2025-07-22

Reading for Today:
今日读经：

Ezra 5:1–6:22
以斯拉记 5:1–6:22
Psalm 87:1-7
诗篇 87:1-7
Proverbs 21:19-20
箴言 21:19-20
Acts 23:1-15
使徒行传 23:1-15

Notes:
注解：

Ezra 5:1 Haggai and Zechariah. The Book of Haggai is styled as a “royal administrative correspondence” (Hag. 1:13) sent from the Sovereign King of the Universe through the “LORD’s messenger,” Haggai (Hag. 1:13). Part of its message is addressed specifically to Zerubbabel, the political leader, and Joshua, the religious leader, telling them to take courage and work on the temple because God was with them (Hag. 2:4). These two prophets gave severe reproaches and threats if the people did not return to the building and promised national prosperity if they did. Not long after the exiles heard this message, the temple work began afresh after a 16-year hiatus.
以斯拉记 5:1 “哈该和撒迦利亚” 哈该书可被视为“皇家行政公文”，是万王之王藉“耶和华的使者”哈该所发（该1:13）。信息一部分专门对政治领袖所罗巴伯、宗教领袖约书亚发出，鼓励他们因神与他们同在而勇敢重建圣殿（该2:4）。这两位先知严厉责备百姓不重建，并以复兴国家作为顺服的应许。被掳归回的百姓接受劝勉后，16年荒废的圣殿工程得以再度开工。

Ezra 5:5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders. God’s hand of protection which led this endeavor allowed the work to continue while official communication was going on with Darius, the Persian king.
以斯拉记 5:5 “神的眼目看顾长老” 神的保护让工程得以在与波斯王大利乌交涉期间持续推进。

Ezra 6:14 the commandment of the God of Israel…the command of Cyrus. This is not the normal term for commandment, but it is the same word translated “decree” or “administrative order” throughout the book. The message here is powerful. It was the decree from God, the Sovereign of the universe, which gave administrative authority to rebuild the temple. The decrees (same word) of 3 of the greatest monarchs in the history of the ancient Near East were only a secondary issue. God rules the universe and He raises up kings, then pulls them from their thrones when they have served His administration.
以斯拉记 6:14 “以色列神和波斯王的旨意” “旨意”在原文更像“诏令”而非普通命令。强调建殿的真正许可来自宇宙的主——神的诏令；波斯三位大帝王（古列、大流士、亚达薛西）的圣旨不过是次要。神才是万国之主，兴起君王又废黜君王，全都为履行祂的旨意。

Ezra 6:22 turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them. By turning the heart of the king in their favor in allowing them to complete the rebuilding, God encouraged His people. They understood the verse, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD” (Prov. 21:1) better through this ordeal. The title “King of Assyria” was held by every king who succeeded the great Neo-Assyrian Empire regardless of what country they may have come from.
以斯拉记 6:22 “使亚述王的心转向他们” 神使王心向着犹太人、允许复建，藉此鼓励百姓。如此他们才深刻体会“王的心在耶和华手中”（箴21:1）。“亚述王”这一称号历代波斯统治者沿用，管其实际国族都如此自称。

Acts 23:2 high priest Ananias. Not the Annas of the Gospels, this man was one of Israel’s cruelest and most corrupt high priests. His pro-Roman policies alienated him from the Jewish people, who murdered him at the outset of the revolt against Rome (A.D. 66). commanded…to strike him. An illegal act in keeping with Ananias’s brutal character. The verb translated “strike” is used of the mob’s beating of Paul (21:32) and the Roman soldiers’ beating of Jesus (Matt. 27:30). It was no mere slap on the face, but a vicious blow.
使徒行传 23:2 “大祭司亚拿尼亚” 不是福音书里的亚拿；此人是以色列最残暴、堕落的大祭司之一，亲罗马路线导致与百姓关系恶劣，犹太人于主后66年反罗马时将他杀死。“叫人打他”——此举非法，亦凸显其残忍。“打”指暴力重击，并非扇耳光（同21:32、太27:30所用词）。

Acts 23:3 whitewashed wall. Ezekiel 13:10–16; Matthew 23:27. contrary to the law. Outraged by the high priest’s flagrant violation of Jewish law, Paul flared up in anger. When Jesus was similarly struck in violation of the law, He reacted by calmly asking the reason for the blow (John 18:23). Paul’s reaction was wrong, as he would shortly admit (v. 5). Although an evil man, Ananias still held a Godordained office and was to be granted the respect that position demanded.
使徒行传 23:3 “粉饰的墙” 典出结13:10-16、太23:27，形容假冒为善。大祭司明目张胆违反律法，保罗愤怒反击。但耶稣受辱却温和回应问“为什么要打我”（约18:23）。保罗后来也承认自己的反应过激（5节）。虽亚拿尼亚为恶，但其公职来自神，亦该被适当尊重。

Acts 23:7 a dissension arose. There were major social, political, and theological differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees. By raising the issue of the resurrection, Paul appealed to the Pharisees for support on perhaps the most important theological difference. Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also the central theme of Christianity, this was no cynical ploy on Paul’s part to divide the Sanhedrin over a trivial point of theology.
使徒行传 23:7 “众人分争起来” 撒都该人与法利赛人在社会、政治、神学多分歧。保罗提出“复活”，实际上是在最重要的真理点上引导法利赛人站他一边。复活亦为基督信仰核心，不是简单为了造成混乱而趁机挑拨。

DAY 22: How does Psalm 87 describe God’s love for Jerusalem?
第二十二天：诗篇87篇如何描述神对耶路撒冷的爱？

This psalm describes the Lord’s love for Jerusalem and exalts this city as the religious center of the world in the coming messianic kingdom (Ps. 48). Though the nations of the world (even including some of Israel’s former enemies) will worship the Lord then, Israel will still be the favored nation (Is. 2:2–4; 19:23–25; 45:22–25; 56:6–8; Zech. 8:20–23; 14:16–19).
本诗篇颂扬神对耶路撒冷的爱，将其高举为弥赛亚国度未来的世界宗教中心（参诗48）。那时，列国（包括昔日仇敌）也要敬拜耶和华，但以色列仍是特别蒙爱的民族（赛2:2-4；19:23-25；45:22-25；56:6-8；亚8:20-23，14:16-19）。

“His foundation is in the holy mountains” (v. 1). “His foundation” means “His founded city,” namely Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judea. “The LORD loves the gates of Zion” (v. 2). Zion is a poetic description of Jerusalem, seemingly used by the Old Testament writers when special spiritual and religious significance was being attached to the city. Though God certainly loved other cities in Israel, He did not choose any of them to be His worship center. The gates represent the access of the potential worshiper into the city where he could come into a special worshiping relationship with God. “More than all the dwellings of Jacob.” The other cities in Israel were not chosen by God to be the place of His special dwelling.
“根基立在圣山”——“根基”指神所立之城，就是犹太山地的耶路撒冷。“耶和华爱锡安的门”——“锡安”是耶路撒冷的诗意称呼，用于强调其特殊属灵地位。神虽爱其他以色列城邑，却唯独拣选耶路撒冷为敬拜中心。门象征敬拜者得以进入，与神建立独特关系。“胜于雅各一切住处”——其他城镇并非神的特选居处。

“Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!” (v. 3). Jerusalem was God’s city because there God met His people in praise and offerings. “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon” (v. 4). Rahab was a monster of ancient pagan mythology and symbolized Egypt in the Old Testament (Ps. 89:10; Is. 30:7; 51:9). Two of the superpowers of the ancient world, fierce enemies of Israel, will one day worship the Lord in Zion (Is. 19:19–25). “Philistia…Tyre…Ethiopia” (Ps. 87:4). Three more Gentile nations, ancient enemies of Israel, whose descendants will worship the Lord in Jerusalem (Is. 14:28–32; 18:1–7). This multinational worship is pictured as a great joy to the Lord Himself. “This one was born there” (Ps. 87:6). To be born in Jerusalem will be noted as a special honor in the messianic kingdom (vv. 5, 6; also Zech. 8:20–23).
“神的城啊，有荣耀的事论到你”——耶路撒冷因有神同在（敬拜、献祭），所以被称为“神的城”。“提到拉哈伯和巴比伦”——拉哈伯是古代异教神怪，在旧约中象征埃及（诗89:10；赛30:7；51:9）。“巴比伦”与“拉哈伯”（埃及）都是以色列的宿敌，有朝一日也将于锡安敬拜主（赛19:19-25）。再提非利士、推罗、古实等以色列宿敌，将来他们的后裔也都在耶路撒冷敬拜神（赛14:28-32；18:1-7）。这众族敬拜之景象，是神心中极大的喜乐。“这一个生在那里”表达：在弥赛亚国度中能出生于耶路撒冷将成为莫大荣耀（5-6节，亚8:20-23）。

“All my springs are in you” (v. 7). “Springs” is a metaphor for the source of joyful blessings. Eternal salvation, including the death and resurrection of Christ, is rooted in Jerusalem. The prophets also tell of a literal fountain flowing from the temple in Jerusalem which will water the surrounding land (Joel 3:18; Ezek. 47:1–12).
“我的泉源都在你里面”——“泉源”象征一切属天喜乐的根源。永恒救恩，包括基督的十字架与复活，都根植于耶路撒冷。先知书更预言那时圣殿将有活泉流出，滋润大地（珥3:18；结47:1-12）。

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