7 Oct 2015, Haggai 2 哈该书 2, Glorious Future 荣耀的未来

Posted on Oct 5, 2015 in Devotions, Haggai |

Scripture Reading   : Haggai 2

Theme                    : Glorious Future

Future Temple (1-9). The restored temple is nothing compared to the glory of the first temple. But nevertheless, God is completely with them (v. 5). The physical beauty of the temple does not determine God’s presence with them. God cares about the beauty of their heart. Even though the second temple is pathetic now, and in no way can express His majestic glory and beauty; however, in the future, God will restore the temple. In a little while (may take longer than you think Ps. 90:4), its glory and beauty will be worthy of God’s beauty and glory. This millennial temple is described also in Ezekiel 40-48. The Jews are to look forward to this glorious time.

Future Blessing (10-19). God uses the Mosaic law on defilement and holiness to illustrate that it is easier to fall into sin than to fall into righteousness; and it is easy for defilement to contaminate everything (Gal. 5:9). It is easy for people to fall into self-indulgence and it is easy for this self-indulgent attitude to contaminate all that they do. But now that they have repented of their self-indulgence, God will bless them.

Future Davidic King (20-23). It is very clear to Jews that ultimate blessing can only come when the promised Messiah comes and occupies the throne of David (2 Sam. 7:10-16). God is not literally referring to Zerubbabel as the messiah, but figuratively speaking of Jesus, whom Zerubbabel represents since Zerubbabel is in the line of David. God is reminding the Jews once again to wait for the Messiah for the ultimate fulfillment of all His promised blessings.

Praying the Scripture

  1. Just as God teaches the Jews not to live for this transitory world, but to wait for the coming of the Messiah for their permanent home and blessing, so Christians are called by God to not live for this transitory world, but to wait for the second coming of Jesus when He will be king of the world and we will reign righteously with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Let us get our priorities right and heed to God’s warning to seek first His Kingdom and His righteous (Matt. 6:33). To have our priorities wrong, would be foolish.
  1. God, we look forward to the second coming of Christ, when our faith will become sight, and our prayers will become praises. Help us to dwell on this certainty and this future glory. We pray in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18) by praying that you will increase our love for you by understanding more and more the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love (Eph. 3:18-19). May you drive away all things that hinder our love for you by getting our priorities right. May we use the things of the world to pursue you, instead of using you to pursue the things of the world.

经文：哈该书2

主题：荣耀的未来

 

未来的殿（1-9）。再造之殿的荣耀简直无法与第一个殿相比。即便如此，神全然与他们同在（5节）；圣殿的外观并不影响神的同在。虽然再造的殿看似寒酸，根本无法彰显神的光辉和荣美，但日后，神会修复圣殿。过不多时（或许比想象中还久；诗90:4），圣殿的荣美会与神的荣美相称。这千年圣殿也在以西结书40-48有所叙述。犹太人当期盼那荣耀的时刻。

未来的祝福（10-19）。神使用与污秽和圣洁相关的摩西律法解释犯罪比行义来得更容易，而污秽的东西很容易会玷污其他的（加5:9）。人很容易陷入自我放纵的罪，而这态度会污染他们所做的一切。可是现在，由于他们悔改了自我放纵的罪，神会祝福他们。

未来的大卫之王（20-23）。犹太人非常清楚，唯有当那位被应许的弥赛亚降临并坐在大卫的宝座上后（撒后7:10-16），最大的祝福才会临到。神不是指所罗巴伯是弥赛亚；祂用比喻手法指耶稣，由所罗巴伯为代表，因为所罗巴伯是大卫的后裔。

 

用经文祷告

  1. 神教导犹太人不要为这短暂的世界而活，乃要等待弥赛亚来临，带他们入永恒的家和祝福中。同样的，神也召基督徒不要为这短暂的世界而活，乃要等候耶稣再来作世界的王，而我们会一同以公义治理世界（提后2:12）。让我们看清何为重要，并听从神的劝告，先追求祂的国和祂的义（太6:33）；若分辨不清，我们便是愚昧的。
  1. 神啊，我们盼望基督再来，信心成为眼见，祷告成为赞美。请助我们深思这真理和未来的荣耀。我们在灵里祷告（弗6:18），求你能使我们更明白基督之爱的长阔高深（弗3:18-19），从而大大增加对你的爱。愿你能驱走我们生命中所有阻扰爱你的事，看清生命中何为重要的事。愿我们使用世界的事追求你，而不是使用你追求世界的事。

 


6 Oct 2015, Haggai 1 哈该书 1, Building the Temple 建立圣殿

Posted on Oct 5, 2015 in Devotions, Haggai |

Scripture Reading   : Haggai 1

Theme                    : Building the Temple

Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are post exilic prophets who exhorted the Jews to be faithful to God after they returned to Israel from exile in Babylon. Haggai ministered during the first wave of return in 538 B.C. His message began in 520 B.C.

Command to Build Temple (1-11). After the Jews returned to Israel from exile, they did not put God as their first priority in their lives. They were more concerned about building their own paneled, luxurious, houses instead of building the temple, God’s house (Phil. 2:21). Because they worshipped pleasure, God gave them poverty. This was God’s gracious way of disciplining them so that they will loosen their grip on this world and take hold of life that is truly meaningful and abundant (Phil. 3:14-16).

People Respond to Command (12-15). When the leaders (Zerubbabel and Joshua), and the people heard God’s rebuke, they quickly feared God (meaning trusted and obeyed) and reversed their course. God blessed them spiritually by stirring up their spirits to worship Him through the building the temple.
Praying the Scripture

  1. We see from Scripture that every generation of believers must learn to put God as their first priority in every area of their lives (Matt. 6:33). Failure to do so, will bring God’s gracious discipline and training. One way to know whether we are putting Him first is to see whether we put more effort in our own houses instead of God’s church (cf. 2 Sam 7:2). God is not bound to a physical place, but a place of corporate worship represents His special presence with us. Do we furnish our houses with the best, while we give the church our second best? God is not materialistic, but He tests our hearts.
  1. God rewards physical blessings for obedience, but withholds physical blessings for disobedience. This is not teaching prosperity gospel, i.e. using God as a way to get riches. But it is teaching us to see God as the greatest and our highest desire (1 Tim. 6:17). Chasing idols will result in spiritual and physical emptiness. Mark 8:35, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it.” Seeking God results in true spiritual and physical blessings, even if the physical blessings must await the second coming of Christ. Spiritual blessings are more important than physical blessings because without spiritual blessings (spiritual maturity) physical blessings (material things and security) will be abused and turned into idols. Rewarding and withholding of physical blessings by God is rudimentary training for the spiritually weak (Heb. 12:7-11). The spiritually strong is motivated by love for God (Col. 3:17). The spiritually depraved is one who thinks godliness is a means to finance gain (1 Tim. 6:5).

经文：哈该书1

主题：建立圣殿

哈该、撒迦利亚和玛拉基是流放后的先知，专门劝从巴比伦回到以色列的犹太人要对神忠心。哈该是在犹太人第一轮的归回时展开事工的，即公元前538年。他在公元前520年开始传道。

建殿的吩咐（1-11）。被放流的犹太人回到以色列后却忽视了神。他们更在乎要搭建属于自己的豪华的住宅，却不注重建神的殿（腓2:21）。由于他们崇拜宴乐，神使他们贫穷。这是神对他们恩慈的管教，叫他们能放开这个世界，掌握生命中真正重要的事，在这事上得以富足（腓3:14-16）。

民众听从吩咐（12-15）。当犹太首领（所罗巴伯和约书亚）和民众听到神的责备后，他们立刻存敬畏的心（即信靠、顺服），转而归神。神在灵里祝福他们，激动人们的灵藉着建殿之事敬拜祂。

 

用经文祷告

  1. 我们能从经文看到：每一代信徒都要学会在生命中的每一个领域把神摆在第一位（太6:33）。我们若忽视这一点，神便会在恩典中管教并训练我们。若要省察自己，便扪心自问：我们的精力是更多放在自己的家还是神的教会（参撒下7:2）？虽然神不拘一个地方，但一个集体的敬拜代表祂特别的同在。我们是否用最好的装饰自己的家，留次等的给教会呢？神不看重钱财；祂考验的是我们的心。
  1. 神向顺服祂的人赐予物质上的福分，对不顺服的则保留这福分。我们传的不是致富福音，即利用神谋得钱财；这里教导我们的是要把神当成我们最大、最崇高的渴望（提前6:17）。追寻偶像只会让人在灵里及物质上贫穷。马可福音8:35说：“因为凡要救自己生命[a]的，必丧掉生命。”寻求神得来的是真实的属灵与物质上的祝福，即便这祝福有时还须等到基督再来时才能得到。灵里的祝福比物质上的祝福更重要，因为若无前者（灵性成熟），信徒往往会滥用物质上福分（财富与保障），使之成为偶像。神对物质祝福的赏赐与保留是祂对灵性软弱者的初级训练（来12:7-11）。灵性坚强的信徒则是以爱神为动机的（西3:17）。灵性腐败的人则以敬虔为得利的门路（提前6:5）。