Tuesday, 21st September 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-7 God’s Word in the Nature
Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead. He was not a local there and his origin as the Tishbite was not well respected in Gilead. Elijah reminded us about Moses, who was also a slave in Egypt, someone who was looked down by others, but was lifted by God to stand up and speak to the people in reign during that time. How do we see ourselves? Do we see ourselves as slaves and foreigners? Or do we see ourselves as the servants of God? Elijah was not afraid of death and went to speak to king Ahab. It was just like how Moses and Aaron were not afraid of death when they went to talk to Pharaoh. Elijah didn’t see Ahab bigger than God; he was not afraid of Ahab. Do we see others bigger than God? Do we see our family, our work, our finance, our health more than we sees God?
God wants us to walk in the path of faith, He wants us to see that His Word is full of blessings. It’s not when we see the blessings then follow, God wants us to follow His Word and blessings will definitely come! God told Elijah to talk to Ahab, but He didn’t tell Elijah what the next step was. Only until they finished talking then God told Elijah to leave Gilead and go hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. When Elijah went to where God asked him to go, the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening; and he drank from the brook. God wants us to receive His blessings for us in the nature, do we give thanks to the land God gives to us? Everything we have in life is from God, but very often when we stay in one place, we are thinking about somewhere else.
God let the ravens brining bread and meat to Elijah. Ravens are often seen as bad luck for people, but God used ravens to supply for Elijah. God allows the land, the rain, the trees, etc. to bless us, but do we see God’s blessings with us? We are prideful and rebellious; we often don’t see the lives we have are full of blessings from God.
Section Two V8-16 God’s Word in the World
God wanted Elijah to experience the blessings of His Word, He asked Elijah to go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there. God also told him that He had commanded a widow there to provide for Elijah. When the widow said she had nothing to offer to Elijah, Elijah still spoke by faith and asked her to give him food first. Do we see our lacking or do we have the fear for God? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Do not focus on what we don’t have but believe God gives and takes away, when we walk in the path of God, He will provide for us. God asked Elijah to speak to Ahab even though he didn’t know what was going to happen; God let Elijah stay in the wild even though he didn’t know how he would survive; and God told Elijah to talk to the widow even though the widow already told him she had no food.
Do we have the faith like Elijah? Do we also receive the Word from God through the word of His servant? Elijah knew God’s Word is alive, he knew that God would provide for him and for the widow. Therefore, he said, “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.” God gave us different gifts and we must learn to humble ourselves to see our own bin of flour and jar of oil. When God gave them to us, we must believe that we will lack nothing. The widow humbled herself, by faith she did what Elijah told her to do, and the flour and the jar sustained her household for many days.
God did not tell Elijah what to do in advance, but when Elijah spoke, God gave him the words to speak. We must learn to be humble, do not challenge our authority, and do not see our lacking. When God asks us to do something, take the step of faith and make a start, God will surely provide us with all that we need.
Section Three V17-24 God’s Word in the Mouth of His Servant
After many days, the bin of flour was not used up, the shall the jar of oil did not run dry, but did the widow really see God? When her son was sick, she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God?” We can never satisfy the physical needs of people, so often we asked for something from God, when it was fulfilled, we asked for more. We are so easy to focus on what we don’t have, instead of what God has provided for us. The world told us to work seven days a week, to gain more achievement and to earn more money, but then we don’t have time to spend with God. Elijah did so much for the widow, because of Elijah, the widow’s family was able to survive, but when her son was sick, she wanted nothing to do with Elijah.
Elijah said to the woman, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Elijah took the son to his room, which was a place of worship. Elijah as the servant of God, day and night he prayed to God, and he experienced God. Do we also experience God in our room and on our bed? Have we encountered with God in our sleep? Jacob saw the golden ladder in his sleep, and Elijah also had encounters with God in his sleep. Let our lives be connected with God, in the day and at night.
Elijah prayed three times, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” In the original Scripture, it says to let the child’s breath come back to him, the ‘breath’ represents the life God breathed into Adam in the Creation. And the widow’s son lived then the widow believed. For a long time, the widow experienced the miracles of the flour and the oil, but she didn’t really believe. So, through Elijah’s Word, the widow witnessed the presence of God. Every morning when we come to morning devotion, God breathes His life into us, renew us, restore us, and revive us. Can we see how real the Word of God is? Do we really know what blessings God has brought us with His Word?
Worship: 住在你裡面 Dwell in You https://youtu.be/F6LFd0l9ADQ
Prayer & Pursuit
What do we lack in our lives and in our belief? Through today’s chapter, God is speaking to us that no matter if it’s in the nature, in the world and in the mouth of His servant, His Word is with us. Let us ask God to take away our disbelief, and know that God is always with us, He has already blessed us with His Word!
2021年9月21日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
新年的时候，华人的传统是在借由贴春联来宣告祝福。在神国度里，我们的生命充满的是从圣经-就是神的话语而来的祝福。
一、神的话在大自然 V1-7
V1a 以利亚是“寄居”在基列的提斯比人，不属于那地，但他是属神的人。“提斯比人”是俘虏，所以在当时被人看不起，被当成“次等人”。然而神拣选他去对以色列王亚哈说话。以利亚对亚哈“指着所侍奉永生耶和华以色列的神起誓”- 我们华人很容易有崇洋媚外的情节，看到金发碧眼讲英文的人就更尊重他们，但是以利亚看自己有正确的价值观。我们如今身在移民国家，如何看待自己？我们是否只看自己是次等的人？以利亚面对邪恶的以色列一国之君亚哈反而不怕死，颇有当年摩西面对埃及法老王时勇敢要求带领奴隶以色列人离开一样。以利亚没有看亚哈大过神，他信靠神时，神就为他预备。我们是否看所惧怕的人、所担心的事大过我们的神？我们如何看待，就如何受祝福 – 因为神比一切受造物都大！
V1b 当时的人相信雨水都是从偶像巴力而来，所以神借着以利亚让以色列人知道，从王后耶洗别带来的巴力偶像并不能控制风雨，是假神，唯有耶和华是掌管天地的真神。
V2-3 神不要我们像拜偶像一样先看到祝福才跟着神，他要我们相信，跟着他走，祝福就必跟着我们。神在以利亚跟亚哈讲完话之后才告诉他，要他离开本地，往“东边的基立溪”去。神并没有要以利亚停留在那里看以色列没有雨水的好戏，反而是让他躲藏起来。很多时候我们很想让人看到、认可我们的能力，比如我们祷告后别人就得医治，然而神没有让以利亚陷入这个试探，而是到大自然中经历神的祝福。我们移民来新西兰，但很多时候还过着以前的生活，我们的心没有办法安稳在这个神所赐给我们的地方，没有好好享受这里的大自然，没有为这片土地向主感恩。
V4 乌鸦在人类眼里是不好的动物，是带来厄运的，然而神使用乌鸦来供应以利亚食物。
V5-7 神让我们看见，他的话语来到地上是祝福我们的。我们是否以先入为主的眼光来看待神带我们所到的地方？我们是否人在新西兰，心却还留在以前的地方，不愿意相信这里是祝福我们的？神是祝福我们的神。
二、神的话在人间 V8-16
V8-9 当雨水干的时候，神没有让以利亚回去，反而让他去到外邦“西顿的撒勒法”- 就是拜巴力的耶洗别的家乡。神说他已经在那里吩咐了一个寡妇来供养以利亚，“供养”的意思就是维持、支持、供给。
V10 以利亚按照神的指示，到了撒勒法之后就遇到一个妇人 – 这个情景仿佛当年亚伯拉罕的老仆人在井边向所遇到的利百加要水喝，其实是试试看被问的人会不会按照神所讲的那样给他取水喝。
V11-13 在一个外邦人的城市，在众多人群之中，神就是安排这么一个人让以利亚看到，他的话语是真实的。以利亚开始更有信心，便让这妇人去先为自己做一个小饼来吃，尽管这妇人说自己家里只剩一点吃的，甚至说吃完后就要死了。我们祷告的时候是否会要求神先完成我们的心愿我们才按照神的要求去做？我们是否能像这个妇人那样，先为以利亚做饼？我们不要定睛在自己的缺乏里面，要敬畏神、相信我们若走在神的带领下，他就必供应。这就好像神对以利亚的带领，先是在大自然经历神的祝福，再去到人间，而不是停留在亚哈那里被膜拜。今天我们在教会服事是为了什么？我们是否明白神国的法则？以利亚知道这个寡妇是神预备来“供养”他的，所以当他在提出要求的时候不害怕这个寡妇会不高兴。
V14 神其实并没有跟以利亚说这段话，但以利亚知道在“这几年我若不祷告，必不降露不下雨”（V1）的这段时间神会让他活着，又知道神让这寡妇供养他，所以对这寡妇如此说。我们是否常质疑我们的牧者而没有领受神借着他们对我们说的话？以利亚看到妇人家里的坛内的面和瓶里的油，并没有要求她供应给他其他的牛羊，而只是按着神的提示来提要求。我们是否对神提出不合理的要求？我们在教会中是否彼此比较，而没有看到神所给我们的恩赐都不一样但都是好的，为要支持我们的领袖造就教会？求神让我们看见他给我们各人的坛和瓶。
V15-16 妇人的回应正是“谦卑顺服、舍己利他”，于是他们家“吃了许多日子”- 原文指“耶和华的日子”。耶和华神一开始没有跟以利亚说“坛内的面必不减少，瓶里的油必不缺短…”但神借着以利亚的信心成就以利亚所说的话。我们要学习像这个妇人一样，当我们的权柄教导的时候，我们不要顶撞，要谦卑领受, 不要只看自己的缺乏，要有信心踏出那一步回应神的呼召，知道神必会为我们负责。
三、神的话在神的仆人口里 V17-24
V17“这事”指的是“坛内的面果不减少，瓶里的油也不缺短”（V16）。很多时候我们为人祷告他们的生活所需能被满足，希望他们心愿成就之后能来信主，其实这些事情那些拜拜的人也会做。当我们听到人要为物质上得祝福祈求时，我们应求圣灵帮助我们看到这些人背后真正的需要是什么。我们人很难被满足，有吃有喝之后又想拥有更多东西。神一直在供应我们，但人很容易看的就是自己缺乏的，不愿意按时休息，只想要不停赚钱，因为里面的渴望没办法满足，所以我们把时间花在服事这个世界上而没有时间与主独处，没有时间服事神。
V18 妇人在经历神迹之后竟然对以利亚说“我与你何干？”她心里其实并不相信神。
V19-20 妇人认识神但不敬拜神，她所住的楼下没有神的同在，所以以利亚要带她的儿子到自己所住的楼上来求告神。以利亚是清晨晚上都祷告神的人，他在“自己的床上”也经历神、与神相遇，所以他要把这个孩子放在上面。我们是否在我们的床上也经历神的造访，还是在床上做了很多不讨神喜悦的事？让我们也能清晨到夜晚都与神相遇。
V21 以利亚三次向神祷告。“灵魂”原文指“气息”-就是在创世纪里神吹进亚当里面使亚当活起来的气息，所以以利亚呼求神让气息再次进入这孩子的身体。
V22-24 神曾应许以利亚要让这家的寡妇供养他。以利亚不仅是住在那里，更让神的话进入这一家。于是孩子复活，让妇人看到耶和华神借着以利亚“口所说的话是真的”。她起初不相信神，但以利亚借着神的话语见证神的同在。在每一天的晨祷中，神的气息不断进入我们里面，更新我们，让我们活过来。我们是否相信神给我们的话语就是祝福？
*追去和回应：
我们的生活究竟缺乏什么？我们在信仰上缺乏什么？神借着今天的经文跟我们说，无论在大自然、在人间、或是神的仆人口里，神的话都是带着祝福的。为什么我们里面仍然有很多怀疑和惧怕？在犹太新年的时候，求神拿走我们里面一切的不信，让我们有以利亚的信心。
主我们感谢将话语浇灌到我们里面，你的应许永不改变。你呼召我们每一个来到这里。我们承认自己是小信、软弱的的，求主坚固我们，知道你是真实的，记起过去你让我们经历的神迹，你的话语和祝福从不曾离开我们，坚持走在你给我们的道路上，将你给我们的恩赐才干应用在你的国度，让更大的祝福浇灌在我们当中！奉主耶稣基督的名祷告, 阿门！