於2014-03-21發佈

每週一妥拉 2014/3/16-/3/22
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
3/16-3/22的閱讀稱為『第八(天)』(Shemini): 
妥拉:利未記9:1-11:47
紅母牛安息日:民數記19:1-22 

先知書:
以西結書36:16-38 

備註
: 這週是為了預備逾越節前二個特別的安息日之一,因此有額外的妥拉讀經,先知書閱讀也隨之改變。這週的安息日又稱為紅母牛安息日,為了讓人回想起一種儀式,是將紅母牛的灰用來潔淨觸摸死屍的污穢。這週特別的先知書閱讀是在以西結書36章,講述神對祂百姓不潔淨的審判,但也預言祂要引導他們歸回自己的地,祂必用清水灑在他們身上,並且賜給他們新心和新靈。

*
利未記 9:4, 6, 23b-24.因為今天耶和華要向你們顯現。』『耶和華的榮光就要向你們顯現。』『耶和華的榮光就向眾民顯現。有火從耶和華面前出來,在壇上燒盡燔祭和脂油;眾民一見,就都歡呼,俯伏在地。』

主渴望住在祂百姓中間,正如我們在出埃及記
40:34所看見的,在他們已經預備好道路後,祂同在的榮光就充滿了帳幕 (mishkan 居所、會幕)但祂也渴望祂的百姓能夠藉由他們所帶來的祭物個別來服事祂,透過祭司將這些祭物呈現在祂面前,接受這些禮物與祭物,而祂同在的榮光將充滿在全會眾。在這裡終於發生了,當聖潔的火出來燒盡了祭物,在祂榮耀的重量裡,人們只能大聲歡呼,俯伏在地(有趣的是,『榮耀kavod』的希伯來文字根亦是『重量』的字根)。令人好奇的是,人們釋放出來的『歡呼』在聖經中常被翻為『歌唱』 (伯38:7;箴29:6;賽 35:6,歷上16:33)。當神的榮耀向祂的百姓顯現時,他們常常無法繼續站立,有時會伴隨著釋放出主的歌!

聖潔

這週的閱讀中心是以色列主的聖潔─包括祂兒女不尊榮此聖潔的結果,尤其是那些代表神在人面前服事的人:
 

*
利未記10:3b.我在親近我的人中要顯為聖;在眾民面前,我要得榮耀。』 

*
利未記11:44-45.我是耶和華─你們的神;所以你們要成為聖潔,因為我是聖潔的。你們也不可在地上的爬物污穢自己。我是把你們從埃及地領出來的耶和華,要作你們的神;所以你們要聖潔,因為我是聖潔的。』

亞倫二個年紀最大的兒子拿答、亞比戶,主特別給予他們崇高與尊貴的『地位』在主面前服事,僅次於摩西與他們的父親大祭司亞倫。他們擁有特別的衣服與恩膏(8:13,24,30)給予他們特別的保護來服事,是和其他的利未人有所不同。然而,神並沒有吩咐他們,也沒有恩膏他們去行使只有他們父親大祭司亞倫可以靠近神的特別服事。但他們不滿足於神所任命的『位置』,他們擅自執行亞倫職位才有的服事,而沒有在自己的位置上盡忠職守。他們『在耶和華面前獻上凡火,是耶和華沒有吩咐他們的』。當他們這樣做時,他們沒有在仰望並倚靠他們的人眼前尊榮主,他們進到一個失去為他們服事提供特別保護的地方,在9:24本是代表神同在燒盡祭物的火,在審判中燒滅這兩個不在其位的兒子。雅各書3:16和1:13-15指出『在何處有嫉妒、紛爭,就在何處有擾亂和各樣的壞事』,以及『但各人被試探,乃是被自己的私慾牽引誘惑的。私慾既懷了胎,就生出罪來;罪既長成,就生出死來。』在此決定性的測試時刻,在拿答和亞比戶裡面長成的黑暗被彰顯出來,把他們引入歧途。

今日我們的主已經為我們提供一條安全進到祂同在的道路,是藉由耶穌所完成的工,但我們要帶著一顆敬畏的心,而不是任意而行或不遵從主。以我們既得了不能震動的國,就當感恩,照神所喜悅的,用虔誠、敬畏的心事奉神。因為我們的神乃是烈火(希伯來書12:28-29)

瑪垃基書3:2-3說要來的主:祂如煉金之人的火,祂必潔淨利未人,熬煉他們像金銀一樣;他們就憑公義獻供物給耶和華。』

請禱告:
為以色列的彌賽亞肢體擁有『聖潔』的觀念禱告,使我們在敬拜中不任意而行,不覬覦神給他人的位置,而是對祂給我們的特別責任謙卑感恩。禱告我們同時也降服於煉淨之火,使我們用心靈和誠實,憑公義獻上我們的祭。 

*
利未記10:8-11.耶和華曉諭亞倫說:你和你兒子進會幕的時候,清酒、濃酒都不可喝,免得你們死亡;這要作你們世世代代永遠的定例。使你們可以將聖的、俗的,潔淨的、不潔淨的,分別出來;又使你們可以將耶和華藉摩西曉諭以色列人的一切律例教訓他們。』

或許醉酒亦是拿答和亞比戶任意而行之罪的一個原因,雖然聖經清楚提到神允許祂的百姓喝酒(『在你神的面前』─申命記14:22-26),以賽亞書28:7清楚譴責不當喝酒可能會毀了服事,以致『他們錯解默示,謬行審判』,不謹毀了我們自己,也可能會毀了那些指望我們,想要尋求跟隨祂道路的人。

*
利未記10:10. 使你們可以將聖的、俗的分別出來。』更好的翻譯是將『聖潔的和一般人分別出來』,『聖潔』的相反未必是『有罪的』,聖潔是最先從一般人當中分別出來的。因此對祭司而言,有一些事(例如喝酒)在一般情況下可以,但當他們進入會幕在主面前服事時就不被允許。

利未記
11章列出希伯來人在一般飲食中『成聖』與『分別為聖』的方式。

*
利未記11:4, 46-47.但那倒嚼或分蹄之中不可吃的乃是:駱駝─因為倒嚼不分蹄,就與你們不潔淨;這是走獸、飛鳥,和水中游動的活物,並地上爬物的條例。要把潔淨的和不潔淨的,可吃的與不可吃的活物,都分別出來。』

以色列百姓禁止吃這些動物,但沒有限制『摸』他們,正如在伊甸園中的夏娃(創3:3),有一些人添加了原本的限制,但主關於不可摸的限制只有在死屍上(利11:8)。額外的妥拉閱讀是在民數記19章,以一種特別的『消毒』方式,來處理那些觸摸死屍的人。一隻寶血顏色、沒有殘疾、未曾負軛的『母牛』在營外焚燒,再把香柏木、牛膝草與朱紅色線都丟在火中一塊燒。母牛的灰被收存在營外的器皿裡,需要的人將其與『活水』混在一起,用來除去那些觸摸死屍的污穢。若山羊和公牛的血,並母牛犢的灰,灑在不潔的人身上,尚且叫人成聖,身體潔淨,何況基督藉著永遠的靈,將自己無瑕無疵獻給神,祂的血豈不更能洗淨你們的心,除去你們的死行,使你們事奉那永生神嗎?(希伯來書9:13-14)。

這週特別的先知書讀經是在以西結書
36:16-38,一樣是關於聖潔的潑灑!

我們發現這段經文在協助我們為以色列禱告上特別實用,裡面提到目前在猶大和撒馬利亞受爭議的『領土』,以色列被施壓要釋放這些土地作為穆斯林國家永遠的領土,猶太人不被允許住在其上。

在此閱讀的所有預言都以一個地區為中心,稱為『以色列山』
(以西結書36:1),正好就是這些受爭議的地方。

請禱告
為著目前住在這些地方的猶太屯墾區居民禱告,他們能得著來自耶穌彌賽亞的公義啟示。在這段經文強烈表示,唯有當他們領受祂所提供的潔淨,他們才能永遠『住在此地』。

*
以西結書36:24-28.我必從各國收取你們,從列邦聚集你們,引導你們歸回本地。我必用清水灑在你們身上,你們就潔淨了。我要潔淨你們,使你們脫離一切的污穢,棄掉一切的偶像。我也要賜給你們一個新心,將新靈放在你們裡面,又從你們的肉體中除掉石心,賜給你們肉心。我必將我的靈放在你們裡面,使你們順從我的律例,謹守遵行我的典章。你們必住在我所賜給你們列祖之地。你們要作我的子民,我要作你們的神。』

*
以西結書36:31-33.那時,你們必追想你們的惡行和你們不善的作為,就因你們的罪孽和可憎的事厭惡自己。主耶和華說:你們要知道,我這樣行不是為你們。以色列家啊,當為自己的行為抱愧蒙羞。主耶和華如此說:我潔淨你們,使你們脫離一切罪孽的日子,必使城邑有人居住,荒場再被建造。』

*
以西結書36:37-38.主耶和華如此說:我要加增以色列家的人數,多如羊群。他們必為這事向我求問,我要給他們成就。耶路撒冷在守節作祭物所獻的羊群怎樣多,照樣,荒涼的城邑必被人群充滿。他們就知道我是耶和華。』

請禱告:禱告主賜給以色列人恩典,來到他們渴求渴望之地,成為神健康又加增的『羊群』,禱告他們將渴望『
賜平安的神,就是那憑永約之血、使群羊的大牧人─我主耶穌從死裡復活的神(希伯來書13:20)。禱告他們將認識耶穌(Yeshua)是主(Yehovah),祂與祂的父本為一。

下週的閱讀進度(3/23-3/29)被稱為『懷孕』(Thazria),讀經內容包括:妥拉─利未記12:1-13:59;正月安息日(Shabbat haChodesh)─出埃及記12:1-20;先知書─以西結書45:16-46:18。

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 March 16-22 the readings are called Shemini--"Eighth" (day):
Torah: Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Shabbat Parah : Numbers 19:1-22
Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38

(NOTE: This is one of two special Shabbats in preparation for Pesach/Passover which contain an additional Torah reading and a replacement for the usually-read Haftarah reading. This one is called Parah (Cow), and recalls the ritual involving the ashes of a red heifer for purification from defilement by death. The special Haftarah from Ezekiel 36 recounts God's judgment upon His people for their uncleanness, but also prophecies His return of them to their own Land, his sprinkling of clean water on them and giving them a new heart and new spirit.)

*Leviticus 9:4, 6, 23b-24.
".for today, the LORD will appear to you." ".and the glory of the LORD will appear to you." "Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."

It had been the LORD's desire to dwell in the midst of His people, and, as we saw in Exodus 40:34, after they had prepared the way, the Glory of His presence came into and filled the mishkan (dwelling place, tabernacle).
But it was also His desire that his people be able to minister to Him personally through bringing their offerings, which would then be presented before Him by the priests-and that the glory of His presence and acceptance of these gifts and sacrifices be experienced by all the congregation. Here it finally takes place-and as the holy Fire appears and consumes the sacrifices, the people can only respond with a shout and with falling down under the weight of His Glory (Interestingly, the root for this Hebrew word "glory" kavod is also the root for the word "weight"). And it is intriguing that the word for the "shout" the people release is quite often in Scripture (Job 38:7, Prov. 29:6; Isa. 35:6, I Chron. 16:33.) translated "song". When God's glory falls on His people, they often can no longer remain standing-and sometimes its coming is accompanied by release of the Song of the Lord!

HOLINESS

This week's readings center upon the Holiness of Israel's LORD-including the consequences to his children, especially those who minister on His behalf before the people, of not honoring that holiness:

*Leviticus 10:3b. "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored."

*Leviticus 11:44-45: "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean.For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy."

Aaron's two eldest sons Nadav and Avihu had been granted a high and exalted "positioning" of ministry before the LORD, second only to Moses and to their father the High Priest. For them there was clothing and anointing (8:13,24, 30) providing them special protection to minister in ways not granted to the other Levites. However, they were not commanded nor were they clothed and anointed to draw near to God in that specific ministry assigned to their father Aaron the High Priest. Yet discontent with the appointed "place" God had chosen for them, they presumed to operate in the ministry of Aaron's office rather than being faithful to that of their own-they offered "strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them." In doing so, they dishonored God in the eyes of the people who looked up to and depended upon them. They also stepped into a place where the unique protection provided for their assignment of ministry was no longer effective, and the very fire from God's presence which showed his favor in devouring the sacrifices in 9:24, devours in judgment these two sons who had abandoned their appointed places (There is no reason to see this passage as depicting severe judgment upon those who are novices and have accidentally slipped and made a mistake while attempting something new. James 3:16 and 1:13-15 shows how "where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is confusion and every evil thing", and how "each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed, Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." At this crucial time of testing, the darkness which had been growing in Nadav and Avihu was manifest and they were betrayed.

Today our Lord has provided a way for us also to come into His presence safely, through the finished work of Yeshua. But we are to do so in reverence, not in presumption or disobedience. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Malachi 3:2-3 says that the coming LORD "is like a refiner's fire" and will "purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness."

Please Pray-for a sense of the 'holy' in the Body of Messiah in Israel-that we will not be presumptuous in our worship and will not covet positions which God has granted to others, but be humbly thankful for the special responsibilities He chooses for us. Pray that we will at the same time yield ourselves to the refining purifying fire of God's Spirit; and that the offerings which we offer up will be done in righteousness, in spirit and in truth.

*Leviticus 10:8-12.
"Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying: 'Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and tha t you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses."

Perhaps intoxication was also a factor in the presumptuous sin of Nadav and Avihu. Although the Bible makes clear that God sanctions the drinking of wine or strong drink by His children ("before the LORD your God"- Deut. 14:22-26), Isaiah 28:7 just as clearly condemns its misuse, which can spoil our ministry, resulting in "erring in vision and stumbling in judgment", not only in ourselves, but also in those who are looking up to us in seeking to follow His ways.

*Leviticus 10:10. ".that you may distinguish between holy and unholy."
An even better translation would be "distinguish between the holy and the common." The opposite of "holiness" is not necessarily "sinful" That which is holy is first of all that which is "set-apart from the ordinary." So for the priests, certain things (such as drinking wine) which might be acceptable under ordinary circumstances were not allowed when they went into the Tent of Meeting to perf orm their duties there before the Lord.

Chapter Eleven lists ways in which the Hebrews were to be "holy" or "set apart" from other peoples by their diet.

*Leviticus 11:4, 46-47.
"Nevertheless, these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or that have cloven hooves. This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten" The Israelites were forbidden to eat these animals, not from "touching" them. As with Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:3), there would be those who might add such restrictions, but the LORD's restrictions regarding touch were related to the carcasses of dead animals (11:8). The additional Torah reading from Numbers 19 deals with the contamination taking place when one comes into contact with a dead human body. For cleansing, a red cow was burned and its ashes mixed with living (flowing) water which was then sprinkled upon the contaminated one, making him or her clean. Yeshua came be a holy sacrifice, and to in His own body defeat Death, cleansing us with a far holier sprinkling, "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:13-14).

THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL HAFTARAH, EZEKIEL 36:16-38, DEALS WITH THIS SAME HOLY SPRINKLING!

We find it especially useful in helping us to pray for Israel as regards the contested "territories" of Judea and Samaria, which she is being pressured to release to be converted permanently into a Muslim state in which no Jews would be allowed to dwell.

All of the prophecies in this reading are centered on an area called "The Mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:1), which exactly constitute this contested area.

PLEASE PRAY

FOR THOSE JEWISH SETTLERS CURRENTLY LIVING IN THESE AREAS, THAT THEY BE GRANTED REVELATION OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH COMES IN MESSIAH YESHUA. THIS PASSAGE STRONGLY IMPLIES THAT IT IS ONLY WHEN THEY RECEIVE THE CLEANSING WHICH HE OFFERS THAT THEY WILL BE ENABLED PERMANENTLY TO "DWELL IN THE LAND."

Ezekiel 36:24.
"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God."

Ezekiel 36:31.
"Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.Thus says Adonai YHVH: 'On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.'"

Ezekiel 36:37.
"Thus says Adonai YHVH: 'I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am YHVH." PLEASE PRAY: For grace for Israelis to come to a place that t hey desire and enquire to be a healthy and increasing "flock" of God. That they will long for "the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Yeshua from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20). That they will come to know that Yeshua is the LORD (Yehovah)-that He and His Father are One.

Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem

[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 23-29 March 2014 are called Thazria-"Quicken with Seed/Conceive: TORAH: Leviticus 12:1-13:59; Shabbat haChodesh: Exodus 12:1-20; HAFTARAH: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18.]