Friday, 6th January 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-3 The Life of the Tree of Life
Is our life really in the guidance of God? Is our life surrendering in God’s plan for us? The people of Ephraim were angry at Gideon for excluding them, but Gideon responded humbly. He knew everything he did was by God’s Grace, and was able to let the anger of the people of Ephraim subside. God wants to see us live in harmony with our brothers and sisters, and when we live under the fragrance of the Tree of Life, to humble, to obey, to deny ourselves and to benefit others.
Section Two V4-21 The Life of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. After Gideon received the victory, he thought he knew what to do next, and he stopped seeking God. He took the same three hundred people and thought they could receive the victory again, but when they entered this ‘doing’ mode, they started to feel exhausted but they still wanted to use their own strength to fight. We often look back in our lives, and we tend to do what we used to do before. But instead of always going back to God, we started to use our own strength. We thought by following the same method we could do the same thing and achieve the same goal. We no longer see God but only ourselves.
When Gideon was living under the Tree of Life, he was able to make peace with Ephraim. But when he was living under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he was in his ‘doing’ mode, and he made enemies with the people of Succoth and men of Penuel. It’s easy for us to see the people against us, but it’s not easy to see our own problems. We strive to work hard, and we thought we are fighting for God, but we did not see the bitter root within our lives.
Gideon continued to live in his ‘doing’ mode, he destroyed the cities of Succoth and Penuel, killed their elders, and in front of the people, he was revealing his own strength. In the past, he was testifying the strength of God, but when he continued to stay under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he was showing off his own strength. We were willing to let go of everything and follow God in the past, but gradually, we forgot about the first love an became prideful again. Where is our faith? Where is God in our lives?
Section Three V22-35 Snares in the Confusion
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” God appointed Judges to manage the people, but Gideon did not take this authority. He was trying to act out his humility, but he still instructed the people to build a golden ephod and sinned against God. We are all given jobs and positions in our lives and in our church, do we take the responsibilities of what we are appointed to do? Or do we look down on what is given to us?
Gideon has forgotten about the life under the Tree of Life, he became selfish, he only looked at his own family, and he stopped taking up his appointed authority. Gideon’s family became the target of people after he died, and his life did not glorify God at the end. God called us today not just to deal with our own problems or to focus on our own family. God wants us to be raised up as leaders, to manage the land and to lead others to God. We must stop seeking the flesh desires of this world, and stop going back into our caves. When we walk under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then we will go back to our caves and our comfort zones. Let us see God leading us and let us follow Him wholeheartedly until the end.
士师记 8 – 人的生命怎样脱离神
2023年1月6日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
跟从神的人一定要finish well(善始善终)，而不是在高峰的地方停顿下来。基甸经历他人生的高峰，却在之后滑落下来，他的生命给我们很大的启示。我们是否一路都走在神的带领下呢？
一、v.1-3 生命树的生命
基甸作为以色列的领袖，回应神的呼召，给国家带下翻转。然而在胜利中，有一些争闹的声音从以法莲支派发出。基甸活在生命树的气息下，谦卑顺服、舍己利他，没有在争战中高举自己，而是帮助十二支派一起回应神的呼召。生命树的气息所带来的就是和睦，基甸的人生达到高点。
二、v.4–21 分辨善恶树的生命
V4-5 基甸曾经动员各个支派的人一起争战（七章23-24节），然而，现在基甸只带着他的三百勇士，那些都是愿意听他话的人。基甸取易不取难，看到那些以法莲人难沟通，认为靠着他的三百人就可以像以前那样解决问题了。基甸开始进入doing的模式，没有看到团队的“疲乏”，团队里的人也没有看到他们的疲劳，还以为自己可以继续按照旧有的模式行事，大家都活在分辨善恶树下，倚靠自己而不是倚靠神。
V7-9 基甸的肉体需要没有得着满足，于是他就对疏割人和毗努伊勒人愤怒留下狠话。我们可能看到疏割人和毗努伊勒人这样回应基甸就论断他们见死不救, 其实问题不是出在那两个支派的人身。面对以法莲支派，基甸化干戈为玉帛，带下合一；然而，当他活在分辨善恶树下时，他带下的是负面、分裂，让别人都不想跟随他。我们是否不愿意休息、也不让我们所带领的人休息、取易不取难，于是带下疲乏，让人都不喜欢跟随我们？
V13-17 基甸亲手杀了同属以色列十二支派的人。有时候我们看到的是周围的人不支持我们，却没有看见是我们自己的问题。基甸没有看到自己生命的问题，只看见别人不支持他的这个结果。求神帮助我们看见，生命树的气息带下的是合一，分辨善恶树带下的是分裂和死亡。
V20-21 基甸竟然让一个童子去杀人，于是敌军的王就用话语刺激基甸显示自己的“力量”。基甸忘了当初他是靠着耶和华才经历得胜，他曾经在打仗的时候呼喊、高举的是耶和华的名，但如今却为了证明自己的力量而杀人。在分辨善恶树下，我们会不自觉的想展现自己的力量，不喜欢带领、帮助别人，不想处理人际问题，只想靠自己解决事情。我们步伐太快，就容易疲倦，进入分辨善恶树，带下自我膨胀，做事的原则就变成看环境顺利而不是跟从神的带领。
三、v.22-35 在混乱中的网罗
V22-24 神拣选士师就是让他们当审判官，原本就是有管理的位份。基甸回应的话表面上谦卑，其实并没有走在神的旨意中。基甸嘴巴上说不管理以色列人，但在行动上有收取人送给他的财物。
我们是否重视神给我们的位份、在被指派的岗位上忠心？或许我们在某个部门只有自己一个人，但我们是否对此有责任心, 还是不稀罕神给我们的位份，认为那是可有可无的事？我们是否不想处理麻烦的问题、不想承担更大的责任，只想安逸于自己原本的舒适圈？
V27 神明确说过我们不能造偶像，但基甸却做了一个以弗得 。以弗得本来代表神同在，如今基甸想让“神同在”只在他自己的城里而不在乎以色列十二支派。基甸只想自己的家好就满足了，不理会其他人的死活。我们蒙召，不是只处理自己的问题，而是能够处理人的问题。
V28-29 神给以色列人国中太平，然而，基甸在分辨善恶树下，只选择“住在自己家里”。神呼召、装备他，让他看见神迹奇事，他却选择过着情欲的生活，享受被爱的感觉，只是这些从人而来的“爱”没办法满足他。
V33-35 基甸在所贡献给神的四十年里，没有教导、管理以色列人，所以当他死后，没有人认识或敬拜耶和华。我们的家伟大、蒙福，不是因为自己能够做什么，唯有先神后人再大地，永远的福乐才会临到。我们不是追着祝福走，而是跟着神的带领。基甸用更多的妻子儿女来满足自己里面的空虚，就离开了神。求神帮助我们不要走在这样的混乱中，也不要回到自己的山洞，而是看得见，能够使我们得祝福的不是我们自己，而是耶和华。