02月12日 一年的第043天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:利11-13章
第11章主要在講:「動物潔淨與不潔分別」。
神對摩西亞倫說:「1.可以吃的走獸:是蹄分兩瓣,倒嚼的走獸,都可以吃,不可吃A.倒嚼不分蹄:駱駝、山鼠、兔子,B.分蹄不倒嚼:豬,2.在水裡可吃的是:有翅有鱗都可以吃,3.鳥類中老鷹、烏鴉、鴕鳥、蝙蝠,不可吃,4.有翅膀又有四足、用腳跳,可以吃,例:蝗蟲、螞蚱、蟋蟀,可以吃,其他有翅膀,又用四足走路的,都不可吃,5.用肚子、四足、多足走路的,是不可吃的。
◎心得分享:「倒嚼」用靈意來看,是「對聽到的話,會反覆思想」,「分蹄」用靈意來看,是「正派的行為,凡走過必留下痕跡」,神對動物的「聖潔」,有特別規定,一定要聖潔,但就現今來看聖經的應用上,只要是食物,神並不禁止我們吃什麼,如果就「上帝對人食物攝取,要聖潔」來看,是在在提醒我們,雖然食物都可吃,但是在吃的時候,要特別注意,對自己的健康有幫助嗎?幫助自己從食物攝取選擇上,要過聖潔生活,不要讓食物,敗壞我們身體。
第12章主要在講:「婦女生產潔淨條例」。
神說:「婦人1.懷孕生男孩,不潔淨7天,第8天要給孩子行割禮,接著產婦要在家再等33天,才算潔淨,若生女孩,要不潔爭14天,接著產婦要在家再等66天,才算潔淨,2.滿了潔淨,要把一歲羊羔獻為燔祭,一隻鶵或一隻班鳩為贖罪祭,帶到會幕門口,交給祭司,3.力量若不夠獻羊羔,可以取2隻鶵鳥,1隻為燔祭,1隻為贖罪祭,就可以得潔淨。
◎心得分享:聖經所謂婦女生產潔淨,就好像我們華人婦女在生產的時候,作月子是一樣,需要休息,另一方面也需要「潔淨」,「潔淨」從屬靈的應用來說,是要「乾淨」,畢竟生產會流血,很容易受到感染,保持乾淨對產後婦女,與小孩子都是很重要的。
第13章主要在講:「檢驗大痲瘋條例」。
神說:「1.分辨大痲瘋:A.患處中的毛變白色,患處陷入皮膚,就是大痲瘋v1-28,B.頭上或下巴的頭髮或鬍鬚變黃色,又變稀疏,這是痲瘋病的病徵v29-44,2.長大痲瘋的人要:A.撕裂衣服、蓬頭散髮,B.遮蓋上唇喊叫:『不潔淨!不潔淨!』,C.要獨居在營外v45-59」。
◎心得分享:「大痲瘋」是會傳染的,所以祭司要先分辨患者是否真的是「大痲瘋」,如果真的是,就要作隔離,遠遠就要要讓人看出來,我以前在看這種說法時,實在不懂,心想有這麼嚴重嗎?直到「SARS」在流行時,醫院在作隔離時,許多人不認同,但是真的不這麼作,不是死幾個人,可能嚴重的情況,是無法想像,這在提醒我們,對「罪」的影響,不能等閒視之,必須弄清潔,而且還要隔離,不讓罪的影響力,繼續擴大。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。