Wednesday, 21st December 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-11 Be Humble
How can we live out a lively life? We all know the teaching and we all know what we are supposed to do, but how can we finish well? Everyone wants to finish well, even Jesus Christ, when He was on the cross He said “it is done”. Jesus gave us a really good example of how to finish well. At the beginning of the year, we might be full of excitement, we want to do a lot of things and we have a lot of dreams. But gradually, we will grow tired and weary, in our work, our family, our church, our relationship with people and our relationship with God, we become slack and we are afraid that we cannot finish well. So how can we keep up with this passion for life? How can we continue to have the love, joy and peace from God in our lives? We must become the true sons and the true daughters of our Father in Heaven.
V1-2 ‘When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.’ God wants us to know that we must respect and honour those who eat with us, especially when they are our authority. Jesus did a lot of teachings through meals with His disciples and those following Him. Do we know that when we have meals with our authority, we are the ones who benefit the most?
V6-7 ‘Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.’ We must rely on God wholeheartedly, when we have meals with people who do not know God or who act against God, we must keep our hearts above all else. God will protect us and keep us safe, but we must know why we have meals with them, can we bring the light of God into their lives? Or are we going to be influenced by their values and beliefs that do not belong to the Kingdom of God?
V10-11 ‘Do not remove the ancient landmark, nor enter the fields of the fatherless; for their Redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against you.’ We don’t need to envy what other people have, because God gives a portion to each one of us, what we have in our hands is best for us. When we do not feel satisfied with what we have and want what others have, then we are not humble and we do not believe what God has given to us is the best for us.
Section Two V12-25 Be Submissive
V13-14 ‘Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell.’ We are all children of our authority, when we are an authority, we become the leaders, and we need to discipline those who follow us. It’s not to physically beat up those following us, but to use the authority from God to teach. Can we believe that when we teach, people will not leave us but to be better. We must ensure our intention to teach is from God, from the loving heart of a father. When we teach, people following us will feel loved and accepted. On the other hand, if we do not teach and if we do not discipline, then if they fall away from God, we will contribute to their death in the Kingdom of God.
V15-16 ‘My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; yes, my innermost being will rejoice when your lips speak right things.’ Have wisdom, take up the identity as the true sons and daughters, do not let other people’s worldly values influence us and put us down. Every morning, God is speaking to us, we are the dry bones of this world and God is speaking life into our innermost being. Let our lives be revived and let God’s Word strengthen us.
V19-21 ‘Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.’ When we indulge in the worldly desires, we will become the drunkard, the glutton, and the drowsiness; and our cloth is the royal garments God put on for us that will become ragged. Whereas when we are willing to follow God, to follow our appointed authority, when we are willing to give, God will give us more, and wisdom, instruction, and understanding will be with us wherever we go.
Section Three V26-35 Deny Ourselves
V26 ‘My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.’ Give our true heart to our Abba Father, and truly enjoy the path of God. When we walk on the path God has given to us, what is our attitude? Do we really humble ourselves, submit ourselves, and deny ourselves? When we deny ourselves and stop focusing our desires, then we can better see the blessings God has given us in the path of God. We must reject the lies spoken to our lives, do not let these lies become cancer in us. God’s path for us is good, everything He says is yes and amen. The world will try to stop us from following the path of God, it may not be an easy way, but it will definitely be a way of peace, love, and blessings.
箴言 23 – 真儿女的生命
2022年12月21日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
一年快要过去了，我们的生命究竟如何？圣经教导我们要保守我们的心，然而很多时候我们会感觉“有心无力”。神借着今天的经文教导我们心如何有生命力。无论是不是基督徒，我们都要finish well. 我们是否一开始的时候充满热情，但一段时间后，火热褪去，就想放弃？神的话语帮助我们看见如何能finish well, 知道这位良善的天父对我们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念。我们是他的真儿女，如何活出真儿女的生命？
一、v.1-11 要谦卑
V1-3 我们要先神后人再大地。当权柄邀请我们吃饭的时候，我们有什么态度？是否用各种理由推托？圣经教导我们要“留意”我们面前的是谁。我们若觉得面前是一个无关的人，就很容易拒绝。若真能看到权柄背后的是谁，我们的态度就不一样。当我们没有先向上连接的时候，我们是没有力量牧养下面的人的。因此，不要轻视邀请我们的人。主耶稣在地上的时候也常常与众人一起坐席，建立关系。当我们真的接受邀请时，不要只把注意力放在饮食上，而要与权柄有互动。当我们真的能谦卑向上连接的时候，我们才能有从上而来的异象，有力量继续走下去。
V4-5 我们害怕贫穷、怕钱不够用，因为我们不知道我们的父是谁。我们以为是靠自己的能力获得现在的一切，其实是在天上那位良善的天父在一路照顾我们，正如主祷文所说，我们日用的饮食都是他赐给我们的。因此，我们要对神有信心，他是会供应我们的。
V6-7“恶眼”的意思是邪恶的眼睛，这些人不看神的供应，只看到世界。我们若跟这种人在一起，就会被他们影响。他们找我们的时候，心里是有谋算的。我们并非不能跟未信主的人吃饭，而是要注意我们做事背后的动机。我们是否全心倚靠神，还是想借着吃饭从别人身上得到好处？
V10-11 我们不要去贪恋别人的东西，而要谦卑承认神的分配是公平的。我们看到别人过得好，不要嫉妒，而要相信神在我们生命中有最好的安排，看重神给我们的位份。
二、v.12-25 要顺服
V12 “留心”就是将我们的心完全委身在当中。不要觉得神的教导很难就不去做，要听道而行道。
V13-14 “孩童”代表着夫子和徒弟的关系。作为权柄，我们是否有管教下面的人？当年摩西过红海的时候手上拿着“杖”，代表从神而来的权柄，我们是否相信当我们拿着权柄去教导人的时候，他们不会受伤离开？权柄就是神的话语，我们不是用来压制人，而是用天父的爱来教导，用神话语的能力帮助人离开死荫幽谷。
V15 我们要有敬畏耶和华的心，不去害怕人或世界，做忠心良善的仆人，这就是真儿女的生命。
V17-18 有时我们看到别人能过舒适的生活就会抱怨自己为何要过谦卑顺服的“苦日子”，然而神告诉我们不要去嫉妒那些恶人，“只要终日敬畏耶和华”, “因为至终必有善报”。
V19 我们听道之后若躺在自己的情欲中，就永远行不出所学的真理。过去的我们行不出神的话，但从我们信主的那一刻，旧人就已经死了。我们不要继续躺在充满枯骨的坟场，反要对枯骨说话，看见自己是新造的人，我们是大有能力的。我们是否愿意听神的话，还是听撒旦的话？
V20-21 我们很容易在情欲中满足自己，当有事情的时候我们会习惯用睡一觉来解决，结果将睡觉当成我们的山洞。神给每一个真儿女一件荣耀的“外袍”来遮盖我们的身体，当我们贪睡的时候，荣耀离去，我们“穿破烂衣服”，就活在羞愧里。
V22 父亲是家的遮盖，母亲是孕育儿女的。我们不要以为他们年纪大了，而我们已经懂得很多了，就不去听他们说话。
V23 我们要身体力行的去委身于真理，愿意跟从。若以为自己跟神关系好而不愿意有“跟”的心，就得不到智慧，因为智慧、训诲和聪明是需要负上代价的。我们白白得到这些东西，也要白白给出去，不要为了得到好处而出卖智慧。
V24-25 不要以为自己能够赚很多的钱就能给父母快乐。真正让父母快乐的是我们有智慧。
三、v.26-35 要舍己
V26 我们是否真的将我们的心归向阿爸天父？还是觉得神给我们的都是我们不喜欢的东西？雅各跟神摔跤的时候没有跟神发脾气，而是紧紧抓住神跟他要祝福，我们面对神的时候是否心里充满负面情绪？耶稣已经将权柄赐给我们，我们要将心里的小剧场斥走，相信神给我们的道路都是好的。
V29-35 这些事物都会让我们心走歪。我们要选择的不是容易走的捷径，而是选择神的道路，相信他的道路、意念高过我们所有的，享受我们天父上帝的同在。