於2014-11-20發佈

每週一妥拉 2014/11/16-11/22
從古時起,世界各地的猶太會堂會一週一次在安息日讀經,從摩西五經(妥拉)到先知的書(先知書)。每週的讀經內容都有一個希伯來名稱,其出自經文內容起頭的字。每週慣例讀經的實例剛好記載在路加福音四章16節,耶穌來到拿撒勒的會堂,讀了一段先知書(以賽亞書61章)。我們發現每週一次閱讀這些內容,不僅提供我們機會,與世界成千上萬的猶太人來確認神話語的內容,在我們為以色列與猶太人的代禱上,聖靈更時常貼切的啟發具體的內容禱告。 

這週的閱讀11/16-11/22稱為以撒的後代(Toldot,讀經內容包括
妥拉:創世記25:19-28:9
先知書:瑪垃基書1:1-2:7 

註:由1122日安息日是在基斯流月新月的前一天,有一些猶太會堂會將原來的先知書閱讀改成撒母耳記上20:18-42  

*創世記 25:22. 孩子們在她腹中彼此相爭,她就說:若是這樣,我為什麼活著呢【或作我為什麼如此呢】?她就去求問耶和華

請為在以色列的信徒禱告:在面臨難以理解的爭戰時(在以色列很多這類型的爭戰),我們會立刻『求問主』,而不是倚靠我們個人的瞭解來做回應。

*創世記25:22-23. 孩子們在她腹中彼此相爭。耶和華對她說:兩國在妳腹內;兩族要從妳身上出來。這族必強於那族;將來大的要服事小的。』在雅各和以掃(又叫以東)之間的相爭持續在他們子孫中間發生,這是屬靈的相爭。神所厭惡的靈在以掃裡面工作,這靈不僅輕看長子的名分,也對神主權揀選來代表全人類(雅各)的後裔暴力相向,在俄巴底亞書中有對此的描述:我使你─以東在列國中為最小的,被人大大藐視。住在山穴中、居所在高處的啊,你因狂傲自欺,心裡說:誰能將我拉下地去呢?因你向兄弟雅各行強暴,羞愧必遮蓋你,你也必永遠斷絕(俄巴底亞書 2-3, 10)

神是充滿慈愛和生命的神,彰顯神聖的憎惡在那些想要攔阻祂與亞當之子的生命之約:雅各是我所愛的;以掃是我所惡的(瑪垃基書1:2-3;羅馬書 9:13)耶和華降罰的日子臨近萬國。你怎樣行,祂也必照樣向你行;你的報應必歸到你頭上。你們猶大人在我聖山怎樣喝了苦杯,萬國也必照樣常常地喝;且喝且咽,他們就歸於無有(俄巴底亞書15-16)我們看到以掃/以東的靈彰顯在今日的伊斯蘭教裡,此宗教鄙視並騷擾雅各(以色列),當它在聖山上喝這杯時(在耶路撒冷聖殿山上的阿克薩清真寺前),它也綑綁列國從它無生命的泉源一同來喝。

*創世記25:26. 隨後又生了以掃的兄弟,手抓住以掃的腳跟,因此給他起名叫雅各【就是抓住的意思】。』希伯來文翻譯為『腳跟』的字根也有著『欺哄者』的意思。在耶利米書17:9使用到相同的字根:人心比萬物都詭詐,壞到極處,誰能識透呢?雅各的一生會認識到自己和裡面詭詐的心,他會明白愛他的神揀選了他,會給他一個新的心和新的名(創世記 32:27-28)。

創世記25:29-34. 有一天,雅各熬湯,以掃從田野回來累昏了。以掃對雅各說:我累昏了,求你把這紅湯給我喝。因此以掃又叫以東【就是紅的意思】。雅各說:你今日把長子的名分賣給我吧。以掃說:我將要死,這長子的名分於我有什麼益處呢?雅各說:你今日對我起誓吧。以掃就對他起了誓,把長子的名分賣給雅各。於是雅各將餅和紅豆湯給了以掃,以掃吃了喝了,便起來走了。這就是以掃輕看了他長子的名分。』 

希伯來書 12:14-17. 你們要追求與眾人和睦,並要追求聖潔;非聖潔沒有人能見主。又要謹慎,恐怕有人失了神的恩;恐怕有毒根生出來擾亂你們,因此叫眾人沾染污穢;恐怕有淫亂的,有貪戀世俗如以掃的,他因一點食物把自己長子的名分賣了。後來想要承受父所祝的福,竟被棄絕,雖然號哭切求,卻得不著門路使他父親的心意回轉。這是你們知道的。』

這段經文暗示以掃受到肉體的口腹之慾牽引,將此慾望擺在原本屬於他的長子『名分』前面。下週我們將看見(創世記28:16-17;31:42),雅各將從他的失敗中學到功課,從他父親那得著對聖潔的尊敬與對神的敬畏。

*創世記26:2-5. 耶和華向以撒顯現,說:你不要下埃及去,要住在我所指示你的地。你寄居在這地,我必與你同在,賜福給你,因為我要將這些地都賜給你和你的後裔。我必堅定我向你父亞伯拉罕所起的誓。我要加增你的後裔,像天上的星那樣多,又要將這些地都賜給你的後裔。並且地上萬國必因你的後裔得福─都因亞伯拉罕聽從我的話,遵守我的吩咐和我的命令、律例、法度。』

在這裡主二次應許將『這些地』賜給以撒肉身的後裔。這顯示出雖然所有信徒都因信成為『亞伯拉罕的子孫』(加拉太書 3:7),但實質的土地則傳給他兒子以撒屬肉身的子孫。很有趣的是,在創世記12:3當亞伯拉罕祝福的應許擴及到『地上萬族』時,在這裡給以撒的應許是『地上萬國』必因他的後裔得福。神所渴望的不單是賜福個人,更是給團體甚至萬國,透過從亞伯拉罕和以撒後裔而來的聖潔主之生命!

*在創世記26章,儘管有神上述的祝福應許,以撒屈服於他父親亞伯拉罕受欺哄的軟弱。假裝利百加是他妹妹,主卻照祂所應許的以恩慈保護他們兩人。

水井

*創世記26:18. 當他父親亞伯拉罕在世之日所挖的水井因非利士人在亞伯拉罕死後塞住了,以撒就重新挖出來,仍照他父親所叫的叫那些井的名字。以撒的一生很多時候與『井』相關─打從他妻子在井旁打水被發現(24:45),接著他又到另一個井與她相會(24:62),到了26章記載他重開舊井、續挖新井。

請禱告:真理、祝福與詩歌的古老源頭能重新被打開、回到以色列─並發掘一直被隱藏封閉直到末世的知識(但以理書12:9)。禱告重新發現並正確認出『因信稱義』的井(創世記15:6),使得以色列會再次找著並打開真正的『救恩之井』。『看哪!神是我的拯救(希伯來文:耶穌);我要倚靠祂,並不懼怕。因為主耶和華是我的力量,是我的詩歌,祂也成了我的拯救。所以,你們必從救恩的泉源歡然取水(以賽亞書 12:2-3)

*創世記26:19-22. 以撒的僕人在谷中挖井,便得了一口活水井。基拉耳的牧人與以撒的牧人爭競,說:這水是我們的。以撒就給那井起名叫埃色ESEK【就是相爭的意思】,因為他們和他相爭。以撒的僕人又挖了一口井,他們又為這井爭競,因此以撒給這井起名叫西提拿SITNAH【就是為敵的意思】。以撒離開那裡,又挖了一口井,他們不為這井爭競了,他就給那井起名叫利河伯REHOBOTH【就是寬闊的意思】。他說:耶和華現在給我們寬闊之地,我們必在這地昌盛

百年以來,回歸的希伯來人在神應許他們的土地上歷經爭吵、剝削與剝奪,當他們想要在地生根,再次重挖他們古老家鄉的『井』,他們卻不斷遭到世界與周圍仇敵和對手的控訴。

請禱告:越來越多回歸的以色列人領悟到,我們永遠也無法在這土地上『為自己騰出任何地方』。單靠自己,我們完全不知道如何與已經住在這塊土地的人相處、停止爭吵。 我們必須信靠主,只有祂能『為我們騰出地方』(並為那些將要回歸的人),使我們永久生根,並『在這地昌盛』。

創世記26:23-25. 以撒從那裡上別是巴去。當夜耶和華向他顯現,說:我是你父親亞伯拉罕的神,不要懼怕!因為我與你同在,要賜福給你,並要為我僕人亞伯拉罕的緣故,使你的後裔繁多。以撒就在那裡築了一座壇,求告耶和華的名,並且支搭帳棚;他的僕人便在那裡挖了一口井。』

以撒持續將他成功所得著的榮耀歸於耶和華(26:22, 25),他父親亞伯拉罕教導他所認識的神。他和他父親對於這位神的見證,為非利士人的王亞比米勒帶來非常深遠的影響:

亞比米勒從基拉耳來見以撒:我們明明地看見耶和華與你同在…你是蒙耶和華賜福的了。』(創世記26:26-29)

*創世記27. 利百加(正如她婆婆在她之前所做的一樣)想要協助『主對她兒子所說的話』,和雅各一同以欺哄的計畫得著長子的祝福。神主權式的恩典卻能做成祂的目的,帶給以掃和雅各他們動機的啟示,以及他們被託付的事。以撒在27:27-2927:39-40祝福兩個兒子,只不過以掃所輕看的祝福將永遠離開他。 

*瑪垃基書1:11. 萬軍之耶和華說:從日出之地到日落之處,我的名在外邦中必尊為大。在各處,人必奉我的名燒香,獻潔淨的供物,因為我的名在外邦中必尊為大。』神的大愛是給萬國,沒有比此更清楚的宣告了。祂的終極目的是揀選亞伯拉罕,並使他成為『大國』(創世記12:2),有一位將從此大國而來,全世界將藉著祂得蒙拯救!

*瑪垃基書2:7. 祭司的嘴裡當存知識,人也當由他口中尋求律法,因為他是萬軍之耶和華的使者。』啟示錄一章5-6節說:祂愛我們,用自己的血使我們脫離罪惡,又使我們成為國民,作祂父神的祭司。以此而論,我們的嘴格外重要,為存留知識給那些神帶領我們接觸的尋求者。在這裡所提到『使者』的希伯來文,與常翻譯為『天使』的字完全一樣。天使是天上的使者奉差遣來『為那將要承受救恩的人效力』;身為在神面前的祭司,我們常被呼召與超自然的天使攜手同工。

請禱告:身為神祭司般的使者,我們對自己的職責有著敏銳的瞭解,並與祂的眾天使運行在聖靈大能的同一步調中,小心保守我們的口舌。

下週的閱讀進度(11/23-29)被稱為出去(VaYetze)妥拉─創世記28:10-32:2;先知書─何西阿書12:12-14:9。 

馬汀和娜瑪賽維士(Martin & Norma Sarvis
於耶路撒冷
 

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

From ancient times there has been a weekly portion (Parashah) from the first five books of Moses (The Torah) and an ending (Haftarah) from the Prophets read on the Sabbath in synagogues around the world. This portion is given a Hebrew name drawn from the opening words of the Torah passage. An illustration of this practice appears to have been recorded in Luke 4:16 where Yeshua (Jesus) arrived in the synagogue in Nazareth and was asked to read the portion (Isaiah 61) from the Prophets. We have found that in perusing these weekly readings, not only are we provided opportunity to identify in the context of God's Word with millions of Jewish people around the world, but very often the Holy Spirit will illumine specific passages pertinent that week in our intercession for the Land and people of Israel. All texts are those of English translations of the Scriptures.

The readings for this week 16-22 November 2014 are called Toldot-"Generations."
TORAH: Genesis 25:19-28:9
HAFTARAH: Malachi 1:1-2:7

Note: Because the Shabbat of November 22 this year falls the day before Rosh Chodesh Kislev, some synagogues will substitute the following Haftarah (Haftarat-Machar Chodesh): I Samuel 20:18-42

*Genesis 25:22. "The children struggled together within her, and she said, 'If this is so, why then am I . . .?' So she went to inquire of the LORD." Please pray for believers in Israel.that when faced with the perplexity of inexplicable conflicts (of which there are many in Israel), we would be quick to "go to inquire of the LORD" rather than leaning to our own understandings as to how to respond.

*Genesis 25:22-23. "The children struggled together within her.And the LORD said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger'." The struggle between the descendants of these two children Jacob and Esau (whose name would also be Edom) would continue. It is a spiritual struggle. God's hatred for the spirit working in Esau, which not only despised its own birthright, but also worked violence against the lineage of God's sovereign choosing would be strongly expressed in the Book of Obadiah, "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You shall be greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you.For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever" (Obadiah 2-3, 10).

God is a God of love and life-attributes which manifest in holy hatred against all which would seek to thwart His life-covenants with the Children of Adam-"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:13). "For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been" (Obadiah 15-16). We see similarities between the spirit of Esau/Edom and that which fuels the religion of Islam today-a religion which despises and harasses Jacob (Israel) as it "drinks" on God's holy mountain (before the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem) and binds other nations throughout the world to drink from its lifeless spring.

*Genesis 25:26. "Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Ya'akov (Jacob)." The letters of the Hebrew word translated "heel" also form the root of a word meaning "deceiver". Jeremiah 17:9 uses this same root, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can know it?" Jacob's life would be one of coming to know himself and the contents of His deceitful heart-and at the same time, of coming to know the God who nevertheless loved and had chosen him-the God who, after his coming to know himself, would grant to Jacob a new heart and a new name (Genesis 32:27-28).

Genesis 25:29-34. "Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.' (therefore his name was called Edom), But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day.' And Esau said, 'Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?' Then Jacob said, 'Swear to me as of this day.' So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."

Hebrews 12:14-17 (ESV). "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no 'root of bitterness' springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears." This passage suggests that Esau had come to be led by the desires of his fleshly appetites-placing those before the holy 'right' which had been bestowed on him by his birth. As we will see next week (Genesis 28:16-17; 31:42), even with his failings Jacob had learned and acquired a respect for holiness and the fear of the LORD from his parents.

*Genesis 26:2-5. "Then YHVH appeared to him and said: 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants (Hebrew: zera-"seed") I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'" The LORD twice here promises to give to Isaac's physical seed "all these lands". This shows that although all believers are "descendants of Abraham and heirs of the promises" by faith (Galatians 3:7), the physical land would nevertheless be passed on through the physical descendants of his son Isaac.

It is interesting that while the promise of blessing through Abraham in Genesis 12:3 extends to "all families of the earth", the promise to Isaac here is that in his seed "all the "nations of the land shall be blessed." It is God's desire not only to bring blessing to individuals but to communities and even nations through the life of the Holy One who would come through the seed of Abraham and Isaac!

*Genesis 26. Here, even with God's promise of care and blessing (above), Isaac succumbs to the deceptive weakness of his father Abraham in pretending that Rebekah is his sister. Yet the Lord mercifully protects both of them as He has promised.

WELLS

*Genesis 26:18. "And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them." Isaac's life is much associated with "wells"-From when his future wife Rebekah was revealed at one(24:45) and he, shortly thereafter, came himself from another to meet her (24:62), to the reopening of old wells and the digging of new ones recorded here in chapter 26.

PLEASE PRAY for the reopening of "wells"-of ancient sources of truth and blessing and song in returned Israel-as well as discovery of new reservoirs of understanding reserved for latter days (Daniel 12:9). Pray for rediscovery and proper identification of the well of "Righteousness through Faith" (Genesis 15:6); Pray that Israel will find and open again her true "Well of Salvation".and come to know His Name. "Behold, God is my salvation (Heb: Yeshu'ah), I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of Salvation" (Isaiah 12:2-3).

*Genesis 26:19-22. "Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled.so he called the name of the well ESEK ("Exploited", "deprived of"). Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also, so he called its name SITNAH ("Sataned", "Accusation", "Enmity", "Adversary"). And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name REHOBOTH ("space", "widenesses"), because he said, 'For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'"

For over a hundred years the returned Hebrews have faced quarreling, exploitation, and deprivation over the land God has promised to them. As they have attempted to become rooted, and to re-dig the "wells" of their ancient homeland, they have continued to be accused by the world and to be surrounded by enemies and adversaries.  

PLEASE PRAY that more and more of returned Israel will come to realize that we will never "make room for ourselves" in this Land. By ourselves, we have no idea how to come into such a relationship with those already dwelling in the land as will quell the quarreling. We must turn in faith to our LORD, Who alone will "make room for us" (and those yet to come) to become permanently rooted and "fruitful in the Land".

Genesis 26:23-24; 26-29. "Then he went up from there to Beersheba. And the YHVH (the LORD) appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." So he built an altar there and called on the name of the YHVH, and He pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well."

Isaac has consistently given all the glory for his success (26:22, 25) to YVHV, the God taught to him by his father Abraham. His and his father's testimony of this God have made a lasting impression on the Philistine king Abimelech:

"Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar. "We have certainly seen that YHVH is with you.You are now the blessed of YHVH" (Genesis 26:26-29).

*Genesis 27. Rebekah attempts (as had her mother-in-law before her) to assist the "word of the Lord" spoken over her sons, and enters into a deceitful plan with Jacob to get the blessing of birthright placed upon him instead of Esau. Yet it is God's sovereign grace which will work out His purposes, and in the process, bringing out of both of these sons a revelation of their motives and that in which they have trusted. Isaac will bless them both 27:27-29 and 27:39-40, but the blessing of birthright which Esau had despised will be taken from him forever.

*Malachi 1:11. "For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, my name shall be great among the Nations; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the Nations," Says YHVH of Armies. There is no clearer declaration of God's great love for all nations. His ultimate purpose in choosing Abraham and making of him a "great nation" (Genesis 12:2), was that One would come through that nation in Whom All the World would be saved!

*Malachi 2:7. "For the lips of a priest should preserve and guard knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of Armies." Revelation 1:6 says that the One who loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood has made us into a kingdom of priests. As such, our mouths are of exceptional importance-guarding knowledge for release to those seekers with whom God will bring us into contact. The Hebrew word for "messenger" here is exactly the same as that often translated "angel". Angels, as part of their services in the Armies of the LORD, are heavenly messengers sent to "minister to those who will inherit Salvation". As priests before God we are often called to work hand in hand with these supernatural beings. 

PLEASE PRAY for a keen understanding of our responsibility as priestly messengers of God to His people (and that in the power of the Holy Spirit we move in step with His heavenly messengers, the angels), while keeping a close guard on our tongues.  

Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem


[The readings for next week (23-29 November 2014) are called VaYetzeh-"And He Went Out"; TORAH: Genesis 28:10-32:2; HAFTARAH: Hosea 12:12-14:9.]