I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord

2 Chronicles 34:1-17
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.
In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the Lord his God.
While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan.
Josiah desecrated and demolishes places and objects of pagan worship, and repairs the Temple.  During his reign, the book of the law (probably Deuteronomy, perhaps in an earlier form) is discovered, and a measure of true repentance follows.
Why?
Josiah desecrated himself and demolishes the Temple, so they found the book of the Law.
Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of David, so the blessing of the Lord comes upon them.
Josiah purges the idols not only in Juda but also in neighbor tribes in Israel.
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約西亞王做1.潔淨聖殿  拆偶像 2.重建聖殿：恢復與神的關係
潔淨的非常徹底。潔淨的心很徹底。我們有時想過潔淨生活，卻往往留下一點尾巴，省一點紀念或是懷念。
猶太人正常不會用火葬，一般是土葬或是放洞中，所以骸骨用火焚燒，是極刑，表示了對罪惡的態度。
銀子交給這些人，特別說明這些辦事誠實。通常人在事工中工程中常常會偷工減料，這裏強調，提醒人，我們是軟弱的。十戒中特別提到不可貪心。
奉獻來自留守殿的人，從瑪拿西、以色列等地來的，表示北國雖然亡國，但是有許多人願意修復與神的關係。
讓我們拆除一點會使我們犯罪的東西。不斷修復建立與神的關係。
How?
Always purify me from sins and faithfully follow the way of the Lord. The Lord is living God.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done

2 Chronicles 33:21-25

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt. Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace.Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

Why?
Amon affected by his father Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord let him been king of Judah two years.
Josiah his son king in his place. He did the right thing in the eyes of the Lord.
How frequently changing of a nation’s religious direction. But it is pity that the people have turned away from the Lord.
亞捫沒有他父親一樣，神給他機會悔改，因為神已經讓他看到他父親不悔改及悔改的結果，但是他卻完全無視，因此神不再給他機會。正如看到別人受苦，卻自己沒有受到警訊悔改，這樣災害可能很快也會臨到我們！
How?
Be aware of our heart, remember the Lord and accounting the mercy and grace of the Lord in me.

Manasseh humbled himself and God was moved by his entreaty

2 Chronicles 33:14-20
Manasseh, he got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.
His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty(懇求), as well as all his sins and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—all these are written in the records of the seers.
Why?
Manasseh regrets what he had done, he realized that God is the Lord. So he got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord. He restores the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offering and thanks offering on it.
Anyone who was evil and turns to the Lord will be saved if anyone who was righteousness but turns to evil then he will be forsaken by the Lord.
How?
Be humble and fear the Lord, for God is good forever.

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God

2 Chronicles 33:1-13
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”
But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.
For almost all of his long reign Manasseh was one of Judah's least God-fearing kings. He desecrated the Temple and practiced human sacrifice. But the Chronicler relates a change of heart not mentioned in Kings. Possibly Manasseh was caught up in the revolt of Ashurbanipal's brother, vassal-king of Babylon, and was called to account thereafter Ashurbanipal was victorious. God answered the king's desperate prayer, and his release and return changed him, but not the people.
Why?
Manasseh did the evilest things in Judah, how could he became so worse compared to his father. It could be Hezaker did not have good behavior in his home.
By the way all of the worship and fear the Lord was limited in officers and Levites in Jerusalem. But most people have turned away from the Lord.
Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king, he listened to someone else in his nation and turn to the detestable practices.
Anyway, when people turned from evil to the Lord, God's mercy will pour upon him. Save him and gives him a new way to survive. 
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瑪拿西在聖殿拜偶像，好像是行淫亂，因為神與人好像夫妻，教會、聖殿就是好像夫妻的臥室。
從亞馬謝王到瑪拿西已經是第三個猶大王被擄到敵國。這是神的警告，可惜以色列人一直沒有省悟，最後被連根拔起。
神提醒人，人卻聽不進去，最後用災難來搖醒人。希望我們不要到這個地步。
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How?
Fear the Lord and know the Lord is God in my life.

God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart

2 Chronicles 32:24-33
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor. He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.
He succeeded in everything he undertook. But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
Why?
God gave Hezekiah miraculous and extended more 15 years in the world. but for his proud heart induced Babylon came to attack Jerusalem later.
God sometimes left a man and to know everything that was in his heart. Our heart will be tested in dangerous circumstances.
When we keep the way of the Lord and honor God's name, God's blessing will be always with us. God gives us everything in God's way.
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這裏強調神醫治了他，他是否有感恩的心，繼續敬畏神。人在困境會求告神，神聽禱告但是困難過去後是否又自大了?又離開神，後來又悔改，神再赦免讓他在世是平安的。希西嘉王是有困難時禱告，先知提醒時會悔改。我們人是很軟弱的，基督徒靈性起伏不定正是人性的寫照。因為有困難才找神。我們心中是否真的在意與神的關係，我們與神是否有愛的關係?
神給希西加的功課，很像也是神給我們的功課。
因為人的軟弱，我們更要常常省察自己，神一直在找我們，我們是否在逃避神?
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How?
Pray is our right way to the Lord, but how to respond is the right of the Lord!

愛的呼召 約21：1—25

愛的呼召
約21：1—25。  蘭雅禮拜堂。 林義順長老
馬太福音的呼召是大使命的呼召，是宏偉的。這裡的呼召顯得有些弱。
無菜單料理就是食材用最好的，但是不同廚師煮出來還是不一樣。
第一次顯現在第一個主日晚上
第二次顯現因為多馬第一次不在當中。
相隔一段時間後第三次在加利利海，當中有七個門徒。另外四人不知在那裡。
記載了彼得，2.多馬（剛被主更新） 3.拿但業（心中沒有詭詐）4.雅各和約翰。奇怪不寫名字，只寫他父親名字。
彼得為何去打魚？只有彼得一人要去，顯然不是重操舊業。
可能無聊，！可能經濟陷入困難。沒有魚，沒有餅，可能沒錢。
我們和你同去。其實當時彼得靈裏是軟弱。沒人敢問他是誰？約翰如此記載的原因為何？
門徒沒有人敢說話。沒人敢說廢話顯出門徒與耶穌關係尷尬。門徒的領袖失敗時，門徒願意跟隨，令人感動。一般在教會大家會離開發生不是違背真理的事，多數人會數落，離開。
天將亮時，他們認不出耶穌。
耶穌顯現的時機在打不到魚的時候。人的努力走到盡頭的時候。
顯現的第一句話，有吃的沒有。陌生人給的建議他們竟然聽了。他們在失敗，謙卑，心柔軟的時候特別容易聽進人的話。
耶穌有必要繼續選擇這些人作他門徒？還是另外選擇一批人當祂門徒。如神在西奈山上。
令一個原因是耶穌的話具有權柄。
彼得聽見是ㄓㄨ立刻行動，跳下去見主，先去報到。這是回應神的話。
153條表示數過，主的恩典要數算。發現網子沒破。
公司面臨關門時，常在數算主的恩典。
沒人敢動手去拿食物，而是耶穌拿給他們。主在供應他們，實際的肚子所需。
你們來吃早飯，帶著醫治的力量，受傷的其實是耶穌，但是耶穌沒有怪他們。門徒也沒有認罪。寛恕是我們的事，認罪是別人的事。

There is a greater power with us than with him.

2 Chronicles 32:1-23
After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city.
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.
Having wiped out the northern kingdom, the Assyrians make inroads into Judah, whose people have been showing signs of independence. But in his campaign of 701 BC, Sennacherib fails to take Jerusalem. The reason, says the Chronicler, is that in the crisis Judah's king put his trust wholly in God. The theme is familiar.
The Assyrian attack on Lachish is pictured on Sennacherib's palace walls at Nineveh,
Why?
Hezekiah did what he should do to protect them from Assyria. later they rely on the Lord wholeheartedly.
Yes, there were many gods on the land that could not save them from the hands of Assyria. But Be strong and courageous. for there is a greater power with us than with him.
Victory belongs to the Lord Almighty. for with us is a greater power from heaven.
希加加強猶大的防衛力量。與我們同在的比他們的更大。
亞述在當時真的是世界最強的國家。人用經驗、法則來判斷，沒有任何一個神能救他們脫離他們的手。神的能力，超過人的經驗、智慧。誰知道主的心，誰能作神的謀士呢? 神一定能救投靠他們的人。
神只要差遣一個天使就能勝過千軍萬馬，神如何勝過亞，連先知也不知道。
西拿基立就是按照經驗，生存法則來行事的模式。
人們更是常用經驗法則否定有神，人用感官來測量是否存在。只用經驗只是顯明人的膚淺。
人用自己的經驗來否定神的作為。即使基督徒也是常常如此。
How?
Be strong and courageous, for God is with us.