民数记［第三十二章］
Book of Numbers 32
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民数记 第三十二章|Book of Numbers 32【这样就很好了吗？】
09/05/2024
引言：鸡和鸟
一、肉眼所见：真的很好？（V1-15）
1.肉眼所见使人瞎眼（V1-5）
神使以色列民与米甸人的战役中掳获许多的牛羊和财物，并分配给每个支派。流便与迦得支派看到雅谢地和基列地这一大片肥沃的草原，非常适合他们众多的牲畜，因此决定停留下来建家园，所以来见摩西，要求不要领他们过约但河。意思就是放弃进入神赐的应许之地。
弟兄姐妹，当人处丰富时，眼睛看到的是什么非常重要。如果我们只定睛在丰富的资源上，就会像流便与迦得的子孙，容易陷入自满。掉入属灵的瞎眼。我们会忘记所处的丰富都是来自神，也会开始对神的事斤斤计较，不愿为神的国来付代价了。
2.警戒不要历史重演（V6-15）
摩西听到了这两个支派提出放弃进入迦南时，感到非常的生气。摩西严厉的警戒他们不要让历史重演，惹神愤怒，再次使以色列人被撇在旷野灭亡。
弟兄姐妹，我们会不会也跟流便与迦得的子孙一样，总觉得教会的事，让其他人去服事吧。传福音，社区探访，我难得星期六可以休息，让别人去吧。我们是否采取各人自扫门前雪的态度，满足于仅仅得救，满足于自己不需灭亡，不管身边人的死活？让地狱里的人数继续增添呢？
小结：
肉眼所见的不但不是最好，反而常常拦阻人进到神应许的心意里。求神开启我们属灵的心眼。让我们处在丰富中，做选择时是透过属灵的心眼去明白神的心意。
一、选择次好：这样就好？（V16-24）
1.折衷不是良策（V16-19）
摩西严厉的责备并没有使迦得与流便的子孙回心转意。反而提出了妥协的折衷建议。就是把牲畜、妇人孩子留在约旦河东。但向摩西保证，他们的男丁会带头和其他的支派并肩作战，直到其他支派全部定居在迦南地为止。
这个聪明的建议在人看起来是两全其美，但却不是神的心意。人在属灵的事上愚昧，常是因为在属地的事上太聪明了。求神除灭我们属地的小聪明！
2.允许不是应许（V20-24）
摩西听了他们的建议，看到他们一意孤行，也就允许把约旦河东给了他们。 允许不是应许。当他们选择放弃神所赐的应许之地，就预表离开了神的保护遮盖，容易被仇敌攻击和自食其果。
罗得逃离所多玛时不愿去到神所应许的山上去。选择逃到附近的小城琐珥。虽然被允许了，但圣经记载，接下来他的2个女儿便与父亲犯起乱伦的罪。生下了摩押和亚们（之后成为以色列的敌人）。希西家王在神允许中多得了15年的寿命，但这15年对他和犹大来说都是祸不是福。
让我们准确的拣选神的应许，而不是允许。因为，神的‘应许’是上好，神的‘允许’却只是次好。
二、坚持次好：是祸是福？（V25-42）
V30摩西交代，如果两个支派没有履行诺言，就不能得着约旦河东，但是却能在迦南地以色列百姓中间得产业。目的是要重申约旦河西才是神给他们的应许之地。但是很可惜的是，这已经被眼目情欲给蒙蔽的支派，最终还是坚持选择次好。
坚持选择次好的负面影响有哪些？
1.会推卸责任（V25，27，31）
从头到尾都是他们所建议的，现在却转过来说会照摩西和神所吩咐的去行。
弟兄很喜欢姐妹。自己印证是神要给的伴侣。纵然组长提醒，最终自己的欲望还是高过神的旨意。结婚后婚姻不幸福，转过来怪神，也怪组长为什么当初还来他的婚礼祝福他？
2.家庭受损伤（V26）
v17提到这地方并不是很安全，因此需要建造坚固城来保护妇人孩子。但迦得与流便的子孙坚持要把妻子和孩子留在河东，自己去打仗，好像是为了家人着想。其实是觉得带着他们打仗很不方便，不想被拖累。
当丈夫和父亲长时间不在家，对妻子和孩子都会带来许多负面的影响。缺席爸爸影响孩子的人际关系，长大后与伴侣、亲子的关系，扭曲的家庭价值观等。
此外，把孩子留在河东让他们缺少了面对敌人的经历。这也是为什么当亚述来攻击他们时，很容易就被打败掳走。
3.绊倒软弱的（V33）
原本只是迦得与流便的子孙，现在怎么多了玛拿西半个支派？
虽说人堕落的本性很容易被属世的事物和贪欲所诱惑。但耶稣说：“绊倒人的事是免不了的，但那绊倒人的有祸了！”
当我们选择比较容易走的路时，其实很容易绊倒别人。就如玛拿西半个支派一样被他们绊倒。
4.失人生目标（V32-33）
当我么舍弃神的应许而坚持己见时，我们会逐渐失去人生的目标。像玛拿西半个支派那样被世界牵着鼻子走。弟兄姐妹，在世上你的脚步是跟随神还是跟随群众？
5. 再好也枉然（V34-42）
这一大段经文提到2个支派都得了非常多肥沃的土地。玛拿西也起来攻取基列，赶出那里的亚摩利人。一切都好想非常理想。但是当人放弃神的应许，选择次好的后果就是，人所谓的再好也是枉然的。
代上5，他们很快与外族人混合，随从他们的神行邪淫。在以色列国亡时，他们是最早被亚述掳走俘虏的。
总结：不失应许得最好
让我们不要满足于这样就很好了。而是竭力追求神所应许最上好的福分。
Numbers 32 Is this really good enough?
GK611 Morning Devotion
9 May 2024
The Morning Devotion Speaker: Ps Deborah
Introduction: Chickens and Birds
1. What you see with the naked eye: really good? (v1-15)
1) What the naked eye sees blinds (v1-5)
God caused the Israelites to capture many cattle, sheep and property in the battle with the Midianites, and distributed them to each tribe. The tribes of Reuben and Gad saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead, a large fertile grassland, was very suitable for their numerous livestock, so they decided to stay and build homes. So they came to Moses and asked not to lead them across the Jordan River. It means giving up entering the promised land given by God.
Brothers and sisters, when you are surrounded by abundance, what your eyes see is very important. If we only focus on our abundant resources, we will be like the descendants of Reuben and Gad and easily fall into complacency. Fall into spiritual blindness. We will forget that the riches we live in all come from God, and we will begin to care less about God’s things and be unwilling to pay the price for the kingdom of God.
2) Be careful not to let history repeat itself (v6-15)
When Moses heard that these two tribes were proposing to give up entering Canaan, he was very angry. Moses sternly warned them not to let history repeat itself and provoke God’s wrath, causing the Israelites to be left to perish in the wilderness again.
Brothers and sisters, will we also be like the descendants of Reuben and Gad? Who always feel that church matters should be served by others. Preaching the gospel and visiting communities, I rarely have a Saturday off and let others do it. Do we adopt the attitude of everyone cleaning up their own affairs, content with just being saved, satisfied that we do not need to perish, regardless of the life and death of those around us? Let the number of people in hell continue to increase?
Summary：
Not only is what the naked eye sees not the best, but it often prevents people from entering into the heart of God’s promises. Ask God to open our spiritual eyes. Let us be in abundance and understand God’s will through spiritual eyes when making choices.
2. Choose the second best: Is this good enough? (v16-24)
1) Compromise is not a good plan (v16-19)
Moses’ harsh rebuke did not change the minds of the descendants of Gad and Reuben. Instead, compromise proposals were made. They left their livestock, women and children at east of the Jordan River. But promised Moses that their males would take the lead and fight alongside the other tribes until all the other tribes settled in the land of Canaan.
This clever suggestion may seem like the best of both worlds to humans, but it is not God’s intention. People are foolish in spiritual things because they are too smart in earthly things. Ask God to destroy our earthly cleverness!
2) Permission is not a promise (v20-24)
Moses listened to their suggestions and saw that they were determined to have their own way, so he agreed to give them the east side of the Jordan River. Permission is not a promise. When they choose to give up the promised land given by God, it typifies that they have left God's protection and are easily attacked by the enemy and reap the consequences.
Example: When Lot fled Sodom, he did not want to go to the mountain that God had promised. He chose to flee to the nearby town of Zoar. Although it was allowed, the Bible records that his two daughters subsequently committed incest with their father. Gave birth to Moab and Ammon (later enemies of Israel). King Hezekiah gained 15 more years of life with God's permission, but these 15 years were neither a blessing for him nor Judah.
Let us choose God's promises accurately, not permission. Because God’s ‘promise’ is the best, but God’s ‘permission’ is only the second best.
3. Insisting on the second best: Is it a curse or a blessing? (v25-42)
V30 Moses explained that if the two tribes failed to fulfil their promises, they would not be able to obtain the east side of the Jordan River, but they would be able to inherit the promised land among the Israelites in the land of Canaan. The purpose was to reiterate that west of the Jordan River was God's promised land to them. But it is a pity that these tribes, which had been blinded by the lust of their eyes, finally insisted on choosing the second best.
What are the negative consequences of insisting on choosing the second best?
1) Will shirk responsibility (v25, 27, 31)
It had been their choice from beginning to end, but now they turned around and said they would do what Moses and God commanded.
There was a brother who likes sister very much. He reckons her as the partner God wants to give him. Even though the cell leader reminded him, in the end his own desires were still higher than God’s will. When he gets unhappy in his marriage, he turns to blame God and the cell leader for why he came to bless him at his wedding in the first place?
2) Family damage (v26)
v17 mentions that this place is not very safe, so a fortified city needs to be built to protect women and children. But the children of Gad and Reuben insisted on leaving their wives and children at the east of the river and going to fight on their own, as if for the sake of their families. In fact, they felt that it is inconvenient to take them to fight, and they didn’t want to be dragged down. When husbands and fathers are away from home for long periods of time, it has many negative impacts on wives and children. Absent fathers affect children’s interpersonal relationships, relationships with partners when they grow up, parents and children relationship, distorted family values, etc.
In addition, leaving the children in East of the Jordan deprived them of the experience of facing the enemy. This is why when Assyria came to attack them, they were easily defeated and taken captive.
3) Offend the weak (v33)
Originally, they were only the descendants of Gad and Reuben, but now there is half a tribe of Manasseh?
Although man's fallen nature is easily tempted by worldly things and greed. But Jesus said, “It is inevitable that things will offend others, but woe to him who offends them!” When we choose the easier path, we can easily trip up others. They stumbled like half the tribe of Manasseh. Let us not be the one who offend the weak.
4) Losing the goal of life (v32-33)
When we abandon the promises of God and insist on our own opinions, we gradually lose the purpose of life. Like half the tribe of Manasseh, they were led by the world.
Brothers and sisters, are you following God or following the crowd in this world?
5) No matter how good it is, it’s all in vain (v34-42)
This long passage mentions that both tribes received a lot of fertile land. Manasseh also rose up and took Gilead, driving out the Amorites there. Everything is ideal. But when people give up on God’s promises and choose the second best, the consequence is that no matter how good they are, it will be in vain.
In 1 Chronicles 5, they soon mixed with the foreigners and followed their gods to commit sexual immorality. They were the first to be taken captive by Assyria when the nation of Israel fell.
Conclusion: The best is achieved without losing the promise
Let us not settle for just that. Rather, strive to pursue the best blessings God has promised.
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