Entries by

Are Christians Allowed to Eat Blood?

2021-10-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 7:22-38.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 7:22-27 (NIV)
22  The LORD said to Moses,
23  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.
24  The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
25  Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people.
26  And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
27  If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.'”

On verses 22-27:  Even as I am writing this I am eating a leftover steak with an obvious layer of fat on it. The day before, I was eating this same steak (medium rare) and there was blood on the steak.  How can I eat like this when Leviticus 7:23 says “Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats” and Leviticus 7:26 says “And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal”?  It’s because the dietary regulations of Leviticus have been replaced by a new paradigm in the New Testament, where Jesus declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19) and Christians are not bound by the dietary regulations of the Old Testament (Acts 10:9-15).  Thank God for that because I really like steak!

《聖經中各種審判》5— 對以掃的審判

2021-10-08 in , /by

上帝主權的預定

上帝對以掃的審判是一件令人感到非常害怕的事。同樣是以撒所生的兒子，這兩個兒子還沒有生出來以前，兩個人還沒有任何行爲、動作，上帝說：「我愛雅各，我恨以掃」，這不是上帝的偏待，而是上帝按祂絕對的主權與智慧所定的，我們無法完全理解，也不能改變上帝的主權，上帝這個決定是建立在祂永恆的主權上。如果我們說上帝這樣不公義，你這樣是否定上帝的主權與智慧。在事情發展以後，你發現很多人為的因素是人沒有看見的，上帝早就知道。這無窮的智慧與絕對的主權、神決定的事情，是超現象所能看見的。關於聖經的預定論、主權論，上帝按祂意志的自由所定之事的奧祕，引起很多人認為自己比上帝智慧，認為上帝是錯的，但事實不是如此。歷史的過程顯明人的錯誤。上帝不接納該隱的祭物，接納亞伯的祭物，該隱就發脾氣，用強健的體力把弟弟殺死，並且向上帝強嘴說：「我豈是看顧我兄弟的嗎？」上帝回答亞伯說：「如果你行得好，我難道不會接納你所獻的祭嗎？罪正等待向你撲面而來，你要制服罪對你的轄制。你若行得好，我會接納你；你若行得不好，你要制服罪。」這表示人在道德上，應該有行善的主動，否則的話，罪不會讓你平安度過。人應當制服罪惡。

恩典是在神的主權範圍下　審判是在人的行為範圍下

這不是因為恩典的問題，而是因為罪惡的問題。蒙恩是出於神的主動，神的憐憫不是出於人的行為、人的功勞，更不是人所應當得的。我們明白這兩件事的關係：在犯罪的事情，人是主動；在審判的事情上，上帝是主動的；在蒙恩的事情上，人是被動的；在施恩的事情上，上帝是主動的。上帝對該隱說：「你若行得好，豈不蒙悅納？但你今天行得不好，是因為你是罪人。我今天施恩給亞伯，不是你可以干預的事情。」上帝為什麼在雅各以及以掃生下之前，就說：「我愛雅各，我恨以掃」？以掃的行為實實在在不蒙上帝悅納。雅各蒙恩是因神的主權，以撒被棄是因自己的罪。管教與審判是完全不同的範圍。希伯來書第九章說：「基督既然一次被獻，擔當了多人的罪，將來要向那等候他的人第二次顯現，並與罪無關。」（來9:28）羅馬書說：「我要憐憫誰就憐憫誰，要恩待誰就恩待誰。」（羅9:15 ）人得救，不是出於人的權柄、資格，也是不靠著人的行為，因為人若按上帝的公義受審判，是應當下地獄的，但是上帝要把恩典賜給一些人，人不能干預神的主權。在審判的事情上，是照著人的行為應當受的審判來審判。神的恩典是祂主權的範圍，神的審判是人犯罪的範圍。聖經告訴我們上帝的恩典與審判是照著兩個不同的範圍，讓我們看清楚神工作的範圍是什麼。

Give God Your Best

2021-10-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 7:1-21.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 7:1-4 (NIV)
1  “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy:
2  The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.
3  All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts,
4  both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.

On verses 1-4:  Notice that when the priest offered an animal as a guilt offering, all the fat of the animal was to be burned on the altar as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 7:3).  Why?  It’s because the fat of the animal represented the best part of the animal.  God was basically saying, “Save your best part for me.”

Likewise, God wants you to save your best for Him.  That means giving God the best part of your day, the best part of your time, the best part of your energy, the first part of your wealth (Proverbs 3:9-10), the fattest part of your love.  Don’t give God the leftovers.  Give your best to God.  

When you give your best to God, God will look with favour on your offering.  That’s what He did with Abel.  “Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock [and] the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering” (Genesis 4:4).

耶和華復與所羅門立約

2021-10-07 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上9:3 對他說：你向我所禱告祈求的，我都應允了。我已將你所建的這殿分別為聖，使我的名永遠在其中，我的眼、我的心也必常在那裡。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  9:1-28 

所羅門王獻殿時，所有的祭司都不輪班了，通通一起出來。當時負責歌唱的利未人亞薩、希幔、耶杜頓和他們的眾子、眾弟兄都穿細麻布衣服，站在壇的東邊，敲鈸、鼓瑟、彈琴，同著他們有一百二十個祭司吹號。吹號的、歌唱的都一齊發聲，聲合為一，讚美、感謝耶和華。吹號、敲鈸，用各種樂器，揚聲讚美耶和華說：「耶和華本為善，祂的慈愛永遠長存！」（代下5:12-13）耶和華的榮光充滿了神的殿。神再次向所羅門顯現，定祂的約。神聲明所羅門祈求的事祂都應允了，並且神的眼和神的心也必常在那裡。

神的約千古不變：以色列王若存誠實正直的心行在我面前，遵行我一切所吩咐你的，謹守我的律例、典章，我就必堅固你的國位在以色列中直到永遠；反之，神必將以色列人從祂賜給他們的地上剪除，並且神為己名所分別為聖的殿也必捨棄不顧，使以色列人在萬民中做笑談，被譏誚。聖殿雖然甚高，將來經過的人必驚訝、嗤笑。神在意的不是聖殿的華美尊貴，神在意的永遠是祂子民和祂的關係。問題是，神的子民要的往往是神的祝福，而不是神，因此他們對於神所立的約並不放在心裡：“遵行神一切所吩咐的，謹守神的律例、典章”，因而遭到被神剪除的命運。

所羅門王用了廿年的時間去建造聖殿和他的宮殿，還有以色列的防禦措施。這些措施包括重建在北方的夏瑣、具有戰略地位縱横南北隘口上的米吉多，米吉多是連貫非洲與亞洲的古代著名地方，位於連貫兩洲軍事與貿易路線的要衝。所羅門建造曠野裡的達莫，又建造哈馬所有的積貨城。又建造上伯和崙、下伯和崙作為保障，都有牆、有門、有閂。又建造巴拉和所有的積貨城，並屯車輛馬兵的城，與耶路撒冷、黎巴嫩。在耶路撒冷城內，所羅門建造城牆和米羅（保護城），以增強勢力。因此他所用的人極多，他用迦南地的外邦人去服勞役，用以色列人作戰士、臣僕、統領、軍長、車兵長、馬兵長。考古學家在米吉多、夏瑣、基色三地發現相似的城門遺跡。

When You Prepare the Sacrifice, the Sacrifice Prepares You

2021-10-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 6:14-30.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 6:14-18 (NIV)
14  “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar.
15  The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
16  Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
17  It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy.
18  Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy.'”

On verses 14-18:  In these verses God stipulates that after a select portion of the grain offering was burned on the altar, the rest of the grain offering was for the priests to eat.  Here we see God’s heart to provide materially for those who dedicated their working hours and working lives to serving God “full time”.  The timeless principle here is that God intended that those who serve Him full time in the church should be able to live off of the offerings given by the people.  That’s a very practical reason why it is so important for Christians to be faithful in giving their tithes (10% of their income to the church).  If Christians are not faithful in tithing to the church, those who work hard to serve God and God’s people in the church on a full-time basis are the ones who will suffer, not to mention their families. 

萬民禱告的殿

2021-10-06 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 8:60  使地上的萬民都知道唯獨耶和華是神，並無別神。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  8:35-66 

目前耶路撒冷有個“距離上帝最近的地方”，那就是舉世聞名的西牆，又稱哭牆。據說那是第二聖殿，也就是希律重建的聖殿，其基座擋土牆的一部份。既不是所羅門建的聖殿，也不是希律建的聖殿，只是一片聖殿旁邊的擋土牆，為何會人潮汹湧，每天都有無數的觀光客或以色列人去那裡呢？並且進去西牆的男子一律要戴傳統帽子，如果沒有帽子，入口處亦備有紙帽供應，因為他們認為讓腦袋直接見上帝是不敬的行為；女人禱告後則要倒退著離開，以示恭敬。那是因為西牆是目前僅剩和以前的聖殿有關係的一片牆，而所羅門在獻殿時，已經澄明這是給萬民來向耶和華神禱告的地方，所以不管是第一聖殿或第二聖殿，百姓都相信，神依然會在這片屬聖殿的牆上，垂聽眾人的祈求。

據說猶太人認為只要把心願寫下來塞進牆裡，耶和華神就會讓你如願。來此朝聖的猶太信徒把給神的祈禱詞寫在紙條上塞進哭牆縫裡。世界各地的旅遊者不管是否信教，也都湊熱鬧給神寫個心願紙條，塞進牆縫。甚至教皇、美國總統等政要訪問耶路撒冷時也要寫張紙條塞進牆縫。關於塞進牆縫的紙條，有個不成文規矩：尊重隱私，不可翻看別人的紙條。因為哭牆紙條是和神的對話，禁止別人窺視或用於任何其他目的。不過歐巴馬2012年大選前訪問以色列，在會晤以色列和巴勒斯坦領導人後，凌晨訪哭牆，塞紙條後祈禱。不料這張紙條被一名學生發現，刊登於當地《晚報》上。後來該晚報遭受許多評擊。

所羅門獻殿的禱告有幾個方面，最主要的是指出，這是要給神居住的殿，也是神在地上和人相交之處，也就是眾人向神禱告的地方。在〈以賽亞書〉56章7節，神說：“因我的殿必稱為萬民禱告的殿”。耶穌在潔淨聖殿時，也曾提及這一經文。在第一部份，主要是為以色列人禱告。所羅門似乎已經預見，以色列人會因為得罪神，而敗在仇敵面前，甚至失去家園，或者遭遇神的各樣懲罰，但是只要以色列人到神面前懺悔，求神就憐憫他們，帶他們回來，並且赦免他們、教導他們行善。使他們在神賜給我們列祖之地上一生一世敬畏神。

How God Restores You

2021-10-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 6:1-13.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 6:1-7 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses:
2  “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him,
3  or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do–
4  when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,
5  or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering.
6  And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.
7  In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty.”

On verses 1-7:  In these verses God speaks to Moses about what happens when an Israelite sins against their neighbor.  God commands that the offending Israelite must return to their neighbor what they had stolen or lost.  This process of making a victim whole is called (in legal terms) “restitution” (v5).  Notice that for God it wasn’t enough to make the person you offended whole by bring them back to 100%; God’s command was that the offender add a fifth; in other words, the offender had to give back 120%.  In addition, the offender must also bring a ram without defect as an atoning sacrifice for sin.

When A Leader Sins Against God

2021-10-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 4:22-35.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 4:22-35 (NIV)
22  “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty.
23  When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.
24  He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering.
25  Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
26  He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven…….

Why was a more expensive animal required when the high priest sinned?  That’s because the high priest’s sin either directly or indirectly impacted the entire community that he led.  Since the damage was greater, the sacrifice required for the high priest’s sin was also greater.  In fact, notice that the sacrifice required when the high priest sinned was the same as if the whole community sinned.

What’s the lesson here?  If you serve and lead others, you are still subject to the same standards as everyone else.  In fact, you are subject to even stricter standards (see James 3:1).   That’s because when a leader sins, it affects not only the leader, but the people whom the leader leads.

So as leaders and priests in God’s kingdom, let’s be careful to rely on God’s grace and avoid sinning at all costs.

運約櫃入殿

2021-10-05 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 8:10-11 祭司從聖所出來的時候，有雲充滿耶和華的殿，甚至祭司不能站立供職，因為耶和華的榮光充滿了殿。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  8  

大衛王第一次要把約櫃從巴拉猶大（基列耶琳）的亞比拿達家中抬出來前，他召聚了三萬以色列人與他同去，但是因為祭司沒有按照神的規定去抬約櫃，牛失前蹄時，烏撒用手去扶，所以神擊打烏撒，烏撒就死了。約櫃就放到俄別以東的家裡，過了三個月後，大衛又帶以色列的長老並千夫長，還有利未人和祭司去俄別以東家，將約櫃抬出來，放到大衛的城裡。現在所羅門王召聚以色列的長老和各支派的首領並以色列的族長，一起到耶路撒冷，進行讓約櫃進聖殿的儀式。

大衛的城，也就是錫安，位於那時的新耶路撒冷的南部。根據聖經考古的資料：所有的學者都認同聖經中的「錫安」或「錫安山」原本是因為在耶路撒冷窄長的東山而命名。約在主前十世紀，大衛攻佔耶布斯人之城「錫安」，將之改名為「大衛之城」。〈撒母耳記〉下5:7說：「 然而大衛攻取錫安的保障，就是大衛的城。」所以起初：錫安(I) ＝大衛城＝耶路撒冷東山。到了所羅門執政，他在大衛城以北，即東山最高之處，興建第一聖殿和宮殿，現在這裡是磐石清真寺所在之處，在大衛時期是耶布斯人亞勞拿的禾場(撒母耳記下24:18-25)，聖殿建造後，錫安的意義便由大衛城延伸至大衛城以北的聖殿山。所以：錫安(II)＝大衛城＋聖殿山。

主後70年，羅馬軍拆毀耶路撒冷和聖殿，趕殺猶太人，錫安的位置便開始含糊，第一世紀耶路撒冷的居民，不能想像大衛所佔領的錫安是較低的東山，以為應該是耶路撒冷最高的西山。故此錫安的位置便轉移到西山。提到西山是錫安的文獻，最早追溯到主後一世紀末，猶太歷史學家約瑟夫在《猶太戰爭》5.4.1 (136)寫著：「這上城，比東山更高，稱為大衛王的『堡壘』(Citadel)」。 上城指西山，所以，到了第一世紀末之後：錫安(III)＝西山，這個說法一直保留至今。所以今日的錫安山(Mount Zion) 位於舊城城牆以外，較高較闊的西山之上，這裡也是現在耶路撒冷大學學院所在之處。西山上有一棟建築物，據說就是主耶穌最後晚餐的上樓房 (Upper Room) 和大衛之墓 (David’s Tomb, Cenacle) 的所在地。

所羅門完成建殿之工

2021-10-04 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上 7:51 所羅門王做完了耶和華殿的一切工，就把他父大衛分別為聖的金銀和器皿都帶來，放在耶和華殿的府庫裡。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上 7  

所羅門王建聖殿之後，又花了十三年的時間為自己和法老的女兒建造宮殿，還有黎巴嫩林宮，即軍械庫。一共是廿年左右的工程，百姓的辛苦和宮殿的偉大成了對比。宮殿越宏偉，百姓越辛苦。在溫哥華若是有哪裡修路或是蓋房子，開車或住在附近的人都覺得很不方便。前一陣子修地鐵時，路邊的商店足足有兩年無法好好做生意。但是所羅門很年輕，又很有魄力，注重的是目標的完成，把以色列人的人工和勞力都當成是他的私有物來使用，造成了以色列的隱憂。

也有不少人注意到他修建自己的宮殿費時多於修建聖殿，可能因為他娶了太多妃嬪，只好不斷增加房間的數目。2011年考古學家挖掘出所羅門時期建的城牆，可以讓我們看看何謂在山中按著尺寸鑿成的寶貴石頭，用鋸裡外鋸齊所呈現的樣式。從這片古代的城牆，讓我們感受到舊時建築的那種堅固，是我們現在的屋子絕對無法相比的。也讓人不得不佩服以前的人是多麼有力氣，在沒有機器和卡車運送的情況下，可以把這些石頭從山上運到耶路撒冷，真是步步艱辛。但是在宮殿裡鋪上香柏木之後，就不像在聖殿裡，還要用金包裹。

有的人奇怪為何在形容聖殿的時候，突然加進所羅門建自己宮殿的一段記述，因此把它認為是一種提醒，覺得是所羅門的人生裡走向失敗的註腳，因為他為自己擺上的，多過於為神擺上的。當我們不斷地為自己的“想要”而努力時，換來的很可能是失去。現在回想，所羅門的努力最後只留下一片牆；使我們不得不警醒，我們現在的努力，將來會留下什麼？