Entries by

The Red Bull of Leviticus

2021-10-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 8:1-17.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 8:1-9 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast,
3  and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”
4  Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
5  Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.”
6  Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.
7  He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him.
8  He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.
9  Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

On verses 1-9:  Here we read of how Moses washed and clothed Aaron and his sons to make them ready to serve as priests.  Likewise through Jesus Christ God has washed us and clothed us so that we would be ready to serve as His priests.  

That’s why Isaiah would say: “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

示巴女王覲所羅門

2021-10-10 in , /by

〈列王紀〉上10:9  耶和華你的神是應當稱頌的！祂喜悅你，使你坐以色列的國位。因為祂永遠愛以色列，所以立你做王，使你秉公行義。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀 〉上  10:1-10  

示巴女王和所羅門，一個充滿了美麗傳奇的故事。從遙遠的非洲東部，她聽到了一位年輕而充滿智慧的以色列王的事蹟，不惜紆尊降貴，去一探真假。她準備了不少難題給所羅門。比較出名的是判斷真花假花的故事。據說，示巴女王預備了兩盆花，要所羅門在不可碰觸，且有一段距離的情況下，說出哪一盆是真花。所羅門王想了一下，就叫人打開兩旁的窗戶，讓外面花園中的蜜蜂和蝴蝶飛進來。果然，這些美麗的小昆蟲很自然地，向著真花飛去，並且停留在真花上享受一番。

在猶太人的傳說裡，示巴女王又叫了一群穿著一樣，髮型年記都相仿的孩童進殿，讓所羅門說出哪個是男的，哪個是女的。所羅門王叫人去拿了一盆水進來，叫孩童在盆中洗手，立刻就分出男童和女童。男童洗手之後，甩一甩，在褲子上抹兩把；女童要把手放進盆內前，要先把袖子捲起來，洗完後，又向僕人要毛巾擦手。在〈列王紀〉上第四章，說到所羅門王不僅會寫詩歌和箴言，還會講論草木，自黎巴嫩的香柏樹直到牆上長的牛膝草，又講論飛禽走獸、昆蟲水族。從他對示巴女王難題的回應裡，可以看出他對大自然和人性的理解很深刻，所以可以用很簡單的方法去處理難題。

示巴女王帶著一群人浩浩蕩蕩來到耶路撒冷，總算不虛彼行，親眼看到了所羅門的威儀，和他所展現的智慧。所羅門宮殿裡的井井有條，各人知所進退，還有各樣的珍饈美味、衣服裝飾，都顯現了超越他國人的管理和設計。“又見他上耶和華殿的臺階”，指的是所羅門王到耶和華的聖殿裡獻燔祭一事，可能祭甡甚多，令人咋舌。那種氣派震住了示巴女王。

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.