申命記17:18-20

17:18 他登了國位，就要將祭司利未人面前的這律法書，為自己抄錄一本，

17:19 存在他那裡，要平生誦讀，好學習敬畏耶和華─他的上帝，謹守遵行這律法書上的一切言語和這些律例，

17:20 免得他向弟兄心高氣傲，偏左偏右，離了這誡命。這樣，他和他的子孫便可在以色列中，在國位上年長日久。」

18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

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    在聖經中對國王的權柄是多方制衡，因多人認為自己是君王，就超越群倫的感覺，目中無人，為所欲為！但是，上帝仍然用祂的全能，來限制、來提醒為君王的，不要忘記自己仍然是人，仍然要敬畏上帝！

    也因此摩西在王尚未被設立之前規定好，要求：「他登了國位，就要將祭司利未人面前的這律法書，為自己抄錄一本，存在他那裡，要平生誦讀，好學習敬畏耶和華─他的上帝，謹守遵行這律法書上的一切言語和這些律例，免得他向弟兄心高氣傲，偏左偏右，離了這誡命。這樣，他和他的子孫便可在以色列中，在國位上年長日久。」

    而這樣的要求說明，成為王更要遵行上帝的律法，以上帝的律法來領導百姓敬畏上帝，使全國歸向上帝。王的作為是會影響整個國家與上帝的關係，更是影響國家的命運，這也是王和他的子孫的命脈所在！

    今日雖然沒有王，但是基督徒也是從基督承受了王的職分，要活得像王一般，要遵行上帝的律法，使自己有王的榮美和生命，這是基督徒彰顯基督王權所要實踐的，不可輕忽！

創世記35:21-29

35:21 以色列起行前往，在以得臺那邊支搭帳棚。
35:22 以色列住在那地的時候，流便去與他父親的妾辟拉同寢，以色列也聽見了。雅各共有十二個兒子。
35:23 利亞所生的是雅各的長子流便，還有西緬、利未、猶大、以薩迦、西布倫。
35:24 拉結所生的是約瑟、便雅憫。
35:25 拉結的使女辟拉所生的是但、拿弗他利。
35:26 利亞的使女悉帕所生的是迦得、亞設。這是雅各在巴旦‧亞蘭所生的兒子。
35:27 雅各來到他父親以撒那裡，到了基列‧亞巴的幔利，乃是亞伯拉罕和以撒寄居的地方；基列‧亞巴就是希伯崙。
35:28 以撒共活了一百八十歲。
35:29 以撒年紀老邁，日子滿足，氣絕而死，歸到他列祖（原文是本民）那裡。他兩個兒子以掃、雅各把他埋葬了。

²¹ Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ²² While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

²³ The sons of Leah:

Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

²⁴ The sons of Rachel:

Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁵ The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:

Dan and Naphtali.

²⁶ The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:

Gad and Asher.

These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ²⁸ Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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    雅各不僅遭受了喪妻之苦，也遇見父親的過世，這是人生免不了要面對的！因為天下沒有不散的筵席，有出生的子孫，就有回去天家的長輩！

    我們不要把死亡當成永別，基督已經復活，勝過死亡了！有一日在基督裡的人都會在相會，尤其是所愛的親人，現在的生離死別只是暫時的，就當成他們出國去旅行，有一天會在團圓的，其實是他們先去基督那裡等待我們呢！

    我們要相信基督的應許，凡屬祂的人，都要在上帝的國與祂一同享用永遠的宴席，一同坐席！一切都在主耶穌再來的時候，要完完全全的成就！

創世記35:16-20

35:16 他們從伯特利起行，離以法他還有一段路程，拉結臨產甚是艱難。
35:17 正在艱難的時候，收生婆對她說：「不要怕，你又要得一個兒子了。」
35:18 她將近於死，靈魂要走的時候，就給她兒子起名叫便‧俄尼；他父親卻給他起名叫便雅憫。
35:19 拉結死了，葬在以法他的路旁；以法他就是伯利恆。
35:20 雅各在她的墳上立了一統碑，就是拉結的墓碑，到今日還在。

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” ¹⁸ As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[h] But his father named him Benjamin.^[i]
19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.

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    雅各遭受了喪妻之苦，拉結的過世是因為難產！這也道盡了人生的疾苦，也讓我們感受到雅各的不捨！因為拉結是他最愛的妻子，竟然為了給雅各一個兒子而喪失了生命！

    在人生中最無奈的事，就是相愛的人不能一起終老，不能同行道主前！對雅各而言，要不是上帝的同在同行，真的是會受不了！所以，我們要好好得珍惜我們的另一半，為彼此能同行到終老仰望上帝！

    感謝主，讓我透過這段經文懷念與我同行17年的好伴侶，也感謝她為我生了四個小孩！也感謝上帝，讓我的人生不是孤孤單單的過，讓我可以有另一位好伴侶，一切都有上帝的美意！

創世記35:11-15

35:11 上帝又對他說：「我是全能的上帝；你要生養眾多，將來有一族和多國的民從你而生，又有君王從你而出。
35:12 我所賜給亞伯拉罕和以撒的地，我要賜給你與你的後裔。」
35:13 上帝就從那與雅各說話的地方升上去了。
35:14 雅各便在那裡立了一根石柱，在柱子上奠酒，澆油。
35:15 雅各就給那地方起名叫伯特利。

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[f]; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. ¹² The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” ¹³ Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. ¹⁵ Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

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           雅各承受了亞伯拉罕的福，也因為這樣以色列也成了上帝的選民，以掃的後裔就沒有這樣的福份了，因為以掃本身沒有有看重上帝所要賜的福份，說來十分可惜！雖同為亞伯拉罕的子孫，卻無法承受永生之福！

 

           親愛的弟兄姐妹，上帝的呼召既然臨到我們，讓我們透過信靠耶穌基督成為上帝的兒女，我們就要好好看重這個身分，好好的信靠主，不要放棄這樣的身分，因為這若不是上帝的恩典，是無法享受到的！

          想想看看，在舊約的時代，多少人盼望基督的顯現，希望能夠透過基督進入上帝永恆的國度！今天上帝已經將這樣的救恩之門向我們場開，我們豈能不好好把握基會，進入上帝的國呢！享受與基督所要嗣給我們的榮耀，直到永永遠遠，阿們！

創世記35章

                創世記35:1-10   ,

               創世記35:11-15  ,

               創世記35:16-20  ,

                創世記35:21-29  ,

創世記35:1-10

35:1 上帝對雅各說：「起來！上伯特利去，住在那裡；要在那裡築一座壇給上帝，就是你逃避你哥哥以掃的時候向你顯現的那位。」
35:2 雅各就對他家中的人並一切與他同在的人說：「你們要除掉你們中間的外邦神，也要自潔，更換衣裳。
35:3 我們要起來，上伯特利去，在那裡我要築一座壇給上帝，就是在我遭難的日子應允我的禱告、在我行的路上保佑我的那位。」
35:4 他們就把外邦人的神像和他們耳朵上的環子交給雅各；雅各都藏在示劍那裡的橡樹底下。
35:5 他們便起行前往。上帝使那周圍城邑的人都甚驚懼，就不追趕雅各的眾子了。
35:6 於是雅各和一切與他同在的人到了迦南地的路斯，就是伯特利。
35:7 他在那裡築了一座壇，就給那地方起名叫伊勒‧伯特利（就是伯特利之上帝的意思）；因為他逃避他哥哥的時候，上帝在那裡向他顯現。
35:8 利百加的奶母底波拉死了，就葬在伯特利下邊橡樹底下；那棵樹名叫亞倫‧巴古。
35:9 雅各從巴旦‧亞蘭回來，上帝又向他顯現，賜福與他，
35:10 且對他說：「你的名原是雅各，從今以後不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列。」這樣，他就改名叫以色列。

Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³ Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. ⁵ Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. ⁷ There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,^[a] because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[b]
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[c] God appeared to him again and blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,^[d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[e]” So he named him Israel.

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    在這裡看見信仰的開始是上帝的呼召，這是聖經很重要的救恩觀。人是不會主動尋求上帝的，因為人在始祖犯罪之後，罪就進入人的生命之中！不認識上帝、更不可能認識！內心有的，只有悖逆！

    雅各的生命，讓我們看見雖然是出於亞伯拉罕的家庭，但是真正認識上帝，就是在伯特利這個地方。上帝在夢中向他顯現，就是透過天梯有上上下下的天使。而使他驚嚇，竟然會在那裡遇見上帝！

    我們得拯救，也是上帝主動來尋找我們，也因此被上帝找著了！要是人去尋找上帝，人是找不到的！但是，上帝願意透過耶穌基督，讓我們可以與祂相遇，好認識祂並蒙祂拯救，這是一個奇妙救恩故事的開始呢！