Tuesday, 24th January 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
SECTION ONE V1-6 EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES
V1-2 ‘Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.”’ Micah was not shameful, he stole money from his mother, not only he did not apologise to her, but he also blame his mother for cursing him. He did not honour his mother and he did not see what he did was wrong. There was no father in this story, which shows that in the generation of confusion and sinfulness, fathers are often missing in action. It was the same with the story of Samson, when the Messenger of God went to the field to talk to Samson’s parents, only his mother was there.
The Bible did not mention anything about Micah’s father, we don’t know who he was and where he was, but we can see that when something happened in the family, only the mother was there to deal with the matters. When Micah’s mother knew it was her son, who stole her money, she did not give him the right teaching, but bless him. Where is the authority we have from God? Do we provide the right teaching to our children and our next generation? Do we speak the words of truth to our children?
V3 ‘So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a moulded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.”’ Micah’s mother did not gave her son the right teaching, she also sinned against God by allowing her son to carve the idol. God chose the people of Israel to love Him and to follow His teaching, but the people became wilful, they did not pass on the right teaching, the therefore, they did whatever they thought was right. Are we willing to receive the true teaching and pass it on to the next generation?
V4 ‘Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a moulded image; and they were in the house of Micah.’ Micah returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, who said she would offer it all to God. But then she only took out two hundred shekels of silver and used them to make carved image and a moulded image. Both the mothers and the son were living in the wrong teaching and a sinful generation. Furthermore, they even passed this wrong teach to their next generation, Micah’s son, who was appointed to be the priest of the moulded image.
V5-6 ‘The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ Nobody was there to provide the right teaching and the right direction, and therefore people became wilful to do whatever they wanted to do. God gives us the Truth and His Word, but when we chose to be wilful then the sins will block us from God. We thought we are committed and dedicated to God, but at the end, we are only doing what we think is right.
SECTION TWO V7-9 THE LEVITE GAVE UP HIS IDENTITY
V7 ‘Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there.’ God appointed the Levites to serve in the Temple of God, but this Levite left his appointed place and became a foreigner.
V8 ‘The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.’ In the confused and sinful generation, even the Levites gave up their identity as the servants of God. God called us to be His royal priests and holy nation, but do we treasure the identity God has given to us?
SECTION THREE V10-13 LIVED IN THE LIVES OF BLINDNESS
V10 ‘Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in.’ Micah appointed the Levite to be his priest. The father image was missing in Micah’s life, and therefore Micah appointed his own authority, the Levite, who left his appointed authority. Who do we choose to follow and to become our authority for us to connect with God?
V11 ‘Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him.’ Micah only knew that the young man was a Levite, and did not know if this Levite was living a life pleasing to God. Moreover, he made this young man like his own son, instead of honour him as an authority.
V12-13 ‘So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”’ Micah thought what he did was according to the Will of God, he thought by doing what he did, he could be blessed by God. Do we also know God’s Will? At the beginning of 2023, God is talking to us, the first of January was on a Sunday, and the first day of the Chinese New Year was also on a Sunday. Because God wants us to know that He wants us to honour Him first, to seek Him first, and to serve Him first. God has spoken to His people, do we have the attentive ears to hear?
This is a great warning for us, to examine into our lives, do we put God first? Stop living in our own agenda, our own sinfulness, our own confusion, and our own wilfulness. Be the Light of this world, and shine like Jesus shines; let our lives bring Heaven on earth and let God’s Will be done on this earth as it is in Heaven.
士师记 17 – 在罪中打转
2023年1月24日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
从本章开始直到士师记最后一章，以色列在参孙之后就没有神所指派的士师了。参孙没有尊荣神，只是用神给他的恩赐活在在自我膨胀中。参孙给以色列的影响是他的情欲，他一生以自己为神，所带下的是罪恶的世代，让以色列与神隔绝。我们若活在自我膨胀中，所带下的就不是光而是罪。我们在罪中打转，就与神隔绝，不能为这个世界带下神的光。
一、v.1-6 各人任意而行
V1-2 米迦偷了自己母亲的钱，听到母亲咒诅偷钱的人，于是赶紧告诉她是他自己偷了钱。米迦并没有道歉，没有按照十诫的教导来尊荣他的母亲她。整章的记载中米迦的父亲都没有出现，他是一个“缺席”的父亲，好像参孙的父亲一样。米迦生长在一个没有父亲的遮盖的家庭，这对他之后糟糕的生命有很大的影响。米迦的母亲听了米迦的话，不仅没有好好教导他，反而还愿神祝福他。她的方式就好像现在流行的“爱的教育”，只对孩子讲正面赞美的话，却不敢指出儿女做错的地方。我们身为父母，要拿起神给父母当有的权柄来教养儿女，不要只敢讲好听的话，以致孩子长大后很容易因为一点挫折而产生玻璃心。
V3 母亲让米迦将耶和华当做偶像放在家里。我们现在的父母是否只是跟儿女说“有什么事情只要祷告就好了”？我们是否只讲“神爱我们”而不讲“我们要爱神”？一旦有哪些事情让我们觉得神不爱我们了，我们是否就觉得被冒犯？神是创造天地的主，是我们要去配合神，不是神来配合我们。一个被神所拣选的民族跌倒了，是因为他们各人任意而行，他们的教导都在自己的情欲中，不愿意将神的真光真理传给下一代。
V4 这一千两银子本来是要分别为圣给神的，结果母亲只拿出二百两银子给银匠铸神像。她给自己儿子所树立的是欺骗的形象。求神帮助我们不要食言，而是能活出真理真光中，用正面的言传身教影响我们的下一代。
V5 米迦的母亲没有好好教导自己的儿子，导致米迦不仅用银子造了只有祭司才可以穿的以弗得和律法明令禁止的神像，甚至还立自己的儿子当祭司！当我们任意而行的时候，带出来的就不是世代传承的祝福。
V6 没有人来管理这群人，这不是因为神不在，而是人自己的选择。神将真光真理赐给我们，并给我们自由意志。但是当我们任意而行，在罪中打转，我们就与神隔绝，却还以为自己在敬虔拜神。
二、v.7-9 利未人丢弃神
利未人是神所拣选出来服事神的人，本不该去为自己选住的地方，但是这里的”犹大族的利未人”却没有住在圣殿服事神，而是为自己“找一个可住的地方”。在那个世代，连利未人都没有分别为圣，可想而知整个民族是何等堕落。我们每一个信主的人都是因着耶稣的救赎而成为被分别为圣的祭司，我们是否只想为自己找一个可居住的地方？求神帮助我们回应神的呼召，他的光已经来到，我们不要在罪中打转，而是以神为神。
三、v.10-13 活在蒙蔽的生活
V10 米迦在成长中缺乏父亲，于是为自己找了一个“父亲”- 他是一个丢弃了自己利未人身份的人。米迦让这个利未人成为自己和神之间的桥梁。我们的父亲、我们的神不是我们可以为自己选的。我们是否只听别人讲话好听就听他们而不看那人的真实生命？
V11 米迦供养这利未人，他没有尊荣神的祭司，却把他当成“自己的儿子一样”。本来米迦想让这利未人作自己的父亲，结果却变成让这利未人如儿子一样来听自己的话。
V12-13 我们是否也像米迦一样，以为自己有一个信主的身份，神就要赐福给我们的家？我们要尊神为大，而不是去操控神，做自己想做的事。今年的元旦和农历新年第一天都是主日，我们来到神的殿中敬拜神，神借此告诉我们要先神后人再大地。求神帮助我们看到，我们就像镜子一样，所反射出的是神的光，给这个被黑暗遮盖的世界带下真理真光！