每週一妥拉 2012/10/7-10/13

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。

2012十月8-13日

新的循環開始！

這週的妥拉閱讀循環重新開始，這週的閱讀稱為『起初』（B'resheet）：

妥拉: 創世記 1:1-6:8
先知書: 以賽亞書 42:5-43:10

當我們翻開充滿神氣息的書卷第一章，神（複數，語法上以單數呈現）創造天地。神的靈在那裡運行（第2節）。當神說話，祂的道也在那裡。沒幾節『亞當』就受造（1:27），是按著祂自己的形象造男造女（1:27）。到了第三章最後那形象受損，接受神氣息的生命已在垂死之中。在4:2男人與女人開始有了下一代，他們的兒子們將供物獻上。在4:8有謀殺案發生，討神喜悅的好人亞伯成為第一個死去的人。很有趣的是，亞伯名字的希伯來文拼法與『虛空』或『虛幻』相同，這剛好是我們在住棚節期間所閱讀的傳道書開端與精髓所在。人的生命不過是一片雲霧，出現少時就不見了，而好人亞伯與惡人該隱的生命都不過片時。

到了創世記第六章，地上都敗壞了，充滿罪惡的人連同悖逆的天使。『耶和華見人在地上罪惡很大，終日所思想的盡都是惡，耶和華說：我要將所造的人（希伯來文：adam）和走獸，並昆蟲，以及空中的飛鳥，都從地上（希伯來文：adamah）除滅，惟有挪亞在耶和華眼前蒙恩』（6:5,7a, 8）。在現代希伯來文這句話仍有『帶來喜悅』之意。

請禱告：『就像挪亞的日子一樣』，地上雖然充滿邪惡，卻有許多末後的『挪亞』興起，為主帶來喜悅，『在祂的眼前蒙恩』。 

下週的閱讀（10/14-20）稱為挪亞，讀經進度為妥拉：創世記6:9-11:32；先知書：以賽亞書54:1-55:5。

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

8-13 October 2012

A NEW CYCLE BEGINS!

This week the cycle through the Torah begins anew. The reading for this weekend is called B'resheet-"In the Beginning".

TORAH: Genesis 1:1-6:8
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 42:5-43:10

As we open to the first chapter of this God-breathed Book, God-Elohim (a plural, used grammatically as a singular) is simply there--creating. The Spirit of Elohim is there (vs. 2). And as God speaks, His living WORD is there. Within a few verses "The Adam" is created (1:27), created in Elohim's own image-masculine and feminine (1:27). By the end of Chapter 3 that image is marred and what had received the breath of life is already dying. In 4:2 the man and woman have begun to reproduce, and their sons are bringing offerings to the LORD. In 4:8 there is murder committed, and Abel, a good man who pleases God, becomes the first man to die. It is interesting that Abel's name in the Hebrew is spelled the same as the Hebrew word for "vapor" or "vanity" (This word both begins and permeates the book of Ecclesiastes which we have been reading during the feast of Sukkot. Life is but a vapor which is here and passes away, and the life of Abel, the good, as well as that of Cain, the evil, are both temporary.

By Genesis 6 the earth is corrupted through sinful man in conjunction with rebellious angelic beings. "Then YHVH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.So YHVH said, 'I will destroy the man (Hebrew: the adam) whom I have created from the face of the earth (Hebrew: the adamah).' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (6:5,7a, 8). This is an expression which, in modern Hebrew, still means "to bring pleasure to."

PLEASE PRAY: that "as it was in the days of Noah," besides a rising evil on the earth, a multitude of latter-day "Noahs" will also arise who bring pleasure to their LORD, who "find grace in His eyes."

 Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem

[The readings for next week (14-20 October) will be called Noah. TORAH: Genesis 6:9-11:32; HAFTARAH: Isaiah 54:1-55:5]