創世記34:1-31

34:1 利亞給雅各所生的女兒底拿出去，要見那地的女子們。
34:2 那地的主─希未人、哈抹的兒子示劍看見她，就拉住她，與她行淫，玷辱她。
34:3 示劍的心繫戀雅各的女兒底拿，喜愛這女子，甜言蜜語地安慰她。
34:4 示劍對他父親哈抹說：「求你為我聘這女子為妻。」
34:5 雅各聽見示劍玷污了他的女兒底拿。那時他的兒子們正和群畜在田野，雅各就閉口不言，等他們回來。
34:6 示劍的父親哈抹出來見雅各，要和他商議。
34:7 雅各的兒子們聽見這事，就從田野回來，人人忿恨，十分惱怒；因示劍在以色列家做了醜事，與雅各的女兒行淫，這本是不該做的事。
34:8 哈抹和他們商議說：「我兒子示劍的心戀慕這女子，求你們將她給我的兒子為妻。
34:9 你們與我們彼此結親；你們可以把女兒給我們，也可以娶我們的女兒。
34:10 你們與我們同住吧！這地都在你們面前，只管在此居住，做買賣，置產業。」
34:11 示劍對女兒的父親和弟兄們說：「但願我在你們眼前蒙恩，你們向我要甚麼，我必給你們。
34:12 任憑向我要多重的聘金和禮物，我必照你們所說的給你們；只要把女子給我為妻。」
34:13 雅各的兒子們因為示劍玷污了他們的妹子底拿，就用詭詐的話回答示劍和他父親哈抹，
34:14 對他們說：「我們不能把我們的妹子給沒有受割禮的人為妻，因為那是我們的羞辱。
34:15 惟有一件才可以應允：若你們所有的男丁都受割禮，和我們一樣，
34:16 我們就把女兒給你們，也娶你們的女兒；我們便與你們同住，兩下成為一樣的人民。
34:17 倘若你們不聽從我們受割禮，我們就帶著妹子走了。」
34:18 哈抹和他的兒子示劍喜歡這話。
34:19 那少年人做這事並不遲延，因為他喜愛雅各的女兒；他在他父親家中也是人最尊重的。
34:20 哈抹和他兒子示劍到本城的門口，對本城的人說：
34:21 「這些人與我們和睦，不如許他們在這地居住，做買賣；這地也寬闊，足可容下他們。我們可以娶他們的女兒為妻，也可以把我們的女兒嫁給他們。
34:22 惟有一件事我們必須做，他們才肯應允和我們同住，成為一樣的人民：就是我們中間所有的男丁都要受割禮，和他們一樣。
34:23 他們的群畜、貨財，和一切的牲口豈不都歸我們嗎？只要依從他們，他們就與我們同住。」
34:24 凡從城門出入的人就都聽從哈抹和他兒子示劍的話；於是凡從城門出入的男丁都受了割禮。
34:25 到第三天，眾人正在疼痛的時候，雅各的兩個兒子，就是底拿的哥哥西緬和利未，各拿刀劍，趁著眾人想不到的時候來到城中，把一切男丁都殺了，
34:26 又用刀殺了哈抹和他兒子示劍，把底拿從示劍家裡帶出來就走了。
34:27 雅各的兒子們因為他們的妹子受了玷污，就來到被殺的人那裡，擄掠那城，
34:28 奪了他們的羊群、牛群，和驢，並城裡田間所有的；
34:29 又把他們一切貨財、孩子、婦女，並各房中所有的，都擄掠去了。
34:30 雅各對西緬和利未說：「你們連累我，使我在這地的居民中，就是在迦南人和比利洗人中，有了臭名。我的人丁既然稀少，他們必聚集來擊殺我，我和全家的人都必滅絕。」
34:31 他們說：「他豈可待我們的妹子如同妓女嗎？」

  Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. ² When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. ³ His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. ⁴ And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

⁵ When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.
⁶ Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. ⁷ Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in^[a] Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
⁸ But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. ⁹ Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. ¹⁰ You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade^[b] in it, and acquire property in it.”
¹¹ Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”
¹³ Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. ¹⁵ We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. ¹⁶ Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. ¹⁷ But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
¹⁸ Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁹ The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. ²⁰ So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. ²¹ “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. ²² But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. ²³ Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”
²⁴ All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
²⁵ Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. ²⁶ They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where^[c] their sister had been defiled. ²⁸ They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. ²⁹ They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
³¹ But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

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    雅各家的事情，是每一個有女兒的家庭所擔心的事情，女性在許多方面的弱勢，感覺是被「性侵」的對象！這也看出男性常常用他們天生的優勢欺負女性，在各個時空皆有發生過！

    而在這整個事件中雅各的表現有些鄉愿，只求暫時的和平，反倒是利未和西緬積極處理這事，不計一切後果。但是，上帝不因這事而讓他們遭受圍剿，反倒讓他們有尊嚴得活下去！

    從這事件看見，屬上帝的人要勇敢站立，不要畏懼一切的不公不義，上帝必定保守我們到底的！我們必須勇敢來伸張正義，不可以忍氣吞聲，為了小小的和平，讓自己失去了尊嚴！我們要和平、和睦，但更要顧及尊嚴，因為沒有公平正義就沒有真正的和平！

箴言25:15

恆常忍耐可以勸動君王；柔和的舌頭能折斷骨頭。

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

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    《現代中文譯本》把這段經文意成：「耐心的勸導能擊破堅強的抗拒，甚至能說服當權的人。」

    的確，有耐心的人可以勝過須多的磨難，更是可以靠著主所賜的能力來改變環境，使周邊的人的人被改變過來！這樣的力量是十分其妙的，許多上帝的僕人就靠著禱告，耐心來改變弟兄姊妹的生命！

    所以，上帝的僕人不要著急，上帝更新改變人也是如此！想想上帝用多久得時間來陶造祂的僕人，亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、約瑟、摩西、…，甚至是主耶穌也要隱藏三十年，上帝是一步一步的改變，實實在在的改變，好像冰川一般，經過之處就留下深深得刻痕，可是一年只走一點點而已！

    因此，牧者不要求馬上可見的果效，讓上帝慢慢的成就吧！

  

箴言25:13-14

25:13 忠信的使者叫差他的人心裡舒暢，就如在收割時有冰雪的涼氣。
25:14 空誇贈送禮物的，好像無雨的風雲。

¹³ Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.
¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain
    is one who boasts of gifts never given.

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    《現代中文譯本》把這段經文意成：「可靠的使者使差他的人心神爽快，正像收割時炎陽下的涼水一樣。空口答允贈送禮物的人，正像有風有雲而無雨。」

    真實可靠的人讓人的心理得暢快，比起空口說白話的人，好得太多了！也因為如此，我們若希望自己得人生過的美好，就必須是一個真實讓人可以安心的人，這樣不僅得人喜愛，更是讓人敬重！

    求主幫助，讓我們真的使人得著安心，使人以認識我們為他們人生的福份！因為上帝不僅讓我們成為一位有福的人，更是將福份帶給人的人！

創世記33:16-20

33:16 於是，以掃當日起行，回往西珥去了。
33:17 雅各就往疏割去，在那裡為自己蓋造房屋，又為牲畜搭棚；因此那地方名叫疏割（就是棚的意思）。
33:18 雅各從巴旦‧亞蘭回來的時候，平平安安地到了迦南地的示劍城，在城東支搭帳棚，
33:19 就用一百塊銀子向示劍的父親、哈抹的子孫買了支帳棚的那塊地，
33:20 在那裡築了一座壇，起名叫伊利‧伊羅伊‧以色列（就是上帝、以色列上帝的意思）。

 ¹⁶ So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. ¹⁷ Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.^[a]
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,^[b] he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. ¹⁹ For a hundred pieces of silver,^[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. ²⁰ There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.^[d]

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    雅各「在那裡築了一座壇，起名叫伊利‧伊羅伊‧以色列（就是上帝、以色列上帝的意思）」！

    許多時候，我們不敢像雅各一樣宣告，因為我們覺得自己不配！但是，上帝卻樂意我們向人宣告，祂是我們的上帝！正如祂樂意我向人說：「上帝—楊百川的上帝」！

    希望大家也勇敢宣告，上帝是你的上帝！因為我們已經透過耶穌基督與上帝和好，建立父子關係了！

創世記33章

        創世記33:1-15   ,

         創世記33:16-20  ,

創世記33:1-15

33:1 雅各舉目觀看，見以掃來了，後頭跟著四百人，他就把孩子們分開交給利亞、拉結，和兩個使女，
33:2 並且叫兩個使女和她們的孩子在前頭，利亞和她的孩子在後頭，拉結和約瑟在儘後頭。
33:3 他自己在他們前頭過去，一連七次俯伏在地才就近他哥哥。
33:4 以掃跑來迎接他，將他抱住，又摟著他的頸項，與他親嘴，兩個人就哭了。
33:5 以掃舉目看見婦人孩子，就說：「這些和你同行的是誰呢？」雅各說：「這些孩子是上帝施恩給你的僕人的。」
33:6 於是兩個使女和她們的孩子前來下拜；
33:7 利亞和她的孩子也前來下拜；隨後約瑟和拉結也前來下拜。
33:8 以掃說：「我所遇見的這些群畜是甚麼意思呢？」雅各說：「是要在我主面前蒙恩的。」
33:9 以掃說：「兄弟啊，我的已經夠了，你的仍歸你吧！」
33:10 雅各說：「不然，我若在你眼前蒙恩，就求你從我手裡收下這禮物；因為我見了你的面，如同見了上帝的面，並且你容納了我。
33:11 求你收下我帶來給你的禮物；因為上帝恩待我，使我充足。」雅各再三地求他，他才收下了。
33:12 以掃說：「我們可以起身前往，我在你前頭走。」
33:13 雅各對他說：「我主知道孩子們年幼嬌嫩，牛羊也正在乳養的時候，若是催趕一天，群畜都必死了。
33:14 求我主在僕人前頭走，我要量著在我面前群畜和孩子的力量慢慢地前行，直走到西珥我主那裡。」
33:15 以掃說：「容我把跟隨我的人留幾個在你這裡。」雅各說：「何必呢？只要在我主眼前蒙恩就是了。」

 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. ² He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. ³ He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. ⁵ Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
⁶ Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. ⁷ Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
⁸ Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. ¹¹ Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
¹² Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
¹³ But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. ¹⁴ So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
¹⁵ Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

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    雅各和以掃的復和讓我們看見人和人之間的正確合宜的關係，這對雅各是非常重要的，因為錯的人是他不是以掃。然而以掃竟然沒有記恨，早就原諒雅各了，並且還帶400人，為了保乎雅各和他的家人。

    然而雅各也沒有表現失禮，因為他看見雅各的時候，「一連七次俯伏在地」！這是面對君王的時候，所行的大禮。不僅如此，還送以掃非常豐盛的禮物。以掃客氣不收，他還是要他收下。

    聖經在這方面的教導和榜樣，讓我們看見要用豐盛的厚禮對待人，是非常重要的！因為人是有必要受到尊榮，尊榮人就是尊榮上帝！因為人是按著上帝得形象被造的，是被上帝所寶貴與看重的！