討論問題

TAFPC Adult Sunday School Bible Study

台美團契長老教會成人主日學三年讀經運動 05/07/2006 討論問題

Question 1:      2 Chronicles 20:1—30; 2 Chronicles 7:14

  In this act of faith, King Jehoshaphat prayed, received and believed the word of God spoken by Jahaziel. He went out of the safe walls of Jerusalem to meet a great multitude of enemies. He exposed his people to "great risk" if assessed by conventional reasoning and intelligent mind. His enemies were totally destroyed without his own effort at all.

  In our life, when we are faced with choices in critical conditions, how do we discern that voice of faith which sometimes instructs us to take that path that was so frightening and so against conventional wisdom?

   約沙法在三敵國聯盟大軍重圍之下, 透過祈禱, 領受上帝透過先知雅哈悉的指示, 冒生命危險勇敢開耶路撒冷堅固的城門迎敵. 果然上帝憐憫以色列人, 不費一兵一足便大勝解圍. 在我們人生遇到困難的選擇時, 我們如何祈禱來認知哪條路才符合上帝的旨意?

Question 2:  2 Chronicles chapter 26

   In the beginning of his ruling, the king Uzziah was blessed by God because doing what God favored. To his people, he gave contribution by strengthening military defense and promoting agriculture (v. 9-13). However, he did a wrong thing after he had secured his ruling: he entered the temple of God and tried to burn incense on the altar of incense without going through the priests (v. 16-21). The author of Chronicles explained that it was due to Uzziah's unfaithful pride.

   Why Uzziah's action that might be his religious enthusiasm was seen as pride? Today our religious context, especially about the Protestant churches, is very different from that in the Old Testament. Every believer is encouraged to build a direct and good relationship with and to serve God without necessarily relying on the agents like priests / pastors. However in what condition(s), an individual's apparent devotion to God could be self-serving and arrogant? How to avoid this possibility? Please share your thoughts.

烏西雅王剛開始統治時行上帝看為好的事。他加強國家的軍事防禦和振興農業﹐對人民有所貢獻 (9-13 節)。但是﹐在他王權鞏固後他做了一件錯事﹐就是沒有經過祭司﹐進到聖殿裡要為上帝燒香 (16-21 節)。歷代志作者認為這是出於烏西雅王自己的驕傲。

為什麼烏西雅王看起來的宗教熱誠被判定是驕傲呢﹖今天我們信仰的表達﹐特別是改革宗教會﹐跟舊約時代有很大的不同。每個信徒都被鼓勵要建立跟上帝直接良好的關係來事奉上帝﹐不一定要透過像神父或牧師般的中保。但是什麼樣的情況下個人對上帝看起來熱心的事奉﹐其實是自義和驕傲﹖如何避免這種情況發生﹖請分享你的看法。