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Compromise Your Faith, Complicate Your Life

2019-08-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 8:1-18. Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 8:11 (NIV) 
11  Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy.”
 
On verses 1-18:  In these verses we read about some of the activities Solomon engaged in after he built the temple and his own palace, such as cities that he developed (v2-6), peoples he ruled over (v7-10), sacrifices that he made and work that he did at the temple (v12-16), and riches he accumulated (v17-18). 

Notice in verses 12-16, Solomon goes to great lengths to make sure that the offerings he gives at the temple as well as the way the priests and Levites conduct their services at the temple are all in strict accordance with Moses’ commands and his father David’s orders (v12-16).  Solomon is painstakingly devout in this particular area of his life. But in other areas of his life, we see Solomon starting to compromise his faith.  For example, Solomon knew full well that God’s Word commanded against marrying an unbeliever, yet Solomon goes ahead and marries Pharaoh’s daughter, who did not believe in the God of Israel or worship Him. 

詩篇第廿三篇

2019-08-22 in /by

詩篇第廿三篇

大衛的詩。

1 耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
2 祂使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。
3 祂使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路。
4 我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因為祢與我同在，祢的杖、祢的竿都安慰我。
5 在我敵人面前，祢為我擺設筵席，祢用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。
6 我一生一世必有恩惠、慈愛隨著我，我且要住在耶和華的殿中，直到永遠。

有位猶太拉比說，〈詩篇〉23篇是支持以色列人度過最黑暗時期的詩篇，在長期的壓迫和流浪裡，再恐怖的謀害或悲劇也不能讓他們忘記「祢與我同在」的應許。大衛王的一生並不平順，他的遭遇十分坎坷，但是因為他知道神與他同在，所以他從不絕望。

大衛渴望可以舒服地住在聖地，有神的恩惠與慈愛相隨。「住在dwell」在希伯來文裡還有一個意思，就是「我會回來I will return」。大衛盼望他不僅可以住在神的殿中，而且萬一必須離開，也可以經常回到神的面前。大衛那時只有會幕，尚未建聖殿，但凡是有神在的地方，便是大衛渴想的所在。

The Healing That Follows Humility

2019-08-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. Let’s go!

On verses 12-16:  After Solomon has finished dedicating the temple, God appears to Solomon. God confirms to Solomon that He has heard Solomon’s prayer, that He will be attentive to the prayers offered in the temple, and that He has chosen and consecrated this temple so that His name would be there forever.  As part of this, God speaks some of the most powerful words regarding prayer and repentance in the Bible:

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) 
14  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

When God speaks this promise in verse 14, He is speaking about situations where the land is affected by droughts, plagues or locusts.  God promises to heal the Israelites’ land if they will humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways.

詩篇第廿二篇

2019-08-22 in /by

詩篇廿二篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。調用朝鹿。

1 我的神！我的神！為什麼離棄我？為什麼遠離不救我，不聽我唉哼的言語？
2 我的神啊，我白日呼求，祢不應允；夜間呼求，並不住聲。
3 但祢是聖潔的，是用以色列的讚美為寶座的。
4 我們的祖宗倚靠祢，他們倚靠祢，祢便解救他們。
5 他們哀求祢便蒙解救，他們倚靠祢就不羞愧。
6 但我是蟲，不是人，被眾人羞辱，被百姓藐視。
7 凡看見我的都嗤笑我，他們撇嘴搖頭，說：
8 「他把自己交託耶和華，耶和華可以救他吧！耶和華既喜悅他，可以搭救他吧！」
9 但祢是叫我出母腹的，我在母懷裡，祢就使我有倚靠的心。
10 我自出母胎就被交在你手裡，從我母親生我，祢就是我的神。………..

大衛在寫這詩時原是在描寫他的心路歷程，但是在聖靈的帶領和感動之下，他寫下了許多和基督受苦經歷相關的經文，因此這詩篇又被稱為是彌賽亞詩篇的代表作。主耶穌在十字架上說了七句話，其中一句便是：「我的神！我的神！為什麼離棄我？」那是耶穌在極度痛苦時發出的哀號，祂可以忍受一切的痛苦，但是與神隔絕使祂受不了。在那時祂覺得神離祂遠去，因為全世界的罪都在祂身上，那是耶穌最孤獨的時刻。大衛在極度的逼迫裡也感受到這種似乎天人隔絕的苦楚和絕望。

An Offering That Overflows

2019-08-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 7:1-10. Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 7:1 (NIV) 
1  When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

On verses 1-3:  Once the people have offered their sacrifices to the Lord and Solomon has finished praying on behalf of the people, fire from heaven falls and consumes the people’s burnt offering and sacrifices, filling the temple with God’s glory.  The people respond by kneeling with their faces to the ground and worshiping God, saying “He is good; His love endures forever” (v3). 

This verse reminds me of two later events.  The first event is when Elijah would face off against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and God answers Elijah’s prayer by sending fire upon his sacrifice, causing the people to exclaim “The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:38-39).  The second event is in Acts 2, when Jesus’ disciples are in the upper room, worshiping the Lord, and then tongues of fire are said to land on each of them, causing them to speak in tongues. 

詩篇第廿一篇

2019-08-20 in /by

詩篇第廿一篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 耶和華啊，王必因祢的能力歡喜，因祢的救恩他的快樂何其大！
2 他心裡所願的，祢已經賜給他；他嘴唇所求的，祢未嘗不應允。（細拉）
3 祢以美福迎接他，把精金的冠冕戴在他頭上。
4 他向祢求壽，祢便賜給他，就是日子長久，直到永遠。
5 他因祢的救恩大有榮耀，祢又將尊榮威嚴加在他身上。
6 祢使他有洪福，直到永遠，又使他在你面前歡喜快樂。
7 王倚靠耶和華，因至高者的慈愛，必不搖動。
8 你的手要搜出你的一切仇敵，你的右手要搜出那些恨你的人。
9 你發怒的時候，要使他們如在炎熱的火爐中。耶和華要在祂的震怒中吞滅他們，那火要把他們燒盡了。
10 你必從世上滅絕他們的子孫，從人間滅絕他們的後裔。………

這是一首王者的感恩歌，也可以說神膏立的君王，從掃羅、大衛直到彌賽亞基督，都希望能日子長久，直到永遠。因此我們今天選了〈一生一世〉作為今天的分享詩歌。

神膏立祂為世人所立的君王後，並不是一走了之。相反地，王要因神加添的能力歡喜；因神賜的救恩快樂。神又把他心裡所求所願的賜給受膏者，福祿壽都在祂手中，還有精金的冠冕。

Put Your Hope in Jesus

2019-08-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 6:32-42.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 6:32-33 (NIV) 
32  “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm–when he comes and prays toward this temple, 
33  then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

On verses 32-33:  Solomon prays that God would hear and work on behalf of the foreigner who is not an Israelite by blood but who comes to Israel from a distant land and prays toward the temple.  Solomon asks God to hear that foreigner and help that foreigner, “so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You” (v33). 

詩篇第廿篇

2019-08-19 in /by

詩篇第廿篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 願耶和華在你遭難的日子應允你，願名為雅各神的高舉你。
2 願他從聖所救助你，從錫安堅固你；
3 記念你的一切供獻，悅納你的燔祭；（細拉）
4 將你心所願的賜給你，成就你的一切籌算。
5 我們要因你的救恩誇勝，要奉我們神的名豎立旌旗。願耶和華成就你一切所求的！
6 現在我知道耶和華救護他的受膏者，必從他的聖天上應允他，用右手的能力救護他。
7 有人靠車，有人靠馬，但我們要提到耶和華我們神的名。
8 他們都屈身仆倒，我們卻起來，立得正直。
9 求耶和華施行拯救，我們呼求的時候，願王應允我們！

在摩西五經裡，神曾預言當以色列人定居在迦南之後，他們會希望像外邦人一樣，希望設立一個君王。神默許了這個要求，但也立下了條件：

申命記14章

14 「到了耶和華你神所賜你的地，得了那地居住的時候，若說：『我要立王治理我，像四圍的國一樣』， 15 你總要立耶和華你神所揀選的人為王。必從你弟兄中立一人，不可立你弟兄以外的人為王。 16 只是王不可為自己加添馬匹，也不可使百姓回埃及去，為要加添他的馬匹，因耶和華曾吩咐你們說：『不可再回那條路去。』17 他也不可為自己多立妃嬪，恐怕他的心偏邪，也不可為自己多積金銀。

In Every Challenge, Go to God in Prayer

2019-08-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 6:22-31.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 6:24-25 (NIV) 
24  “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and confess your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, 
25  then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their fathers.

On verses 22-31:  Here Solomon continues his prayer to God by describing different challenging situations that he foresees his people going through, including:

When one person wrongs another and needs to take an oath concerning what happened (v22-23)
When God’s people encounter defeat due to sin and they turn back to God (v24-25)
When God’s people encounter famine due to sin and they turn back to God (v26-27)
When disaster strikes for reasons unrelated to the people’s sin and they call on God (v28-31)
In every case, Solomon asks God to hear from heaven and forgive, or to hear from heaven and act. 

詩篇第十九篇

2019-08-18 in /by

詩篇第十九篇

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 諸天述說神的榮耀，穹蒼傳揚祂的手段。
2 這日到那日發出言語，這夜到那夜傳出知識。
3 無言無語，也無聲音可聽。
4 他的量帶通遍天下，他的言語傳到地極。神在其間為太陽安設帳幕，
5 太陽如同新郎出洞房，又如勇士歡然奔路。
6 它從天這邊出來，繞到天那邊，沒有一物被隱藏不得他的熱氣。

7 耶和華的律法全備，能甦醒人心。耶和華的法度確定，能使愚人有智慧。

8 耶和華的訓詞正直，能快活人的心。耶和華的命令清潔，能明亮人的眼目。
9 耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠。耶和華的典章真實，全然公義。
10 都比金子可羨慕，且比極多的精金可羨慕；比蜜甘甜，且比蜂房下滴的蜜甘甜。……

這是大衛的詩，當他寫完後交給伶長，相當於現在的詩班長或指揮，也就是負責詩班的人，讓他為詩譜曲吧!這詩篇是猶太人在安息日和其他節日敬拜時經常引用的詩篇。在1-6節裡，大衛用大自然來形容神的榮耀和偉大；在7-11節裡，用明喻和暗喻來形容耶和華的律法之聖潔和甜蜜；12-14節是大衛對神的祈禱。C. S. Lewis說這詩篇是他認為詩篇中最偉大的詩篇，其內容堪稱是世上最偉大的歌詞之一。