Thursday, 12th January 2022
Joanna Liu
Section One V1-11 God Will Be The Witness 做見證的神
Jephthah was rejected by his own people, but when the enemy attacks, the people asked him to come back and be their leader. People will change but God will never change. Jephthah asked God to be the witness so he knows that if the people again turn their backs on him, God will vindicate. Do we also have this assurance in our lives and know that God will vindicate? We will all have times when people become unreliable and turn their backs on us. Sometimes we are the ones who changed and turn our backs on others. So we must hold onto the unchanging God, the ‘I Am Who I Am’ God, to make sure we continue walk in His Way and be on His side.
Section Two V12-28 God Will Give The Chance 給機會的神
Before Jephthah fights back, he first sent messengers to talk to the king of Ammon, trying to reason with him and to stop the unnecessary fight. Jephthah stated that they would win the battle because God was on their side, he made it clear to the Ammonites that having a war was a mistake. God was giving a chance to the people of Ammon through Jephthah, and also through the words spoken Bu Jephthah and his messengers, the power of God was again proclaimed and declared. Do we know that our words have power? Every time we declare the Word of God and every time we share the testimony for God, He is working supernaturally in our lives and in the lives of those who listen.
Section Three V29-40 God Will Work With People 與人同工的神
God gave victory to Jephthah over Ammon. But a side story was that Jephthah had to offer his only daughter to God. Jephthah was the son of prostitute, he was rejected by his own siblings. Also he didn’t have any sons, just one daughter. It was destined that he would not have decedents after him. Do we really worry about there will be no one carrying our family name? Or can we really see that God also wants us to bear spiritual children?
士师记 11 – 耶和华要显现照耀他的百姓
2023年1月12日 星期四
Joanna姐妹
一、v.1-11 作见证的神
V1-2 神会在他的子民有需要的时候显现照耀他们。在以色列面临新的挑战的时候，基列人耶弗他被兴起。“耶弗他”的意思是神开路。他的生命非常崎岖，所以都需要神为他开路。他的母亲是“妓女”，是不被社会接受的女人。虽然我们的出身可能不被看好，甚至被唾弃，但我们是否看自己是“大能的勇士”？
V3 “匪徒”也可能包括一些空虚、无用、窘迫的人，好像当初投靠大卫的那些贫穷、窘迫、没有方向的人一样。耶弗他没有去与他的兄弟起正面冲突，而是先逃避他们。有时候我们可能被人攻击，很想要反击来为证明自己的正确，但神若要我们去等待，我们是否在这个过程中预备自己，甚至在看到神召聚人来到我们身边时，我们能否持守在神给我们的工作，来预备承接神将来交给我们更大的使命？
V4-10 耶弗他曾经被兄弟驱逐，离开基列后建立自己的势力，原来赶逐他的那些长老又回来找耶弗他帮忙。有时候我们可能会觉得自己被社会抛弃，是没有价值的，但我们是否仍然能持守神给自己的位份？是否愿意在被人回来找我们的时候能以德报怨？
V11 我们若要兴起发光，就要将我们里面的一切全部陈明在神的光中，不让仇敌在我们的生命中找到破口。当我们愿意在神、我们的牧者、弟兄姐妹面前敞开、有健康的沟通时，仇敌就无法借着暗处的破口来攻击我们和牧者、弟兄姐妹的关系，而我们也能被神使用做更美好的工。我们不需要为自己争取什么，当神的时间到的时候，他就会帮助我们成为大能的勇士，神也会亲自为我们作见证。
二、v.12-28 给机会的神
V12 耶弗他成为领袖后做的第一件事不是去打仗证明自己，而是去找仇敌和谈。
V18 以东就是当年雅各的哥哥以扫的后代，摩押是亚伯拉罕的侄子罗得的后代。他们虽然不是神所见选的子民，但神曾经应许要祝福他们，他就特别吩咐以色列百姓绕过这两个国家，没有起冲突。神遵守他的应许直到千代万代。
V21-27 耶弗他有理有据、头脑清晰的跟亚扪人讲述这段历史，可以看出他虽然曾被自己的兄弟驱逐，却仍然非常认同自己以色列人的身份，牢记自己民族的历史。我们今天虽然可能没有处在一个有权有势的位置，也没有达到自己的目标，但我们是否愿意持守神一路给我们的带领、位份，预备自己？当我们知道自己所说的话是真理的时候，不管仇敌说什么，我们都能站立得稳。
V28 当亚扪人不愿听的时候，神就为他的百姓出手。当神对我们说话的时候，我们愿意去听吗？若我们一次又一次选择不听，神的手就会攻击我们。神给我们机会，我们是选择做愿意听神的话、站在真理上争战的耶弗他，还是像亚扪人那样听到真理却不去行呢？
三、v.29-40 与人同工的神
V30 就算耶弗他不做这个许愿，其实神还是会让他们得胜，当时的耶弗他是否心里还是有惧怕？
耶弗他知道自己的女儿要被献给神之后非常难过。我们如何看待服事神的职位？当我们被呼召在一个位份的时候，我们是否能为服事神而自豪、开心？