每週一妥拉 2013/6/2-6/8
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（6/2-6/8）稱為『可拉』（Korach），讀經內容包括：
妥拉：民數記16:1-18:32
先知書：撒母耳記上11:14-12:22

註明：因著這星期六和星期日是希伯來曆新月的開始(Rosh Chodesh-Machar Chodesh)，在許多猶太會堂讀到先知書會以以賽亞書66:1-24代替原來的撒母耳記上20:18, 42。

這週的讀經內容聚焦在可拉的背叛。

*民數記16:3; 16:7b 可拉和他一黨的人對摩西說：『你們擅自專權！全會眾個個既是聖潔，耶和華也在他們中間，你們為什麼自高，超過耶和華的會眾呢﹖』摩西說：『耶和華揀選誰，誰就為聖潔。你們這利未的子孫擅自專權了！』

在這裡我們看見，這也許就是主在十二章如此嚴厲對付米利暗與亞倫的一個原因，倘若那些在先知與祭司行列的人，不滿他們的位置有別於主揀選與任命其他人的位置，他們的行為就不被允許仿效。摩西並沒有任命自己成為以色列的領袖，是神指派的。諷刺的是，可拉說的是事實，當他宣稱『全會眾個個既是聖潔』─會眾整體是聖潔的（從列國中被分別出來），在裡面的每一個支派、家庭與個人也是『被分別出來』。分別出來意指他們裡外的疆界都必須受到敬重。

請禱告：在以色列信徒間的合一─謙卑、敬重與尊榮彼此不同的恩賜與呼召，並瞭解那是聖靈所做出的區別；當我們批評或嫉妒他們時，我們就『擅自專權了』。讀猶大書對我們敬重這些職分有所助益（特別是從8到11節），當中預言到『輕慢主治的』和『毀謗在尊位的』，等同於『可拉的背叛』，會在末後再次浮現出來。

*民數記16:47-48 『亞倫照著摩西所說的拿來，跑到會中，不料，瘟疫在百姓中已經發作了。他就加上香，為百姓贖罪。他站在活人死人中間，瘟疫就止住了。』就算是在背叛人的中間，主仍渴望找到那些代表自己與祂土地的人『站在破口』（『我在他們中間尋找一人重修牆垣，在我面前為這國站在破口防堵，使我不滅絕這國，卻找不著一個。所以我將惱恨倒在他們身上』─以西結書22:30-31）。

請禱告：神的代禱者有敏銳與敏捷的生命─願意、降服並定意分擔祂的負擔，所以能在對的時間被釋放『站在活人死人中間』（並能區別兩者之間的不同）─『重修牆垣』並站在破口上，以致瘟疫就止住了。

*民數記17:10『耶和華吩咐摩西說：把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。』

背叛的實質希伯來文意思是b'nei-meri─苦毒之子。我們需要留意以弗所書二章1-3節的希伯來文翻譯，『悖逆之子』的翻譯正是b'nei-meri，免得我們太快認為自己與可拉那些背叛的人無關。『你們死在過犯罪惡之中，祂叫你們活過來。那時，你們在其中行事為人，隨從今世的風俗，順服空中掌權者的首領，就是現今在悖逆之子心中運行的邪靈。我們從前也都在他們中間，放縱肉體的私慾，隨著肉體和心中所喜好的去行，本為可怒之子，和別人一樣。』（弗2:1-3） 

*撒母耳記上12:21-22『若偏離耶和華去順從那不能救人的虛神是無益的。耶和華既喜悅選你們作祂的子民，就必因祂的大名不撇棄你們。』『虛無』或『空虛』這個字的希伯來文（tohu）與神開始吹氣（詩篇33:6）前，用來描述地上的狀態（創世記1:2）『空虛混沌』是相同的字。

請為以色列信徒和為以色列禱告的代禱者禱告：我們的信心不會受到虛無的推理影響，而是將我們的盼望和禱告放在神的信實上，尊榮祂的名，好使我們大受激勵，滿心知道『神喜悅』以色列作『祂的子民』。

下週的閱讀進度（6/9-6/15）稱為『律例』（Chukat），讀經內容包括：妥拉─民數記19:1—22:1；先知書─士師記11:1-33。

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 pr ovided 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 reading for this week 2-8 June is called Korach-"Korah").
TORAH: Numbers 16:1-18:32
HAFTARAH: I Samuel 11:14-12:22

NOTE: Because the coming Saturday and Sunday mark the beginning of a Hebrew month (Rosh Chodesh-Machar Chodesh), the following passages will, in many synagogues, be substituted for the Haftarah cited above: Isaiah 66:1-24, 23; I Samuel 20:18, 42

This week's Portion focuses on the rebellion of Korah.

*Numbers 16:3; 16:7b: Korah and His Followers to Moses: "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" Moses: "Take censers, Korah and all your company; put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that t he man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi." 

Perhaps we see here one reason for the severity with which the LORD dealt with Miriam and Aaron in Chapter 12. If those in the office of Prophet and Priest are discontent with their "place" in relation to the positions of others whom the LORD has chosen and appointed, will not their behavior be seen as license by their followers to do likewise. Moses had not appointed himself as leader over Israel, God had. Ironically, Korah was speaking a truth when he claimed that "all the congregation is holy, every one of them"-the congregation as a whole was holy (i.e. "set apart") from the other nations, and within that congregation individual tribes and families and individuals were also "set apart". Setting-apart implies boundaries both from without and from within which must be respected by those set apart to other responsibilities.

PLEASE PRAY: for unity amongst believers in Israel-for humility, respect and honor towards the gifts and callings of each. For realization that it is the Holy Spirit who makes these distinctions; it is 'taking too much upon ourselves' when we criticize or envy them. 

PLEASE PRAY for Godly discipline in the love and fear of the LORD within the Congregations. It may be helpful to read the Book of JUDE in this respect (especially vss 8-11) which prophecies how "rejection of authority" and "speaking evil of dignitaries-the "rebellion of Korah"-will resurface in latter days, and the spirit in which it must be addressed when it does.

*Numbers 16:48: "Then Aaron took the censer as Moses had commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." Even in the midst of a rebellious people, the LORD is longing to find those who will "stand in the gap" on their behalf and on behalf of His land ("So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found no one. Therefore, I have poured out My indignation on them." -Ezekiel 22:30). 

PLEASE PRAY: For sensitivity and readiness on behalf of God's Intercessors-willingness, surrender and resolve to share His burden, so as to be released at just the right time to "stand between the dead and the living" (and to be able to differentiate between the two)-to "make a wall" a nd stand in the gap so that plague will be stopped.

*Numbers 17:10. "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.'" "Rebels" is literally b'nei-meri-"sons (or children) of bitterness". Lest we be too quick to distance ourselves from those who fell in Korah's rebellion and the mutinous disruptions which followed, we would note that in the Hebrew translation of Ephesians 2:1-3, exactly the same words b'nei-meri are used to translate "sons of disobedience"-"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God." (Emphasis ours).

*I Samuel 12:21-22: "You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the LORD will not abandon His people on ac count of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself" (NASB). The word "futile" or "emptiness" is in Hebrew ("tohu") the same word used of the state of the earth (Genesis 1:2) before Elohim began breathing His Life into it (Psalm 33:6). 

PLEASE PRAY: For Israeli believers and those who intercede for her, that our faith not be distracted into reasonings which are emptiness and void-but rather that we base our hope and prayers on God's faithfulness to honor His Name, that we be encouraged in the knowledge that it is "His pleasure" to make Israel a "people for Himself."

Martin and Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem

[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 9-15 June will be Chukat-"Ordinance" (regarding the Red Heifer) : TORAH: Numbers 19:1-22:1; HAFTARAH: Judges 11:1-33]