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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

创世记32:22-32

22 他夜间起来，带着两个妻子、两个使女并十一个儿子，都过了雅博渡口。 23 先打发他们过河，又打发所有的都过去， 24 只剩下雅各一人。有一个人来和他摔跤，直到黎明。 25 那人见自己胜不过他，就将他的大腿窝摸了一把，雅各的大腿窝正在摔跤的时候就扭了。 26 那人说：「天黎明了，容我去吧。」雅各说：「你不给我祝福，我就不容你去。」

亚伯拉罕子孙雅各的名字就是「抓住」的意思，因为他手抓住双生哥哥以扫的脚跟来出生，他的个性正如其名，一生努力「抓」名分、祝福、妻子、牛、驴、羊群、仆婢…，甚至「抓住神」。

雅各逃避以扫的怨恨，前往母舅家栖身二十年，挣得家产财富后返乡，在雅博渡口近乡情怯，夜间独自与神摔跤，寻求神的祝福；神摸了雅各的大腿窝，让他瘸了腿，也改了他的名字为以色列，意思是「与神较力」，因为他与神与人较力，都得了胜。（创世记32:22-32）

瘸了腿的雅各给那地方起名叫毘努伊勒（神之面），意思说：「我面对面见了神，我的性命仍得保全」。雅各与神面对面，神让一生努力「抓」、与人较力的雅各瘸了腿，谦卑不再倚靠自己，将他改名为以色列，宣告他与神较力，终于「抓住神」。

亚伯拉罕的子孙、雅各的后裔被称为以色列人，代表着这个族类是「与神较力」、谦卑寻求「抓住神」的民族。

了亮的眼睛

2025-01-16 in , /by

约翰福音2:1-12

第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶亲的筵席，耶稣的母亲在那里。 2 耶稣和他的门徒也被请去赴席。 3 酒用尽了，耶稣的母亲对他说：「他们没有酒了。」 4 耶稣说：「母亲[a]，我与你有什么相干？我的时候还没有到。」 5 他母亲对用人说：「他告诉你们什么，你们就做什么。」 6 照犹太人洁净的规矩，有六口石缸摆在那里，每口可以盛两三桶水。 7 耶稣对用人说：「把缸倒满了水。」他们就倒满了，直到缸口。

迦拿娶亲筵席是耶稣行踪中难得一见的场景，没人生病、眼瞎、垂死、被鬼附…，耶稣也没有教训人。

婚筵是个欢乐的场合，却面临酒用尽了的窘境，耶稣母亲寻求耶稣协助；耶稣回应说祂的时候还没有到（指的是救赎的工作：受死、复活、得荣耀），但接着却将犹太人洁净用的水变成好酒，让婚筵的喜乐延续且可以满足。（约翰福音2:1-12）

使徒约翰在约翰福音里，借着描述耶稣多处行踪来表明耶稣就是神子，祂就是「我是」（神的名字，出埃及记3:14）。约翰特别述明这是耶稣所行的头一件神蹟，我们也许会讶异这神蹟似乎和救赎完全无关，耶稣所行的神蹟应该是让人病得医治、瞎眼得看见、瘸腿得行走、罪得赦免或是死人得复活，但耶稣在这里却是让婚筵的喜乐延续且可以满足。

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.  

迦拿娶亲筵席

2025-01-15 in , /by

约翰福音2:1-12

第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶亲的筵席，耶稣的母亲在那里。 2 耶稣和他的门徒也被请去赴席。 3 酒用尽了，耶稣的母亲对他说：「他们没有酒了。」 4 耶稣说：「母亲[a]，我与你有什么相干？我的时候还没有到。」 5 他母亲对用人说：「他告诉你们什么，你们就做什么。」 6 照犹太人洁净的规矩，有六口石缸摆在那里，每口可以盛两三桶水。 7 耶稣对用人说：「把缸倒满了水。」他们就倒满了，直到缸口。

迦拿娶亲筵席是耶稣行踪中难得一见的场景，没人生病、眼瞎、垂死、被鬼附…，耶稣也没有教训人。

婚筵是个欢乐的场合，却面临酒用尽了的窘境，耶稣母亲寻求耶稣协助；耶稣回应说祂的时候还没有到（指的是救赎的工作：受死、复活、得荣耀），但接着却将犹太人洁净用的水变成好酒，让婚筵的喜乐延续且可以满足。（约翰福音2:1-12）

使徒约翰在约翰福音里，借着描述耶稣多处行踪来表明耶稣就是神子，祂就是「我是」（神的名字，出埃及记3:14）。约翰特别述明这是耶稣所行的头一件神蹟，我们也许会讶异这神蹟似乎和救赎完全无关，耶稣所行的神蹟应该是让人病得医治、瞎眼得看见、瘸腿得行走、罪得赦免或是死人得复活，但耶稣在这里却是让婚筵的喜乐延续且可以满足。

耶和华伊利格摩拉(Jehovah El Gemolah)

2025-01-14 in , /by

出埃及记 31:12-17

12 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 13 「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日，因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我耶和华是叫你们成为圣的。 14 所以你们要守安息日，以为圣日。凡干犯这日的，必要把他治死；凡在这日做工的，必从民中剪除。 15 六日要做工，但第七日是安息圣日，是向耶和华守为圣的。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为永远的约。 17 这是我和以色列人永远的证据，因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。』」

以色列人出埃及，旷野中神赐下吗哪供应他们所需，出埃及记16: 11-30记载收取吗哪食用的规矩是(1)多收的也没有余，少收的也没有缺，各人按著自己的饭量收取；(2)每天所收的，不许任何人留到隔天早晨；(3)但是第六天，他们收了双倍的食物，因为第七天乃是安息日，那一天必没有了。

以色列人守安息日的规矩就始于上述经文的第23节，摩西对他们说：「耶和华这样说：『明天是圣安息日，是向耶和华守的圣安息日。你们要烤的就烤了，要煮的就煮了，所剩下的都留到早晨。』」

延续到出埃及记31:12-17，耶和华晓谕摩西说：「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日；因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我─耶和华是叫你们成为圣的(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)。…』…因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。」

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.

耶和华玛喀底肯(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)

2025-01-13 in , /by

出埃及记 31:12-17

12 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 13 「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日，因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我耶和华是叫你们成为圣的。 14 所以你们要守安息日，以为圣日。凡干犯这日的，必要把他治死；凡在这日做工的，必从民中剪除。 15 六日要做工，但第七日是安息圣日，是向耶和华守为圣的。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为永远的约。 17 这是我和以色列人永远的证据，因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。』」

以色列人出埃及，旷野中神赐下吗哪供应他们所需，出埃及记16: 11-30记载收取吗哪食用的规矩是(1)多收的也没有余，少收的也没有缺，各人按著自己的饭量收取；(2)每天所收的，不许任何人留到隔天早晨；(3)但是第六天，他们收了双倍的食物，因为第七天乃是安息日，那一天必没有了。

以色列人守安息日的规矩就始于上述经文的第23节，摩西对他们说：「耶和华这样说：『明天是圣安息日，是向耶和华守的圣安息日。你们要烤的就烤了，要煮的就煮了，所剩下的都留到早晨。』」

延续到出埃及记31:12-17，耶和华晓谕摩西说：「你要吩咐以色列人说：『你们务要守我的安息日；因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我─耶和华是叫你们成为圣的(Jehovah Mekoddishkem)。…』…因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅。」