於2012-04-19發佈

每週一妥拉 2012/4/14-4/21
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。

這週的閱讀進度(4/15-4/21)是平常的兩倍:

第一部分的閱讀被稱為『懷孕』(Thazria)『若有婦人懷孕』:
妥拉:利未記12:1-13:59
先知書:列王記下4:42-5:19

第二部分的閱讀被稱為『大痲瘋』(Metsora)『長大痲瘋得潔淨的日子,其例乃是這樣:要帶他去見祭司』:
妥拉:利未記14:1-15:33
先知書:列王記下7:3-20

上週我們聚焦在以色列被『分別出來』的重要性,將聖的、俗的,潔淨的、不潔淨的,分別出來(利10:10)─這週與下週的妥拉閱讀持續會談到要如何在日常生活中行出來。當一位母親生產時,她需要潔淨與贖罪,必須居家一段時間並檢視是否有爆發疾病(身體上與環境上),以及污染是否已經排出身體。一旦得醫治了必須按著指示來恢復。

當彌賽亞耶穌出生穩定後,祂的母親馬利亞照著同樣的指示來潔淨(路加福音2:22),當獻祭的時候到了,她和約瑟只能獻上這裡所提到的卑微獻祭(利12:8;路2:24)。耶穌來是為要『除去魔鬼的作為』,彰顯在所有這些疾病當中,帶來贖罪、救贖性的醫治與潔淨。很有意義的是在祂醫治神蹟中,特別提到祂醫治那些大痲瘋與『血漏問題』的婦人。 

請禱告:當猶太人這安息日在會堂裡聽見這些話,其如此深動描繪出目前在我們中間的罪與結果,以及人們需要得醫治並宣告得潔淨─禱告聖靈會讓人為罪、為義、為審判自己責備自己,聖靈也會吸引猶太人尋求主的潔淨,唯有祂能將人洗淨白如雪。 

*列王記下5:1『亞蘭王的元帥乃縵在他主人面前為尊為大,因耶和華曾藉他使亞蘭人得勝;他又是大能的勇士,只是長了大痲瘋。』

從這故事的一些重要事件突顯出─在今日亞蘭(敘利亞)這國家仍處在隨時與我們戰爭的狀態中,這國家有成千上萬枚的飛彈朝向我們(許多夾帶著有毒瓦斯或病菌),其總統持續以鐵腕回應民間動亂,導致數千人在過去幾個月中喪生。阿薩德總統選擇漠視列國嚴厲的譴責,反而鞏固與以色列大敵伊朗和俄羅斯的關係。就算阿薩德總統政權垮台,可能會接替他的遜尼派政府對以色列也友善不到哪裡去。

然而,很重要的是我們不因他們國家對抗我們而獸化所有的人;神對敘利亞的百姓有救贖的目的。在以利沙的日子,這個地區也是以色列的敵人,以色列北方的領導在那時同樣不與神同行。上面的經文讓我們看見在同一個地區,一位英勇的元帥如何被主使用為亞蘭人帶來勝利(希伯來文:拯救),有一些勝利還是在以色列受損下發生的!但神有一個更大的計畫,雖然以色列的王不信神,但那仍是神的應許,地上的列國會因其而得著祂的祝福。藉由一個富有同情心被擄的以色列女子,神決意給乃幔個人『救恩』與潔淨,並將救贖的知識賜給敘利亞,讓他們知道『在以色列國中有先知』(王下5:8)。

請禱告: 
*為了讓先知能再次在以色列中被建立,像古時一樣,此時的彌賽亞(預言中的靈意乃是為耶穌作見證─啟示錄19:10)肢體就算在仇敵的土地上,都可以見證『在以色列國中有先知』(王下5:8)。

*禱告抵擋敘利亞政府上方的巫術,他們用數千名百姓的血祭來鞏固自己。

*禱告神會在敘利亞甦醒英勇的男女,啟示『救恩是出於猶太人』,以色列的神可以為所有人類帶來潔淨。祂的天使會為大馬士革(敘利亞首都)內外要承受救恩的人效力(希伯來書1:14)。

*禱告以色列總理納坦雅胡能擁有屬神的商議、力量與勇氣,在處理與敘利亞的和平中能跟隨 神的目的,使得如此的和平會出於神的方式,而不是人的。惟有神能使以色列境內有長久的平安(詩篇 147:14)。敘利亞要求以戈蘭高地的歸還作為和平的基礎,其位在古時噩王的國 ─一個已被摩西打敗的國,將戈蘭高地包括黑門山全部給了瑪拿西半支派(申3:13,書13:8-11)。就算將這地給出去,我們也看不到任何對以色列或敘利亞之間長久的和平。

*請禱告神會向我們顯示祂更好的方式並帶領我們,倘若祂可以藉由以色列來對一位敘利亞的元帥釋放憐憫─難道祂不會在我們的時候做類似的事嗎?『因為祂的慈愛永遠長存!』(Ki le'Olam hasdo!)

下週的閱讀進度(4/22-4/28)是另一次『雙倍閱讀』:I.『死了以後』(Acharei Mot),讀經內容包括:妥拉─利未記16:1-18:30;先知書─以西結書22:1-19。II.『你們要聖潔』(Kedoshim),讀經內容包括:妥拉─利未記19:1-20:27;先知書─阿摩司書9:7-15(在阿什肯納茲猶太會堂);以西結書20:2-20(在塞法迪猶太會堂)。

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.
 
This week's portion contains a double reading.

The name of the first is "Thazria" ("Quicken with Seed"-"Conceive". Related to the bringing forth of a child):
TORAH: Leviticus 12:1-13:59
HAFTARAH: II Kings 4:42-5:19

The second reading is called "Metsora" (Related to "leprosy"):
TORAH: Leviticus 14:1-15:33
HAFTARAH: II Kings 7:3-20

After last week's focus on the importance of Israel's being 'set apart', of her distinguishing between the holy and unholy, the unclean and clean (Lev. 10:10)-this week's portion continues in instruction of how this was to be worked out in everyday life. There needed to be purification and atonement made for a mother when bringing forth children; there must be measures of isolation and testing taken for outbreaks of surface diseases or blights (both on physical bodies and on dwellings), and for contaminating discharges from the body. And there was the way prescribed for restoration once healing had occurred.

When Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus) came to be born in a stable, his mother Miriam (Mary) submitted to these same instructions for purification (Luke 2:22), and when it was time for the sacrifice, she and Joseph could only afford the humble offering mentioned here (Lev 12:8; Luke 2:24). Yeshua's coming was to "undo the works of the devil" manifest in all of these diseases, to bring atonement, redemption healing and cleansing. It is very significant that among his healing miracles, special mention is made of those involving lepers and a woman with an 'issue of blood'.

Please pray, as those in synagogues this coming weekend hear these words which so graphically picture the presence and result of sin in our midst and man's need for healing and being pronounced clean-that the Holy Spirit will convict of sin and righteousness and judgment, and draw Jews to seek cleansing through the One who washes white as snow.

 * II Kings 5:1: "Now Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master; because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, leprous." 

Some important things stand out to us in this story. Present-day Syria is a nation still considered to be in a state of war with Israel. It is a nation with thousands of missiles pointed at us (many with poisonous gas or germ-warfare payload capabilities). Its president continues to respond to civil upheaval in his country with an iron hand resulting in thousands of deaths during the past few months. President Assad has chosen to almost totally ignore the loud reproaches of the nations, instead strengthening ties with Israel's arch-enemy Iran and with Russia. Nor is there any special reason to expect more friendly overtures towards Israel from the Sunni-dominated government which would presumably take his place were he to fall.

Yet it is very important that we not dehumanize an entire people, because their country is aligned against us as an enemy; God has redemptive purposes for the people of Syria. In Elisha's day, this region also stood as Israel's enemy. Nor were northern Israel's leaders in any sense walking with God at that time. The passage above shows us how an heroic general of this same region had actually been used by the LORD to bring victory (Hebrew: salvation) to Syria. Some of those victories had been at Israel's expense! But God had a bigger plan. Although Israel's king was a godless man, it was still God's promise that in Abraham's seed all the nations of the earth would receive His blessing. Through the compassionate testimony of a young captive Israeli girl, He purposed to bring further personal "salvation" and cleansing to Na'aman, and also the redeeming knowledge to Syria that there was a "prophet in Israel" (II Kings 5:8). 

PLEASE PRAY: 
*For the prophetic to be established again in Israel as in days of old, this time in the Body of Messiah ("The testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy"- Rev 19:10)-to the extent that even in the lands of our enemies there will come the testimony that "there is a prophet in Israel".

*Against the witchcraft over the Syrian government which seeks to strengthen itself through the blood-sacrifice of thousands of its own people.

*That God will awaken heroic men and women in Syria, to the revelation that "salvation is of the Jews"-that there is cleansing for all men provided in "Elohei Yisrael"-the "Israel God". That His angels will minister on behalf of those in and around Damascus who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

*That Benyamin Netanyahu will be given divine counsel, strength and courage to follow God's purposes regarding peace with Syria. Pray that such peace will come in God's way-not man's. It is only He who can affect a lasting peace on Israel's borders (Psalm 147:14). The Golan Heights, which Syria demands be returned to her as a basis for any peace treaty, lies in the ancient territory of Og-a principality defeated by Moses, who gave the area including all of Mount Hermon to part of the tribe of Manasseh (Deut 3:13, Josh 13:8-11). We do not see any lasting peace or security coming for Israel or Syria by giving it away. Please pray that God will show and lead us in His better way. If He could influence the King of ancient Syria for good through releasing mercy through Israel on to one of his generals-might He not do something similar in our day? "Ki le'Olam hasdo!"-For His Mercy endureth Forever!!

Martin & Norma
Jerusalem

 [The readings for next week 22-28 April contain another "Double Reading": I. Acharei Mot ("After the Death"): TORAH: Leviticus 16;1-18:30; HAFTARAH: Ezekiel 22:1-19. II. Kedoshim ("Be Holy"): TORAH Leviticus 19;1-20:27; HAFTARAH: Amos 9:7-15 (Ashkenazy synagogues); Ezekiel 20:2-20 (Sephardic synagogues)]