Daily Devotion||每日靈修

YEAR 1||第一年 YEAR 2||第二年 YEAR 3||第三年 YEAR 4||第四年 YEAR 5||第五年
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書
卷
 Matthew||馬太福音 Mark||馬可福音 Luke||路加福音 John||約翰福音 Deuteronomy||申命記
Genesis||創世記 Exodus||出埃及記 Leviticus||利未記 Numbers||民數記 Ephesians||以弗所書
Acts||使徒行傳 1 Corinthians||哥林多前書 James||雅各書 1 Kings||列王紀上 Philippians||腓立比書
Joshua||約書亞記 2 Corinthians||哥林多後書 1 Samuel||撒母耳記上 2 Kings||列王紀下 Colossians||歌羅西書
Romans||羅馬書 Judges||士師記 2 Samuel||撒母耳記下 Titus||提多書 Philemon||腓利門書
Ruth||路得記 1 Thessalonians||帖撒羅尼迦前書 1 Timothy||提摩太前書 1 John||約翰壹書 1 Chronicles||歷代志上
Jonah||約拿書 2 Thessalonians||帖撒羅尼迦後書 2 Timothy||提摩太後書 2 John||約翰貳書 2 Chronicles||歷代志下
Jude||猶大書 Ezra||以斯拉記 Hosea||何西阿書 3 John||約翰叄書 Hebrews||希伯來書
Nehemiah||尼希米記 Amos||阿摩司書 Jeremiah||耶利米書 Ezekial||以西結書
Daniel||但以理書 Obadiah||俄巴底亞書 Lamentation||耶利米哀歌 Haggai||哈該書
Esther||以斯帖記 Ecclesiates||傳道書 Zechariah||撒迦利亞書
Isaiah||以賽亞書 1 Peter||彼得前書 Habakkuk||哈巴谷書
2 Peter||彼得後書 Nahum||那鴻書
Micah||彌迦書 Zephaniah||西番雅書
Joel||約珥書 Revelation||啟示錄
Malachi||瑪拉基書 Galatians||加拉太書

■Old Testament||■舊約 ■New Testament||■新約

OLD TESTAMENT||舊約 NEW TESTAMENT||新約
Genesis||創世記 Ezra||以斯拉記 Micah||彌迦書 Matthew||馬太福音 1 Timothy||提摩太前書
Exodus||出埃及記 Nehemiah||尼希米記 Nahum||那鴻書 Mark||馬可福音 2 Timothy||提摩太後書
Leviticus||利未記 Esther||以斯帖記 Habakkuk||哈巴谷書 Luke||路加福音 Titus||提多書
Numbers||民數記 Ecclesiates||傳道書 Zephaniah||西番雅書 John||約翰福音 Philemon||腓利門書
Deuteronomy||申命記 Isaiah||以賽亞書 Haggai||哈該書 Acts||使徒行傳 Hebrews||希伯來書
Joshua||約書亞記 Jeremiah||耶利米書 Zechariah||撒迦利亞書 Romans||羅馬書 James||雅各書
Judges||士師記 Lamentation||耶利米哀歌 Malachi||瑪拉基書 1 Corinthians||哥林多前書 1 Peter||彼得前書
Ruth||路得記 Ezekial||以西結書 2 Corinthians||哥林多後書 2 Peter||彼得後書
1 Samuel||撒母耳記上 Daniel||但以理書 Galatians||加拉太書 1 John||約翰壹書
2 Samuel||撒母耳記下 Hosea||何西阿書 Ephesians||以弗所書 2 John||約翰貳書
1 Kings||列王紀上 Joel||約珥書 Philippians||腓立比書 3 John||約翰叄書
2 Kings||列王紀下 Amos||阿摩司書 Colossians||歌羅西書 Jude||猶大書
1 Chronicles||歷代志上 Obadiah||俄巴底亞書 1 Thessalonians||帖撒羅尼迦前書 Revelation||啟示錄
2 Chronicles||歷代志下 Jonah||約拿書 2 Thessalonians||帖撒羅尼迦後書

ERROR: please enter search term.||錯誤：請輸入搜尋關鍵字。

DAY||日

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Ⅰ. Invocation and Adoration||Ⅰ. 禱告與敬拜

  • Invocation Prayer||開始禱告

    "To Thee, O Christ, O Word of the Father, we offer up our lowly praises and unfeigned hearty thanks: who for love of our fallen race didst most wonderfully and humbly choose to be made man, and to take our nature as never more to lay it by; so that we might be born again by Thy Spirit and restored in the image of God; to whom, one blessed Trinity, be ascribed all honor, might, majesty, and dominion, now and forever. Amen." (Lancelot Andrewes, 1555-1626)

    「基督，父神的道，我們向祢獻上謙卑的讚美和無偽、從心而發的感謝：祢因愛我們這沉淪的族類，奇妙和謙卑的選擇降世為人，不惜取了我們的形像；好使我們能被聖靈重生，回復神的形像。願尊貴、能力、榮耀和權能全歸三一可稱頌的神，從今直到永遠。」阿們。（Lancelot Andrewes,1555-1626）

  • Adoration through reflecting on the Names (or Descriptions) of Jesus Christ藉神的名字來敬拜

    We encourage you to choose one of the names (or descriptions) of Jesus Christ below to reflect on His majesty, goodness and/or grace and translate into a prayer of adoration.

    • Mediator of a new covenant (Heb. 9:15)
    • Prince and Savior (Acts 5:31)
    • Savior of the world (Jn. 4:42)
    • The rising sun (Dayspring) (Lk. 1:78)

    讓我們每日思想以下其中一個基督耶穌的名稱（或形容），然後化作禱告，向祂獻上讚美。

    • 新約的中保(希9:15)
    • 君王與救主(徒5:31)
    • 世人的拯救主(約4:42)
    • 清晨日光高天臨到(路1:78)

Ⅱ. Confession||Ⅱ. 認罪

Pause now and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your sins and ask for forgiveness.

現在停下來，求聖靈光照你，讓你看見自己的罪，並求主饒恕。

Ⅲ. Thanksgiving||Ⅲ. 感恩

List, one by one, things for which you should give thanks.||逐一列出你當感恩的事項。

Ⅳ. Scriptural Reflection||Ⅳ. 經文默想

Joel||約珥書 vv.1:1-20
Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.||請慢慢細心讀經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。

This week, we shall use the 8 remaining days of the year to study the Book of Joel and the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament.

Book of Joel

Joel mentions the "Lord your God" seven times in this short book of prophecy which coincides with the meaning of his own name Joel which means "the Lord is God". As there is nothing within the Canon of Scriptures nor from the Book of Joel itself that could give us a more accurate dating of the book, I tend to agree with David Hubbard that because of the contents of 3:1-8, it was most likely written in the post-exilic period after the completion of the second temple, making Joel a contemporary with Haggai and Zechariah in the vicinity of 500 B.C.

The prophecy appears to be prompted by a recent devastating invasion of locusts which the prophet uses to warn of the future destruction by God in the Day of the Lord. The entire book intertwines darkness with light, destruction with restoration, foretelling the eventual judgment of the nations and the full restoration of Israel.

For New Testament believers, the most famous part of the Book of Joel is 2:28-32 which is quoted by Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, signifying the dawn of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Joel is using a recent catastrophe to warn the people (of Judah):

  1. What kind of a catastrophe has happened to the land? (v. 4; see note below)
  2. Whom does the prophet appeal to and what does he ask them to do? (vv. 2-3)
  3. Why does the prophet liken the people to drunkards and call them to wake up — to wake up from what? (v. 5)
  4. Why does the prophet liken these locusts to a nation and a mighty army? (v. 6; see Prov. 30:27)
  5. In light of natural disasters of this proportion, what do people in the modern days do? How do they react to such disasters (like hurricane or earthquake, for example)?
  6. Why would the prophet call on the people to mourn like a virgin grieving for her betrothed and that include priests, farmers, and growers? (vv. 8-12)
  7. If they are not in despair and not are not mourning:
    1. Why not?
    2. What then are they doing in view of such disasters?
  8. Now, the prophet directs his call to the priests in particular (vv. 13-14)
    1. What in essence does the Prophet ask the priests to do?
    2. Why?
  9. The Day of the Lord (vv. 15-20) — The statement, "the Day of the Lord is near" is found verbatim in Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7 and Isaiah 13:6, meaning this is something Joel's hearers would know what it means.
    1. How devastating is the current catastrophe? (vv. 16-20)
    2. Why does the prophet use this incident to point to the Day of the Lord and that it is near? (v. 15)
  10. If a catastrophe of such a magnitude happens today, can we use it to remind people of the Day of the Lord and that it is near? Why or why not?
  11. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note: "the four names given to the locust….are not the names applied to in natural history to four distinct species, or four different generations of locust…The thought is rather this: one swarm of locusts after another has invaded the land, and completely devoured its fruit." (K&D, 120-1).

本週我們會用八天的時間來研讀舊約約珥書和瑪拉基書來結束今年的讀經。

約珥書

約珥書七次的提到「耶和華你們的神」，這正符合約珥名字的意思：「耶和華是神」。不論是約珥書的內容，或是舊約其他的經卷，都沒有提供任何資料讓我們知道這書寫作的時期。我同意學者David Hubbard的見解，按約珥書3:1-8的內容顯示，相信這是「被擄後」，在聖殿重建的時代的作品。換句話說，約珥應是活在哈該和撒迦利亞的時期(即主前500年或稍後)。

這裡的預言似是因那時一場極厲害的蝗蟲災害所觸發，藉此向以色列人發出「耶和華的日子」審判的預言。書中藉著黑暗與光明，毀滅與重建的預言，宣告神對列國的審判和復興以色列的信息。

對新約的信徒而言，書中最熟悉的經文莫過於2：28-32的一段，因為這正是使徒彼得在五旬節聖靈降臨的當天所傳的信息中所引用的，宣告基督耶穌已成就了的救恩。

約珥藉著目前（或剛發生）的自然災害來警告百姓：

  1. 這樣提到的是什麼自然的災殃？(1:4;參下註)
  2. 先知是向什麼人發出呼籲？他要求他們作什麼？(1:2-3)
  3. 為何先知稱他們為酒醉的人？他們要從什麼清醒過來？(1:5)
  4. 為何先知（在原文）稱這些蝗蟲為「國民」，為「軍隊」？(1:6;亦參箴30:27)
  5. 若是今天的人目睹（或經歷）這樣厲害的自然災害，他們一般會作出什麼反應？會怎樣處理？
  6. 為何先知呼籲他們（包括祭司、農夫和耕種的）要如處女一樣的哀號？(1:8-12)
  7. 似乎他們並沒有因此而哀號(因此需要先知的提醒)，那麼：
    1. 為何他們不哀號？
    2. 他們會怎樣看這些災害？
  8. 先知更針對祭司而說話(1:13-14)：
    1. 先知基本上吩咐祭司作什麼？
    2. 用意何在？
  9. 「耶和華的日子」(1:15-20)——「耶和華的日子臨近了」是重複俄巴底亞書15；西番雅書1:7;和以賽亞書13:6的話；這正是約珥時代百姓所熟悉的：
    1. 這蝗禍災情有多嚴重？(1:16-20)
    2. 為何先知以此來提醒他們「耶和華的日子臨近了」(1:15)
  10. 如果今天有非常的自然災禍發生，我們藉此來提醒世人：「耶和華的日子臨近了」，是否恰當？為什麼？
  11. 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼?你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?

註：「這裡論到蝗蟲的四個名詞……並非自然歷史四個種類，或蝗蟲生長的四個階段……其意思是：一批接一批的蝗蟲侵犯當地，全然的吃掉一切種植物。」(K&D,120-1)

Ⅴ. Meditative Reflection: The Day of the Lord (I)||Ⅴ. 靈修默想小篇：耶和華的日子(一)

"Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty." (Joel 1:15)

While we have no idea when the catastrophe of locust mentioned by Joel happened historically, based on 3:1-8 which mentions about the sins of Tyre and Sidon in participating in the carrying off the temple's treasures and the selling of the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greek, this points to Joel serving as prophet in the post-exilic period by which time, the "Day of the Lord" would be a familiar concept to God's people as many prophets have already foretold its nearness:

"The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head." (Obad. 15)

"Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited." (Zeph. 1:7)

"Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty." (Isa. 13:6).

In the book of Joel, the prophet, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, follows the traditions of these prophets in foretelling the Day of the Lord as a horrible time of destruction beginning with God's people, but consummated with the total destruction of the nations. However, Joel, unlike the other prophets, seizes the opportunity of a great destruction caused by a natural disaster to ask the people to awaken and to repent, using the magnitude of the current disaster to impress upon the people the even greater horror of the destruction they will face during that future judgement of God.

As we know, our Lord Jesus also talks about the Day of the Lord which marks His second coming, foretelling that it will be preceded by signs including: "great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Lk. 21:11)

Likewise, we should follow Joel's example in using the natural disasters that are occurring right before our eyes in growing magnitude and frequency to remind the world that indeed, the Day of the Lord is near and to call them to repentance before the sudden arrival of the Day of the Lord itself (Matt. 24:39, 43-44).

「哀哉!耶和華的日子臨近了。這日來到，好像毀滅從全能者來到。」(珥1:15)

約珥書所提到的那蝗災在歷史中無法查考到，但基於書中3:1-8的內容提到推羅、西頓和非利士人有份奪取聖殿的寶物和把猶大和耶路撒冷賣給希臘人的罪，我們可以知道約珥書是寫在被擄後的時代，也就是說，「耶和華的日子」是以色列人很熟悉的信息，不少先知也論到這日子快到了：

「耶和華降罰的日子臨近萬國。你怎樣行，他也必照樣向你行；你的報應必歸到你頭上。」(俄15)

「你要在主耶和華面前靜默無聲，因為耶和華的日子快到。耶和華已經預備祭物，將他的客分別為聖。」(番1:7)

「你們要哀號，因為耶和華的日子臨近了！這日來到，好像毀滅從全能者來到。」(賽13:6)

約珥先知在聖靈感動之下，像這些先知一樣，指出這日子是個毀滅的時刻，要臨到神的子民，最終卻成為列國的審判，全然毀滅他們。不過，約珥與這些先知不同之處是他把握著剛剛發生的蝗蟲之禍所帶來極厲害的毀壞，以此來喚醒百姓，叫他們悔改。若不悔改，恐怕就要面對更可怕「耶和華的日子」的審判，經歷更大的禍患。

我們的主耶穌在世時，也同樣論到這日子，並指出這日子臨到之先：「地要大大震動，多處必有饑荒、瘟疫，又有可怕的異象和大神蹟從天上顯現。」(路21:11)

故此，我們也當學習先知約珥的榜樣，在目睹今天不斷加劇的天災，如地震、海嘯、瘟疫等，趁機來提醒世人，「耶和華的日子近了」，呼籲他們要醒過來，及早悔改，免得那日子突然臨到時(太24:39,43-44)，就惟時已晚！

Ⅵ. A Time for Silence||Ⅵ. 靜默時刻

You have meditated much with your intellectual faculty today. Now have a moment of silence (the length is up to you, 5 or even 30 minutes), and ask God quietly, "Lord, is there any important message from you today that I might have missed? Show me, your servant is listening?"||今天你用了不少智力技能來默想。現在，就用一點時間靜下來（長、短由你決定：5或30分鐘），安靜地求問神，「主阿，有甚麼我忽略了的重要信息對我說？請說，僕人敬聽。」

Ⅶ. Supplication||Ⅶ. 代求

Use the following chart to cover people and ministries that you want to remember before the Lord:||除為自己有所求外 (在你禱告簿一一記下所求的，作蒙神應允時的對照) ，請填寫以下為人或事工代禱表格：
  Your Family||家人 Other People||其他人 Church Ministries||教會事工 Other Ministries||其他機構 City & World||本市及普世 Others||其他
SUN||星期日            
MON||星期一            
TUE||星期二            
WED||星期三            
THU||星期四            
FRI||星期五            
SAT||星期六            

Ⅷ. Benediction||Ⅷ. 祝福

"May your goodness, Lord, appear to us, that we, made in your image, conform ourselves to it." Amen. (Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)

「主阿，願祢向我們顯出祢的美善，好讓我們這按著祢形像所造的，能活出祢的樣式。」阿們。(Bernard of Clairvaux,1090-1153)

Typo Report