但以理書1:8-16

1:8 但以理卻立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，所以求太監長容他不玷污自己。

1:9 上帝使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩惠，受憐憫。

1:10 太監長對但以理說：「我懼怕我主我王，他已經派定你們的飲食；倘若他見你們的面貌比你們同歲的少年人肌瘦，怎麼好呢？這樣，你們就使我的頭在王那裡難保。」

1:11 但以理對太監長所派管理但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅的委辦說：

1:12 「求你試試僕人們十天，給我們素菜吃，白水喝，

1:13 然後看看我們的面貌和用王膳那少年人的面貌，就照你所看的待僕人吧！」

1:14 委辦便允准他們這件事，試看他們十天。

1:15 過了十天，見他們的面貌比用王膳的一切少年人更加俊美肥胖。

1:16 於是委辦撤去派他們用的膳，飲的酒，給他們素菜吃。

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.  And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,  and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”  Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”  So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.  At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.  So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

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    在這裡我們看見上帝的眷顧以及但以理和他的三個朋友的心志，因為他們不願意被王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，就立志吃素菜、喝白水。太監長起初不敢同意他們的請求，但是但以理要求試試十天看看，上帝卻讓他們加俊美肥胖，以致太監長不得不答應了。

    其實上帝看重我們奉獻與愛主的心志，祂必定成全，使我們可以沒有攔阻的事奉祂，使我們愛主的心志得著滿足！因為，凡愛主與尊重主的人，上帝必看重他，賜福給他們！「因此，耶和華─以色列的上帝說：『我曾說，你和你父家必永遠行在我面前；現在我卻說，決不容你們這樣行。因為尊重我的，我必重看他；藐視我的，他必被輕視。」（撒母耳記上2:30）

    願我們都有但以理的心志，願意為上帝活出和世人有所區別的生命，因為我們是領受基督恩典的人，真的是上帝的兒女，有別於世人！但是我們，分別於世人是要拯救陷在罪中之人，使其得自由！上帝的心意就是要救人脫離罪惡，來歸向祂！

但以理書1章

      但以理書1:1-7  ,

      但以理書1:1-2  ,  但以理書1:3-5 ,

      但以理書1:8-16  , 但以理書1:8-9 ,

     但以理書1:17-21  ,

但以理書1:1-7

1:1 猶大王約雅敬在位第三年，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來到耶路撒冷，將城圍困。

1:2 主將猶大王約雅敬，並上帝殿中器皿的幾分交付他手。他就把這器皿帶到示拿地，收入他神的廟裡，放在他神的庫中。

1:3 王吩咐太監長亞施毘拿，從以色列人的宗室和貴冑中帶進幾個人來，

1:4 就是年少沒有殘疾、相貌俊美、通達各樣學問、知識聰明俱備、足能侍立在王宮裡的，要教他們迦勒底的文字言語。

1:5 王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒，每日賜他們一分，養他們三年。滿了三年，好叫他們在王面前侍立。

1:6 他們中間有猶大族的人：但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅。

1:7 太監長給他們起名：稱但以理為伯提沙撒，稱哈拿尼雅為沙得拉，稱米沙利為米煞，稱亞撒利雅為亞伯尼歌。

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.  Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,  youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.  Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.  And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

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    但以理書一開始就說到猶大滅國的事情：猶大王約雅敬在位第三年，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來到耶路撒冷，將城圍困。主將猶大王約雅敬，並上帝殿中器皿的幾分交付他手。他就把這器皿帶到示拿地，收入他神的廟裡，放在他神的庫中。

    這是多麼特別的記載，因為在一般人的觀念中，應該對自己的神歌功頌德，記載自己的神是多麼有能力，成就多麼大的事，多麼保佑信靠祂的人。而聖經竟然記載這些令人羞恥的事情，因為猶大被巴比倫滅了，聖殿東西被搶奪到巴比倫去，放在別神的手中！這樣的筆法讓人覺得上帝是「魯蛇」，是失敗無能者，怎能是全能的上帝呢！

    雖然是如此，但以理書卻要告訴我們一個，雖然國破家亡，但是這些人仍然信靠祂們的主，並且經歷到上帝仍然在行奇事！不因為聖殿被毀，沒有集體性的禮拜，上帝就不賜福於祂的百姓，不眷顧他們。上帝仍然在天上保守，仍然在引導！

    你所信靠的上帝是怎樣的上帝呢？是「溫拿」嗎？還是這裡記載的「魯蛇」？不過「魯蛇」的上帝，卻已經是永遠「溫拿」。因為一切都在祂的掌握之下，表面是「魯蛇」，實際卻是「溫拿」。就像耶穌基督在十字架上是「魯蛇」，卻藉此勝過了魔鬼成為「溫拿」！這是我們不能理解，這就是「奧秘」！

何西阿書14:8

以法蓮必說：我與偶像還有甚麼關涉呢？我─耶和華回答他，也必顧念他。我如青翠的松樹；你的果子從我而得。

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

from me comes your fruit.

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    先知在此宣告上帝必定接納以法蓮的悔改，必豐豐富富的供應以色列人，賜福於以色列人！

何西阿書14:4-7

14:4 我必醫治他們背道的病，甘心愛他們；因為我的怒氣向他們轉消。

14:5 我必向以色列如甘露；他必如百合花開放，如黎巴嫩的樹木扎根。

14:6 他的枝條必延長；他的榮華如橄欖樹；他的香氣如黎巴嫩的香柏樹。

14:7 曾住在他蔭下的必歸回，發旺如五穀，開花如葡萄樹。他的香氣如黎巴嫩的酒。

I will heal their apostasy;

I will love them freely,

for my anger has turned from them.

  I will be like the dew to Israel;

he shall blossom like the lily;

he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;

  his shoots shall spread out;

his beauty shall be like the olive,

and his fragrance like Lebanon.

  They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;

they shall flourish like the grain;

they shall blossom like the vine;

their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

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    耶和華表示自己的怒氣要轉消，並要醫治以色列人，讓以色列人重新歸回重新再興盛。

    「甘露」、「百合花」、「利巴嫩的樹」、「橄欖樹」、「香柏木」、「五穀」、「葡萄樹」、「利巴嫩的酒」：都是《雅歌》中的比喻，用來表示更新後的以色列是如何的欣欣向榮、如何可愛。由此可見在何西阿的年代，《雅歌》應該已經普遍被以色列人認識了。而在此用描述兩人戀情的《雅歌》中的形容詞，更是表達出丈夫耶和華對以色列的心意。

    懲罰終究是為了希望以色列人歸回，要是以色列人不離開上帝，想必已經獲得這裡所預言的一切好處了。上帝的憐憫、恩典與愛是這樣的可貴！相信以色列願意悔改，就一定會被上帝熱情的接納呢！上帝的真愛，就是如此！

    同樣，我們今日也要勇敢認罪悔改，靠著耶穌基督的恩典，回到上帝的面前與上帝建立合宜與正確的關係，就是永生！