申命記 1:9-18

1:9 「那時，我對你們說：『管理你們的重任，我獨自擔當不起。
1:10 耶和華─你們的上帝使你們多起來。看哪，你們今日像天上的星那樣多。
1:11 惟願耶和華─你們列祖的上帝使你們比如今更多千倍，照他所應許你們的話賜福與你們。
1:12 但你們的麻煩，和管理你們的重任，並你們的爭訟，我獨自一人怎能擔當得起呢？
1:13 你們要按著各支派選舉有智慧、有見識、為眾人所認識的，我立他們為你們的首領。』
1:14 你們回答我說：『照你所說的行了為妙。』
1:15 我便將你們各支派的首領，有智慧、為眾人所認識的，照你們的支派，立他們為官長、千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長，管理你們。
1:16 「當時，我囑咐你們的審判官說：『你們聽訟，無論是弟兄彼此爭訟，是與同居的外人爭訟，都要按公義判斷。
1:17 審判的時候，不可看人的外貌；聽訟不可分貴賤，不可懼怕人，因為審判是屬乎上帝的。若有難斷的案件，可以呈到我這裡，我就判斷。』
1:18 那時，我將你們所當行的事都吩咐你們了。」

⁹ At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. ¹⁰ The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. ¹¹ May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! ¹² But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? ¹³ Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.”

¹⁴ You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.”

¹⁵ So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. ¹⁶ And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. ¹⁷ Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.” ¹⁸ And at that time I told you everything you were to do.

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    摩西雖然是離現在快4000年的人物，卻有現代人的智慧，懂得怎樣放下權力，不一個人承擔萬事！他將審判的權力分給百姓的領袖，正如經文所說：「我便將你們各支派的首領，有智慧、為眾人所認識的，照你們的支派，立他們為官長、千夫長、百夫長、五十夫長、十夫長，管理你們。」

    今日教會的治理也當以這樣的方式為依歸，層層負責，讓每一位信徒領袖也可以進到牧養的工作。也因為這樣，每一個弟兄姊妹才會真正被牧養到，這也就是所謂的「小組事工」。如此真正需要牧者關懷的人，才可以得著幫助。而一般的領袖同工，才會被訓練到牧養的工作！

    然而能夠把主權放下的牧者，才能讓信徒認識到真正的牧者是耶穌基督，才能夠讓耶穌基督真的在教會掌權，如此教會才真的是基督的身體，而不是牧者霸佔的地方。

申命記 1:1-8

1:1 以下所記的是摩西在約旦河東的曠野、疏弗對面的亞拉巴─就是巴蘭、陀弗、拉班、哈洗錄、底撒哈中間─向以色列眾人所說的話。
1:2 （從何烈山經過西珥山到加低斯‧巴尼亞有十一天的路程。）
1:3 出埃及第四十年十一月初一日，摩西照耶和華藉著他所吩咐以色列人的話都曉諭他們。
1:4 那時，他已經擊殺了住希實本的亞摩利王西宏和住以得來、亞斯他錄的巴珊王噩。
1:5 摩西在約旦河東的摩押地講律法說：
1:6 「耶和華─我們的上帝在何烈山曉諭我們說：你們在這山上住的日子夠了；
1:7 要起行轉到亞摩利人的山地和靠近這山地的各處，就是亞拉巴、山地、高原、南地，沿海一帶迦南人的地，並黎巴嫩山又到幼發拉底大河。
1:8 如今我將這地擺在你們面前；你們要進去得這地，就是耶和華向你們列祖亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓應許賜給他們和他們後裔為業之地。」

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. ² (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

³ In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. ⁴ This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
⁵ East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:

⁶ The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

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    對以色列人而言，進入迦南美的是應該的，是必要的！但是，進去的不是當初離開埃及的那一代，卻是第二代以後的人進入！

    而申命記是摩西要離世前對第二代的以色列人說的話！要他們向前看，不要受曠野限制住而忘記上帝的應許，因為上帝給他們的使命是：「如今我將這地擺在你們面前；你們要進去得這地，就是耶和華向你們列祖亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓應許賜給他們和他們後裔為業之地。」

    同樣，親愛的弟兄姊妹！雖然我們的人生路途像在曠野之中，但是不要忘記，主耶穌去為我們預備地方，將來祂要再來，領我們進入祂應許的榮耀之地！要堅定相信，上的的應許絕對不會落空！

詩篇49篇

     詩篇49:1-20  ,

詩篇49:1-20

49:1 （可拉後裔的詩，交與伶長。）萬民哪，你們都當聽這話！世上一切的居民，
49:2 無論上流下流，富足貧窮，都當留心聽！
49:3 我口要說智慧的言語；我心要想通達的道理。
49:4 我要側耳聽比喻，用琴解謎語。
49:5 在患難的日子，奸惡隨我腳跟，四面環繞我，我何必懼怕？
49:6 那些倚仗財貨自誇錢財多的人，
49:7 一個也無法贖自己的弟兄，也不能替他將贖價給上帝，
49:8 叫他長遠活著，不見朽壞；因為贖他生命的價值極貴，只可永遠罷休。
49:9 【併於上節】
49:10 他必見智慧人死，又見愚頑人和畜類人一同滅亡，將他們的財貨留給別人。
49:11 他們心裡思想：他們的家室必永存，住宅必留到萬代；他們以自己的名稱自己的地。
49:12 但人居尊貴中不能長久，如同死亡的畜類一樣。
49:13 他們行的這道本為自己的愚昧；但他們以後的人還佩服他們的話語。（細拉）
49:14 他們如同羊群派定下陰間；死亡必作他們的牧者。到了早晨，正直人必管轄他們；他們的美容必被陰間所滅，以致無處可存。
49:15 只是上帝必救贖我的靈魂脫離陰間的權柄，因他必收納我。（細拉）
49:16 見人發財、家室增榮的時候，你不要懼怕；
49:17 因為，他死的時候甚麼也不能帶去；他的榮耀不能隨他下去。
49:18 他活著的時候，雖然自誇為有福（你若利己，人必誇獎你）；
49:19 他仍必歸到他歷代的祖宗那裡，永不見光。
49:20 人在尊貴中而不醒悟，就如死亡的畜類一樣。

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹ Hear this, all you peoples;
    listen, all who live in this world,
² both low and high,
    rich and poor alike:
³ My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
⁴ I will turn my ear to a proverb;
    with the harp I will expound my riddle:

⁵ Why should I fear when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
⁶ those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of their great riches?
⁷ No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
⁸ the ransom for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—
⁹ so that they should live on forever
    and not see decay.
¹⁰ For all can see that the wise die,
    that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
    leaving their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,
    though they had^[c] named lands after themselves.

¹² People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
    they are like the beasts that perish.

¹³ This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
¹⁴ They are like sheep and are destined to die;
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
¹⁵ But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
    he will surely take me to himself.
¹⁶ Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
¹⁷ for they will take nothing with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.
¹⁸ Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
    and people praise you when you prosper—
¹⁹ they will join those who have gone before them,
    who will never again see the light of life.

²⁰ People who have wealth but lack understanding
    are like the beasts that perish.

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    一個有福的人不是錢財很多的人，因為錢財無法救贖生命！只有與上帝和好關係的人才是有福的，因為得贖是要靠上帝！就我們今天而言，上帝已經設立耶穌為基督，唯有靠耶穌基督人才可以真正的救贖，享受永生！

    沒有受到耶穌基督救贖的人，不管多麼有智慧、多麼有財富、社會地位有多高都是沒有用的！因為面對死亡的時候，誰都無法靠這些就自己，死的時候和畜類沒有甚麼不同！正如詩人所說：「他活著的時候，雖然自誇為有福（你若利己，人必誇獎你）；他仍必歸到他歷代的祖宗那裡，永不見光。人在尊貴中而不醒悟，就如死亡的畜類一樣。」

    求主幫助，讓更多人被聖靈光照，認識耶穌基督是主，也唯有透過耶穌基督，人才可以完全得贖，成為上帝的兒女，進入上帝的國，和耶穌基督同座王道永遠！所以，我們要透過信耶穌，心中有盼望，享受上帝無限的愛！

列王紀上19:9-10

19:9 他在那裡進了一個洞，就住在洞中。耶和華的話臨到他說：「以利亞啊，你在這裡做甚麼？」
19:10 他說：「我為耶和華─萬軍之上帝大發熱心；因為以色列人背棄了你的約，毀壞了你的壇，用刀殺了你的先知，只剩下我一個人，他們還要尋索我的命。」

At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.

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    以利亞雖然為上帝大發熱心，不畏懼巴力先知的挑戰，卻為皇后耶洗別的話而懼怕，讓人覺得不可思議！但是，聖經卻不忌諱將先知的軟弱記載下來，讓我們知道服事上帝的人也會有軟弱！

    以利亞和上帝的對話是何等的真實，也是我們的寫照，我們真的要將自己的難處和軟弱向上帝述說，因為上帝清楚我們的狀況，是無法隱瞞的。而且也是必要的，上帝雖然凡事都清楚，祂還是要先知親自說出自己的生命狀況！

    我們可以這樣敞開自己和上帝說話嗎？毫無隱瞞的對上帝說嗎？這是我們與上帝之間的關係，我們要這樣勇敢的陳述自己，才能真正認識自己，蒙上帝醫治，繼續為上帝所用！