於2016-03-25發佈


每週一妥拉 2016/ 3/20-3/26

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3/20-3/26)稱為『吩咐』(Tsav

妥拉
利未記 6:8-8:36

在這週的閱讀中,耶和華曉諭摩西吩咐亞倫和他的子孫,關乎他們很快要在神面前所獻的祭,每一個祭都有仔細的指令並強調過程中的聖潔。亞倫與他的兒子被潔淨成聖、穿上聖衣、抹上膏油,在他們代表百姓開始承接聖職前先行贖罪。 

先知書
耶利米書 7:21-8:36; 9:23-24

*耶利米書7:30-34 .耶和華說:猶大人行我眼中看為惡的事,將可憎之物設立在稱為我名下的殿中,污穢這殿。他們在欣嫩子谷建築陀斐特的邱壇,好在火中焚燒自己的兒女。這並不是我所吩咐的,也不是我心所起的意。耶和華說:因此,日子將到,這地方不再稱為陀斐特和欣嫩子谷,反倒稱為殺戮谷。因為要在陀斐特葬埋屍首,甚至無處可葬;並且這百姓的屍首必給空中的飛鳥和地上的野獸作食物,並無人鬨趕。那時,我必使猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷街上,歡喜和快樂的聲音,新郎和新婦的聲音,都止息了,因為地必成為荒場。』 

欣嫩子谷的咒詛與祝福 

欣嫩子谷第一次被提到是在約書亞記15:8在那裡它形成了猶大支派北邊的部分邊界,東邊與聖殿山南邊的汲淪谷相連。幾乎可以確定的是,在大衛時期約櫃便是經由此處扛抬,然後被放在錫安山山腳靠近基訓泉的會幕,在那裡至少放了30年,直到約櫃被預備放在所羅門在摩利亞山所建造的聖殿中。然而,在所羅門年邁時被引誘遠離神,在山上為他嬪妃的神建立邱壇,其中一個神叫摩洛,是亞捫人可憎的神(列王記上11:7),欣嫩子谷成為偶像崇拜中心。二百年過後,亞哈斯王『在欣嫩子谷燒香,用火焚燒他的兒女,行耶和華在以色列人面前所驅逐的外邦人那可憎的事』(歷代志下28:3)。此邪惡的神需要用孩童來獻祭,數以千計的孩子就在欣嫩子谷被活活燒死。 

一般認為這些可怕的儀式是伴隨著鼓聲。鼓(希伯來文: toph)是用來稱頌神的樂器之一,在詩篇150:4提到鼓是用來釋放大讚美的!但撒旦卻盜用鼓聲於邪惡之處,以至於欣嫩子谷又叫陀斐特(Tophet-鼓的希伯來文複數),有可能此名字來自於嬰孩被殺獻祭時的鼓聲。到了先知耶利米的時期,神受夠了,正如這週先知書閱讀所看見的。因此神說,這谷充滿咒詛,日子將到,它不再稱為陀斐特,乃被稱為『殺戮谷』或『死屍谷』。到了耶穌時期,欣嫩子谷的名稱再次復回,只不過用了希臘文地獄(Gehenna)的俗稱,這谷成為城市焚燒垃圾之處耶穌用此來形容地獄─一個充滿折磨與燒不完的火的地方(請參考馬可福音9:42-48)。

                  
               穆斯林的墓地位在聖殿山下方欣嫩子谷的北邊坡地

然而神

然而『地和其中所充滿的,世界和住在其間的,都屬耶和華。』耶穌的寶血將全地(adamah)與人類(adam)從咒詛中救贖出來!在耶利米書31章最後1節,神應許『拋屍的全谷和倒灰之處』,有一天都要歸耶和華為聖!而在撒迦利亞書2:12,主說這谷所在之處,祂必收回做祂聖地的分!

我們相信到了我們這一代可能要目睹此應許開始發生!

在過去16年間,來自以色列和世界各國的信徒來到欣嫩子谷禱告、認罪─認在過去謀殺嬰兒的罪,以及現在透過墮胎每年所殺掉的嬰兒。他們禱告求神潔淨土地,小孩子甚至在這山谷有『敬拜守望』。在此時,有一個24小時敬拜禱告中心在此山谷的邊緣被建立(就在猶大支派的北方邊界)鼓聲再次響起!他們超過十年用其他樂器與不同聲音來釋放讚美改變氛圍,為萬王之王的回來預備道路。今年還有以色列年輕人所寫的希伯來文和阿拉伯文敬拜讚美CD在此地被預備,一個音樂曾被迫用來服事地獄的地方。同時,市政府也來清潔曾充滿在此山谷部分地區的垃圾,並在此地區做景觀美化,興建風景步道。改變正臨到神應許再次要分別出來歸給祂的地區!

請禱告:神的國降臨,祂的旨意行在耶路撒冷的欣嫩子谷!

               
                   彩虹在此歸主為聖的山谷上方


下週的閱讀進度(3/27-4/2)被稱為『第八天』Shemini)讀經內容包括:妥拉─利未記9:1-11:47;『紅母牛安息日』(Shabbat Parah)─民數記19:1-22;先知書─以西結書36:16-38。

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 intercess ion for the Land and people of Israel. The Haftarah, unless otherwise noted, will be that read in Ashkenazy synagogues around the world. The references for all texts are those found in English translations of the Scriptures.

The readings for this week 20-26 March 2016 are called Tsav-"Command!"

TORAH
Leviticus 6:8-8:36

In this week's readings, Moses is told to command Aaron and his sons concerning the offerings they will shortly begin making before God. Careful instruction is made concerning each of these-with emphasis on the holiness of the priest's activities. Then Aaron and his sons are then consecrated, clothed in their holy garments and anointed, and atonement is made for them before they begin their duties on behalf of the people.

HAFTARAH
Jeremiah 7:21-8:36; 9:23-24

*Jeremiah 7:29b-34 (Emphases ours). " 'For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight,' says the LORD. 'They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of To phet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart. Therefore behold, the days are coming,' says YHVH, 'when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room.then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the beride. For the land shall be desolate'"

The Ben Hinnom Valley-The Curse and the Blessing

The Ben Hinnom [i.e. "Son of Hinnom"] valley is first mentioned in Scripture in Joshua 15:8 where it formed part of the northern border for the tribe of Judah. The valley slopes eastward to where it joins with the Kidron Valley just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was almost certainly through this valley that the Ark of the Covenant was carried during David's time, to be placed in a tent near the Gihon Springs at the foot of Mount Zion. There it rested for over 30 years before being carried higher still to a place prepared for it in the Temple built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. Yet, in his old age Solomon was lured away from his God, and set up high places for the gods of his wives. One of these gods wasMolekh-"the abomination of the people of Ammon" (I Kings 11:7)-and its center of worship became the Ben Hinnom valley. 200 years later, King Ahaz "burned incense in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom YHVH had driven out before the sons of Israel" (II Chronicles 28:3). This evil deity demanded the sacrifice of children, and thousands were burned to death in this valley. It is thought that these dreadful rites were accompanied by the sound of drums. The drum (Hebrew: toph) is one of the musical instruments blessed by God; Psalm 150:4 names it as among those to be used for releasing high praise! But Satan had misappropriated its sound for evil, so that the Ben Hinnom valley came to be known by another name-Tophet, probably from the thunder of drums as babies were being slaughtered here. By the time of the prophet Jeremiah, God had had enough-and as seen in our reading, today, placed a curse over the valley-it would no longer be calledTophet- -but the "Valley of Slaughter"-or "The Valley of Dead Bodies." A place for graves. By the time of Yeshua/Jesus, the name "Valley of Hinnom" (Gey-Hinnom) had been returned to it, but in a Greek form, Gehenna. It was now a place of burning the city's rubbish-and the name became a euphemism for Hell-a place of torment. (It was this word which is used by Yeshua in such passages as Mark 9:42-48).

                      
                     Muslim cemetery on northern slope of
                  Ben Hinnom Valley beneath the Temple Mount.


BUT GOD!

Yet "the Earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof!"-The blood of Yeshua redeems the earth (adamah) as well as human-kind (adam) from the curse! In the last verse of Jeremiah 31, the same chapter which speaks of a New Covenant, God promises that "the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes" will someday be "HOLY TO THE LORD"! And in Zechariah 2:12, He states that this valley falls within an area of which He will again take po ssession as His inheritance in the Holy earth (adamah)!

We believe that our present generation may be witnesses to this promise beginning to come to life!

During the past 16 years, believers from both Israel and nations around the world have come to pray in the valley, confessing sin-the murder of infants in the past, and those slain each year in the present through abortion. There has been prayer for the cleansing of the land. There have been "worship watches" with little children in the valley. During this time, a 24/7 room for worship and intercession has been raised up on the edge of the valley (the northern border of Judah-praise!). The drums have been redeemed!! And for over ten years they have joined with other instruments and many voices in releasing praise into the atmosphere to prepare the way for the coming King. A community of believers has also come into being on the edge of the valley. This year a cd of worship and praise in both Hebrew and Arabic written and performed by young Israelis is being prepared in the place where music was once forced into the service of hell. Meanwhile, the city has c ome in and cleaned up the rubbish which once filled parts of the valley; they have landscaped the area and installed a scenic promenade. Change is coming in this place in Jerusalem which God has promised will again be set apart to the LORD!

Please pray that God's Kingdom Come, His will be done in the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem!

                  
             Rainbow over the valley which will become

             Holy to the LORD
 

Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem


[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 27 March-2 April 2016 are called : Shemini--"Eighth Day": TORAH: Leviticus 9:1-11:47; + Shabbat Parah : Numbers 19:1-22. HAFTARAH: Ezekiel 36:16-38]