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Like God, Be Detail-Oriented in Your Work

2022-01-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 26:1-37.  Today we’re looking at the making of the tabernacle.  So to give you a picture of what the tabernacle looks like, check out this video showing a life-size replica of the tabernacle described in Exodus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mFGsLEpKKk

Exodus 26:1-37 (NIV)
1  “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.
2  All the curtains are to be the same size–twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.
3  Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five.
4  Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set.
5  Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other…….

On verses 1-37:  Here God goes into great detail when He instructs Moses on how to build the tabernacle.  God didn’t just give Moses a general idea. He gave Moses specifics on everything from measurements to colours to the types of materials to be used and how each part of the tabernacle connected to all the others.  Like a skilled craftsman, God was paying attention to details that most of us would not notice.

聖殿建造完工

2022-01-30 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉6:16 以色列的祭司和利未人，並其餘被擄歸回的人，都歡歡喜喜地行奉獻神殿的禮。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉六章

經過哈誶和撒迦利亞的督促和鼓勵，回歸的猶大人終於肯面對自己的軟弱而悔改，重新開始建殿。雖然還沒有拿到王的許可，還是努力進行。當時的達乃總督也沒有禁止他們，只是請求當時的大流士王去徹查一下，猶大人的說法是否真實，居魯士王(或:塞魯士)是否曾經應允他們回到耶路撒冷建聖殿？

大流士王也做了實在的調查，果然在瑪代省的典籍庫裡找到一卷，上面註明了當年塞魯士王叫猶大人回歸的一切。大流士查明之後發佈了幾個命令：

命令河西的總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並他們的同黨，就是住河西的亞法薩迦人，當遠離猶大人。
不可攔阻神殿的工作，要任憑猶大人和他們的長老修建聖殿。
要從河西的款項中，急速撥取貢銀做他們的經費，免得耽誤工作。
他們與天上的　神獻燔祭所需用的公牛犢、公綿羊、綿羊羔，並所用的麥子、鹽、酒、油，都要照耶路撒冷祭司的話，每日供給他們，不得有誤。叫他們獻馨香的祭給天上的　神，又為王和王眾子的壽命祈禱。
無論誰更改這命令，必從他房屋中拆出一根樑來，把他舉起，懸在其上，又使他的房屋成為糞堆。

我相信當所羅巴伯他們得知這樣的消息時，必然雀躍無比，因為神所賜的比他們所要所求的更多更豐富，神為他們預備了各方面的需要，不僅有經費補助，還有獻祭需要的牲畜，等等。每天的供應，真是太奇妙了!

再興聖殿之工

2022-01-28 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉5:1 那時，先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞奉以色列神的名，向猶大和耶路撒冷的猶大人說勸勉的話。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉五章

當回歸的猶大人因為敵人的奸計得逞，而愁眉不展時，天上的父神又豈能不知？神的事工原本如此，若是出於神的工作，撒旦一定會千方百計地阻擾。神沒有派下一個超人或蝙蝠俠或蜘蛛人把敵人把得東倒西歪，相反地，祂差遣了兩個不會打架的先知去鼓勵他們，就是哈該和撒迦利亞。

你會不會覺得派個先知有什麼用啊？人家都去找王要了狀子回來了，先知能做什麼？說幾句話就行了嗎？人的話可能不管用，神的話可就不一樣了。首先是哈該義正嚴詞地要求猶大人省察自己的行為，因為他們己經失去起初的愛心，和建殿的熱誠。表面上看來是敵人阻擾建殿，實際上是他們內心的軟弱和拖延。他們藉口「建造耶和華殿的時間未到」，卻回家設計自己有天花板的房屋， 所以神說：「你們撒的種多，收的卻少；你們吃卻不得飽，喝卻不得足；穿衣服卻不得暖，得工錢的，將工錢裝在破漏的囊中。」因為私心，所以工作沒有果效，禱告也不蒙垂聽。

神給撒迦利亞先知有特別多的異象，其中有一個異象是兩棵橄欖樹中間有一個金燈台，這兩棵樹各有一管子接著金燈台。天使向他解釋：這兩棵樹代表所羅巴伯和耶書亞，金燈台是神自己，祂的能力要源源不絕地供應他們。因為成事不是靠人的勢力或才能，乃是靠神才能成事。

Keep Your Worship Fresh

2022-01-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 25:23-40.  Let’s go!

Exodus 25:23-30 (NIV)
23  “Make a table of acacia wood–two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
24  Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25  Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
26  Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.
27  The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
28  Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them.
29  And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.
30  Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.

In Exodus 25:23-40 God continues to instruct Moses on how to furnish the tabernacle.  After describing the most important piece of “furniture”, which is the ark of the covenant (v10-22), the LORD describes the table on which the priests are to place the “bread of the Presence” (v30).  What is the bread of the Presence?

The bread of the Presence, also known as the ceremonial bread or the “show bread”, was 12 loaves of fresh bread that were placed in the tabernacle as an offering to God.  Why 12 loaves?  It’s because the 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes of Israel.  Also, 12 is often the number used in the Bible to symbolize wholeness and completeness.

The Tabernacle, The Ark and The Presence of God

2022-01-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 25:1-22.  Let’s go!

Exodus 25:1-22 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.
3  These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze;
4  blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
5  ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood;…..

We may suppose that when Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and abode there so long, where the holy angels attended the shechinah, or divine Majesty, he saw and heard very glorious things relating to the upper world, but they were things which it was not lawful nor possible to utter; and therefore, in the records he kept of the transactions there, he says nothing to satisfy the curiosity of those who would intrude into the things which they have not seen, but writes that only which he was to speak to the children of Israel. For the scripture is designed to direct us in our duty, not to fill our heads with speculations, nor to please our fancies.

In these verses God tells Moses his intention in general, that the children of Israel should build him a sanctuary, for he designed to dwell among them (v. 8); and some think that, though there were altars and groves used for religious worship before this, yet there never was any house, or temple, built for sacred uses in any nation before this tabernacle was erected by Moses, and that all the temples which were afterwards so much celebrated among the heathen took rise from this and pattern by it.

敵黨謀阻建殿之工

2022-01-27 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉4:3 但所羅巴伯、耶書亞和其餘以色列的族長對他們說：「我們建造神的殿與你們無幹，我們自己為耶和華以色列的神協力建造，是照波斯王居魯士所吩咐的。」

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉四章

猶大和便雅憫的敵人聽說被擄歸回的人為耶和華─以色列的神建造殿宇，就去見所羅巴伯和以色列的族長，對他們說：「請容我們與你們一同建造；因為我們尋求你們的神，與你們一樣。自從亞述王以撒哈頓帶我們上這地以來，我們常祭祀　神。」

猶大和便雅憫是指構成猶大南國的中心支派，他們的敵人指的是當時的撒瑪利亞人。這些撒瑪利亞人不是原先北國以色列的人，而是亞述王從巴比倫，古他，亞瓦，哈馬，和西法瓦音遷移來安置在撒瑪利亞城邑的外邦人。他們不懂得敬畏耶和華，所以神曾差遣獅子到他們中間，咬死一些人。亞述王為此差了一個祭司回去，好指教他們敬拜神，但是他們卻不曾因而明白真理。

當他們說：「因為我們尋求你們的神，與你們一樣。自從亞述王以撒哈頓帶我們上這地以來，我們常祭祀神」時，他們其實只是舉行儀式以逃避神的刑罰，並不是真正想認識神。在（王下17:30）記載巴比倫人在那地方繼續拜他們的神像，古他人、哈馬人各造他們的神像，並不忘記原來的假神。這些民懼怕耶和華，卻又事奉他們的偶像。他們假裝是和猶大人拜同一個神，卻又口口聲聲，那是你們的神。所羅巴伯和族長們一眼就看穿這些人的虛偽和惡心，因此拒絕他們的合作提議。

A Fire from Afar, A Cloud Up Close

2022-01-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 24:1-18.  Get ready for some powerful lessons here.  Let’s go!

Exodus 24:1-11 (NIV)
1  Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,
2  but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3  When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”……

On verses 1-11:  Moses has just finished receiving all these words and laws from the LORD for the Israelites on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:22 to the end of Exodus 23).  Now in Exodus 24 Moses is going to communicate these words and laws to the Israelites and have them enter into a covenant (a formal love-based agreement) with the LORD.  Under this covenant, the Israelites would agree to obey all the words and laws the LORD had given to them through Moses, and the LORD would agree to go before them, lead them and watch over them (Exodus 23:22-33).

Ancient historians tell us that in Moses’ time when two parties would enter into a covenant, they would do two things to make the covenant formal and binding:  (1) they would kill an animal, cut it symmetrically in half, put one half of the animal’s corpse on their left and the other half on their right, and then the two parties would together walk through the halves to signify that their agreement has been sealed with the animal’s blood; (2) they would eat a meal together.  

築壇獻祭-立殿根基

2022-01-26 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉3:6 從七月初一日起，他們就向耶和華獻燔祭，但耶和華殿的根基尚未立定。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉三章

西元前537年的七月，回歸的猶大人重新聚集在耶路撒冷。七月是猶大人特別繁忙的一個月份，因為其中有三個大節日：吹角節(新年)，贖罪日和住棚節。這次的聚集是為了一起過住棚節。住棚節是紀念古代以色列人在離開埃及之後，在曠野中漂流四十年期間所住的棚子；並且記念神使他們在曠野中：「這四十年，你的衣服沒有穿破，你的腳也沒有腫。（申8:4）」又「因為耶和華──你的上帝在你手裡所辦的一切事上已賜福與你。你走這大曠野，祂都知道了。這四十年，耶和華──你的上帝常與你同在，故此你一無所缺。」（申2:7）現在猶大人回到耶路撒冷，也正好記念神使他們在外邦也是蒙保守，得供應，一無所缺。何等何時宜的慶祝。

第3節的翻譯該是如此：他們雖然懼怕鄰國的民，還是在原有的根基上築壇，又在其上向耶和華早晚獻燔祭。Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. (NIV)

他們先在原先聖殿的根基上築壇，就像亞伯拉罕/以撒/雅各，每到一個地方就先向神築壇敬拜。此時尚未開始動工建殿。

他們照律法書上所寫的，按數照例獻每日所當獻的燔祭。燔祭是「完全的祭」，也是「常獻的祭」，天天獻，早晨黃昏各一次，每次獻一隻公羊羔 ( 出 29:38-42 )，安息日則獻三隻( 民 28:9-10 ) 。在這裡所羅巴伯帶領第一批人回歸跟以斯拉帶領人歸回( 8:35-36 ) 的共同點是，歸回後以向神獻燔祭。

記返耶路撒冷之俘囚

2022-01-25 in , /by

〈以斯拉記〉2:68有些族長到了耶路撒冷耶和華殿的地方，便為神的殿甘心獻上禮物，要重新建造。

閱讀經文：〈以斯拉記〉二章

主前六百多年，神的懲罰臨到猶大的百姓，藉外邦人把他們擄到巴比倫。但這只是神短暫的懲罰，因祂曾應許百姓，只要他們回轉專心尋求祂的面，祂必再施恩與他們。‧七十年後，神的時候到了，神感動波斯王古列的心，下令准許百姓返回耶路撒冷，恢復他們敬拜神的生活。結果有五萬人在王的支援下、神的賜福中，願意返回耶路撒冷，決心重建聖殿。

這些人不是那些原先被擄之人，而是他們的子孫。經過了七十年，那些被擄的人都像但以理垂垂老矣，走不動了，更多的是己經作古。根據歷史記載被擄到巴比倫的百姓，大約四十萬至六十萬；但回到耶路撒冷的最多只有五萬人，表示有大部份人不肯回去。猶太歷史家約瑟夫在猶太古史中曾說過：「當時在巴比倫的百姓，因不肯離棄在巴比倫的家業，而不肯回耶路撒冷去。」又記載：「當時在巴比倫的百姓，因懼怕耶路撒冷嚴謹的生活而不肯回去。」這兩句話非常重要，表明當時留在巴比倫的百姓，正因這兩個原因而不肯回耶路撒冷。

第一個原因因為家業而不肯回耶路撒冷，上一章己經提過；第二個原因是不想回去過律法下的生活。猶大人在巴比倫習慣了當地巴比倫的生活，便覺得要回去過守律法的日子實在太苦了。在〈以斯帖記〉裡，以東人的後裔哈曼設計殺害猶大人，神藉著以斯帖皇后扭轉了局面，保住了猶大人的性命和財產。現在神呼召他們回去耶路撒冷建聖殿，這些人卻捨不得他們的財產而不肯回去。若是再有一個哈曼出現，他們會選擇逃命或護產呢？

Go for “Little By Little” Success

2022-01-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 23:20-33.  Let’s go!

Exodus 23:20 (NIV)
20  “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

On verse 20:  Just as the LORD would send an angel to go before the Israelites to guard them and lead them to the place He prepared for them, repeatedly the Bible says that God goes before you (Psalm 139:5; Isaiah 45:2; Isaiah 52:12) to guard you and to lead the way for you.

Exodus 23:21-23 (NIV)
21  Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.
22  If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.
23  My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.