《寄居者的見證》Day02
《見證就是忠實地傳講神的說話》
13 但以理就被領到王前。王問但以理說：「你是被擄之猶大人中的但以理嗎？就是我父王從猶大擄來的嗎？14 我聽說你裏頭有神的靈，心中光明，又有聰明和美好的智慧。15 現在哲士和用法術的都領到我面前，為叫他們讀這文字，把講解告訴我，無奈他們都不能把講解說出來。16 我聽說你善於講解，能解疑惑；現在你若能讀這文字，把講解告訴我，就必身穿紫袍，項戴金鍊，在我國中位列第三。」
17 但以理在王面前回答說：「你的贈品可以歸你自己，你的賞賜可以歸給別人；我卻要為王讀這文字，把講解告訴王。18 王啊，至高的神曾將國位、大權、榮耀、威嚴賜與你父尼布甲尼撒；19 因神所賜他的大權，各方、各國、各族的人都在他面前戰兢恐懼。他可以隨意生殺，隨意升降。20 但他心高氣傲，靈也剛愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，奪去榮耀。21 他被趕出離開世人，他的心變如獸心，與野驢同居，吃草如牛，身被天露滴濕，等他知道至高的神在人的國中掌權，憑自己的意旨立人治國。22 伯沙撒啊，你是他的兒子，你雖知道這一切，你心仍不自卑，23 竟向天上的主自高，使人將祂殿中的器皿拿到你面前，你和大臣、皇后、妃嬪用這器皿飲酒。你又讚美那不能看、不能聽、無知無識、金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神，卻沒有將榮耀歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切行動的神。24 因此從神那裏顯出指頭來寫這文字。
25「所寫的文字是：『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。』26 講解是這樣：彌尼，就是神已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。27 提客勒，就是你被稱在天平裏，顯出你的虧欠。28 毗勒斯，就是你的國分裂，歸與米底亞人和波斯人。」29 伯沙撒下令，人就把紫袍給但以理穿上，把金鍊給他戴在頸項上，又傳令使他在國中位列第三。30 當夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被殺。31 米底亞人大流士年六十二歲，取了迦勒底國。 (但以理書五13-30)
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. 18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. 22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from His temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 “This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. (Daniel 5:13-30)
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. (Daniel 5:13-30)
分享：但以理真正受到各王的重用，是源於他能為王解夢和解異象。他先後為尼布甲尼撒解夢兩次，又為其兒子伯沙撒解說異象。然而，每次的講解，但以理皆強調所有這些夢兆是超出人所能理解的，「只有一位在天上的神，能顯明奧秘的事」(但以理書二28)。因此，他總是無懼夢和異象所反映的壞消息，如實地向王解說，這反而讓王見到但以理的神是「萬神之神、萬王之主」(二47)，讓得著神祝福的但以理作國家的重臣。
其中為伯沙撒王的解說，不單解說惡耗，更按神的教導直斥其無知和驕傲。伯沙撒將父親從聖殿掠奪的器皿用於飲宴，又讚美其他偶像，結果憑空出現手指頭在牆寫下無人能解的文字。伯沙撒以高位作誘，請但以理作解說。但以理先是拒絕賞賜，然後指出伯沙撒王無視前人之鑒，不向神自卑，又讚美其他無知無識的偶像，因此神將顯出王的虧欠，國將分裂。結果當晚伯沙撒便被殺和奪國。(參但以理書五) 就是這樣忠實的將神的訓示交代出來，世人皆知道伯沙撒的跌倒是因為驕傲和無視耶和華，大家也了解強國巴比倫的滅亡同樣是在神的旨意中。
事實上，現今的世代只會更厭煩神的真理，但保羅也勉勵說：「務要傳道，無論得時不得時，總要專心，並用百般的忍耐、各樣的教訓責備人，警戒人，勸勉人。」(提摩太後書四2) 我們寄居在這地上，不管是卑微如被擄的但以理，還是如保羅般處於討厭真理的世代，務要忠實地傳講神的說話，尤其是耶穌為我們受死復活的福音：「因為我曾定了主意，在你們中間不知道別的，只知道耶穌基督並祂釘十字架。」(哥林多前書二2)
反思：我能清楚傳講耶穌的福音嗎？有甚麼成為我的障礙？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過但以理忠實地將夢和異象講解出來，按神的教導指出王的無知和驕傲，留下了警世的一章。求聖靈賜我信心和勇氣，讓我在得時和不得時也傳講祢的話語。奉主名求，阿們！
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