於2014-08-05發佈

每週一妥拉 2014/8/3-8/9
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。

2014年八月5
聖殿被毀日-埃波月9-(五月的禁食)

星期一晚上 
耶利米哀歌

星期二
妥拉申命記4:25-40
先知書:耶利米書8:13-9:23

這週的閱讀進度8/3-8/9稱為『懇求』V'Et'chanan讀經內容包括: 
妥拉申命記3:23-7:11
先知書以賽亞書40:1-26(安慰安息日─Shabbat Nachamu 

妥拉

這週的閱讀既豐富又有能力。除了『預備跨越與得地為業』之外(3:27-28; 4:14, 21-22, 26-28; 6:1,還包括『十誡』(5:6-21);『以色列啊,你要聽!』(6:4);認識與牢記神的話之指示,無論是在家裡、在城門上與在門框上,還有其他摩西給預備進入迦南的年輕世代誠摯感人地忠告與勸誡。 

*申命記3:28.你卻要囑咐約書亞,勉勵他,使他膽壯;因為他必在這百姓前面過去,使他們承受你所要觀看之地。』 

請禱告神在以色列地興起屬靈領袖,是一群警醒又順服的長老,會以能力囑咐、勉勵新的一代,使他們膽壯,邁向他們呼召的方向─他們是屬神的新世代,信靠並愛他們的神,打必要的戰役並承受地業。

*申命記4:7.哪一大國的人有神與他們相近,像耶和華我們的神、在我們求告祂的時候與我們相近呢?』

*申命記4:29-31.但你們在那裡必尋求耶和華你的神。你盡心盡性尋求祂的時候,就必尋見。日後你遭遇一切患難的時候,你必歸回耶和華YHVH你的神,聽從祂的話。耶和華你神原是有憐憫的神;祂總不撇下你,不滅絕你,也不忘記祂起誓與你列祖所立的約。』 

請禱告這地猶太人的心中有一個強大的渴望覺醒,渴望他們列祖所信靠的神─相信這段話,相信當他們回轉向祂,祂會側耳聽。 

*申命記4:43.為流便人分定曠野平原的比悉;為迦得人分定基列的拉末;為瑪拿西人分定巴珊的哥蘭。』 

這些都是以色列從亞摩利人手中取得的逃城,沿著約旦河東岸到黑門山。此地曾以『充滿巨人之地』聞名(申2:20; 3:13),直到以色列在跨越約旦河、進入迦南之地前將他們完全擊敗(3:3-11)。前面兩個逃城目前在約旦所聲稱的土地內(1946年正式納入版圖),後面的哥蘭高地是以色列在六日戰爭從敘利亞手中取回的。撒迦利亞書十章10節預言說有一天猶太人會回到基列和黎巴嫩。

請禱告以色列在這幾塊土地上會尊榮神的時間表,他們不會輕視當年摩西從巴珊王噩(最後與最大的巨人)手中取得,給了瑪拿西支派(目前的哥蘭高地),在末世又歸還給祂的百姓。禱告神的國降臨!萬軍之主會以祂的旨意並在祂的時間,歸還由祂立約百姓所掌管的土地到祂原先所計畫的邊界範圍。

*申命記6:4-5.以色列啊,你要聽!耶和華我們神是獨一的主。』 

在申命記其他地方也出現『以色列啊,你要聽』(4:1, 6:3, 9:1, 20:3, 33:7)─但這一節成為世界猶太人數百年來的中心呼求。它是猶太會堂每週都會唱的歌(包括大部分彌賽亞教會)。需要啟示才能除去百姓的『帕子』,使他們瞭解到耶穌是神的兒子(箴言30:4),而人子也不會違背此宣言,因為那是最深層的真理,就是祂與父原為一!(約翰福音10:30)。撒旦痛恨此真理被說出來,當耶穌宣告此真理時,宗教的猶太人甚至拿石頭要殺祂。

請禱告為父神與兒子原為一的啟示禱告,讓欺騙者的聲音和錯誤信息在猶太人的耳朵停下來。

*申命記6:5. 你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華你的神。

耶穌也在新約引用這節經文,稱其為第一與最大的誡命(馬太福音22:37-38)。『盡你所有的力量』在希伯來文中是很獨特的,不是一般常用的『力量』,而是用me'od這個希伯來字。me'od在聖經與現代希伯來文裡是一個副詞,意思是『非常』(very)。韋氏字典對此副詞非常(very)的形容是:『很高的程度;很大的廣度;極其地;極度地;是使用在形容詞或另一個副詞前面作為限定詞。』但這裡的me'od或very是當作名詞使用!用我們的『非常』來愛神─在每一個方面:『以很高的程度、很大的廣度、極其地與極度地』來愛神。

在希伯來聖經,只有在另一個地方有重複此經文,是談到以色列的一位領袖約西亞王(王下23:25):『在約西亞以前沒有王像他盡心、盡性、盡力地歸向耶和華,遵行摩西的一切律法;在他以後也沒有興起一個王像他。』『盡我們所有的心』是一顆柔和謙卑的心;很重要地,在22:19顯出神聽到並回應約西亞:『就是聽見我指著這地和其上的居民所說、要使這地變為荒場、民受咒詛的話,你便心裡敬服,在我面前自卑。』 

我們怎能不為以色列現任總理禱告呢
使他有像約西亞般柔軟的心,當他聽到神的話就扎心
他不只一次宣稱自己規律讀經

*申命記6:6-9. 我今日所吩咐你的話都要記在心上,也要殷勤教訓你的兒女。無論你坐在家裡,行在路上,躺下,起來,都要談論。也要繫在手上為記號,戴在額上為經文; 又要寫在你房屋的門框上(希伯來文:mazuzot並你的城門上。』

 

 

(此照片是希伯來文的經文,會被捲起來放入經文盒裡)

閱讀、學習並背誦神的話是非常重要的,顯然這就是此處提到以房子輔助學習的意思了。每一個猶太人的房子門框上都有經文盒(mezuzah),這個小小的盒子上面有希伯來字母Shin(代表著Shaddai全能神),裡面有一小卷羊皮紙或一般紙寫上這一段經文,節錄自本週的閱讀內容,申命記6:4-9和11:13-21。守律法的猶太人進出房子時都會摸一下經文盒,然後在將手碰觸口,當作是熱愛神話語的象徵。

當然這本身並沒有什麼錯,只不過當此成為傳統時,就常常充滿著迷信與律法主義。不相信神的話或神的人也會摸經文盒,盼望能藉此帶來好運。一個不幸的戲碼因此常常上演,當一個家庭為著房子裡發生的悲劇痛苦時,他們的拉比會告訴他們是因為經文盒安裝的不夠好,或是沒有清潔,或是裡面的經卷沒有適當地『被祝福』。如此不符合聖經、無情的律法主義摧毀了宗教人士的好意,引來世俗猶太人的憤怒與輕蔑,驅使他們更遠離先祖的神。

請禱告以色列人能回到神的話,使他們能擁抱神的話,聖靈會在他們裡面喚起話語的生命。禱告抵擋一切對神永活話語的異端與律法主義的蒙蔽,禱告猶太人會研究神吹氣的新約書卷,以及舊約書卷!

先知書

安慰安息日(Shabbat Nachamu

*以賽亞書40:1-2, 9 .你們的神說:你們要安慰,安慰我的百姓。要對耶路撒冷說安慰的話報好信息給錫安的啊,你要登高山;報好信息給耶路撒冷的啊,你要極力揚聲。揚聲不要懼怕,對猶大的城邑說:看哪,你們的神!』

埃波月九日過後的安息日,有時又被稱為安慰安息日,是引用以賽亞書起頭的話,通常會讀到的內容在那個安息日讀到。從埃波月九日一直到猶太新年(今年在九月24日日落),所有先知書的閱讀都是以賽亞書,聚焦在神對祂百姓的愛與安慰。 

請禱告:以色列的耳朵會被打開,聆聽來自天父好消息的聲音。禱告從錫安報好信息的聲音,會從聖城的高處極力並清楚的被釋放出來 

*以賽亞書40:11. 祂必像牧人牧養自己的羊群,用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在懷中,慢慢引導那乳養小羊的。』 

請禱告猶太人會得著啟示和異夢,關乎那位說『我是好牧人;我認識我的羊,我的羊也認識我,正如父認識我,我也認識父一樣;並且我為羊捨命。』(約翰福音10:14-15) 

*以賽亞書40:26. 你們向上舉目,看誰創造這萬象,按數目領出,祂一一稱其名;因祂的權能,又因祂的大能大力,連一個都不缺 

請禱告以色列會記得神對我們的父亞伯拉罕所說的話,祂是如何『領他走到外邊,說:你向天觀看,數算眾星,能數得過來嗎?又對他說:你的後裔將要如此。』(創15:5)禱告他們意識到詩篇33:4-6所提到的言語(道),就是那位造作這一切的主,『因為耶和華的言語正直;凡祂所做的盡都誠實。祂喜愛仁義公平;遍地滿了耶和華的慈愛。諸天藉耶和華的命而造;萬象藉祂口中的氣而成。』 

下週的閱讀進度(8/10-8/16)稱為『結果』(Ekev),讀經內容包括:妥拉─申命記7:12-11:25;先知書─以賽亞書49:14-51:3。

馬汀和娜瑪賽維士(Martin & Norma Sarvis
於耶路撒冷

 

THIS WEEKEND'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.

5 August 2014
Fast of Tisha b'Av-"The 9th of Av-(Fast of the Fifth Month)


Monday evening 
Book of Lamentations


Tuesday
Torah: Deuteronomy 4:25-40
Haftarah: 8:13-9:23


The reading for this week 6-9 August 2014 is called Va'Et'chanan-"And I Pleaded.":

TORAH: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 1:1-27 (Shabbat Nachamu)


TORAH

This week's is a rich and powerful Reading. In addition to the "preparations and warnings for crossing-over and possessing inheritance" (3:27-28; 4:14, 21-22, 26-28; 6:1), it contains the 'Ten Commandments' (5:6-21); the Shema "Hear O Israel" (6:4); instructions regarding knowing and memorizing God's Word within the home, and other often touchingly earnest counsels and admonitions of Moses to the young generation preparing to enter Canaan.

*Deuteronomy 3:28"And charge Yehoshua (Joshua), and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see."

PLEASE PRAY: for God to raise up spiritual leaders in Israel-that these be noticed by alert and obedient elders who will charge, encourage and strengthen them in the power and direction of their calling-that the new godly generation will love and trust their God, fight the battles necessary and inherit the land.

*Deuteronomy 4:7"For who is the great nation whose gods are near to it the way YHVH our God is to us in all the ways in which we call to Him?"

*Deuteronomy 4:29-31"But from there [i.e. scattered throughout the world] you [the Hebrew people] will seek YHVH your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the last days, when you turn to YHVH your God and obey his voice, (For YHVH your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."

PLEASE PRAY: For awakening of a powerful longing in the hearts of Jews still in the nations, a longing after the God of their Fathers and faith in this word that He will hear when they turn to Him.

*Deuteronomy 4:43"Betzer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites."

These are Cities of Refuge in land taken by Israel from the Amorites, running along the eastern side of the Jordan River to Mount Hermon, an area once known as the "Land of the Giants" (Deut. 2:20; 3:13), until Og the last and greatest was defeated by Israel before crossing over into Canaan (3:3-11). The location of the first two lies within land presently claimed by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Which modern kingdom came officially into being in 1946); the last is the area of the Golan Heights, taken by Israel from Syria in the 1967 War. Zechariah 10:10 prophesies that someday Jews will return to Gilead and even portions of Lebanon.

PLEASE PRAYThat the Israeli government will sense and move in God's timetable regarding these lands. That they will not despise the land once taken by Moses and bequeathed to Manasseh (the present Golan), now again under the stewardship of His people in these last days. Pray that this strategic land will not be bartered for a false peace with our neighbors. That it will be protected from the forces of violence in Syria which have recently threatened to invade it. Pray that God's Kingdom come!-that in His way and timing the LORD of Hosts will bring all of the land promised to his Covenant people into the borders He has ordained.

*Deuteronomy 6:4-5. "HEAR[Hebrew: Shma!ISRAELYHVH OUR GODYHVH ONE!"

There are other "Hear, O Israel's" in Deuteronomy (4:1, 6:3, 9:1, 20:3, 33:7)-but this one has become the central cry of Jews throughout the world for centuries, and continues to be sung each week in Synagogues (including most Messianic ones). It takes revelation, removal of the 'veil', for this people to realize that Yeshua (Jesus) being the Son of God (Proverbs 30:4) as well as Son of Man does not violate this proclamation. It is a deep, eternal truth that He and His Father are ONE! (John 10:30). Satan hates this truth being voiced-when Yeshua proclaimed it, the religious Jews present took up stones to kill him.

PLEASE PRAY for this revelation of the one-ness of the Father and the Son, and that the voice and false message of the Deceiver be silenced in the ears of the Jewish people.

*Deuteronomy 6:5"You shall love YHVH your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Yeshua quoted this verse in the New Covenant, calling it the First and Greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38; Mark 12:29-30). "All your strength" is unique in the Hebrew. Rather than a usual expression for "strength", the word me'od is used. Elsewhere in both Biblical and Modern Hebrew me'od is an adverb meaning "very." Webster's describes the adverb "very" this way: "In a high degree; to a great extent; extremely; exceedingly; used as a qualifier before an adjective or another adverb." Yet here me'odor "very" is used as a noun! To love our God with all of our very "veriness"-in every way, "in a high degree"; "to a great extent"; "extremely"; "exceedingly".

Only once in the Hebrew Bible is this passage repeated-in reference to the Israelite leader, King Josiah (II Kings 23:25), "Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Torah of Moses, nor after him did any arise like him." "With all our heart" implies a tender and humble heart. Significantly, 22:19 reveals that God heard and responded to Josiah "because his heart was tender, and he humbled himself before the LORD when he heard what he had spoken." .

Might we not pray for the current leader of Israel that he will have a softened heart like Josiah which might be pierced when he reads God's word, something which Prime Minister Netanyahu has on more than one occasion claimed that he does with regularity?

*Deuteronomy 6:6-9"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them (Literally, "teach them by memory") diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts (Hebrew: mazuzot) of your house and on your gates."

 

(Photograph of a Hebrew manuscript of Scripture which would be rolled and placed within a mazuzah.)

It is so important to read, learn and memorize God's word. That is obviously the sense here-the placing of portions about the house as an aid in learning. Every Jewish house has a mezuzah on its doorpost. This is a little box with the letter Shin on it (Standing for Shaddai-"Almighty") and bearing within a tiny scroll of parchment or paper with words from this passage Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21. Observant Jews touch the mezuzah upon entering or leaving a dwelling and then touch their fingers to their lips as a sign of love for the Word. There is certainly nothing in and of itself wrong with this. However, as so often happens with such traditions, for many it has become laden with legalism or superstition. People with no belief whatsoever in the Word or the God who gave it will nevertheless touch a mezuzah with the hope of its bringing luck. And there is a distressingly frequent scenario in which a family in anguish over a tragedy taking place within their apartment receives the diagnosis from their rabbi that it befell them because of this or that small imperfection in the way their mezuzah had been mounted; or it hadn't been cleaned; or the scroll within it hadn't been 'blessed' properly. Such unscriptural, unfeeling legalism crushes the spirit of those religious Jews trying to do right and brings down the fury and contempt of secular Jews, driving them even further away from the God of their Fathers.

PLEASE PRAY: For Israelis to return to the Word of God; that they will embrace it, and that the Holy Spirit will awaken its life within them. Pray against occult and legalistic deception regarding the Living Word. Pray for Jews to investigate the God-breathed pages of the New Covenant as well as the Old!

HAFTARAH

Shabbat Nachamu

*Isaiah 40:1-2, 9"Comfort You (plural), Comfort You My people!' says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'"

The Sabbath immediately following the 9th of Av is sometimes called Shabbat Nachamu-"The Comfort You Sabbath"-after the first words of Isaiah 40 which are read that day. From this Sabbath until Rosh Hashanah (5 September this year), the seven readings from the Prophets will be taken from Isaiah, focusing like a balm upon the comfort and love which God has for His peoplePLEASE PRAY that Israel's ears will be opened to the Voice of Good News coming from her Father. Pray that the voice of the bearer of Good News to Zion (Meveseret Tzion) will be released strong and clear from high places around the Holy City!

*Isaiah 40:11"He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young." PLEASE PRAY for revelation and dreams amongst Jews regarding the One who said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15).

*Isaiah 40:26. "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing." 

PLEASE PRAY
 
that Israelis remember God's word to Abraham our father, how "He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'"( Gen. 15:5).that they realize WHO is the "Word" referred to in Psalm 33:4-6 who made all these, "For the Word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the Word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."

Martin and Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem


[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 10-16 August will be Ekev-"In consequence of" (the Children of Israel heeding God's judgments): TORAH: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25; HAFTARAH: Isaiah 49:14-51:3.]