弟兄姊妹平安，我們今天的讀經進度是《申命記》第五章下半段，關於十誡的後六誡。
昨天我們提到的內容，是十誡的前四誡，關於上帝與人之間關係的闡述，這也是我們價值觀的根基以及信仰的源頭。接下來的第五到第十誡是關於人際關係、社會與國家的基本原則。讓我們思考，當時上帝為何用這麼簡潔的語言傳達這些誡命。當時的以色列人沒有多少書寫工具，因此只有兩塊石版。想想看，不可能把很多法律都鏤刻在石版上，所以上帝將這些教導簡化，讓即使是小孩子也能背誦。這樣做的目的，是為了讓重要的教義易於記憶、易於傳承。這裡頭的每一字都包含了深厚的意義，這是一個非常重要的教育原則：總原則的傳達不需複雜。
讓我們來細看第五誡：“尊敬你的父母，使你得福並且在地上長壽。”家庭是社會的基本單位，在這裡，家庭觀念的重要性不言而喻。我們可以看到，這些誡命中有兩條與家庭直接相關：第一，孝敬父母；第二，不可姦淫。這些都是守護人生中至關重要的關係：我們的親子關係以及夫妻關係的原則。
而且，其實當我們明白「孝順」這件事情的真正重要性時，我們會發現很多時候它並非單單指的是行為，更是一種心態。如果我們僅僅是將錢交給母親，並認為這樣我們就履行了孝道，而忽略了用心關心父母，不去考慮父母的感受和需求，那麼我們是否真的做到了「孝」呢？因為這裡提到的是「尊敬你的父母」（Honor your father and mother）。在中國文化中，所謂的「光宗耀祖」，意指讓父母感到榮光，這代表著你要成為一個有成就、有道德的人。對父母而言，如果他們的兒女能成為一個有用、有道德的人，這無疑比給予他們金錢更加重要。
接下來，關於第六誡「不可殺人」，在英文中的表達更為精準，即「Thou shalt not murder」。我們將來會另外設立一個專題來深入探討殺人這個課題。雖然這裡提到不可殺人，但是在聖經中也提及了殺人的例子與標準。我們必須明白，上帝擁有公義的權柄；因此，祂在地上也有行使公義的方式。我們將在未來的講道中，專門探討這個議題。這裡所說的是不可謀殺，不可因為某種刻意的原因而犯下殺戮。
我們會注意到，其實大部分的矛盾和衝突的主因都與貪念有關，無論是貪物、貪財，或是貪求權力，甚至是貪戀別人的配偶，這些都源於貪念。因此，在探討人性中最根本的劣根性時，貪念無疑是其中的核心。我們在財務講座中提到，貪財是人性最大的弱點。
在《提摩太前書》六章十節中，提到“貪財是萬惡之根”。貪戀財富會導致無數的罪惡。而在《腓立比書》四章十一節，保羅告訴我們，無論在什麼情況下，都應當知足。學會知足是對抗貪念的關鍵。當我們知足，並感謝上帝給予我們的恩典時，我們便能解決許多問題。至少，我們可以控制自己的生活，儘可能遠離貪念。
接下來，第八誡告訴我們“不可偷盜”，第九誡是“不可作假見證陷害人”，第十誡則是“不可貪戀人的妻子，不可貪圖人的房屋等等”。你會發現，偷竊和作假見證都源於貪念。而貪念則是導致人類政治衝突和戰爭的根本原因。我們應該思考，幾乎所有戰爭背後都有經濟因素的影響。有哪場戰爭是純粹只為了正義而發動的呢？實際上，當你觀察每一個國家發動戰爭的目的，不外乎是為了搶奪資源，獲取更多的財富。無論理由聽起來多麼正當，背後的動機往往都是為了獲得更多的資源和財富。
因此，貪財，即對財富的貪戀，是人類共同的弱點，也是引起罪行的根源。關於這一點，在我們的財務講座中，我將特別分享和加以強調。
當我們探討十誡背後的精神和動機時，我們發現其核心目的都是為了保護和照顧人與神的關係，以及人與人之間的關係。因為一旦我們忽視了這些關係，缺乏基本的法律和彼此間的保護，社會便會失去平安，陷入動盪，甚至戰爭。如果缺失了正確的價值觀，我們的行為就會變得任意妄為，這正是亂世和人罪性的開端。
讓我們認真思考世界以及其背後所代表的涵義，你將會明白，上帝的心是充滿慈愛與信實的。讓我們一同來思考十誡背後的深層含義。明天，我們結束申命記第五章的討論，透過其中上帝告訴我們的律法含義與應許。接著，我們將進入第六章，繼續探討律法的奇妙智慧。再次感謝大家的聆聽，我是馬克。
Peace to you, brothers and sisters, our scripture reading today progresses to the second half of Deuteronomy chapter five, concerning the last six of the Ten Commandments.
Yesterday, we discussed the first four commandments, which explicate the relationship between God and humanity. This is the foundation of our values and the source of our faith. The next commandments, from the fifth to the tenth, are about the basic principles of interpersonal relationships, society, and state governance. Let us consider why God chose to convey these commandments in such concise language. The Israelites of that time had few writing tools, hence only two stone tablets. Think about it, it was impossible to engrave numerous laws onto the tablets, so God simplified His teachings so that even children could memorize them. This was done to make the essential doctrines easily memorable and transmissible. Every word here contains profound significance, embodying a vital educational principle: the fundamental principles need not be complex.
Let's take a closer look at the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land." The family is the fundamental unit of society, and here, the significance of the family concept is self-evident. We see that two of these commandments are directly related to the family: firstly, honoring one's parents; and secondly, the prohibition of adultery. These are the principles of the most crucial relationships in life: our filial ties and the marital bond.
"And, in fact, when we understand the true importance of "filial piety," we will find that many times it is not just about actions but also a mindset. If we simply give money to our mother and father and believe that we have fulfilled our filial duty, while neglecting to genuinely care for our parents, not considering their feelings and needs, have we truly practiced "filial piety"? Because here it mentions "Honor your father and mother." In Chinese culture, the concept of "honor your ancestors" means bringing honor to one's parents, signifying that you should become a accomplished and morally upright person. For parents, having their children become useful and moral individuals is undoubtedly more important than providing them with money.
Next, regarding the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not murder" is a more precise expression in English. We will set up a separate topic in the future to delve deeper into the subject of murder. Although it mentions "do not murder" here, the Bible also discusses examples and standards of murder. We must understand that God possesses the authority of justice, and therefore, He exercises justice on earth as well. We will focus on this topic specifically in future sermons. What is being stated here is the prohibition against premeditated murder, not taking a life for deliberate reasons."
"Moving forward, the eighth commandment tells us, "Thou shalt not steal," the ninth commandment is, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," and the tenth commandment is, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's." You will notice that theft and false witness both stem from greed. And greed is the fundamental cause of political conflicts and wars among humans. We should reflect upon this: Is there any war purely waged for justice? In reality, when you examine the motives behind every nation's decision to go to war, it often boils down to seizing resources and acquiring more wealth. No matter how justifiable the reasons may sound, the underlying motivation is often to gain more resources and wealth.
Therefore, the love of money, the greed for wealth, is the most common weakness among humanity and the root of many sins. I will emphasize this point in our financial seminars.
When we delve into the spirit and motives behind the Ten Commandments, we discover that their core purpose is to protect and nurture the relationship between humans and God, as well as relationships among individuals. When we disregard these relationships, lack basic laws, and protection for one another, society loses its peace, falls into turmoil, and may even lead to war. Without proper values, our actions become arbitrary, leading to chaos and the beginning of human sinfulness.
Let us ponder the meaning of the world and what it represents, and you will understand that God's heart is filled with love and faithfulness. Thank you all for listening. Let us together contemplate the deeper meanings behind the Ten Commandments. Tomorrow, we will conclude our discussion of Deuteronomy chapter five, exploring the law's significance and promises as revealed by God. Next, we will move into chapter six, continuing to explore the wonderful wisdom of the law. Once again, thank you all for listening.
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