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耶和華羅伊(Jehovah Roiy)

2025-01-06 in , /by

詩篇23篇 1-6

耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
祂使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。
祂使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路。
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。
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。
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。

詩篇23篇的作者是大衛，他在加入掃羅軍隊前是個牧羊人，替父親照顧羊群。大衛擁有好牧人的心志，他自述為了保護羊群，曾追趕、擊打獅子和熊，救出被啣去的羊羔，甚至揪著鬍子將獅子和熊打死（撒母耳記上17:34-36）。

大衛瞭解羊群的需要，關心它們，因此當他被賦予牧養以色列百姓的責任時，大衛談到他按心中的純正牧養他們，用手中的巧妙引導他們（詩篇78:70-72）。當先知拿單講述窮人和小母羊羔的故事來質問大衛犯罪時，大衛立時領悟且悔罪（撒母耳記下12:1-14）

大衛早年被掃羅追殺，長期經歷逃難和征伐，晚年又遭到兒子押沙龍的叛變，一生都在逃避敵人殺害的日子中渡過。當過牧人的大衛擁有好牧人的心志，瞭解羊群的需要，自己又經歷有如羊群被牧者引領和保護的過程，大衛用「耶和華是我的牧者」詮釋了他的一生和神的關係。

Left Unchecked, This Can Kill

2025-01-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 20:1-13.  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 20:1-2 (NIV) 
1 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!” 
2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

On verses 1-2:  Just as Sheba led a revolt against David by convincing the people that David was not for them, so Satan wants you to believe that God is not good, that He is not for you but against you, or that you simply don’t need him.  If you believe those lies, you will end up deserting Jesus the Son of David, just like all the men of Israel deserted King David (v2).  May we be like the men of Judah who “stayed by their king all the way” (v2).

Cross Over with Your King

2025-01-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 19:31-43.  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 19:31-40 (NIV)
31  Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there.
32  Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
33  The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”
34  But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

On verses 31-40:  King David was so appreciative of the way Barzallai took care of him when he was in Mahanaim (v32).  So King David invites Barzillai to cross over to Jerusalem and let David take care of Barzillai in his old age (v33).  But rather than crossing over and stay with David in Jerusalem (v34-36), Barzillai requests that David extend that favour to his servant Kimham instead (v37).  David promises to do so, saying, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish.  And anything you desire from me I will do for you.” (v38)

耶和華沙龍(Jehovah Shalom)

2025-01-05 in , /by

士師記 6:11-24

11 耶和華的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亞比以謝族人約阿施的橡樹下。約阿施的兒子基甸正在酒榨那裡打麥子，為要防備米甸人。 12 耶和華的使者向基甸顯現，對他說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！」 13 基甸說：「主啊！耶和華若與我們同在，我們何至遭遇這一切事呢？我們的列祖不是向我們說，耶和華領我們從埃及上來嗎？他那樣奇妙的作為在哪裡呢？現在他卻丟棄我們，將我們交在米甸人手裡。」 14 耶和華觀看基甸，說：「你靠著你這能力，去從米甸人手裡拯救以色列人。不是我差遣你去的嗎？」 15 基甸說：「主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在瑪拿西支派中是至貧窮的，我在我父家是至微小的。」 16 耶和華對他說：「我與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，如擊打一人一樣。」 17 基甸說：「我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你給我一個證據，使我知道與我說話的就是主。 18 求你不要離開這裡，等我歸回將禮物帶來供在你面前。」主說：「我必等你回來。」

士師時代，米甸人壓制以色列人，每逢撒種之後，就上來攻打他們，毀壞全地。以色列人因為米甸人的緣故，極其窮乏，就在山中挖穴、挖洞、建造營寨。（士師記6:1-6）

耶和華的使者呼召躲在酒醡裡打麥子的基甸，帶領以色列人脫離米甸人的轄制，對基甸說：「大能的勇士啊，耶和華與你同在！…我與你同在，你就必擊打米甸人，如擊打一人一樣。」基甸向神的使者尋求證據，並獻上山羊羔和無酵餅為禮物。（士師記6:11-20）

神的使者用杖頭挨近肉和無酵餅，火從磐石中出來，燒盡了肉和無酵餅。基甸見他是耶和華的使者，就說：「哀哉！主耶和華啊，我不好了，因為我覿面看見耶和華的使者。」耶和華對他說：「你放心，不要懼怕，你必不致死。」於是基甸在那裡為耶和華築了一座壇，起名叫「耶和華沙龍」（就是耶和華賜平安的意思）。（士師記6:21-24）

耶和華尼西(Jehovah Nissi)

2025-01-03 in , /by

出埃及記 17:8-16

8 那時，亞瑪力人來在利非訂，和以色列人爭戰。 9 摩西對約書亞說：「你為我們選出人來，出去和亞瑪力人爭戰。明天我手裡要拿著神的杖，站在山頂上。」 10 於是約書亞照著摩西對他所說的話行，和亞瑪力人爭戰。摩西、亞倫與戶珥都上了山頂。 11 摩西何時舉手，以色列人就得勝；何時垂手，亞瑪力人就得勝。 12 但摩西的手發沉，他們就搬石頭來，放在他以下，他就坐在上面。亞倫與戶珥扶著他的手，一個在這邊，一個在那邊，他的手就穩住，直到日落的時候。 13 約書亞用刀殺了亞瑪力王和他的百姓。 14 耶和華對摩西說：「我要將亞瑪力的名號從天下全然塗抹了，你要將這話寫在書上做紀念，又念給約書亞聽。」 15 摩西築了一座壇，起名叫耶和華尼西， 16 又說：「耶和華已經起了誓，必世世代代和亞瑪力人爭戰。」

以色列人出埃及後第二個月十五日到了汛曠野，神降嗎哪和鵪鶉給他們食用（出埃及記16章），接著他們來到利非訂，卻突然面對亞瑪力人來攻擊，這是他們出埃及後第一次面對軍事挑戰。

那時，摩西告訴約書亞選出人來和亞瑪力人爭戰，他則手裡拿著神的杖，邀集亞倫與戶珥站在山頂上。摩西何時舉手，以色列人就得勝，何時垂手，亞瑪力人就得勝。他們讓摩西坐在石頭上面，亞倫與戶珥扶著他的手，一個在這邊，一個在那邊，他的手就穩住，直到日落的時候。約書亞用刀殺了亞瑪力王和他的百姓。征戰過後，摩西築了一座壇，起名叫「耶和華尼西」（就是耶和華是我旌旗的意思）。（出埃及記17:8-16）

這是場特別的戰役，以色列人出埃及沒多久，正處於缺水、缺食物、緬懷過去、不斷抱怨的頹喪時期，有如跑馬拉松比賽身體正處於需要調適進入穩定的階段（以色列人在曠野有四十年之久，這時剛開始而已）；他們匆忙逃離埃及，攜家帶眷、餐風露宿，是一群難民，不是一支軍隊，他們不堪一擊。

God’s All-Surpassing Mercy On You

2025-01-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 19:16-30.  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! 

Here we see how David deals with two men who had hurt David badly while David was going through one of his most difficult seasons.  So much so that these two men both deserved death, and yet David shows them mercy.  Let’s learn how God’s mercy toward us exceeds even David’s mercy toward these two men.

2 Samuel 19:16-23 (NIV)
16  Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
17  With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was.
18  They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king

On verses 16-23:  When David was leaving Israel because his son Absalom had usurped the throne, Shimei hurled stones at David, called him a murderer and a scoundrel and told him to get out.  At that time, Abishai the brother of Joab offered to cut off Shimei’s head, but David told him not to (2 Samuel 16:5-14).  Now that David has returned to Israel and reclaimed his throne, Shimei begs David for mercy, and a similar scene takes place: Abishai suggests that Shimei should be put to death (v21), but David again has mercy on Shimei (v22-23).

耶和華拉法(Jehovah Rapha)

2025-01-02 in , /by

出埃及記15:22-26

22 摩西領以色列人從紅海往前行，到了書珥的曠野，在曠野走了三天，找不著水。 23 到了瑪拉，不能喝那裡的水，因為水苦，所以那地名叫瑪拉。 24 百姓就向摩西發怨言，說：「我們喝什麼呢？」 25 摩西呼求耶和華，耶和華指示他一棵樹。他把樹丟在水裡，水就變甜了。耶和華在那裡為他們定了律例、典章，在那裡試驗他們。 26 又說：「你若留意聽耶和華你神的話，又行我眼中看為正的事，留心聽我的誡命，守我一切的律例，我就不將所加於埃及人的疾病加在你身上，因為我耶和華是醫治你的。」

「拉法」的字意是醫治、痊癒，這個字在舊約通常是指醫治病人身體上、或靈性上的疾病。神用苦水變甜的神蹟來表明祂是醫治的水源，先知以利沙用鹽治水，也是用同樣的字眼。

耶利哥城的人對以利沙說：「這城的地勢美好，我主看見了；只是水惡劣，土產不熟而落。」以利沙說：「你們拿一個新瓶來，裝鹽給我」；他們就拿來給他。
他出到水源，將鹽倒在水中，說：「耶和華如此說：『我治好了這水，從此必不再使人死，也不再使地土不生產。』」於是那水治好了，直到今日，正如以利沙所說的。（列王紀下2:19-22）

「耶和華拉法」：留意聽神的話，行祂眼中看為正的事，聽誡命，守律例，神保守我們遠離疾病，得著醫治。

When You’ve Promoted the Wrong Person

2025-01-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 19:1-15.  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 19:1-15 (NIV)
1  Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
2  And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”
3  The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
4  The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

On verses 1-15:  It was a complicated situation for David.  On one hand, he had just lost his son.  On the other hand, because that son had committed the highest act of treason and was bent on killing the king, David did mobilize his troops to go to war against that son.  So while it was natural and expected for David to grieve for his son, it was complicated by the fact that Absalom was an enemy whose death, under normal circumstances, would have been a cause for rejoicing.

舊約中神的名字：耶和華(Jehovah)

2025-01-01 in , /by

 出埃及記 3:13-15 

13 摩西對神說：「我到以色列人那裡，對他們說：『你們祖宗的神打發我到你們這裡來。』他們若問我說：『他叫什麼名字？』我要對他們說什麼呢？」 14 神對摩西說：「我是自有永有的。」又說：「你要對以色列人這樣說：『那自有的打發我到你們這裡來。』」 15 神又對摩西說：「你要對以色列人這樣說：『耶和華你們祖宗的神，就是亞伯拉罕的神、以撒的神、雅各的神，打發我到你們這裡來。』耶和華是我的名，直到永遠；這也是我的紀念，直到萬代。

人的名字往往賦予著生身父母的感受與期望，多少也會呈現出個人的人格特質，我們常試著從一個人的名字認識這個人，但是我們曾否想從神的名字來認識神？

摩西對神說：「我到以色列人那裡，對他們說：『你們祖宗的神打發我到你們這裡來。』他們若問我說：『祂叫甚麼名字？』我要對他們說甚麼呢？」神對摩西說：「我是自有永有的」；又說：「你要對以色列人這樣說：『那自有的打發我到你們這裡來。』」神又對摩西說：「你要對以色列人這樣說：『耶和華─你們祖宗的神，就是亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神，打發我到你們這裡來。』耶和華是我的名，直到永遠；這也是我的紀念，直到萬代。…」（出埃及記3:13-15）

「我是自有永有的」的原文直譯為「我就是『我是』」；英文則譯為I AM, I AM WHO I AM, 或是I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE。

How Do You Know You Have Passion and What Is God’s Passion?

2025-01-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 18:19-33.  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 18:19-23 (NIV)
19  Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”
20  “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21  Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
22  Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”
23  He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

On verses 19-23:  Joab chooses a Cushite to deliver the news about Absalom’s defeat to King David.  But Ahimaaz really wants to run and try to deliver the message as well, even though there was no monetary reward he could get for it (v22).  Ahimaaz keeps politely asking Joab for the opportunity to run and when Joab lets him run, Ahimaaz ends up outrunning the Cushite (v23).