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神的帳幕在人間

出埃及記40章 17-19節     第二年正月初一日,帳幕就立起來。摩西立起帳幕,安上帶卯的座,立上板,穿上閂,立起柱子, 在帳幕以上搭罩篷,把罩篷的頂蓋蓋在其上,是照耶和華所吩咐他的。

摩西用五章經文來描述神所要建立的帳幕,從百姓的奉獻到帳幕建成,其中還包括了祭司和大祭司的制服。〈出埃及記〉35-40章,形容以色列人在出埃及後的第二年月初一日,建立了神所要的帳幕,神在以色列人中間終於有了自己的家。原來神是如此盼望和他們住在一起,神所盼望的就是成為以色列人當中的一份子。你能夠想像,神也希望成為你家的一份子嗎?神盼望成為我們生活中的一份子。耶和華不只是高高在上的神,祂更要成為我們生命中最要好的朋友。

「以馬內利」不只是一個說詞,那是神最深切的心願,神要與我們同在,與我們同行。只有當你對某人愛得刻骨銘心,你才會渴望朝朝暮暮和對方在一起,這就是神對我們的愛。有個父親寫信給他的女兒,他說:「女兒,你要記住,天下不會再有男人像我那樣愛你。我是天下第一個最愛你的男人,也是最後一個。」當然,他的意思不是要女兒一輩子和他在一起,而是提醒她,不管發生何事,父親永遠等著要幫助她,成為她的力量。父神也是如此,期望我們永遠明白祂愛我們,祂對我們的愛永遠不會改變。

Let Grace Begin with You

Most people keep a pot of anger on low boil. But you aren’t most people. Look at your feet. They’re wet, grace soaked. Jesus has washed your feet. He has washed the grimiest parts of your life.

To accept grace is the vow to give it. You don’t endorse the deeds of your offender when you forgive them. Jesus didn’t endorse your sins by forgiving you. The grace-defined person still sends thieves to jail and expects the ex to pay child support. Grace sees the hurt full well. But it refuses to let hurts poison the heart.

Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows. So go ahead. Set your feet in the basin. Let the hands of God wipe away every dirty part of your life. Then look across the room and wash someone else’s feet. Let grace begin—and continue—in you.

復造法版

出埃及記34章1-3節    耶和華吩咐摩西說:「你要鑿出兩塊石版,和先前你摔碎的那版一樣,其上的字我要寫在這版上。明日早晨,你要預備好了,上西奈山,在山頂上站在我面前。誰也不可和你一同上去,遍山都不可有人,在山根也不可叫羊群牛群吃草。」

摩西又要上山了,這一次也是四十晝夜。沒飯吃,沒水喝的四十晝夜(出34:28)。〈阿摩司書〉4章11節,主耶和華說:「人飢餓非因無餅,乾渴非因無水,乃因不聽耶和華的話。」摩西的經歷很可以印證神的話,他兩個四十天在山上見神,都是這樣過來的,雖然無餅無水,但是他的身體十分健朗,上下山一點無礙。

他的健康不僅沒有受到影響,他的臉反而因為親近神而有了神的光輝。他自己不知道,但是亞倫和以色列眾人看見摩西的面皮發光,就怕挨近他。因此,摩西跟他們講話時,就用帕子蒙上臉;但摩西進到耶和華面前與祂說話就揭去帕子,及至出來的時候,便用帕子蒙上臉,再將耶和華所吩咐的告訴以色列人。

使我得見祢的面

出埃及記32章34節     現在你去領這百姓,往我所告訴你的地方去,我的使者必在你前面引路,只是到我追討的日子,我必追討他們的罪。

耶和華神在山上告訴摩西,以色列人在山下造了一隻金牛犢,向它下拜獻祭。摩西求神不要降禍於祂的百姓,神應允了他。當摩西手裡拿著兩塊神親手寫的法版下山時,就看見牛犢,又看見人跳舞,便發烈怒,把兩塊版扔在山下摔碎了,又將他們所鑄的牛犢用火焚燒,磨得粉碎,撒在水面上,叫以色列人喝。

摩西責備亞倫,亞倫卻把責任都推給百姓。摩西就站在營門中,說:「凡屬耶和華的,都要到我這裡來!」於是利未的子孫都到他那裡聚集。他對他們說:「耶和華以色列的神這樣說:『你們各人把刀跨在腰間,在營中往來,從這門到那門,各人殺他的弟兄與同伴並鄰舍。』」利未的子孫照摩西的話行了。那一天百姓中被殺的約有三千。摩西說:「今天你們要自潔,歸耶和華為聖,各人攻擊他的兒子和弟兄,使耶和華賜福於你們。」(出32:26-29)

這段經文讓我們看了不解,摩西為何要叫他們殺自己人呢?只為了拜偶像嗎?拜偶像是這麼嚴重的死罪嗎?你認為呢?

As I Have Done to You

Victoria Ruvolo doesn’t remember the 18-year-old boy leaning out the window, of all things, holding a frozen turkey. He threw it at her windshield. Crashing through the glass, it shattered Victoria’s face like a dinner plate on concrete.

John 13:14-15 (NKJV) says, “Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet…do as I have done to you.” Victoria Ruvolo did. Months later, she stood face to face with her offender in court. He was no longer cocky. He as trembling, tearful, and apologetic. Six months behind bars, five years’ probation. Everyone in the courtroom objected to the light sentence. He sobbed, but she spoke. The light sentence was her idea. She said, “I forgive you, and I want your life to be the best it can be.” Grace does this. Grace chooses to give the forgiveness that’s been received.

Where Grace Abounds

If hurts were hairs, we’d all look like grizzlies! So many hurts. When teachers ignore your work, their neglect hurts. When your girlfriend drops you, when your husband abandons you, when the company fires you, it hurts. Rejection always hurts. People bring pain. Sometimes deliberately, sometimes randomly. So where do you turn? Hitman.com? Jim Beam and friends? Pity Party Catering Service? Retaliation has its appeal, but Jesus has a better idea.

Grace is not blind. It sees the hurt full well. But grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV) urges us to, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” You see, where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. But where grace abounds, forgiveness grows. Forgiveness may not happen all at once. But it can happen with you.

拜金牛犢的後果

出埃及記32章34節     現在你去領這百姓,往我所告訴你的地方去,我的使者必在你前面引路,只是到我追討的日子,我必追討他們的罪。

耶和華神在山上告訴摩西,以色列人在山下造了一隻金牛犢,向它下拜獻祭。摩西求神不要降禍於祂的百姓,神應允了他。當摩西手裡拿著兩塊神親手寫的法版下山時,就看見牛犢,又看見人跳舞,便發烈怒,把兩塊版扔在山下摔碎了,又將他們所鑄的牛犢用火焚燒,磨得粉碎,撒在水面上,叫以色列人喝。

摩西責備亞倫,亞倫卻把責任都推給百姓。摩西就站在營門中,說:「凡屬耶和華的,都要到我這裡來!」於是利未的子孫都到他那裡聚集。他對他們說:「耶和華以色列的神這樣說:『你們各人把刀跨在腰間,在營中往來,從這門到那門,各人殺他的弟兄與同伴並鄰舍。』」利未的子孫照摩西的話行了。那一天百姓中被殺的約有三千。摩西說:「今天你們要自潔,歸耶和華為聖,各人攻擊他的兒子和弟兄,使耶和華賜福於你們。」(出32:26-29)

這段經文讓我們看了不解,摩西為何要叫他們殺自己人呢?只為了拜偶像嗎?拜偶像是這麼嚴重的死罪嗎?你認為呢?

Enough of the Frenzy

Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. The result? The weariest people on earth. We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders. Stop it! Once and for all, enough of this frenzy.

Hebrews 13:9 (NCV) says, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” In Matthew 11:28 (NASB) Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” There is no fine print. A second shoe isn’t going to drop. God’s promise has no hidden language. Let grace happen. You have his unending affection. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace. You can rest now.

以色列人拜金牛犢

出埃及記32章13節    「求祢記念祢的僕人亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列,祢曾指著自己起誓說:『我必使你們的後裔像天上的星那樣多,並且我所應許的這全地,必給你們的後裔,他們要永遠承受為業。』」

當以色列人出埃及後,聚集在西乃山下時,摩西教導他們耶和華的律例典章,又和他們立約,他們說:「耶和華所吩咐的,我們都必遵行。 (出24:3/7) 」但是這樣的美好關係能持續多久呢?是什麼原因使他們背棄自己的約呢?

耶和華對摩西說:「你上山到我這裡來,住在這裡,我要將石版並我所寫的律法和誡命賜給你,使你可以教訓百姓。」摩西和他的幫手約書亞起來,上了神的山。摩西對長老說:「你們在這裡等著,等到我們再回來。有亞倫、戶珥與你們同在,凡有爭訟的,都可以就近他們去。」摩西上山,有雲彩把山遮蓋。耶和華的榮耀停於西奈山,雲彩遮蓋山六天,第七天他從雲中召摩西。耶和華的榮耀在山頂上,在以色列人眼前,形狀如烈火。摩西進入雲中上山,在山上四十晝夜。(出24:12-18)

摩西在眾人眼前上山,四十晝夜,專心領受神的律法和誡命。他把照顧百姓的責任交給亞倫,其他的長老也上山和神親近過。百姓也見過神在山上顥的大榮耀,這些,能不能使百姓持守對神的敬畏呢?

Salvation is Not Earned

I became a Christian about the same time I became a Boy Scout, and I made the assumption that God grades like the Boy Scouts do: on a merit system. Good scouts move up. Good people go to heaven.

So, I resolved to amass of multitude of spiritual badges. I worked toward the day when God, amid falling confetti and dancing cherubim, would drape my badge-laden sash across my chest and welcome me into his eternal kingdom, where I would humbly display my badges for eternity.

But some thorny questions surfaced. How many badges does he require? How good is good? And then I was corrected. Ephesians 2:8 (NASB) says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Unearned. A gift. Our merits merit nothing. So let grace happen, for Heaven’s sake.