今天我們的讀經進度是申命記第八章的第10至20節。昨天我們討論了上帝是用管教兒子的心去管教以色列人，同樣地，上帝以愛的方式對待我們如同他的孩子一樣。上帝賜給我們一切，讓我們能夠吃得飽足。
然而，今天我們要談論的是當我們過於舒適、過於安逸時，這可能導致我們的失敗。在第14節中，警告我們不要心高氣傲，忘記了耶和華我們的神。這提醒我們人類的第二個弱點，就是驕傲。當我們生活得幸福時，豐衣足食，有房有車，我們可能會陷入怠惰的思維，以為一切都是理所當然的，不再需要上帝的幫助。正如第17節所說，我們不應該以為是自己的力量和能力取得的成就，人最危險的事情之一就是忘記感恩。
今天的社會中，我們所做的一切都需要依賴眾多人的協助。現今的人很少自己種田、自己種植食物，很少人會自己修車，也很少人會自己製作家具或其他物品。今天的社會高度互相聯繫，高度互相依賴，我們的社會一直依賴著彼此的關係。這也是所謂的信任。社會上的信任是非常關鍵的，失去信任的社會是可怕的。在新冠肺炎疫情期間，我們看到人們之間的信任減少，人們害怕傳染、害怕各種事情，這導致了關係的疏遠和破碎。即使疫情過去，這些關係也沒有恢復，這對整個社會都是危險的。
同樣地，我們的與上帝的關係也需要信任。當我們的價值觀沒有建立在上帝的話語、真理和正確的基礎上時，我們就在疏遠上帝，我們就在疏遠真理。當我們遠離真理的時候，所得到的還能是什麼呢？儘管信任對我們來說可能有點抽象，但它非常真實，也是社會建立的基礎之一。
第19節，上帝警告他們，若忘記耶和華你們的神，隨從別神並事奉敬拜，必導致滅亡。有人或許會評論說，看起來好像這句話太嚴厲了，聽話的人得救，不聽話的就會被處死，上帝不就是個暴君嗎？真的是這樣嗎？這就是讀經的時候斷章取義，你就沒有辦法正確理解，而且會錯過重要的資訊。我們需要仔細讀這句話，加上聖經的總原則。當我們深入思考這句話時，我們會發現上帝所做的是發出一個極為重要的警告。
首先，如果我們忘記了神並隨從別神，這裡的別神並不僅僅指宗教上的神祇。它也可能指的是追逐金錢、權力、或其他物質的欲望。當我們將這些世俗的事物視為生活的中心，並以它們為主宰，我們便在事奉它們。這樣的時刻，這些事物成為了我們的主人，而不是我們以上帝為中心的生活方式。在我們的課程中，我們提到金錢是最好的僕人，但也是最壞的主人。當人們將金錢視為主宰時，他們可能失去了人性，不擇手段地追求利益，甚至可能傷害他人，甚至出賣自己的靈魂。我們可以在許多例子中看到這種情況，例如那些販毒、販賣軍火、詐騙集團，以傷害他人為手段發財的人，或者那些深陷貪污之中的人，他們實際上將金錢視為他們的上帝。
所以所謂的滅亡並不是上帝會來滅亡我們，而是這些人會自取滅亡。我們都看到了，當把金錢、地位等世俗之物視為上帝時，隨之而來的是自己的滅亡，自身靈魂的滅亡。耶穌在新約中也警告我們，即使賺得全世界，如果失去了靈魂，又有什麼益處呢？在財務講座中，我們特別強調我們只是暫時被托管管理一切的管家，而不是真正的擁有者。當我們的呼吸停止，心跳停止，一切都不再屬於我們。
因此，上帝在這裡的警告不是出於暴政，而是因為祂關心我們，不希望看到我們偏離正道走向毀滅。上帝是願意讓所有人得救的神。
今天我們分享的是第八章，明天我們將開始講述第九章，關於以色列人的故事，以色列人被上帝揀選，跟他們做過什麼好事無關，完全是上帝主權的揀選。明天，我們將繼續研讀第九章。感謝各位的聆聽。
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today, our reading progress is Deuteronomy chapter 8, verses 10 to 20. Yesterday, we discussed how God disciplines His children, and He does the same for the Israelites. We emphasized that God treats us with love. God has provided us with everything we need to eat and be satisfied.
However, today, we will talk about the danger of becoming too comfortable and complacent, which can lead to our downfall. In verse 14, we are warned not to become proud and forget the Lord our God. This reminds us of another human weakness, which is pride. When we live in comfort, with an abundance of food, homes, and possessions, we may fall into the trap of laziness and take everything for granted, thinking we no longer need God's help. As mentioned in verse 17, we should not think that our achievements are solely the result of our own strength and abilities. One of the most dangerous things a person can do is to forget to be grateful.
In today's society, we rely on the assistance of many others for everything we do. Few people today farm their own food or repair their own vehicles. Our society is highly interconnected and interdependent, relying on relationships with one another. This is what we call trust. Trust in society is crucial, and a society that loses trust is a fearful one. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw trust diminish as people became fearful of contagion and various other concerns. This led to distancing and the breaking of relationships. Even after the pandemic passed, these relationships were not repaired, which is dangerous for society as a whole.
Similarly, our relationship with God also requires trust. When our values are not built on God's word, truth, and the right foundation, we distance ourselves from God and truth. When we move away from truth, what do we gain? While trust may seem abstract, it is very real and a foundation of society.
In verse 19, God warns us that if we forget the Lord our God, follow other gods, and serve and worship them, it will lead to destruction. Someone might comment that this sounds severe – those who obey will be saved, and those who don't will be put to death. Is God a tyrant? Is that really the case? It's important not to take this verse out of context and consider the overall principles of the Bible. When we deeply contemplate this verse, we'll realize that God is issuing a crucial warning.
Firstly, if we forget God and follow other gods, these "other gods" don't necessarily refer to religious deities alone. It can also mean chasing after desires for money, power, or other material pursuits. When we make these worldly things the center of our lives and serve them, they become our masters, rather than having God at the center of our lives. In our courses, we emphasize that money is the best servant but the worst master. When people treat money as their master, they may lose their humanity and resort to any means to earn money, even harming others or selling their own souls. We can see many examples of this, such as drug traffickers, arms dealers, those who profit from harming others, and those deeply involved in corruption – they essentially sell their souls for money.
So, what we call destruction is not something God will bring upon us, but rather, it is something that people bring upon themselves. We've seen it when people start to treat money, power, or other worldly pursuits as their gods; what follows is their self-destruction. Jesus warned us in the New Testament, even if one gains the whole world, what good is it if they lose their soul? In our financial planning seminar, we particularly emphasize that we are merely stewards, not owners. We are temporarily entrusted with the management of everything. When our breath stops, and our heart ceases to beat, everything no longer belongs to us.
Therefore, God's warning here is not an act of tyranny but an act of care. He doesn't want to see us deviate from the right path towards destruction. Because God is a God who desires the salvation of all people.
Alright, today we shared from chapter eight, and tomorrow we will begin discussing the story of Israelites, starting with chapter nine. Israel was chosen by God, not because of any good they did but solely based on God's sovereignty. Tomorrow, we will continue reading chapter nine. Thank you all for listening."
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