02月17日 一年的第048天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:民01-04章
第01章主要在講:「戰鬥人力調查」。
以色列人出埃及地後,第2年2月1日,神在西乃曠野對摩西說:按家室宗族,計算所有廿歲男丁,1.流便:4萬6千5百名,2.西緬:5萬9千3百名,3.迦得:4萬5千6百50名,4.猶大:7萬4千6百名,5.以薩迦:5萬4千4百名,6.西布倫:5萬7千4百名,7.以法蓮:4萬5百名,8.瑪拿西:3萬2千2百名,9.便雅憫:3萬5千4百名,10.但:6萬2千7百名,11.亞設:4萬1千5百名,12.拿弗他利:5萬3千4百名。以色列人共有60萬3千5百50名。
◎ 心得分享:男丁有60萬名,如果加上婦女,再加小孩,最少應該有120萬名以上,這麼多的人,要做一個這麼大的移民,是史無前歷,後無來人。民數記有兩次數點,第一次是出埃及後,第二次是要進迦南地以前,那時不信的人,都倒斃在曠野,要帶領這麼多的人,一定要很清楚數點壯丁人數,這提醒我們,帶領者一定要很清楚,他的羊群,正如箴27:23說:「你要詳細知道你羊群的景況,留心料理你的牛群;」。
第02章主要在講:「戰鬥人力佈署」。
神說:以色列人按支派,圍著會幕,東邊是猶大區:猶大、以薩迦、西布倫,第1行,南邊是流便區:流便、西緬、迦得,第2行,西邊是便雅憫區:便雅憫、瑪拿西、以法蓮,第3行,北邊是但:但、亞設、拿弗他利,第4行,利未支派,沒有算在以色列人中間。
◎心得分享:神告訴摩西,12支派,要圍著帳幕住,是有次序的,那個支派在那一個方向,不是隨意住,而是按神的吩咐住的,這就在提醒我們,來到神的面前,應該是找到自己的定位方向,知道自己是屬於那一個支派,在教會服事的角色是什麼?
第03章主要在講:「事奉人力調查」。
神說:亞倫活的年日以利亞撒、以他瑪作祭司,利未支族要作亞倫祭司的僕人,利未有三個兒子:革順、哥轄、米拉利。1.革順宗族:一個月以上的男性,總人數是7千5百人,在會幕的南邊,革順:看守的帳幕、罩棚,罩棚的蓋與會幕門簾,院子帷子和門簾,繩子。2.哥轄宗族:一個月以上的男性,總人數是8千6百人,在會幕西邊,看守約櫃、桌子、燈臺、兩座壇與聖所器皿,並簾子和一切使用之物。3.米拉利宗族:一個月以上的男性,總人數是6千2百人,在會幕的北邊,看守帳幕的板、閂、柱子、帶卯的座,和帳幕器具,院子四圍的柱子、帶卯的座、橛子,和繩子。以色列人中頭生男子比利未人多273,以色列人結亞倫和他的兒子,1365舍客勒贖銀。
◎ 心得分享:事奉神的人,有祭司:是亞倫的後代,有負責帳幕工作的利未人,支派的數點是20歲的男丁,利未人的數點是根據1個月以外的,這提醒我們服事神的人,是比「平信徒」,他一生的年日與價值,更是被神所看重。
第04章主要在講:「事奉人力佈署」。
神說:1.哥轄子孫職責:30到50歲,在會幕裏辦事,負責:A.法櫃(5節)B.幔子(5節)C.金壇(11節)D.桌子(7節)E.燈臺(9節)F.祭壇(13, 14節),進聖物需要亞倫和他兒子陪同,2.革順子孫職責:30到50歲,在會幕裏辦事,負責:幕頂和外面的頂蓋、精緻的皮、門簾、聖幕和祭壇周圍院子的帷幔和繩子、院門的門簾,憑亞倫和他兒子作。 3.米拉利子孫職責:30到50歲,在會幕裏辦事,負責:抬帳幕的木板、橫閂、柱子和插座、院子四周的柱子、插座、橛子、繩子、一切用具和使用的東西,利未人共有8千5百80名。
◎心得分享:所有設備的安裝,搬運都是由利未人,哥轄、革順、,米拉利的子孫負責,祭司是亞倫的子孫負責,利未人在服事,是要聽祭司的吩咐,甚至利未人,不能單獨進入會幕搬運,要有祭司陪同,否則可能被神擊殺,這提醒我們,在服事一定要按著次序,要順服權柄,就是上帝的法則。
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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。