旧约 - 约书亚记(Joshua)第23章

After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years,
summoned all Israel--their elders, leaders, judges and officials--and said to them: "I am old and well advanced in years.
You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.
Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain--the nations I conquered--between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west.
The LORD your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.
"Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.
Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.
But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now.
"The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.
One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised.
So be very careful to love the LORD your God.
"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,
then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.
"Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.
If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD'S anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."
约书亚记第廿三章   第 23 章 

  书 23:6-13> 维持友情与坚持真道,有时真不知如何处理才好…… 

  23:6-13 约书亚知道国民的弱点。所以在他死前召聚百姓的领袖前来,给他们命令,帮助他们慎防最易疏忽的事:( 1 )谨守遵行写在摩西律法书上的一切话,不可偏离左右。( 2 )不可与异教之民搀杂,不可敬拜他们的神。( 3 )不可与异教之民通婚。当时这些引诱正蓄势待发,要来扰害以色列人。我们的人际交往,也能成为我们的试探。所以我们要在试探到来之前,先认识自己的弱点,加以防范,这才是明智之举。下一步就是寻找策略,胜过这些试探而不被他们所胜。 

  书 23:8> 身教重于言教,要求别人的自己做到了吗? 

  23:8 约书亚在临死以前招了以色列的首领来,给他们临别的鼓舞与嘱咐。他的全部信息,可以归结为“专靠耶和华你们的神”。他自己就是这句话活生生的见证和榜样,而他想把这个榜样留给他们。你希望别人因何事来纪念你呢?你希望能传留些什么给儿女及亲友?劝别人专心信靠神,让别人纪念你就是这样行的人,如此你就为后人留下了最好的遗产。 

  书 23:12-16> 神赐福气也降祸患,祂有忍耐,但不长久容忍犯罪,我们对待罪要…… 

  23:12-16 以色列人后来真的与迦南人通婚,约书亚所预言令人毛骨悚然的后果,不幸成为事实。在士师记之中,有许多故事讲到以色列人未能专心一意地顺服神,所以受了许多苦难。神过去以无比的大爱与忍耐,来对待以色列人,祂现在也是一样地对待世人。不过,我们不可把祂对我们的忍耐,当作祂悦纳罪恶,不理会人的犯罪作恶。我们要小心,不要一意孤行、放任到底,以免最后自食苦果。──《灵修版圣经注释》