約書亞記23:3-5

 

23:3 耶和華─你們的上帝因你們的緣故向那些國所行的一切事，你們親眼看見了，因那為你們爭戰的是耶和華─你們的上帝。

23:4 我所剪除和所剩下的各國，從約旦河起到日落之處的大海，我已經拈鬮分給你們各支派為業。

23:5 耶和華─你們的上帝必將他們從你們面前趕出去，使他們離開你們，你們就必得他們的地為業，正如耶和華─你們的上帝所應許的。

 

³ You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. ⁴ Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

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    上帝應許迦南地為以色列的產業，就將當地的外邦民族和國家一一的消滅。而上帝的作為奇妙之處就是激發以色列人來爭戰，而且還賜給他們能力可以勝過﹗

 

    在我們的生命歷程中何嘗不是如此，上帝讓我們與「撒但—世界—肉體」三合一的敵人爭戰，祂與我們同在並賜下勇氣與信心、還有毅力，使我們一一攻克﹗

 

    也因為這樣，我們絕對不可以妥協，一定要高舉基督的旌旗與趕來爭戰，不要氣餒、不要喪志，相信上帝必保守，最後的勝利是屬上帝和祂的子民

約書亞記23:1-2

 

23:1 耶和華使以色列人安靜，不與四圍的一切仇敵爭戰，已經多日。約書亞年紀老邁，

23:2 就把以色列眾人的長老、族長、審判官，並官長都召了來，對他們說：「我年紀已經老邁。

 

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2 summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old.

 

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    透過這段經文我們看見了危機在以色列人當中，因為「耶和華使以色列人安靜，不與四圍的一切仇敵爭戰，已經多日。」

 

    因為安逸的日子會使人忘記上帝，不再操練自己，造成人的惰性，以致與上帝的關係會可有、可無﹗也因偉這樣，約書亞就顯得老邁了，失去戰鬥的體力和意志﹗

 

    因此，我們不要期盼過安逸的日子，這樣會讓我們沉迷在現況，不繼續向前，最後就被環境所吞沒﹗我們不要沉溺在舒適圈內，要勇敢突破，才不至於老邁﹗

約書亞記8:30-35

 

8:30 那時，約書亞在以巴路山上為耶和華─以色列的上帝築一座壇，

8:31 是用沒有動過鐵器的整石頭築的，照著耶和華僕人摩西所吩咐以色列人的話，正如摩西律法書上所寫的。眾人在這壇上給耶和華奉獻燔祭和平安祭。

8:32 約書亞在那裡，當著以色列人面前，將摩西所寫的律法抄寫在石頭上。

8:33 以色列眾人，無論是本地人、是寄居的，和長老、官長，並審判官，都站在約櫃兩旁，在抬耶和華約櫃的祭司利未人面前，一半對著基利心山，一半對著以巴路山，為以色列民祝福，正如耶和華僕人摩西先前所吩咐的。

8:34 隨後，約書亞將律法上祝福、咒詛的話，照著律法書上一切所寫的，都宣讀了一遍。

8:35 摩西所吩咐的一切話，約書亞在以色列全會眾和婦女、孩子，並他們中間寄居的外人面前，沒有一句不宣讀的。

 

³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, ³¹ as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. ³² There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses. ³³ All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

 

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    雖然第一次在艾城征戰失敗，但是以色列人願意在上帝面前認罪與立志願意遵行上帝的話，上帝就大大賜福於他們，使他們在第二次戰役就得勝利了﹗

 

    勝利之後所做的第一件事件就是在以巴路山上獻燔祭和平安祭，不僅如此約書亞還抄寫律法於石頭上，並且將以色列人分成兩隊人馬：都站在約櫃兩旁，在抬耶和華約櫃的祭司利未人面前，一半對著基利心山，一半對著以巴路山，為以色列民祝福，正如耶和華僕人摩西先前所吩咐的。

 

    約書亞就藉著這個機會，將律法上祝福、咒詛的話，照著律法書上一切所寫的，都宣讀了一遍。就像當年摩西所做的一樣：基利心山是賜福的話；以巴路山是咒詛的話。

 

    總之，我們要留心上帝的話才能蒙福；忽略上帝的話就帶來咒詛！在今日依然是如此，因為上帝的話是永不改變的！