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Be A Wise Steward of What God Has Given You

2025-01-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 24:1-9.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
2 Samuel 24:1-25 (NIV)
1  Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2  So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

On verses 1-4:  At a time of relative peace in Israel, King David decides to order a census.  He requires his government officials to travel all throughout Israel and count how many men are ready, willing and able to fight for Israel.  Joab, David’s army general, is hesitant, suggesting to David that ordering a census at such a time is not a wise thing to do. However, David’s word overrules Joab’s concern.

「真」以色列人

2025-01-17 in , /by

創世記32:22-32

22 他夜間起來，帶著兩個妻子、兩個使女並十一個兒子，都過了雅博渡口。 23 先打發他們過河，又打發所有的都過去， 24 只剩下雅各一人。有一個人來和他摔跤，直到黎明。 25 那人見自己勝不過他，就將他的大腿窩摸了一把，雅各的大腿窩正在摔跤的時候就扭了。 26 那人說：「天黎明了，容我去吧。」雅各說：「你不給我祝福，我就不容你去。」

亞伯拉罕子孫雅各的名字就是「抓住」的意思，因為他手抓住雙生哥哥以掃的腳跟來出生，他的個性正如其名，一生努力「抓」名分、祝福、妻子、牛、驢、羊群、僕婢…，甚至「抓住神」。

雅各逃避以掃的怨恨，前往母舅家棲身二十年，掙得家產財富後返鄉，在雅博渡口近鄉情怯，夜間獨自與神摔跤，尋求神的祝福；神摸了雅各的大腿窩，讓他瘸了腿，也改了他的名字為以色列，意思是「與神較力」，因為他與神與人較力，都得了勝。（創世記32:22-32）

瘸了腿的雅各給那地方起名叫毘努伊勒（神之面），意思說：「我面對面見了神，我的性命仍得保全」。雅各與神面對面，神讓一生努力「抓」、與人較力的雅各瘸了腿，謙卑不再倚靠自己，將他改名為以色列，宣告他與神較力，終於「抓住神」。

亞伯拉罕的子孫、雅各的後裔被稱為以色列人，代表著這個族類是「與神較力」、謙卑尋求「抓住神」的民族。

瞭亮的眼睛

2025-01-16 in , /by

約翰福音2:1-12

第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶親的筵席，耶穌的母親在那裡。 2 耶穌和他的門徒也被請去赴席。 3 酒用盡了，耶穌的母親對他說：「他們沒有酒了。」 4 耶穌說：「母親[a]，我與你有什麼相干？我的時候還沒有到。」 5 他母親對用人說：「他告訴你們什麼，你們就做什麼。」 6 照猶太人潔淨的規矩，有六口石缸擺在那裡，每口可以盛兩三桶水。 7 耶穌對用人說：「把缸倒滿了水。」他們就倒滿了，直到缸口。

迦拿娶親筵席是耶穌行蹤中難得一見的場景，沒人生病、眼瞎、垂死、被鬼附…，耶穌也沒有教訓人。

婚筵是個歡樂的場合，卻面臨酒用盡了的窘境，耶穌母親尋求耶穌協助；耶穌回應說祂的時候還沒有到（指的是救贖的工作：受死、復活、得榮耀），但接著卻將猶太人潔淨用的水變成好酒，讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。（約翰福音2:1-12）

使徒約翰在約翰福音裡，藉著描述耶穌多處行蹤來表明耶穌就是神子，祂就是「我是」（神的名字，出埃及記3:14）。約翰特別述明這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟，我們也許會訝異這神蹟似乎和救贖完全無關，耶穌所行的神蹟應該是讓人病得醫治、瞎眼得看見、瘸腿得行走、罪得赦免或是死人得復活，但耶穌在這裡卻是讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。

A worship offering

2025-01-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 23:13-39.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 23:13-17 (NIV) 
13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 
14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 

On verses 13-17:  David is hiding in the cave of Adullam.  He expresses a desire that someone get him a drink of water from a well near the gate of Bethlehem, which was occupied by the Philistines.  Who knows if this was just a passing wish or a deep, heartfelt desire, but David’s famous three warriors – Josheb-Basshebeth, Eleazar and Shammah – took David’s request seriously.  So much so that “the Three” break through the Philistine camp just to get water from the well that David spoke of and carry the water back to David.

Don’t Limit What God Can Do Through You

2025-01-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 23:1-12.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 23:1 (NIV) 
1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs: 

On verse 1:  In the past God used David in many different roles:

– as a shepherd to protect sheep, 
– as a king to lead His people, 
– as a warrior to defeat giants and a military commander to defeat armies,
– as a priest who leads the people in worship, 
– as a writer and singer of His songs.  

But in this chapter and the previous chapter, we see God using David in another way: as a prophet who speaks words inspired by the Holy Spirit.  

迦拿娶親筵席

2025-01-15 in , /by

約翰福音2:1-12

第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶親的筵席，耶穌的母親在那裡。 2 耶穌和他的門徒也被請去赴席。 3 酒用盡了，耶穌的母親對他說：「他們沒有酒了。」 4 耶穌說：「母親[a]，我與你有什麼相干？我的時候還沒有到。」 5 他母親對用人說：「他告訴你們什麼，你們就做什麼。」 6 照猶太人潔淨的規矩，有六口石缸擺在那裡，每口可以盛兩三桶水。 7 耶穌對用人說：「把缸倒滿了水。」他們就倒滿了，直到缸口。

迦拿娶親筵席是耶穌行蹤中難得一見的場景，沒人生病、眼瞎、垂死、被鬼附…，耶穌也沒有教訓人。

婚筵是個歡樂的場合，卻面臨酒用盡了的窘境，耶穌母親尋求耶穌協助；耶穌回應說祂的時候還沒有到（指的是救贖的工作：受死、復活、得榮耀），但接著卻將猶太人潔淨用的水變成好酒，讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。（約翰福音2:1-12）

使徒約翰在約翰福音裡，藉著描述耶穌多處行蹤來表明耶穌就是神子，祂就是「我是」（神的名字，出埃及記3:14）。約翰特別述明這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟，我們也許會訝異這神蹟似乎和救贖完全無關，耶穌所行的神蹟應該是讓人病得醫治、瞎眼得看見、瘸腿得行走、罪得赦免或是死人得復活，但耶穌在這裡卻是讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。

耶和華伊利格摩拉(Jehovah El Gemolah)

2025-01-14 in , /by

出埃及記 31:12-17

12 耶和華曉諭摩西說： 13 「你要吩咐以色列人說：『你們務要守我的安息日，因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據，使你們知道我耶和華是叫你們成為聖的。 14 所以你們要守安息日，以為聖日。凡干犯這日的，必要把他治死；凡在這日做工的，必從民中剪除。 15 六日要做工，但第七日是安息聖日，是向耶和華守為聖的。凡在安息日做工的，必要把他治死。 16 故此，以色列人要世世代代守安息日為永遠的約。 17 這是我和以色列人永遠的證據，因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。』」

以色列人出埃及，曠野中神賜下嗎哪供應他們所需，出埃及記16: 11-30記載收取嗎哪食用的規矩是(1)多收的也沒有餘，少收的也沒有缺，各人按著自己的飯量收取；(2)每天所收的，不許任何人留到隔天早晨；(3)但是第六天，他們收了雙倍的食物，因為第七天乃是安息日，那一天必沒有了。

以色列人守安息日的規矩就始於上述經文的第23節，摩西對他們說：「耶和華這樣說：『明天是聖安息日，是向耶和華守的聖安息日。你們要烤的就烤了，要煮的就煮了，所剩下的都留到早晨。』」

延續到出埃及記31:12-17，耶和華曉諭摩西說：「你要吩咐以色列人說：『你們務要守我的安息日；因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據，使你們知道我─耶和華是叫你們成為聖的(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)。…』…因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。」

Jesus, The Exalted King

2025-01-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:44-51.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Remember that God has 2 purposes in these verses.  The first purpose of these verses is to recount history, to tell of what God had already done in David’s life, how God delivered David from his enemies and made him the head of nations.  But there is a second purpose.  It’s record prophecy and tells of what God would do in the future in and through the life of Jesus Christ.  Let’s go!

2 Samuel 22:44-46 (NIV)
44  “You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me,
45  and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.
46  They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

On verses 44-46:  God allowed David to suffer much at the hands of his enemies, but ultimately God exalted David as king and head over nations.  

Jesus Is Your Strength

2025-01-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 22:31-43.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Samuel 22:31-37 (NIV)
31  “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32  For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
33  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

On verses 31-37:  In verses 1 to 7 we learned that the Lord is our rock.
In verses 8 to 20 we learned that He is our rescuer.
In verses 21 to 28 we learned that He is our righteousness.
In verse 29 we learned that He is our light.

耶和華瑪喀底肯(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)

2025-01-13 in , /by

出埃及記 31:12-17

12 耶和華曉諭摩西說： 13 「你要吩咐以色列人說：『你們務要守我的安息日，因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據，使你們知道我耶和華是叫你們成為聖的。 14 所以你們要守安息日，以為聖日。凡干犯這日的，必要把他治死；凡在這日做工的，必從民中剪除。 15 六日要做工，但第七日是安息聖日，是向耶和華守為聖的。凡在安息日做工的，必要把他治死。 16 故此，以色列人要世世代代守安息日為永遠的約。 17 這是我和以色列人永遠的證據，因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。』」

以色列人出埃及，曠野中神賜下嗎哪供應他們所需，出埃及記16: 11-30記載收取嗎哪食用的規矩是(1)多收的也沒有餘，少收的也沒有缺，各人按著自己的飯量收取；(2)每天所收的，不許任何人留到隔天早晨；(3)但是第六天，他們收了雙倍的食物，因為第七天乃是安息日，那一天必沒有了。

以色列人守安息日的規矩就始於上述經文的第23節，摩西對他們說：「耶和華這樣說：『明天是聖安息日，是向耶和華守的聖安息日。你們要烤的就烤了，要煮的就煮了，所剩下的都留到早晨。』」

延續到出埃及記31:12-17，耶和華曉諭摩西說：「你要吩咐以色列人說：『你們務要守我的安息日；因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據，使你們知道我─耶和華是叫你們成為聖的(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)。…』…因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。」