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Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Proverbs 19 箴言 19

Thursday, 19th October 2023

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon 潘錫安牧師

V1-13 Leave Evil Act Good 離惡行善

V1-2 “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet.” Our actions are important, we need to make sure about actions are right. Why do we make actions? God created us have body, soul and spirit, they cannot be separated and they affect each other. When our action is right, it also mean our spirit and soul are right, on the other hand, when our heart doesn’t have a ruler, it will not be right. Proverbs 19 talks about Solomon’s life, he realised where his life problem was. The poor may not have much, but his right action will be better than those who are rich but act wickedly.

V1-2 「行為純正的貧窮人，勝過乖謬愚妄的富足人。 心無知識的乃為不善，腳步急快的難免犯罪。」我們的行為很重要，我們需要確保行為是正確的。神創造我們有靈、魂、體，它們不能分開，而且互相影響。當我們的行為對時，也意味著我們的靈和魂是對的，反之，當我們的內心沒有尺時，我們的行為就不會對。箴言19章講到所羅門的一生，他體認到自己人生的問題出在哪裡。窮人可能沒有很多，但他的正確行為會比那些富有但行為邪惡的人更好。

V3 “The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the Lord.” When our lives are not prepared, when our heart and soul are not right, we may do a lot and we may seem successful, but at the end our actions will lead us to death, to be separated from God. The foolishness is those who don’t see God as God. Why so many people come across problems in life? Because their hearts are not right, they didn’t really follow God. We must stop complaining to God, stop questioning God, because when we do, we see our problems in life bigger than God.

V3「 人的愚昧傾敗他的道，他的心也抱怨耶和華。」當我們的生命不對時，當我們的心和靈不對時，我們可能做了很多事情，看起來很成功，但最終我們的行為將導致我們死亡，與神分離。愚眛的是那些不把神視為神的人。為什麼很多人在生活中都會遇到問題呢？因為他們的心不對，所以他們沒有真正跟隨神。我們必須停止抱怨，停止質疑神，因為當我們這樣做時，我們會看生命中的問題比神更大。

V4 “Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.” We don’t speak our hearts, we make lies and excuses, our souls are not right, and God wants us to leave evil and to act right. When we help others, do we really do it out of our hearts? Or do we only want people to recognise us? When we help others, we should not only listen to them but also help them to go back to the path God has for them. It’s not about us teaching them and telling them what to do, but guide them to see the problems of their lives, to repent, and to seek God.

V4「財物使朋友增多，但窮人，朋友遠離。」我們不說出自己的心，我們編造謊言和藉口，我們的靈魂不對，神希望我們遠離惡事，行為正直。當我們幫助別人的時候，我們真的是發自內心的嗎？還是我們只是想讓人們認同我們？當我們幫助別人時，我們不僅要傾聽他們的意見，還要幫助他們回到神為他們安排的道路上。這不只是我們教導他們、告訴他們該做什麼，而是引導他們看到生命中的問題，自發的悔改並尋求神。

What is our priority in lives? When we come across problems, when our souls are broken, no one can help us, only God can mend our broken souls. We should not think that we can help others to mend their souls, because we are not God, we only need to guide people to God, and let them seek God themselves. When we are unwell, we need to see doctor; when people come to us, we need to help them to see God, why they live in depression? The Bible talks about life and hope, why can’t they see it? It doesn’t mean that we should not help people anymore. How we help is for people to see God, to become the priest for God, guide people to Him not to ourselves. Many Christians don’t seem to have God in life, we thought we can help them, but we become their God. We must have this awareness, to really know who we are and where we stand.

我們生活中的優先次序是什麼？當我們遇到問題的時候，當我們的心受傷的時候，沒有人能完全幫助我們，只有神能恢復醫治我們破碎的靈魂。我們不該以為自己可以幫助別人修復靈魂，因為我們不是神，我們只需要引導人歸向神，讓他們經歷神。當我們身體不適時，我們需要去看醫生；當人們來到我們這裡時，我們需要幫助他們看見神，為什麼人生活在憂鬱中？聖經講生命和盼望，為什麼他們看不見呢？這並不意味著我們不應該再幫助別人。我們如何幫助人們看見神，成為神的祭司，引導人們歸向神而不是歸向自己。許多基督徒的生命中似乎沒有神，我們以為我們可以幫助他們，但我們卻成了他們的神。我們必須有這種意識，才能真正了解我們是誰以及我們的角色。

V11 “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.” We are easily offended, words people say can easily make us upset. Do we know who we are? Can we really face our true life? It’s never about others but our hearts, when our hearts are right then we won’t feel so easily offended anymore. When our hearts are right, we will no longer see others as our enemies.

V11「人有見識就不輕易發怒，寬恕人的過失便是自己的榮耀。」我們很容易被冒犯，別人說的話很容易讓我們心煩意亂。我們知道自己是誰嗎？我們真的能面對自己真實的生命嗎？重要的不是別人，而是我們的心，當我們的心對的時候，我們就不會那麼容易被冒犯了。當我們的心正確時，我們就不會再將別人視為我們的敵人。

V14-20 Receive Teaching 接受教導

V14 “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, he can’t even see half of them in one year! How empty his life must have been? Why did he have so many wives? Because no one can truely please him! Then he realised that only God can give him a prudent and wise wife, who understands God and fear God, who can help her husband to also fear God. Solomon’s wives and concubines could not help him, they even made Solomon to

build many altars for their idols. This is the failure of Solomon, and it came from his wives.

V14「房屋錢財是祖宗所遺留的，唯有賢惠的妻是耶和華所賜的。」所羅門有一千個妻妾，他一年內連一半的妻都見不到！他的生活該有多空虛？他為什麼有這麼多妻妾？因為沒有人能夠真正讓他滿足！他這才意識到，只有神能給他一個聰明、有智慧、認識神、敬畏神的妻子，幫助她的丈夫也敬畏神。所羅門的妻妾們都幫不了他，甚至要求所羅門為她們的偶像建造許多祭壇。這是所羅門的失敗，是從他的妻子們帶來的。

V16 “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” We need companions, Paul did not walk alone, even Jesus did not walk alone, He had His twelve disciples. God gave us marriage, and a church family. Do we see the companions God gave to us? Do we build up each other and help each other to walk in the path of God? Do we treasure everyone God put in our lives to help us walk in the Way given by God? When we walk our own ways, then we will leave God and see ourselves as god. When we are willing to receive teaching, then we can live on this earth as it is in heaven. We will be able to overcome all the difficulties and walk in the Way of God.

V16「謹守誡命的保全生命，輕忽己路的必致死亡。」我們需要同伴，保羅不是獨自行走，甚至耶穌也不是獨自行走，他有十二個門徒。神給了我們婚姻和教會。我們看到神賜給我們的同伴了嗎？我們是否互相造就、互相幫助，走在神的路上？我們是否珍惜神放在我們生命中幫助我們走神所賜道路的每一個人？當我們走自己的路時，我們就會離開神，把自己視為神。當我們願意接受教導時，我們就可以活出在地如在天的生命。我們能夠克服一切困難，走在神的道路上。

Let us look up to Heaven, to gather treasures in Heaven, do not be a debtor, to expect our offering has something in return. If we always expect to have something in return, we will feel hurt, we will feel disappointed, and we will hide in the cave. We don’t want to be hurt, so we choose not to interact. We think that when we don’t serve others then we will not feel hurt. When our heart is not right then we will always have an expectation. In family, in church, in relationship… when our focus is not in God, we will easily feel hurt, but when we keep our eyes on God, He will vindicate for us, we are the rich not the poor, can we really see this?

讓我們仰望天，讓我們聚寶在天，不要成為追債的人，整天期望我們的付出有回報。如果我們總是期望得到一些回報，我們就會感到受傷，我們會感到失望，我們就會躲進山洞裡。我們不想受到傷害，所以我們選擇不與別人互動。我們以為，當我們不服事他人時，我們就不會受到傷害。當我們的心不正時，我們就會一直抱持著期待。在家庭、在教會、在人際關係中……當我們的焦點不在神身上時，我們很容易感到受傷，但當我們定睛仰望神時，他會為我們伸冤，我們是富人不是窮人，我們真的能看到嗎？

V21-29 Align with God 與神對齊

V23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil.” We must align with God, because when we don’t, we will feel burdens and be filled with bitterness and worries. If we do t align with God then we cannot receive teaching and we cannot experience God. We must help people to repent, to breakthrough problems in life, and to turn back to God. This is our ultimate goal, to align with God, to turn to God. When we don’t turn to God then we will turn to this world, then the problems in our lives will be never ending. God wants us to live a healthy life, to let the fresh water flow through our lives. The words from our mouth should be full of life, not complaints, not criticisms, not bitter words. Let us return back to God and live in His blessings.

V23「敬畏耶和華的得著生命，他必恆久知足，不遭禍患。」我們必須與神對齊，因為如果不這樣做，我們就會感到負擔、苦毒和憂慮。如果我們不與神對齊，那麼我們就無法接受教導，也無法經歷神。我們必須幫助人們悔改，突破生活中的問題，並回轉歸向神。這是我們的最終目標，與神對齊，轉向神。當我們不轉向神時，我們就會轉向這個世界，那麼我們生活中的問題將永無止境。神希望我們過著健康的生活，讓活水江河湧流在我們的生命中。我們口中的話語應該充滿生命力，而不是抱怨，不是批評，不是尖酸刻薄的話。讓我們回到神身邊，活在祂的祝福中。