Friday, 30th December 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-7 Our Cry, God’s Salvation
V1-3 ‘When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.’ When we call out to God, He will save us, and He will lead us to turn defeat into victory. Before 2022 ends, are we willing to cry out for God and leave our comfort zone?
V4-5 ‘Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.’ The name of Lapidoth means ‘fire’, he was named to light up for God and be on fire for God, but somehow, he had lost this fire and the Word of God was not preached. The name of Lapidoth’s wife, Deborah, means ‘bee’, as a wife, she was named to work hard and be busy like a bee, but she was willing to rise up for God. She was willing to come out from the cave of her household and became the Judge of the people. Can we also come out from our comfort zone and respond to God’s calling? There are many things in our lives that stop us from choosing God’s Way, we might be brought up to be like the bees, to work hard for living. But today God is calling us to rise and shine for Him.
Section Two V8-10 Our Doubt, God’s Faithfulness
V8 ‘And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”’ God called Barak, but he had doubt and he requested Deborah to go with him. Whereas Deborah had the courage to walk out and boldly respond to God’s calling. Today God is also calling us, when our spouse or people next to us don’t respond to this calling, can we step out? God will give us strength, and God will allow us to encourage others to step up. Deborah responded to God first, even though she was a woman, she was not afraid, and because of her, Barak also had the courage to respond to God. God wants us to rise and shine, in our workplace, in our family, in our society… when we are willing to step out, He has the power to do amazing things in our lives and through our lives!
Section Three V11-24 Our Willingness, God’s Accomplishment
V11 ‘Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh.’ Moses’ father-in-law was not an Israelite and Moses’ wife was being looked down by Moses’ siblings. Nobody expected them to fight for the Israelites and to do anything for God. V17 ‘However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.’ Furthermore, the name Jael means ‘goat’, she seemed powerless and harmless. Sisera thought he was in a safe place, and he was not alert, which caused his death.
We must be willing to walk forward to respond to God, it does not matter if we are brought up as a bee or as a goat, because God looks at our hearts, and when we have a willing heart, then God can do all things through us. In the end of 2022, God is calling us to respond to Him to rise up, to shine, and to fight for Him. Then our enemies will flee. So let us come out from our caves, let us come out from our comfort zone, our lives are about to change, and we will walk together in the blessed destiny from God.
士师记 4 – 走在命定中 神与人的互动
2022年12月30日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
我们要明白，带领我们向前走的是耶和华，使我们得胜的也是耶和华。神与人之间的互动有什么奥秘呢？若能明白这点，就能帮助我们面对新的一年的挑战，知道如何走在神给我们的祝福里。
一、v.1-7 人呼求 神搭救
V1-3 以色列人被欺压、为奴为仆了二十年才开始呼求耶和华。
V4 “拉比多”原文意思是火把，然而在过去的二十年为奴为仆的时光，这个“火把”失去了他原本的意义，不再照明。“底波拉”原文意思是蜜蜂，作为一个妻子，她原本应该在家里忙碌，但当她的丈夫没有活出火把的生命时，她就被兴起成为神话语的出口。
V6-7 当我们愿意去呼求神，愿意脱离自己的山洞时，神就起来搭救。新的一年要到来，我们是否还在逃避、山洞、冷淡退后中？神的搭救让我们反败为胜！我们不要再沉醉在自己的伤害或不可能当中，因为旧事已过，一切都变成新的了。让我们一起呼求，神的搭救就来到！
二、v.8-12 人怀疑 神信实
V8“巴拉”原文意思是闪电，听上去很强壮的一个名字，然而他有怀疑、胆怯，竟然一定要妇人底波拉陪同他上去。
V9 神本来给巴拉荣耀的位份，但因为他的怀疑、软弱、惧怕，看到的只是敌人“铁车九百两”（v3)，原本的荣耀就离开他了。在新的一年，神要兴起我们每一个人。无论我们身份怎样，生活如何繁忙，当我们起来回应神的时候，我们就得着荣耀了。
V14 面对强大的敌人，底波拉不害怕，还鼓励巴拉信靠神。在2023年，我们不是彼此比较，而是当我们看见别人软弱时，要鼓励他们起来，看见神的信实。我们不要因为别人的缘故而放弃神的呼召，要自己先起来，就像底波拉那样没有用家务繁忙来推托，而是起来回应神的呼召。于是，巴拉和以色列全军都看见神的信实。
三、v.13-24 人愿意 神成全
神是能够成全的，只要我们愿意靠近神。
V17-18 基尼人是被以色列人瞧不起的外邦人。“雅亿”原文意思是山羊，听上去很软弱，却被神使用。雅亿作为一个弱质女子，并非只在家里什么事都不做，而是留意周遭发生的跟耶和华有关的事。所以，她灵巧应对西西拉，对他说“不要惧怕”。当我们害怕的时候，很容易失去洞察力。遇到问题时，我们不要惧怕，而是倚靠神，就不会失去洞察力。
V21 当一个外族的弱质女子愿意渴慕神的时候，神就为她成全，她和她丈夫的名字也被记载在圣经中，流传千古。
在2023年进入命定的时候，我们有神的应许，就要勇敢向前走，相信神必成全我们。我们是否相信神是良善的神，是否相信神能让我们的手像以色列人那样“越发有力，胜了迦南王耶宾，直到将他灭绝了”（V24）？让我们不要再停留在自己安逸的生活，而是起来进入神给我们“锡安灵粮堂”的祝福！