約書亞記8:1-35

8:1 耶和華對約書亞說：「不要懼怕，也不要驚惶。你起來，率領一切兵丁上艾城去，我已經把艾城的王和他的民、他的城，並他的地，都交在你手裡。
8:2 你怎樣待耶利哥和耶利哥的王，也當照樣待艾城和艾城的王。只是城內所奪的財物和牲畜，你們可以取為自己的掠物。你要在城後設下伏兵。」
8:3 於是，約書亞和一切兵丁都起來，要上艾城去。約書亞選了三萬大能的勇士，夜間打發他們前往，
8:4 吩咐他們說：「你們要在城後埋伏，不可離城太遠，都要各自準備。
8:5 我與我所帶領的眾民要向城前往。城裡的人像初次出來攻擊我們的時候，我們就在他們面前逃跑，
8:6 他們必出來追趕我們，直到我們引誘他們離開城；因為他們必說：『這些人像初次在我們面前逃跑。』所以我們要在他們面前逃跑，
8:7 你們就從埋伏的地方起來，奪取那城，因為耶和華─你們的上帝必把城交在你們手裡。
8:8 你們奪了城以後，就放火燒城，要照耶和華的話行。這是我吩咐你們的。」
8:9 約書亞打發他們前往，他們就上埋伏的地方去，住在伯特利和艾城的中間，就是在艾城的西邊。這夜約書亞卻在民中住宿。
8:10 約書亞清早起來，點齊百姓，他和以色列的長老在百姓前面上艾城去。
8:11 眾民，就是他所帶領的兵丁，都上去，向前直往，來到城前，在艾城北邊安營。在約書亞和艾城中間有一山谷。
8:12 他挑了約有五千人，使他們埋伏在伯特利和艾城的中間，就是在艾城的西邊，
8:13 於是安置了百姓，就是城北的全軍和城西的伏兵。這夜約書亞進入山谷之中。
8:14 艾城的王看見這景況，就和全城的人，清早急忙起來，按所定的時候，出到亞拉巴前，要與以色列人交戰；王卻不知道在城後有伏兵。
8:15 約書亞和以色列眾人在他們面前裝敗，往那通曠野的路逃跑。
8:16 城內的眾民都被招聚，追趕他們；艾城人追趕的時候，就被引誘離開城。
8:17 艾城和伯特利城沒有一人不出來追趕以色列人的，撇了敞開的城門，去追趕以色列人。
8:18 耶和華吩咐約書亞說：「你向艾城伸出手裡的短槍，因為我要將城交在你手裡。」約書亞就向城伸出手裡的短槍。
8:19 他一伸手，伏兵就從埋伏的地方急忙起來，奪了城，跑進城去，放火焚燒。
8:20 艾城的人回頭一看，不料，城中煙氣沖天，他們就無力向左向右逃跑。那往曠野逃跑的百姓便轉身攻擊追趕他們的人。
8:21 約書亞和以色列眾人見伏兵已經奪了城，城中煙氣飛騰，就轉身回去，擊殺艾城的人。
8:22 伏兵也出城迎擊艾城人，艾城人就困在以色列人中間，前後都是以色列人。於是以色列人擊殺他們，沒有留下一個，也沒有一個逃脫的，
8:23 生擒了艾城的王，將他解到約書亞那裡。
8:24 以色列人在田間和曠野殺盡所追趕一切艾城的居民。艾城人倒在刀下，直到滅盡；以色列眾人就回到艾城，用刀殺了城中的人。
8:25 當日殺斃的人，連男帶女共有一萬二千，就是艾城所有的人。
8:26 約書亞沒有收回手裡所伸出來的短槍，直到把艾城的一切居民盡行殺滅。
8:27 惟獨城中的牲畜和財物，以色列人都取為自己的掠物，是照耶和華所吩咐約書亞的話。
8:28 約書亞將艾城焚燒，使城永為高堆、荒場，直到今日；
8:29 又將艾城王掛在樹上，直到晚上。日落的時候，約書亞吩咐人把屍首從樹上取下來，丟在城門口，在屍首上堆成一大堆石頭，直存到今日。
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。

  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. ² You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”

³ So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night ⁴ with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. ⁵ I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. ⁶ They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, ⁷ you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give it into your hand. ⁸ When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.”

⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people.

¹⁰ Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. ¹¹ The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. ¹² Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³ So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.

¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. ¹⁶ All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.

¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand. ¹⁹ As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.

²⁰ The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers. ²¹ For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from it, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. ²² Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives. ²³ But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴ When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. ²⁵ Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. ²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed^[a] all who lived in Ai. ²⁷ But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.

²⁸ So Joshua burned Ai^[b] and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. ²⁹ He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

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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    再次與艾城交戰，一方面在上次戰敗有所檢討，另一方面有上帝的同在，所以沒有再吃敗仗，大獲勝利！

    而勝利之後以色列人就聚集向上帝獻祭，約書亞在以巴路山上為耶和華─以色列的上帝築一座壇，正如聖經所說：「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。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。」

    不僅如此，還做以下的事情：「為以色列民祝福，正如耶和華僕人摩西先前所吩咐的。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。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。」

    可見向會眾宣讀律法書，也就是上帝的話，是十分重要！在今日的教會，更是應該要如此，不是將聖經放在禮拜堂做象徵看中上帝的話用，更是要宣讀讓上帝的話刻在會眾的心版上，然後靠聖靈的引導來實踐，才是有意義的，才是上帝所喜悅的！

羅馬書12:2

不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為上帝的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

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    「心意更新而變化」是來自聖靈的工作，因為沒有聖靈的引導人也無法「察驗何為上帝的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意」！為何如此說呢﹖主要是因為人在為被主耶穌救贖以前是被罪和死的權勢所轄制，對上帝的事情是完全無法明白的！

 

    保羅曾經對哥林多教會的人說：「我們講的，乃是從前所隱藏、上帝奧祕的智慧，就是上帝在萬世以前預定使我們得榮耀的。這智慧世上有權有位的人沒有一個知道的，他們若知道，就不把榮耀的主釘在十字架上了。如經上所記：上帝為愛他的人所預備的是眼睛未曾看見，耳朵未曾聽見，人心也未曾想到的。只有上帝藉著聖靈向我們顯明了，因為聖靈參透萬事，就是上帝深奧的事也參透了。除了在人裡頭的靈，誰知道人的事？像這樣，除了上帝的靈，也沒有人知道上帝的事。」(哥林多前書2:7-11)

 

    也因為這樣我們能夠信靠與認識上帝，不是因為我們很聰明、傳道人很會傳福音，而是聖靈大大的動工！也因此，我們可以得救是上帝的恩典，正如路德神學的牧者曾說：「因信稱義，不是因為人的相信，而是上帝的恩典！信心是上帝給人的管道，世上帝賜給人的，不是從人自身來的！」

 

    所以，我們要為我們能得救和成聖，來感謝上帝並以喜樂的心來遵行「善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意」，這是從上帝來的！

希 伯 來 書 4:14-16

14 我 們既 然 有 一 位 已 經 升 入 高 天 尊 榮 的 大 祭 司 ， 就 是 神 的 兒 子 耶 穌 ， 便 當 持 定 所 承 認 的 道 。
15 因 我 們 的 大 祭 司 並 非 不 能體 恤 我 們 的 軟 弱 。 他 也 曾 凡 事 受 過 試 探 ， 與 我 們 一 樣 ， 只 是 他 沒 有 犯 罪 。
16 所 以 ， 我 們 只 管 坦 然 無 懼的 來 到 施 恩 的 寶 座 前 ， 為 要 得 憐 恤 ， 蒙 恩 惠 ， 作 隨 時 的 幫 助 。

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這是多麼鼓勵人之信息：『我 們 只 管 坦 然 無 懼 的 來 到 施 恩 的 寶 座 前 ， 為 要 得 憐 恤 ， 蒙 恩 惠 ， 作 隨 時 的 幫 助 。』

因為我們有一位大祭司—耶穌基督。這位大祭司是上帝和人之間之中保，祂爲我們的罪，親自成為贖罪祭物，為我們獻上它的生命，流血捨身，祂是完全之上帝也是完全的人，所以祂的贖罪有完全之功效，一次獻上就讓我們過去、現在、即將來之最全部贖清。

更可貴是：『因 我 們 的 大 祭 司 並 非 不 能 體 恤 我 們 的 軟 弱 。 他 也 曾 凡 事 受 過 試 探 ， 與 我 們 一 樣 ， 只 是 他 沒 有 犯 罪 。』

所以我們要勇敢面對我們之罪性及罪行，因為耶穌基督已經為我們解決了，只要我們勇敢在上帝面前認罪、悔改—立志遠離惡行並積極遵行上帝之律法。因為主赦罪之應許已賜給我們。當我們體會到上帝之赦罪大恩時，我們自然而然會寬恕別人，因為主先赦免我們的罪，而得罪我們之人他願意認錯，我們也當像主赦免我們一樣原諒他。當然，要是我們得罪或虧欠人，除了求主赦免外，更要主動請求原諒與補償，盡我們該做的！

因為十字架之救恩，包括上帝與人之和好及人與人和好，因為十字架的功效是：恢復與復和—恢復上帝與人、人與人正確之關係！

詩篇91:1-16

91:1 住在至高者隱密處的，必住在全能者的蔭下。
91:2 我要論到耶和華說：他是我的避難所，是我的山寨，是我的上帝，是我所倚靠的。
91:3 他必救你脫離捕鳥人的網羅和毒害的瘟疫。
91:4 他必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你；你要投靠在他的翅膀底下；他的誠實是大小的盾牌。
91:5 你必不怕黑夜的驚駭，或是白日飛的箭，
91:6 也不怕黑夜行的瘟疫，或是午間滅人的毒病。
91:7 雖有千人仆倒在你旁邊，萬人仆倒在你右邊，這災卻不得臨近你。
91:8 你惟親眼觀看，見惡人遭報。
91:9 耶和華是我的避難所；你已將至高者當你的居所，
91:10 禍患必不臨到你，災害也不挨近你的帳棚。
91:11 因他要為你吩咐他的使者，在你行的一切道路上保護你。
91:12 他們要用手托著你，免得你的腳碰在石頭上。
91:13 你要踹在獅子和虺蛇的身上，踐踏少壯獅子和大蛇。
91:14 上帝說：因為他專心愛我，我就要搭救他；因為他知道我的名，我要把他安置在高處。
91:15 他若求告我，我就應允他；他在急難中，我要與他同在；我要搭救他，使他尊貴。
91:16 我要使他足享長壽，將我的救恩顯明給他。

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

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    雖然上帝是自足的上帝，祂不需要人的愛，但是上帝仍然盼望人能夠愛祂，所以應許：「因為他專心愛我，我就要搭救他；因為他知道我的名，我要把他安置在高處。他若求告我，我就應允他；他在急難中，我要與他同在；我要搭救他，使他尊貴。我要使他足享長壽，將我的救恩顯明給他。」

    這也就是說，我們願意專心愛上帝，是不會吃虧的，上帝必定紀念！必定大大的賜福給他，甚至於「有千人仆倒在你旁邊，萬人仆倒在你右邊，這災卻不得臨近你。」「他必救你脫離捕鳥人的網羅和毒害的瘟疫。他必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你；你要投靠在他的翅膀底下；他的誠實是大小的盾牌。你必不怕黑夜的驚駭，或是白日飛的箭，也不怕黑夜行的瘟疫，或是午間滅人的毒病。」

    正如現今「新冠病毒」肆虐全世界，有千千萬萬的人受到感染，但是願意愛上帝、信靠上帝的人，就蒙保守得十分平安！這一切都是上帝在基督裡的恩典，正如主耶穌說：「我留下平安給你們；我將我的平安賜給你們。我所賜的，不像世人所賜的。你們心裡不要憂愁，也不要膽怯。」（約翰福音14:27）

約書亞記7章

       約書亞記7:1-26  ,