Do you have friends who use drugs？Do any of your friends try to get you to do those things？Do they ever try to get you to look at dirty pictures or dirty things on the Internet？When you choose to do any of those things, you are not pleasing God. Doing what's right also means keeping your body and mind pure.
朋友們, 你交的朋友裡面, 有沒有人用毒品呢？是不是有人勸你也加入呢？他們有沒有引誘你去看網上的黃色圖片呢？ 當你去做這些事情的時候,不是遵行正道的。正道是我們要使我們的思想和身體都純潔。
Today we are going to learn about four young men in the Bible who had to make a choice to please others or please God.今天的故事裡, 我們要講到聖經裡的四個年輕人。他們要面對一個選擇,是遵行正道還是其它？
These young men were from the land of Judah. Many years before God had given the land of Judah to His special people, the Jews. God promised them blessing and protection if they obeyed His commandments and worshipped Him. For a time the Jews did obey and worship only God. But then they began to follow the sins of the countries around them. Soon both the people and the kings of Judah were worshipping idols, and turning their back on the true and living God. God sent His prophets again and again through the years to warn the people of Judah to turn from their sins, but they would not listen.
這些年輕人是從猶大這個地方來的。很多年前, 神把猶大這個地方賜給他的選民猶太人。神說如果他們聽神的話, 只敬拜唯一的真神, 神就給他們祝福和保護。猶太人確實有一段時間聽神的話, 只敬拜這位唯一的真神。可是, 後來他們開始跟著周圍的國家犯罪得罪神。很快, 猶太人和他們的國王就開始拜偶像, 遠離這位又真又活的神。神派先知們一次又一次地警告猶太人, 離開他們的罪, 回到神的面前來, 可是他們卻不聽。
Finally God sent Jeremiah to tell them that God was going to allow a strong enemy to take over their land. Jeremiah warned the people that this enemy king would destroy the cities of Judah and take the people as captives to his own country.
最後, 神讓先知耶利米來警告他們, 說神要讓一個很強大的敵人來把他們的土地搶走。耶利米警告他們說這個強大的敵人的王會毀滅猶大的城市, 並且將猶太人掠到他自己的國家。
Sure enough this happened exactly as God had said. The four young men in our lesson today were taken captive to the country of the enemy king. King Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers had been ordered to choose healthy and intelligent young men from royal families to serve in the palace of the king in Babylon. These young men would eat and drink the king's food and wine and attend the palace college. There they would also learn the language of the people of Babylon. After three years, the best ones would be selected to serve in important positions in the kingdom.
神讓先知耶利米說的這個預言果真應驗了。 猶太人被掠到敵人的國家, 其中也包括今天故事裡要講到的四個年輕人。巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒吩咐人, 從以色列人的皇室中, 選幾個身體健康, 相貌俊美, 聰明博學的人, 來他的王宮裡做僕人。他們的待遇很好, 國王吃什麼, 他們也吃什麼, 國王喝什麼酒, 他們也喝什麼樣的酒。他們還要學習那裡的文字言語。三年以後, 他們中最好的要在王宮裡任職。
The four young men in our lesson today were among those chosen to attend the palace college. Daniel, Haniah, Mishael and Azariah were probably about 15 or 16 years old when they were captured and taken to Babylon. By their names and by their character we can assume they honored the true and living God. Daniel means ？God is my judge." Hananiah means ？The Lord is gracious." Mishael means ？Who is like God？" and Azariah means ？The Lord has helped."
今天要講的四個年輕人也被選上來參加培訓。他們是但以理, 哈拿尼雅, 米沙利, 亞撒利雅。他們被掠到巴比倫的時候, 只有十五, 六歲。單看他們的名字我們就知道他們是敬畏神的人。但以理的意思是"神審判" , 哈拿尼雅的意思是"主是恩典榮耀的" , 米沙利的意思是"與神一樣" , 亞撒利雅的意思是"神幫助的人。"
Although Babylon was no doubt a beautiful city, still the four young men must've felt the strangeness of the very different life there. Then when Ashpenaz, the king's chief official, gave them each new names that were related to the false gods of Babylon, it must've troubled them. Would these new names cause them to forget the true and living God？No! Would God forget about these four captives？No! God knew right where they were and He understood everything about their situation.
雖然巴比倫是一個很美麗的城市, 這四個年輕人一定覺得這裡就是不同。太監長亞施毗拿給他們每個人起了個新名, 而這些名字都與巴比倫人所拜的偶像有關, 但以理他們一定覺得很不舒服。這些新名字會不會讓他們忘記他們所信的那位唯一的真神呢？不會!神會不會忘記他們四個呢？也不會!其實, 神對他們的情況瞭如指掌。
God knows all about you too! He not only created you, but keeps up with you everywhere you are. Because God knows everything about you, He knows about your every sin. Any time you have broken His laws by disobeying your parents, by shoplifting, by harming your body with drugs or cigarettes, God has seen it. Hebrews 4：13 says, "...all things are ...opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." God sees that everyone on earth has thought, said, and done sinful things. He has said that sin must be punished by death, but not just the death of the body. God is speaking of an everlasting death in hell.
神對你也瞭如指掌呢。他不但造了你, 他也與你同在。神既然知道你所有的所作, 所說, 所想, 他也當然知道你一切的罪。當你違反了神的命令, 比如不聽爸媽的話, 偷東西, 抽菸, 甚至用毒品, 神都知道。所有的罪都逃不過神的眼睛。希伯來書4：13說："萬物, 在那與我們有關係的主眼前, 都是赤露敞開的。" 神說世上的人都犯了罪。罪都要導致死亡, 不單單是身體的死, 神說的死乃是在地獄裡永遠的死亡。
But God's love for you is greater than your sin! John 3：16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son."the Bible says, "...our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, " Galatians 1：3 & 4.
約翰福音3：16說, 神愛世人, 甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們。聖經上說, 基督為我們的罪捨己(加拉太書1：4)。
Daniel and his three friends sat at one of the palace tables, watching the servants bringing in platter after platter of the most delicious food in Babylon. Umm, it must've smelled so good! But look, even though all the other young men are filling their plates and eating, Daniel and his three friends are looking at each other very seriously. Why？Daniel Chapter 1, verse 8 tells us："But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank：" , Daniel had already purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's food, even though it was the most delicious food in Babylon. 但以理和他的三個朋友坐在餐桌前, 看著僕人端上一盤又一盤的好吃的, 都是巴比倫最好的食物。聞起來真香啊!別人都在吃的時候, 但以理和他的三個朋友卻端坐在那裡, 不肯吃。這是為什麼呢？但以理書1章8節說："但以理卻立志, 不以王的膳, 和王所飲的酒, 玷汙自己。" 原來, 但以理已經立志, 他不要讓王的食物玷汙自己, 雖然是巴比倫最好的食物。
Daniel knew God had established special laws about what the Jewish people could and could not eat. He also knew that all of the king's food was offered in idol worship before it was served to them. Eating this food would defile Daniel and dishonor his Lord.To defile means to make dirty or impure.
但以理深深記住, 神已經規定什麼樣的食物猶太人能吃, 什麼不能吃。他也知道, 王的食物端上來之前, 都是祭奠過偶像的。吃這樣的食物會玷汙但以理, 使神的名受到羞辱。玷汙就是弄髒, 使一個人變得不純潔。
Daniel had purposed in his heart that he would keep himself pure for God. This was not an easy decision, for Daniel was in an enemy country, at the mercy of an enemy king! Daniel went to Ashpenaz and respectfully requested that he and his friends be excused from eating the king's food. God had caused Ashpenaz to especially favor Daniel; but as much as he wanted to help Daniel, he was afraid of the king. Ashpenaz said, "I am afraid of the king, who has appointed your food and drink, for what if he sees your faces looking worse than these other young men？I could lose my head, you know!"
但以理已經立志, 他要為神過一個純潔的生活。這可實在不容易。因為但以理是被敵人掠到他們的國家, 而且又受到國王的特殊待遇。但以理求太監長亞施毗拿, 他和他的朋友不吃王所賜的食物。神使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩惠, 受憐憫, 他也想幫助他們, 可他又怕國王。太監長對但以理說, 我懼怕我主我王, 他已經派定你們的飲食, 倘若他見你們的面貌, 比你們同歲的少年人肌瘦, 怎麼好呢!這樣, 你們就使我的頭在王那裡難保。
Then Daniel quietly talked to Melzar, the steward who served under Ashpenaz."Please, just for ten days let us eat vegetables and drink water. Then at the end of the ten-day test, look closely at us and see if we look worse or healthier than the rest of the young men." The Bible says, "So he (Melzar) consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.但以理對太監長所派管理他們的人說, 求你試試僕人們十天, 給我們素菜吃, 白水喝, 然後看看我們的面貌, 和用王膳那少年人的面貌, 就照你所看的待僕人吧。委辦便允准他們這件事, 試看他們十天。
Daniel and his three friends were refusing the king's food because they wanted to please God. At the end of the ten-day test, the Bible says Melzar found them even healthier looking than the other young men! Then Melzar allowed them to continue on their vegetables and water diet. Think of it, boys and girls, not just for ten days, but every day now their food would be vegetables and water!所以, 他和他的朋友不吃王所賜的食物, 就是因為他們想討神喜悅。過了十天, 委辦見他們的面貌, 比用王膳的一切少年人更加俊美肥胖。於是委辦撤去派他們用的膳, 飲的酒, 給他們素菜吃。
After three years of training, it was time for the big test! King Nebuchadnezzar himself would interview these young men to determine which were the wisest and best. When it came time for Daniel and his three friends to see the king, Ashpenaz ushered them in to the throne room. The book of Daniel, chapter 1, verse 19 says, "And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah：therefore they stood before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in al his realm."三年的培訓要結束了, 他們要面臨一次大考試。尼布甲尼撒王要親自考驗他們, 看誰最聰明, 有智慧。太監長就把他們帶到王面前。 但以理書1章19節說, 王與他們談論, 見少年人中, 無一人能比但以理, 哈拿尼雅, 米沙利, 亞撒利雅, 所以留他們在王面前侍立。王考問他們一切事, 就見他們的智慧聰明, 比通國的術士, 和用法術的, 勝過十倍。
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