？你会不会像大卫一样，随时随地都投靠神呢？

No Other Name

2019-08-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 6:1-11.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 6:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 
2  I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.” 
3  While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.
 
On verses 1-2:  Remember that just before Solomon speaks in verse 1, to everyone’s surprise a cloud representing God’s glory has miraculously filled the temple (see 5:13-14).  It’s a glorious, unexpected and possibly scary sight.  As Solomon wants to continue on with the temple dedication service, his segue way is brilliant.  By saying, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud” (v1), Solomon reminds the people how in famous times past God also appeared to Moses in a cloud and thick darkness (Exodus 20:21; Psalm 97:2).  In this way, Solomon reassures the people that God is with them.  He helps them to see that the way God is working in their midst right now is consistent with how God has worked in times past.  Solomon also shows the people the significance of this present moment, as they get to dedicate a temple as God’s new dwelling place (v2).

Jesus and the Ark

2019-08-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 5:1-14. Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 5:1 (NIV) 
1  When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated–the silver and gold and all the furnishings–and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

On verse 1:  It took Solomon seven years to build the temple of the Lord.  What can we learn from this?  Good things take time to build.  Little by little, bit by bit, God is building us into the temple He made us to be (1 Peter 2:5).  His building project in us was never meant to be done overnight, but takes a lifetime.  So in case you’re prone to beating yourself up, be patient; God is not finished with you yet!

诗篇第十七 篇

2019-08-15 in /by

诗篇第十七篇

大卫的祈祷。

1 耶和华啊，求祢听闻公义，侧耳听我的呼吁，求祢留心听我这不出于诡诈嘴唇的祈祷。
2 愿我的判语从你面前发出，愿你的眼睛观看公正。
3 祢已经试验我的心，祢在夜间鉴察我，祢熬炼我，却找不着什么。我立志叫我口中没有过失。
4 论到人的行为，我借着祢嘴唇的言语，自己谨守，不行强暴人的道路。
5 我的脚踏定了祢的路径，我的两脚未曾滑跌。
6 神啊，我曾求告祢，因为祢必应允我，求祢向我侧耳，听我的言语。
7 求祢显出祢奇妙的慈爱来，祢是那用右手拯救投靠你的，脱离起来攻击他们的人。
8 求祢保护我，如同保护眼中的瞳人，将我隐藏在祢翅膀的荫下，
9 使我脱离那欺压我的恶人，就是围困我，要害我命的仇敌。
10 他们的心被脂油包裹，他们用口说骄傲的话。…….

这诗篇是大卫的祈祷，我们可以从大卫的祈祷里学到什么功课呢？在第一节里，你就可以感受到大卫心里的迫切。他的祷告不是随随便便地跟神讲话，而是情真意切地祈求：「耶和华阿，求祢听闻公义，(求祢)侧耳听我的呼吁；求祢留心听我这不出于诡诈嘴唇的祈祷。」 此节中有三次求神听他的祈祷。大卫知道他祷告的对象，也向神表明他的公义和诚实。

神不是我们的打手，我们不能在自己心怀不轨时求神帮助，因为神不听不义之人的祈求。这个特点让我们看到真神和假神的分别。在台湾有位国宝级的陶艺大师刘铭侮，他曾经四处盖庙宇、造佛像、念咒、作法样样精通。因为盖庙宇，他了解许多迷惑善男信女的「把戏」，包括如何把手伸进沸腾油锅却不受伤，或是把石头绑起来丢入锅中炸，让石头发出鬼哭神号之泣。

诗篇第十六篇

2019-08-14 in /by

诗篇第十六篇

大卫的金诗。

1 神啊，求祢保佑我，因为我投靠祢。
2 我的心哪，你曾对耶和华说：「祢是我的主，我的好处不在祢以外。」
3 论到世上的圣民，他们又美又善，是我最喜悦的。
4 以别神代替耶和华的，他们的愁苦必加增。他们所浇奠的血我不献上，我嘴唇也不提别神的名号。
5 耶和华是我的产业，是我杯中的份，我所得的祢为我持守。
6 用绳量给我的地界坐落在佳美之处，我的产业实在美好！
7 我必称颂那指教我的耶和华，我的心肠在夜间也警戒我。
8 我将耶和华常摆在我面前，因他在我右边，我便不致摇动。
9 因此我的心欢喜，我的灵快乐，我的肉身也要安然居住。
10 因为祢必不将我的灵魂撇在阴间，也不叫祢的圣者见朽坏。
11 祢必将生命的道路指示我，在祢面前有满足的喜乐，在祢右手中有永远的福乐。

这诗篇一般被称为金诗，是因为诗人在经过熬炼，滤净杂质，祷告默想之后，有深刻的感概，每句话都像金子刻在心上般地宝贵且永久。又因为是生命的历练所引出来的话语，又被称为信心之诗。这样的金诗一共有六篇，这是第一篇。

以色列人的产业是在约书亚带领以色列人进迦南后，按著神的吩咐给十二支派拈阄来决定每个支派的所得之地。每个支派都有他们独得的地业，人多的就地大，人少的地也小。有些地业连接海洋，可以经营海上的贸易；有的在山上，有的在平原。这样的拈阄让神来决定每个支派应得的土地和产业，各有特色。

Washed in the Sea of God’s Love

2019-08-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

2 Chronicles 4:6 (NIV) 
6  He then made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing. 

On verses 1-18:  Here the Chronicler describes the equipment that Solomon ordered to be made for the temple, including the altar, the Sea (which was a large bronze pool used for the priests to wash to make themselves ceremonially clean), basins for washing things used for the burnt offerings, lampstands, tables, sprinkling bowls, pots and shovels, among other things.  What can we learn from this?

Most of the equipment we read about here was to facilitate the killing and offering of lambs, bulls and other animals as sacrifices for people’s sins.  I would imagine that the house of God back in Solomon’s time was pretty dirty and probably looked, smelled and felt like your local butchery.   But ever since Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins, there is no more need to shed the blood of animals.   That’s because Christ our sacrificial lamb gave himself for us.  His shed blood is sufficient to cover all of our failures.  Praise God that we don’t need a Sea or basins anymore because we’ve been washed in the cleansing sea of God’s love, the blood of Jesus.

诗篇第十五篇

2019-08-13 in /by

诗篇第十五篇

大卫的诗。

1 耶和华啊，谁能寄居你的帐幕？谁能住在你的圣山？
2 就是行为正直，做事公义，心里说实话的人。
3 他不以舌头谗谤人，不恶待朋友，也不随伙毁谤邻里。
4 他眼中藐视匪类，却尊重那敬畏耶和华的人。他发了誓，虽然自己吃亏，也不更改。
5 他不放债取利，不受贿赂以害无辜。行这些事的人，必永不动摇。

这是一篇教导的诗篇。以大卫问神，谁能栖身在耶和华的帐幕为主题。和合本翻译为「寄居」，从希伯来文翻译为英文是「sojourn栖身」，用「栖身」比较妥切的原因是因为「栖身」含有我不想再离开之意，我就要在这里住下了。「寄居」则含有暂时之意，以后很可能还要去找别的地方住。

这首诗篇在犹太人称为「入门礼仪」，崇拜的人询问进入圣殿敬拜的条件。你有没有想过，我们要具备怎样的条件才能进入神的圣所敬拜祂？

我们从来都没想过我们的「资格」，因为《圣经》告诉我们神的爱是没有条件的；神接纳我们好像耶稣接纳那个在十字架上被钉的强盗。按我们的本相接纳我们。但是在旧约里，每一次神的祝福里都有警戒，人若保守自己在神的律法，敬畏神，就必蒙福；反之，离开神的人必遭到咒诅。所以当我们信主后，要清楚明白，神的特性除了爱之外，还有公义。

Angels At Work In Your Life (Plus, Who Is The Pillar of God’s Temple?)

2019-08-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 3:1-17. Let’s go!

On verses 1-14:  In approximately 966 B.C., Solomon begins building the temple in Jerusalem.   What strikes me as I read these verses is how much Solomon incorporated designs of cherubim (i.e. angels) into the temple.  Solomon carves cherubim into the walls (v7) and works them into the curtain (v14).   Most obvious and impressive of all, in the inner sanctuary of the temple called the Most Holy Place, Solomon erects a pair of massive cherubim whose wings span the entire Most Holy Place from wall to wall (v10-13).  Later on Solomon will place the ark of God under the wings of the cherubim (see 2 Chronicles 5:7), such that whenever the high priest would inquire of God at the ark in the Most Holy Place, huge angels would tower over him, watching over him.

Why does Solomon incorporate so many different representations of angels into the temple?  It was to remind the people of what the Bible teaches, that the spiritual realm is real and that angels are real.  Angels are described as powerful, ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people (Hebrews 1:14), protect God’s people (Psalm 34:7), deliver special messages from God (e.g. Judges 6:11-12) and administer God’s will (e.g. Exodus 12:23; Daniel 10:10; Acts 12:23).