以斯帖記8:1-17

 

8:1 當日，亞哈隨魯王把猶大人仇敵哈曼的家產賜給王后以斯帖。末底改也來到王面前，因為以斯帖已經告訴王，末底改是她的親屬。
8:2 王摘下自己的戒指，就是從哈曼追回的，給了末底改。以斯帖派末底改管理哈曼的家產。
8:3 以斯帖又俯伏在王腳前，流淚哀告，求他除掉亞甲族哈曼害猶大人的惡謀。
8:4 王向以斯帖伸出金杖；以斯帖就起來，站在王前，
8:5 說：「亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼設謀傳旨，要殺滅在王各省的猶大人。現今王若願意，我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若以為美，若喜悅我，請王另下旨意，廢除哈曼所傳的那旨意。
8:6 我何忍見我本族的人受害？何忍見我同宗的人被滅呢？」
8:7 亞哈隨魯王對王后以斯帖和猶大人末底改說：「因哈曼要下手害猶大人，我已將他的家產賜給以斯帖，人也將哈曼掛在木架上。
8:8 現在你們可以隨意奉王的名寫諭旨給猶大人，用王的戒指蓋印；因為奉王名所寫、用王戒指蓋印的諭旨，人都不能廢除。」
8:9 三月，就是西彎月二十三日，將王的書記召來，按著末底改所吩咐的，用各省的文字、各族的方言，並猶大人的文字方言寫諭旨，傳給那從印度直到古實一百二十七省的猶大人和總督省長首領。
8:10 末底改奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫諭旨，用王的戒指蓋印，交給騎御馬圈快馬的驛卒，傳到各處。
8:11 諭旨中，王准各省各城的猶大人在一日之間，十二月，就是亞達月十三日，聚集保護性命，剪除殺戮滅絕那要攻擊猶大人的一切仇敵和他們的妻子兒女，奪取他們的財為掠物。
8:12 【併於上節】
8:13 抄錄這諭旨，頒行各省，宣告各族，使猶大人預備等候那日，在仇敵身上報仇。
8:14 於是騎快馬的驛卒被王命催促，急忙起行；諭旨也傳遍書珊城。
8:15 末底改穿著藍色白色的朝服，頭戴大金冠冕，又穿紫色細麻布的外袍，從王面前出來；書珊城的人民都歡呼快樂。
8:16 猶大人有光榮，歡喜快樂而得尊貴。
8:17 王的諭旨所到的各省各城，猶大人都歡喜快樂，設擺筵宴，以那日為吉日。那國的人民，有許多因懼怕猶大人，就入了猶大籍。

 

That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ² The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

³ Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

⁵ “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

⁷ King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

⁹ At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.^[a] These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,^[b] and to plunder the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ¹³ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

¹⁵ When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. ¹⁶ For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. ¹⁷ In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

 

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    上帝的作為是一步一步進行，是有次序的，先讓哈曼身敗名裂，然後在高舉末底改，然後藉由王透過末底改將哈曼的殺猶大全族的命令收回，讓猶大人的羞辱除去！

 

    同樣上帝也是這樣拯救基督徒，讓我們看見在歷史上的記載，讓「 康士坦丁皈依基督教 」，使教會從被迫害的狀態，轉變成為被羅馬人所看重的，甚至「基督教成為羅馬國教」！

 

    這樣的狀態和《以斯帖記》的故事相仿，可見上帝的護理是超越人想像，也因此對耶穌基督的再來與上帝國的實現更肯定了！上帝的信實廣大，讓我們專一信靠祂！

 

 

何西阿書6:6

 

我喜愛良善（或譯：憐恤），不喜愛祭祀；喜愛認識上帝，勝於燔祭。

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

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    上帝對我們的要求是與祂建立愛的關係，甚於對祂的獻祭！因為對祂的獻祭是為了解決罪的問題，除去彼此的隔閡，這樣的是上帝已經透過耶穌基督如同祭物獻上，已經完成了，不需要再做甚麼了！

    現在上帝對我們的要求，就是以愛來親近祂、認識祂，和祂有親密的交流，這就是祂所要我們做的，這也是祂犧牲主耶穌來救贖我們的目的。祂更以主耶穌的復活來宣告祂的決心，祂勝過罪與死，祂用永遠的慈愛等待我們歸向祂，讓我們與祂在基督裡聯合，祂更用聖靈來感動我們，引導我們活在這救恩之中！

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，既然上帝已經透過耶穌基督完成死祭，又讓耶穌基督復活好讓我們過活祭的生命，正如保羅所說：「所以，弟兄們，我以上帝的慈悲勸你們，將身體獻上，當作活祭，是聖潔的，是上帝所喜悅的；你們如此事奉乃是理所當然的。」(羅馬書12:1) 

    讓我們來過與上帝聯合相愛的生活，盼望上帝國的完全實現！

 

 

 

羅馬書5:12-21

 

5:12 這就如罪是從一人入了世界，死又是從罪來的；於是死就臨到眾人，因為眾人都犯了罪。
5:13 沒有律法之先，罪已經在世上；但沒有律法，罪也不算罪。
5:14 然而從亞當到摩西，死就作了王，連那些不與亞當犯一樣罪過的，也在他的權下。亞當乃是那以後要來之人的預像。
5:15 只是過犯不如恩賜，若因一人的過犯，眾人都死了，何況上帝的恩典，與那因耶穌基督一人恩典中的賞賜，豈不更加倍地臨到眾人嗎？
5:16 因一人犯罪就定罪，也不如恩賜，原來審判是由一人而定罪，恩賜乃是由許多過犯而稱義。
5:17 若因一人的過犯，死就因這一人作了王，何況那些受洪恩又蒙所賜之義的，豈不更要因耶穌基督一人在生命中作王嗎？
5:18 如此說來，因一次的過犯，眾人都被定罪；照樣，因一次的義行，眾人也就被稱義得生命了。
5:19 因一人的悖逆，眾人成為罪人；照樣，因一人的順從，眾人也成為義了。
5:20 律法本是外添的，叫過犯顯多；只是罪在哪裡顯多，恩典就更顯多了。
5:21 就如罪作王叫人死；照樣，恩典也藉著義作王，叫人因我們的主耶穌基督得永生。

 

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

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    說到救恩，我們不能不知道：「就如罪作王叫人死；照樣，恩典也藉著義作王，叫人因我們的主耶穌基督得永生。」

 

    為甚麼主耶穌的救恩有這麼大的力量呢？看看保羅怎樣說：「只是過犯不如恩賜，若因一人的過犯，眾人都死了，何況上帝的恩典，與那因耶穌基督一人恩典中的賞賜，豈不更加倍地臨到眾人嗎？因一人犯罪就定罪，也不如恩賜，原來審判是由一人而定罪，恩賜乃是由許多過犯而稱義。」「因一人的悖逆，眾人成為罪人；照樣，因一人的順從，眾人也成為義了。」

 

    也因此說到救恩，我們必須清楚：救恩的成就是透過耶穌基督，不是人的努力所成就的！如果有一個人離開罪惡歸向上帝，成為上帝的兒女，我們要將榮耀歸給上帝，人沒有什麼權力向人、向上帝邀功！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們不要去奪上帝的榮耀，不要將歸給上帝的榮耀歸給自己或別人，在教會裡不要對人歌功頌德，若是要只有將榮耀歸給主耶穌，大家一起來讚美主！

 

 

 

 

羅馬書5:1-11

 

5:1 我們既因信稱義，就藉著我們的主耶穌基督得與上帝相和。
5:2 我們又藉著他，因信得進入現在所站的這恩典中，並且歡歡喜喜盼望上帝的榮耀。
5:3 不但如此，就是在患難中也是歡歡喜喜的；因為知道患難生忍耐，
5:4 忍耐生老練，老練生盼望；
5:5 盼望不至於羞恥，因為所賜給我們的聖靈將上帝的愛澆灌在我們心裡。
5:6 因我們還軟弱的時候，基督就按所定的日期為罪人死。
5:7 為義人死，是少有的；為仁人死，或者有敢做的。
5:8 惟有基督在我們還作罪人的時候為我們死，上帝的愛就在此向我們顯明了。
5:9 現在我們既靠著他的血稱義，就更要藉著他免去上帝的忿怒。
5:10 因為我們作仇敵的時候，且藉著上帝兒子的死，得與上帝和好；既已和好，就更要因他的生得救了。
5:11 不但如此，我們既藉著我主耶穌基督得與上帝和好，也就藉著他以上帝為樂。

 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

 

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    在基督徒的信仰有一個很重要的規則：就是我們透過主耶穌與上帝和好，英文是「reconciliation」，翻成中文是「復和」的意思。

 

    然而這個「復和」並不是人可以做到的，世人犯罪而悖逆上帝，世人捨棄與得罪上帝在先，因此人沒有資格說復和。也因此人與上帝的復和，的主動權只有上帝，而不是人！

 

    也因為這樣，上帝透過主耶穌來成就上帝與人之間復和的事情。上帝的作法是主耶穌來代替人償還對上帝的虧欠，使上帝的心意滿足，如此才合乎公平正義的要求，如此上帝才可以赦免人的罪，不再以憤怒對待人，如此上帝與人才可以復和，人才可以享受上帝的愛！也因此，人因為耶穌基督的寶血遮蓋，才能使上帝不再記念人的罪！

 

    因此，耶穌基督的寶血和死亡不是救我們脫離魔鬼，而是救我們脫離上帝的憤怒，讓我們享受上帝的慈愛！我們沒有虧欠魔鬼，我們只有虧欠上帝！有些講員，沒有好好閱讀聖經，沒有思考上帝在基督裡的作為，在此常常犯解經之錯誤！以至於沒有將榮耀歸給上帝，反倒和魔鬼糾纏不清呢！

 

 

 

以斯帖記7章

        以斯帖記7:1-10   ,