Friday, 13th January 2023
Joanna Liu
Section One V1-7 If God is for Us Who can be Against us 神若幫助我們，誰能敵擋
After Jephthah and the Gilead received victory, the people of Ephraim were not happy. No matter what decision we make, there will always be a group people, who have a different opinion to us. Sometimes they might come against us in a more aggressive way. Furthermore, these people may be our own family members, our brothers or our sisters. A lot of time, it’s the people who are closest to us that will affect us the most. Of course we must seek peace and love one another, but at the same time we must stand firm in God’s Word and Promises, to live under the Tree of Life, instead of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We must have this assurance that God will fight for us, if He is for us, then who can be against us?
On a side note, this time Jephthah didn’t try to debate with the people of Ephraim first like what he did with the Ammonites. He started the fight straight away and caused a lot of death. Maybe deep inside Jephthah’s heart, he could not have mercy for his own brother nations because he was rejected by his own brothers in the first place! We must look into our life and our heart, if we don’t deal with the hurt we had in the past, they might come back to haunt us and affect the decisions we make in the future.
Section Two V8-15 Arise and Shine for God 為神興起發光
God raised leaders all over the earth. We might not like the leaders God chose for us or for our country, but today when God calls us, are we willing to respond? We can choose to be a person always complaining about our leaders but never respond to God’s calling, or we can be the ones raising up for God, to arise and to shine, and let His glory be seen upon us.
The three judges mentioned here might not have been to any big battles, they might just managed the people. But they were faithful, they stayed in their land until they died, some of them have many children which represent that they lived healthy until an old age. Can we stay firm for God in one place, be planted by the stream of water until the day we die?
士师记 12 – 神的荣耀要现在我们身上
2023年1月13日 星期五
Joanna姐妹
一、神若帮助我们，谁能抵挡
V1-3 以法莲人和耶弗他看事情的角度正好相反，双方都在责怪对方。人都很容易看见别人做得不好的是，认为自己做了该做的事，对方没有得荣耀是对方的问题。我们作为基督徒，不是活在这样的分辨善恶中，而是要学习活在生命树下，谦卑顺服、舍己利他。神希望我们能一起建造家庭、领受产业。
V4-5 以法莲人曾经嘲笑基列人是“逃亡的人”，最后他们自己却成为“逃走的人”。很多时候我们想用话语来压低别人，但是我们自己的生命情况如何呢？我们说自己是基督徒时，是否在人前活出真实的信仰？基列人和以法莲人都曾经打败仇敌，却因为这样的冲突而两败俱伤。很多时候人犯罪是在一个冲动下做出决定，我们在晨祷中领受到神的话语则可以帮助我们在一天中做出合神心意的决定，并在犯罪后及时警醒、悔改。
耶弗他面对亚扪人还可以苦口婆心，但面对兄弟支派以法莲却毫无耐心地回击，这或许是跟他过去被自己的兄弟赶逐的经历有关。我们要警醒，当我们做出某些决定的时候，是否是因为受到自己原生家庭的影响？过去的一切伤痛都要带到主面前，才会帮助我们避免做出鲁莽的决定。
V6 口音这件事或许很微不足道，但可能会成为生命的破口。我们的话语、说话方式很重要，我们是否在话语上有警醒的心？要保守我们的心、我们的口舌，以平和的心与人相处，走在神的旨意中，就能看见神的荣耀现在我们身上。
V7 耶弗他曾经丰功伟业，却只是管理了以色列六年，并且葬在一个不知名的城里。我们这一生是否能finish well? 当我们不符合神的心意时，是否能及时回转？
二、v.8-15 为神兴起发光
士师中有带领以色列人打胜仗的大士师，也有其他在管理位份、处理百姓大小事件的小士师。神在他的国度要兴起不同的领袖，我们是否愿意回应？
V8-10 以比赞的名字有光辉、荣耀的意思。以比赞生养众多，为神扩展领土。我们的教会也有生养众多的恩膏，我们不仅有许多肉身的儿女，也要更多为神国度赢得灵魂，因为神会给我们更多属灵的儿女。
V11-12 以伦的名字有“强大的”、“橡木”的含义。橡木在圣经中也代表公义，当风暴来临时，橡木能够稳稳站立而不动摇。我们是否能够成为那栽种在溪水旁的大树，按时候结果子、叶子也不枯干？神要我们成为蒙他悦纳的教会，我们一辈子或许没有什么丰功伟业，但我们是否能够finish well, 在生命结束的时候能否无愧与神的托付？
V13-15 押顿的名字原文意思是敬拜者，他的一生也是在服事神。“骑驴驹”的人表示当时社会地位很高的人。立王废王都在神手上，他拣选的都是他认为适合那个时代的士师。神会使用我们去服事他放在我们身边的人。我们不用担心自己的背景、不用担心我们自己什么都没有，也不用跟任何人比较。当神拣选我们的时候，要相信神给我们的那一份是够用的，是可以为神作见证的！