約書亞記 第06章 中英摘要

  透過約書亞記第六章,神要讓我們知道,以色列人攻打耶利哥城,不是用暴力,乃是用讚美,繞城的隊伍前面是儀仗隊,後面是7個祭司拿羊角,再後面是約櫃。民數記數點人數時,利未支派一個月以上的男丁有2萬2千人,當中祭司為數不少。祭司跟利未人不太一樣,唯有利未支派亞倫家族的人,才能做祭司,所以祭司一定是利未人,但利未人不一定是祭司。而以色列中有這麼多祭司,在這裡神只叫約書亞選了7個,聖經沒有告訴我們7個怎麼選,但這裡啟示一個真理,就是我們要順服神的命令。

  前六天繞城一天繞一次。而這麼多人繞城,只有7個祭司能夠吹號,百姓不能說話,如此連續6天,並不容易,所以我們看神蹟需要意志力,這跟乃縵患大痲瘋的故事一樣。其實我們每一個人都有大痲瘋,大痲瘋就是不想讓人知道,藏我們內心裡面的汙穢,但是神都知道。而神要乃縵在約旦河洗澡,在眾人面前洗澡,將自己的汙穢在眾人面前顯出來,當乃縵洗到第六次上來時,大痲瘋還在,沒有任何的減少或改變,這時乃幔的信心是有可能動搖的,所以要看到真正的神蹟,我們的信心需要堅持到最後。如同保羅所說:「我們四面受敵,卻不被困住;心裡作難,卻不至失望;遭逼迫,卻不被丟棄;打倒了,卻不至死亡。」當乃幔第7次下去沐浴上來後,聖經上說:「他的肉復原,像小孩子的肉」。這就是神蹟,神做事情,說有就有,命立就立;人看病是慢慢好轉,神的醫治則是一次完全,這是神作事的原則。

  以色列人繞城6天以後,第七天有不同的命令,就是當天要繞7次,因此以色列人總共是繞耶利哥城13次。先前6次的繞城,只有7個祭司吹角,其他人都不能出聲,到了第7次,吹角的聲音要拉長,當他們一吹的時候,所有的百姓則要呼喊,呼喊跟呼叫不一樣,呼喊,是指聲音洪亮,如詩篇33篇:「你們應當彈琴稱謝耶和華,用十弦瑟歌頌他;應當向他唱新歌,彈得巧妙,聲音洪亮。」

  以色列人呼喊之後,城牆就倒下來,神跟他們說,只有喇合一家能夠得救,其他都要殺掉。喇合後來回到以色列,嫁給撒門,撒門跟喇合生波阿斯,波阿斯生俄備得,俄備得再生耶西,耶西生大衛,這個本來要滅亡的人,最後成了大衛君王的玄祖母,這是神的恩典啊!我們本來也都是要滅亡的人,但今天我們因著信,成為亞伯拉罕的後裔,成為神的兒女,我們的身份改變了,我們從走向滅亡的罪人,成為蒙恩的罪人,這都是因著神的恩典。

2015/9/3 風美小組 葉長老信息 / 天運 摘錄整理

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Joshua 6

  Through Joshua 6, God shows us that the Israelis took Jericho not by force, but by their praises toward God. In the troop of the Israelis, a group of honor guard was in the front of the line, followed by seven priests carrying trumpets of rams’ horns, and the Ark of the Covenant was at the back. Priests were different from the Levites. Only people born in the household of Aaron can become priests. That is, priests had to be Levites, but Levites were not necessarily priests. Among so many priests, Joshua selected only 7 while the Israelis were marching around the Jericho. It is not recorded in the Bible how these 7 priests were chosen. However, it reveals a Truth, that is, we need to obey God’s order.

  During the first 6 days, the Israelis had to circle Jericho once each day. So many people in the troop, only the 7 priests could blow the trumpets, and no one were allowed to talk. It must have been difficult for them to remain like this for 6 days. Therefore, we need persistence before we can see miracles. The same goes with the healing of Naaman’s leprosy. In fact, we all have leprosy, which is the dark side we hide deep inside us so that others cannot see. Nevertheless, God knows everything. God asked Naaman to wash in Jordan River in front of everyone. Naaman had to reveal his uncleanness to the public. When Naaman came up from the river the sixth time and his leprosy wasn’t healed, he could have lost his faith. In order to see the true miracle of God, we need to hold on to our faith till the end. Like Paul said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” When Naaman came up from the river the seventh time, it is written in the Bible, “his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” This is a miracle; “For He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” In men’s mind, healing takes place gradually and slowly, but for God, totally healing can take place instantly. This is how God works.

  After six days of marching around Jericho, the Israelis received a different order on the seventh day. On that day, they had to circle the city for seven times. So the Israelis marched around Jericho 13 times in total. In the first six time, only the 7 priests can blow the horn, and others had to be quiet. On the seventh time, the priests blew the horn for a longer time, and when they did, all the Israelis had to shout. Shouting is not the same as calling out. Shouting requires loud voices. Like it is written in Psalm 33, “Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.”

  After the Israelis shouted, the city wall collapsed. God said to them that “only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared,” and the rest must be destroyed. Rahab then went with the Israelis, and married Salmon. Rahab gave birth to Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David. This woman who was about to be destroyed, became the great great grandmother of King David. This is the grace of God! We are all sinners who are about to perish, but we become the decedents of Abraham and God’s children because of our faith. Our identity has changed, we once walked toward hell, but now we are blessed sinners. These are all through the grace of God!

2015/9/3 Message by Elder Yeh