Friday, 11th February 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-8 Manage Above
We live on this world seek to live a blessed and joyous life, which is a life pleasing God. And we know living such a life is not by our qualification or wealth. V1 ‘Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the sternness of his face is changed.’ What is a wise person? It is to speak the words of wisdom, to be connected with God and to walk in the Will of God. It’s very easy for us to get angry, but with the Spirit of God, we can change our face make our face shine with the glory of God.
The Holy Spirit is talking to us and guiding us all the time, but do we listen? In our sternness and anger, if we listen to the small voice of the Holy Spirit, then we will see how God can change our life, our attitude, our emotion, and we will no longer live under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. V2-3 ‘I say, Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.’ All authorities come from God, and we must honour them wholeheartedly, like how we honour God.
We submit to the authority not because of how good or trustworthy they are, but because how much we trust God, because God will not harm us and if He allowed this authority to rule over us, then we must trust in God’s Will and protection. To manage above is not to manage our authority, but to manage our attitude towards our authority. V5-6 ‘He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
and a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly.’ When we submit to authority, we submit to God and come under the protection of God. Stop trying to prove that we are right, God is our only judge, and the righteous judgement will always come. Towards our authority, we should learn to have wisdom, which is from the Word of God. The way we approach them, how we talk to them, and how we interact with them, are all very important for us to manage well.
Section Two V9-13 Manage Self
If we cannot take care of ourselves, then don’t try to seek other things in the world. God has already given us all we need, a field before us for us to manage, and at the end we need to be accountable to God for the things He has given us to manage. Have the fear in God in all the things we do, and He will give us a blessed and joyous life.
Section Three V14-17 Focus on Seeking God
V14 ‘There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.’ Our being is from the heart, it comes naturally, and seeking God brings out our true being. It’s not only about doing good deeds, but it’s about the attitude inside our hearts! Everything is vanity, so the most important thing is to follow the Will of God and seek our being in God.
V15 ‘So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labour all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.’ Do we seek for our emotions to be satisfied? Do we allow our flesh desires to take over the fruitful lives God wants us to live? Living out our being should not be a burden, all things come to us must have gone through God, so let us praise Him for everything in our lives. Let us live in a blessed ad joyous life given by God!
传道书 8 – 福乐的生命
2022年2月11日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
“福乐”原文是“好的”，正如神创造天地时看一切都是“好的”。我们不能靠着这个世界的文化和教育去过活，不然不仅我们的生命，连我们居住的地球都要灭亡。在末世，我们要活出福乐的生活，在地如在天。
一、v.1-8 向上管理
V1 谁能够是真有智慧的人？“事情”原文指的是“言语”，人们常会用自己的智慧来强解神的话。当我们愿意谦卑下来，与智慧连接，就是敬畏耶和华，我们的脸就会发光，且使“脸上的暴气改变”。我们面对事情，是否愿意谦卑用神的方法去处理？无论位份有多高，我们都有可能在环境的刺激下变成穷凶极恶的人，但当我们愿意听神的声音、降服于神的教导，我们里面那暴怒的气才会消下去。我们听到神对我们的提醒，是否愿意立刻改变而不是在分辨善恶树下为自己辩解？当神的声音进入我们，而我们也愿意配合，生命树的气息会立刻出来。
V2 传道者说完关于人的智慧后，就劝人“遵守王的命令”，因为没有权柄不出于神。我们要用对待神的心来对待我们地上的权柄，这样行是合理的。
V3 “急躁”意思是“匆匆、快快、带着负面的心”，这样气冲冲的从王面前离开是不好的，不要故意行神看为不好的事。我们是否会用不耐烦的心跟权柄说“你还有什么事吗？没事我就先走了！”？其实我们怀着一颗顽梗的恶心，不愿意听权柄提升自己的话，这样是神所不喜悦的。“随自己的心意而行”意思是随着人自己里面的感动去行事。虽然地上的权柄是不完美的，但对于神赐给我们的权柄，我们若能谦卑顺服，就会看到神的保守和祝福。
V4-5a 我们觉得权柄做得不好、不对，就会用“你做什么呢？”这个问题来质疑他们。当我们因为敬畏神的缘故而听权柄的话，我们就“必不经历祸患”，而是蒙神保守。我们不要害怕，要相信神。
V5b “向上管理”不是去管我们的老板，而是我们做下属的人有智慧处理自己，将自己的计划有果效、无阻拦的呈现给我们上面的管理层。对在上掌权的人，我们不是去丢自己的情绪，不要做一个无知的人。不懂如何向上管理的人，就会常常碰钉子、觉得自己怀才不遇，其实这人里面没有智慧。权柄“凡事都随自己的心意而行”（V3), 所以下面的人要看懂时机跟权柄沟通。”定理”原文是“审判”，表示我们知道好还是不好。只要我们能够践行真理，知道看时候的好坏来行事，事情就能成就。
V6 我们会有“苦难”，因为我们没有智慧与权柄互动。我们祷告，就是与神同工，让神使事情完成，这样我们就没有压力了。
V7-8 “他”指的就是我们这些在下面的人。我们都不知道将来会发生什么事，也无人“有权力掌管生命”或“死期”。我们常常会觉得权柄待人不公平，但我们连生死都不能掌管，甚至黑暗权势都不能救那些恶人，所以对待权柄，我们要有智慧，知道如何向上管理，我们手上的事工就能发旺。
二、v.9-13 自我管理
我们不仅要处理要与人的互动，也要管理好自己里面的一亩良田，做任何事(doing)都出于敬畏神的心。
V10 那些地上让我们愤愤不平的恶人，最后都会“归入坟墓”。“城中”指的是世界，过去虔诚爱主的人若是进入世界，就会被人忘记。
三、v.14-17 专心寻求神
V14 不要觉得在世上做好事的善人就有善报，做坏事的恶人得恶报，其实这些外在的事都是虚空的。不要因为看人得好处就跟随他们行恶。我们在doing上要敬畏神，我们的being – 内心也要敬畏神。
V15 “吃喝快乐”不是享乐，而是带着感恩的心去享受我们劳碌结出的果子。
我们所追求的是什么？是随着自己的个性任意而为吗？我们是否愿意过着在地如在天的福乐的生活，是否愿意寻找智慧？我们愿意为每天所经历的来称赞神吗？这都是我们的选择。