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God Has Washed and Anointed You

2022-02-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 30:17-38.  Let’s go!

Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV)
17  Then the LORD said to Moses,
18  “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
19  Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
20  Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire,
21  they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

On verses 17-21:  Here the LORD instructs Moses to make a bronze basin for washing Aaron’s hands and feet and to place it in the courtyard between the altar and the Tent of Meeting.  The purpose of washing was “so that they will not die” (v20).   That is, on one level, the washing was to protect the physical health of Aaron and his sons as they regularly dealt with the blood of animals.  On another level, the washing with water symbolized the priests’ own need to be cleansed of their sins.

What can we learn from this?  (1) God cares about your physical health and thus we ought to take good care of our own physical health, in part by washing our bodies often; and (2) Jesus has washed away our sins in the water of His Word and His blood, as represented through water baptism.  As 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “…But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

The Closer You Get

2022-02-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 30:1-16.  Let’s go!

Exodus 30:1-10 (NIV)
1  “Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
2  It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high–its horns of one piece with it.
3  Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
4  Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding–two on opposite sides–to hold the poles used to carry it.
5  Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6  Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony–before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony–where I will meet with you.
7  “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.
8  He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.
9  Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
10  Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD.”

On verses 1-10:  In the tabernacle where the Israelites would worship the LORD, out in the courtyard there would be a bronze altar for offering animal sacrifices.  But in addition to that bronze altar, there would inside the Tent of Meeting itself a smaller golden altar for burning incense.  It is this second, smaller, golden altar that verses 1-10 are describing.  This golden altar would be located (most likely) in the Holy Place, together with the lampstand and the bread.   

参巴拉闻建城垣愤恨讥笑

2022-02-08 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉4:15仇敌听见我们知道他们的心意，见神也破坏他们的计谋，就不来了。我们都回到城墙那里，各做各的工。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉4 章

当神的仆人工作时，撒旦一定会用各样的方法去阻挡。尼希米拒绝了敌人假心假意的合作提议，敌人的真面目就显露无遗。他们大大恼恨，嗤笑犹大人：「这些软弱的犹大人做甚么呢？要保护自己吗？要献祭吗？要一日成功吗？要从土堆里拿出火烧的石头再立墙吗？」亚扪人多比雅站在旁边，说：「他们所修造的石墙，就是狐狸上去也必跐倒。」

犹大人本来就心存畏惧，现在河东省长参巴拉带着撒玛利亚士兵前来，又嘲笑他们，就是为了破坏他们的士气。但是他们只敢嘲笑，不敢动手阻挡，因为尼希米是奉了王的诏书而来，任何人不得阻挡他们建城墙的工作。撒旦对基督徒的手段也是如此，先是让其心感害怕，畏惧，以致不敢做这个不敢做那个。但是我们有神的带领，就不要害怕撒旦的嘲笑和威吓。

当尼希米看到这个情形时，第一个反应便是祷告：「我们的神啊，求祢垂听，因为我们被藐视。求祢使他们的毁谤归于他们的头上，使他们在掳到之地作为掠物。不要遮掩他们的罪孽，不要使他们的罪恶从你面前涂抹，因为他们在修造的人眼前惹动祢的怒气。」(4-5节)

尼希米一面祷告，一面鼓励犹大人作工，因此大家都能专心工作，很快就修造连络城墙，高至一半，成绩裴然。敌人一看到城墙破裂之处都被修好了，以后不能随时去骚扰犹大人，抢劫欺负他们，不禁更加恼怒。

Eat that Ram

2022-02-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Exodus 29:29-46, is filled with good lessons for us.  Let’s go!

Exodus 29:29-30 (NIV)
29  “Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.
30  The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

On verses 29-30:   I learn two lessons from these verses.  First, notice that when God was commissioning Aaron as high priest, He already had Aaron’s successor in mind.  God plans for the long-term.  His focus is not only on what is happening now in this generation, but the generations after that.  We would be wise to plan the way God plans: don’t think only about what is urgent and immediate, but also think long-term and about the next generation when planning for the future.

Second, Aaron’s successor was supposed to wear Aaron’s clothes for 7 days straight.  This was so that Aaron’s successor could get used to his new role as high priest, and also the people could get used to seeing Aaron’s successor in this new role.  What’s the lesson?  People need time to adjust to change, so be patient with others and patient with yourself when you’re facing new circumstances.

始建邑垣依次修筑

2022-02-07 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉3:1那时，大祭司以利亚实和他的弟兄众祭司起来建立羊门，分别为圣，安立门扇，又筑城墙到哈米亚楼，直到哈楠业楼，分别为圣。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉3 章

古代最著名的护城墙便是中国的万里长城了，为了抵御外族侵犯，从西周到战国，许多诸候国都开始投入修建自己属地的城墙，直到秦始皇统一六国后，才将各国的城墙连接起来，也因而被命名为万里长城。

我们今天看的〈尼希米记〉第三章也有类似的概念，先是大家对着自己的房屋修建城墙，也是修建隣近自己房屋的城墙，然后再把城墙连起来，有的城门两侧还有石头门楼，似是防御之用。这些石头门楼各有名字，例如：哈米亚楼，哈楠业楼，角楼，炉楼，等等。耶路撒冷是重要的交通枢纽，所以需要许多城门。通常厚重的大门两侧的城墙会较高较厚，以便守门的卫兵站岗。

回想一下，古时候住在中国边境的老百姓经常会受到外族的骚扰或抢劫，性命和财产都没有保障，万一外族长驱而入，就引起社会动荡不安，甚至有关国家存亡。耶路撒冷原是一个易守难攻的城巿，但是她的城墙被毁了，回归的百姓住在城里是不是也会长期受到外邦人的欺负和骚扰？因此她的敌人不希望看到她重建城墙，而尼希米则迫切地要重建耶路撒冷的城墙。也因而当尼希米发出呼吁时，就立刻得到大家的响应。

Jesus, Your Three-in-One Sacrifice

2022-02-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is  Exodus 29:15-28.  Let’s go!

Exodus 29:15-21 (NIV)
15  “Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
16  Slaughter it and take the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides.
17  Cut the ram into pieces and wash the inner parts and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces.
18  Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.
19  “Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
20  Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides.
21  And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

On verses 15-21:  Exodus 29:10-21 talk about three sacrifices that God tells Moses to make on behalf of Aaron, his sons and the altar they’ll be serving at.  Let’s look at these 3 sacrifices now.

The first sacrifice is a sin offering (v10-14) where Moses slaughters a bull (v11), puts the blood of the bull on the horns (the tops) of the altar and pours out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar (v12).  He then burns the fat around the bull’s inner parts on the altar (v13) and takes the rest and burns it outside the camp (v14). The purpose of this first sacrifice was to pay for the sins of Aaron and his sons.  Thus it was called a “sin offering”.

尼希米返耶路撒冷建筑城垣

2022-02-06 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉2:9王派了军长和马兵护送我。我到了河西的省长那里，将王的诏书交给他们。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉2 章

在前一章里，我们读到尼希米的祷告，最后两句话是：「使祢仆人现今亨通，在王面前蒙恩。 」可见尼希米心里迫切地想回故土，但是不敢向王提起，也不知从何向王说起，所以先把这件事放在祷告中，求神为他开路。

神就为他开路了，让王注意到他面带愁容。有多少当上司的会注意到下属的面容呢？尤其是一个高高在上皂王，一般都只有让人看他皂脸色行事，很难期望他会看到别人的脸色。偏偏这一天王就注意到了尼希米的脸色有异。王很体贴皂问他是否有病？没病为何面带愁容？对尼希米而言，他是吓坏了，倘若王的心情不好，可以下罪诏，说尼希米给他脸色看。服事王的时候岂不当快快乐乐的吗？为什么摆一张臭脸给王看呢？幸好那天王的心情很不错。

当他问清了尼希米心中的难处和打算后，便应允了尼希米的请求，并且还提供了许多的帮助和保护。大卫在〈诗篇〉37篇里讲到不要为恶人心怀不平，但更重要的是：「当将你的事交托耶和华，并倚靠祂，祂就必成全。」尼希米 的祷告使我们明白这个道理。光是忧愁没有用，要把事情交托给神才有用。

尼希米为故土禁食祈祷

2022-02-04 in , /by

〈尼希米记〉1:5 耶和华天上的神，大而可畏的神啊，你向爱你守你诫命的人守约施慈爱。

阅读经文：〈尼希米记〉1 章

根据犹大史学家约瑟夫和其他早期作者的记载，〈以斯拉记〉和〈尼希米记〉在早期希伯来文圣经是合成一卷的，并称〈以斯拉记〉。最早把两卷书分开是1448年的希伯来文抄本，现代希伯来文圣经则分别称它们为〈以斯拉记〉及〈尼希米记〉。在旧约的希腊文译本（七十士译本）中，这两卷书也是合成一卷。在三世纪初，神学家俄利根是第一个人见证这两卷书是分开的。〈尼希米记〉中，大部分是尼希米的个人回忆录，学者们多认为是真实可靠的。

有的人认为被掳到巴比伦的犹大人因为失去圣殿，同时也失去了信仰；尤其是在〈以斯帖记〉里一点都没有提到他们与神的关系，所以他们都是离开神，不敬虔的。事实上并非如此，当我们看到末底改不畏权势，怎样也不跪拜哈曼；以斯帖叫大家和她一起禁食，为进宫做准备时，我们就知道他们可能无法像在耶路撒冷时去敬拜和献祭，但是在他们的生命中依然流淌著对神的敬畏和倚靠。

从尼希米听到耶路撒冷的消息而痛哭祈祷时，我们也知道他心系故土，并且深深敬畏神。尼希米其父为哈迦利亚，也是被掳之民。在波斯国王亚达薛西(一世)统治犹大时，尼希米在宫中给亚达薛西王做进酒的工作。当亚达薛西王20年基斯流月(约主前446年的11月中旬到12月中旬)，他从一位来自犹大的弟兄得知被掳归回及留在犹大的居民受辱，耶路撒冷的城墙拆毁，城门被火焚烧，就大为悲伤并为此禁食祈祷 (1∶1-4)。

Believe It Or Not, This Is About You

2022-02-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 29:1-14.  Let’s go!

Exodus 29:1-14 (NIV)
1  “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.
2  And from fine wheat flour, without yeast, make bread, and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil.
3  Put them in a basket and present them in it–along with the bull and the two rams.
4  Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
5  Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breast piece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband……

Today we turn our attention to the consecration of the High Priest. Here God ordered Moses how to consecrate Aaron and his sons in detail. The word “to consecrate” in verse 9 means to sanctify, to prepare, to dedicate, to honor, or to treat as sacred. In other words, being consecrated means being sanctified by and dedicated to God. Therefore, “being consecrated as the High Priest” means “being set apart to be given the authority and duties of the High Priest.” God gave Aaron and his sons the right of the High Priest and the priesthood, which enabled them to render his people the remission of sins.

以斯拉劝民认罪出其异族之妻

2022-02-03 in , /by

〈以斯拉记〉10:11现在当向耶和华你们列祖的神认罪，遵行他的旨意，离绝这些国的民和外邦的女子。

阅读经文：〈以斯拉记〉十章

当以斯拉在祈祷认罪哭泣，俯伏在神殿之前时，以色列人包括孩童慢慢地也聚集到他那里。以斯拉对罪的反应，也引起了他们众人心里皂痛悔，我相信，圣灵在他们中间动工，使他们的心同感一灵，一同在神面前认罪。

当他们一起痛哭时，有一位以拦的子孙、耶歇的儿子示迦尼对以斯拉说：「我们在此地娶了外邦女子为妻，干犯了我们的　神，然而以色列人还有指望。」假如这位示迦尼的父亲耶歇就是 10:26 的耶歇，示迦尼就是为了其父亲娶了外邦女子而认罪。以拦的家族中有六个与异族通婚的人 (10:26) 。示迦尼建议：「现在当与我们的神立约，休这一切的妻，离绝她们所生的，照着我主和那因　神命令战兢之人所议定的，按律法而行。你起来，这是你当办的事，我们必帮助你，你当奋勉而行。」很有可能示迦尼的父亲是在示迦尼的母亲之外又娶的外邦女子，因此他可以如此理智地提出这个建议。

「娶外邦女子为妻」：这里的「娶」，意思是「给予住处」，在神面前并不构成合法婚姻。 「休妻」：「把妻子送走」。既然不是合法婚姻，就不必离婚，而是用合理人道的条件把她们跟子女送走。当时在巴比伦、波斯统治之下奉行的是汉摩拉比法典的法律。根据汉摩拉比法典，巴比伦离婚的妇女要负责抚养儿女。因此宣告离婚也将造成与自己的骨肉分离。