『歸耶和華為聖』(15)：「至於我和我家」

“Holiness Unto The Lord” (15): “As for me and my house”

背誦經文:若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好，今日就可以選擇所要事奉的：是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢？是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢？至於我和我家，我們必定事奉耶和華。 (書24:15)

Memory Verse: And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Jos 24:15)

A. 一個不能忽視的問題 ─ 「誰是我的主？」，「我在事奉誰？」

A question we must not overlook - “Who is my lord?”, “Whom am I serving”

• 一個人不能事奉兩個主；不是惡這個、愛那個，就是重這個、輕那個。你們不能又事奉 神，又事奉瑪門 (太6:24)

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Mat 6:24)

• 當拜主－你的　神，單要事奉祂(太4:10)

‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ (Mat 4:10)

B. 是個不斷需要面對的揀選

An inevitable choice one must choose repeatedly

• 若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好，今日就可以選擇所要事奉的：是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢？是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢？ (書24:15a)

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. (Jos 24:15)

C. 約書亞堅定的心願與榜樣

The steadfastness of Joshua’s heart and his example

a. 真心的事奉－『把 神當 神』(Let God Be God)

Serve Him sincerely - “Let God Be God”

你們要敬畏耶和華，誠心實意地事奉祂…(24:14a)…要除掉你們中間的外邦神，專心歸向耶和華…(24:23)

Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth… (24:14a)... “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” (24:23)

2. 全家的事奉

Service of the whole household

至於我和我家，我們必定事奉耶和華(書24:15b)

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Jos 24:15b)

3. 「傳承」的重要 (士2:7, 10-15)

The criticality of passing on the baton

約書亞在世和約書亞死後，那些見耶和華為以色列人所行大事的長老還在的時候，百姓都事奉耶和華。 (士2:7)…10 那世代的人也都歸了自己的列祖。後來有別的世代興起，不知道耶和華，也不知道耶和華為以色列人所行的事。11 以色列人行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，去事奉諸巴力， 12 離棄了領他們出埃及地的耶和華…去叩拜別神，就是四圍列國的神，惹耶和華發怒… 14 耶和華的怒氣向以色列人發作，就把他們交在…四圍仇敵的手中，甚至他們在仇敵面前再不能站立得住。 15 他們無論往何處去，耶和華都以災禍攻擊他們…他們便極其困苦。(士2:10-15)

⁷ So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. (Judges 2:7)...¹⁰ When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; ¹² and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. ¹⁴ And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them... so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. ¹⁵ Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity.... And they were greatly distressed. (Judges 2:10-15)