Friday, 19th November 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-11 To Stay Away from Temptation
V1 ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.’ It’s not that we cannot drink wine at all, even Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine, wine has a special meaning for Christians, but we cannot let wine control ourselves, do not be addicted to it, and do not think that we can handle it by ourselves. V2 ‘The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.’ Our authority is for us to follow not for us to challenge. This world teaches us to challenge our authority, but the Bible teaches us to be humble and to stay away from quarrels. V3 ‘It is honourable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel.’ We cannot bring peace to anyone, but we can bring this gift – the peace of the Gospel, to others. When a couple is quarrelling, it’s never about who is right and who is wrong, but about how their lives can be lifted in Christ. When we are arguing who is right and who is wrong, we are, in fact, telling the others that we are unwilling to carry their cross for them. Stop having this victim’s mindset, stop thinking that everyone has wronged us, but to be more like Jesus, to be willing to pray for forgiveness for those who hurt us.
V4 ‘The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing.’ A foolish man is those, who are bind by emotions, when we don’t feel like doing something, we choose not to do it. But we must know that as a person being called, we can make a difference, we have the power to carry on. It’s not by us, but by the One, who gives us strength! V5 ‘Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.’ We have too many things in our mind, sometimes we don’t even know what we are thinking in our hearts. Because we do not rely on God wholeheartedly, we rely on this world, rely on people, rely on the right timing… we have lost our hearts in this world.
V6 ‘Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?’ A foolish person will always talk about what they have done right and what others have done wrong. All men have sinned and short of the Glory of God, therefore, we do not have a ground to say anything good about ourselves. Instead, we should boast about our weaknesses, and uplift God’s strength in our lives. V7-8 ‘The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his eyes.’ Do not walk in grey area, do not be a smarty in front of God, we can never trick God. May God give us wisdom because He examines the hearts of people. V9 ‘Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?”’ When we think that we can deal with our own sins, then we do not receive the strength of Jesus. This is being prideful and boastful; we can walk until today is by the Grace of God; we are all blessed sinners.
V10 ‘Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.’ No matter where we are, no matter where we go, our lives must be the same, the ways we act must be the same, God dislikes 2-faced people, instead we should be simple like a child, to humble rely on God and receive God’s teaching. V11 ‘Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.’ We thought if children are mature, they are good children, but we do not see that if children become people-pleasers, they become the products of this world. God created children to be who they are, no one should take away their special identity, and they should not be brought up to please people but to please God.
Section Two V12-20 To Be Set Apart
How can we be set apart from this world? V12 ‘The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.’ Can we really see the things we are doing, and can we really hear from God and from our authority? This is not just a philosophy, not some knowledge, but life. V13 ‘Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.’ When we fall asleep, we cannot see, and when our spirit is asleep, then we cannot see how poor our spirit inside us is! We cannot receive both the world and God at the same time. But if we set our time apart to do devotion, to set our lives apart to honour God, then our eyes will be opened, and we can really see if we are living for God or living for this world.
V14 ‘“It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer; but when he has gone his way, then he boasts.’ We like to ask for a bargain, we lower the quality in order to get a cheaper price. But are we really speaking the truth? We boast to get what we want; we twist the truth to fulfil our purposes. V15 ‘There is gold and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.’ We use gold and silver jewelries to represent how wealth we are and how previous we are, but we do not realise that on the words of knowledge can really make us attractive. Do not speak words of shallowness, but the words of truth. If we do not know the answer, it’s better not to answer than to speak something, which is made up. Arguing is pointless, the more we argue, the more we speak with negative emotions, the more we are showing our foolishness. God can help us to hold back out tongues, and only let the words of knowledge and wisdom come out from our mouths.
V16 ‘Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger and hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.’ Often, we want to solve other people’s problems, we thought being a surety for a stranger can help them to go through difficult times. But do we really know them? V19 ‘He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore, do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.’
We can never see through anyone easily; do not think we have the ability to help and to keep secrets for others. Do not think of ourselves as saviours of others. We thought we are being helpful, but we are actually making ourselves an idol to others. Only God can help, and only God can give us the ability to help others. We must have the right attitude, when we disciple others, we are not using our own strength but the strength from God. We are vessels of God; we are supporting our authority when we disciple others. We are accountable to God and to our authority.
V20 ‘Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness.’ It’s in the Ten Commandments, we must always honour our parents, after we grow up, our parents are still our parents. They are also human, they can also make mistakes, but it’s never up to us to find the wrongs of our parents. They are our authority, and they will also have their authority to teach them and to guide them. When we honour and love our parents and our authority, then we will not have an orphan spirit, and we will feel loved. Have a thankful heart for our parents, then our lamp will not be put in deep darkness, and our lives can be long in this world.
Section Three V21-30 To Follow Humbly
V21 ‘An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.’ To follow humble is to live under the fragrance of the Tree of Life. First of all, we must stay away from temptation, to set our lives apart then we can follow God humble. V29 ‘The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendour of old men is their grey head.’ We may boast about our strength when we are young, but when we are old, can we still boast? Our value is never about our doing, how can we enter the kingdom of Heaven? Not by our strength but by our faith in God. May God help us to live and follow Him humbly, to live out the true being of our lives, and build this foundation of the Tree of Life.
箴言 20 – 蒙召的生命
2021年11月19日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
当我们愿意放下世界、跟随神，也愿意做出改变的时候，我们就要知道如何走在一个蒙召的生命里。
一、要远离愚妄（v.1-11)
V1 主耶稣基督在四福音书里第一次提到“酒”的时候就是他的母亲带他和门徒去参加一个婚宴，席间酒用完了，耶稣的母亲请他来处理；第二次是在守逾越节时，耶稣对门徒说这酒是用他的血所立的新约。酒本是要给人带来盼望的，用在对的地方，就是祝福；但在现实生活中，酒精容易让人精神松懈，若用在私欲上就会让我们跌倒。喝酒的人若以为自己能“千杯不醉”，他就是骄傲。人喜欢用酒来谈生意或麻醉自己，因为觉得这种世界的方法可以帮自己很容易解决问题，达到个人的目的，然而这样却是没有倚靠神，没有靠主得胜。
V2 权柄是给我们去顺服、跟从，而不是去不断挑战的。求神帮助我们谦卑，远离愚昧的行为。
V3 我们蒙召的人带给人的是平安的福音，而不是靠自己给人平安。福音是一份极好的礼物，我们只是运送、分享礼物的人。我们不要卷进人的纷争，不要在分辨善恶树下找人的对错。如果看到夫妻间有矛盾，我们要做的不是去分辨是非、解决问题，而是帮助两个人在个人身量上提升。要有像耶稣基督一样的胸襟，在十字架上也能为那些逼迫他的人求神的饶恕。
V4 冬天很冷，所以人很容易觉得不舒服，不想动。愚妄人会被环境和自己的情欲牵引，到最后一无是处。但蒙召的人是有能力改变生命的，环境难不倒我们，因为那加给我们力量的神使我们凡事都能。
V5 我们可能城府很深，有很多东西深埋心底，甚至连我们自己或周围最亲的人都不认识我们，因为我们倚靠的是自己和这个世界，我们的心就迷失。“明哲人”就是敬畏神的人，以神的话成为脚前的灯、路上的光，这样才能让我们从蒙蔽的深渊里走出来。有些人心里有很多重担、压力，甚至患上恐慌症，唯有愿意放下，单纯跟随主，我们才能有生命、有平安。
V6 愚妄人常喜欢讲自己做得好而别人做得怎样不好。圣经说，世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀。我们没有资格说自己是多好，应该说的是自己如何不好，但靠主蒙福。
V7 跟从神，不仅是我们有福，我们的子子孙孙都会蒙福。若想“行为纯正”，我们就要远离愚妄。
V8 我们做事是有人看到的，就算人看不到，万王之王万主之主的神也会看到。神能鉴察人心，没有人能轻易逃过，所以不要在神面前耍小聪明。
V9 我们是不能处理自己的心和罪的，不然我们是自高自大，没有高举耶稣基督十字架救赎的能力。
V10 不要在教会、学房时一个样子，但去上班或回到家又是另一个样，因为神“憎恶”双面或多面人。求神帮助我们做神所喜悦的人，无论到哪里，我们都不带假面具，是里外一致的。
V11 孩子本是很单纯的，只是现在很多孩子在家里为了要取悦大人，失去了童真，过早的变得“懂事”。神要我们回转像小孩子一样单纯。
二、分别为圣（v.12-20)
V12 我们是否能够看到自己所做的事、听到我们说出的话，是否能听到神和我们的权柄跟我们说的话？如果可以，才能分别为圣。这不是一个知识，而是一个生命。
V13 “贫穷”不仅是指财物缺乏。当我们因为贪睡而无法起来晨祷时，我们灵里是贫乏的。在晨祷中我们才能享受从神而来的飨宴。晚上本是要休息的时候，但现代的人常常是在晚上看电影、上网等，致使无法按时入睡，早上就起不来，或者无精打采。我们不能想得到神的国又要得到情欲的满足，让我们成为最好的“投资者”，将精力投资在对我们最好的事情上。
V14 有人在买东西的时候一直说商品“不好”以此压低价格。大家习以为常的事其实是不好的说谎行为。可以跟商人议价，但不要为了达到自己的目的扭曲真相。
V15 人喜欢用金子和珍珠来显示自己是多富有的，然而圣经更看重的是“知识的嘴”。我们蒙召的人不需要靠世界上的东西来突显自己的价值，我们能够吸引人的不是我们的外表，而是我们口中说的话，是就说是，不是就说不是。不要说肤浅的、自我辩解的、情绪化的话，若不确定就不要说什么，既然说话就要说有智慧、知识的话语。求神帮助我们懂得勒住自己的舌头。
V16 “生人”和“外人”是我们不认识的人，不要因为人家跟我们讲了几句奉承或博同情的话我们就以为自己是救世主，轻易承诺要帮别人。如此轻率为他人做担保的，最后不仅不能真正帮助人，反而承担了本来不该有的责任。
V19 我们要帮助别人有生命，而不是在人前听是非、聊八卦。如果人只想跟我们分享秘密却不让我们说给任何人，我们可以选择不去听。当权柄交托给我们要去关怀或牧养的人，我们若发现他们有状况，不应该用“保密”为借口而不将问题上报，因为我们是在一个团队里，需要向上负责，将事情汇报授权给自己的权柄，领受从上而来的指导。
V20 十诫里面明确规定我们要尊荣我们的父母。父母在地上孕育、教导我们，不管他们怎么不对，我们都不应该咒骂他们，不然不会有好事发生在我们身上。我们要懂得体谅他人，“父母”也代表权柄，任何人都有做不好的地方，我们要看的是他们好的那一面，才能真正去爱他们。
三、要谦卑跟从（v.21-30）
首先要远离愚妄、分别为圣，才能谦卑跟从，走进生命树的气息。我们是否在行动上愿意预备自己？
V28-29 如今我们有力有能，我们可以以此夸耀，但到我们年老或不能做事的时候，我们还能夸耀吗？“白发为老年人的尊荣”，我们的价值永远不在于我们的doing(做事)。要有信心才能进天国。我们行走不是靠自己的力量，我们奔跑是带着耶和华神给我们的使命。求神帮助我们以“仁慈和诚实”为我们的根基，不欺骗神不欺骗人，活出生命树的气息。