於2015-05-29發佈

每週一妥拉 2015/5/24-5/30
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5/24-5/30稱為『數點百姓』Naso讀經內容包括: 
妥拉民數記4:21-7:89
先知書士師記13:2-25

民數記5:11-31 『疑恨/忌妒的律法』(The Law of Jealousy)。此難懂又大大冒犯許多人的經文,處理所謂的『聖經裡唯一一個關於神裁法最明確的例證』。它描述當丈夫懷疑妻子與其他男人有染(5:12-13, 29)而產生疑恨之心,卻又沒有證據時,有一個測試妻子貞潔與否的儀式。14節暗示當『疑恨的靈』在男人身上時,他們的妻子可能有罪,也可能是無辜的。

這男人會將妻子帶到祭司那,獻上合宜的祭,祭司會使那婦人近前來,『站在耶和華面前(5:16)。祭司要把聖水盛在瓦器裡,又從帳幕的地上取點塵土,放在水中。倘若這女人說謊有罪,她起誓所喝的水將為她的身體帶來咒詛。祭司要寫這咒詛的話,將所寫的字抹在苦水裡,祭司要從婦人的手中取那疑恨的素祭,在耶和華面前搖一搖,拿到壇前;又要從素祭中取出一把,燒在壇上,然後叫婦人喝這水。她若有罪,她的肚腹就要發脹,大腿就要消瘦,那婦人便要『成為咒詛』。若婦人沒有被玷污,是清潔的,就要免受這災,且要懷孕,她的肚婦將成為孩子的祝福。

這段經文所描寫的情況不意外地讓許多世俗的註釋者視為怪異、不文明與迷信的內容,更不用說其對女性的貶低與不公,甚至極端的非理性。那是透過我們現代的想法模式,而沒有想到一些因素,譬如一位充滿愛、真理與公平的超自然神的存在,祂是創造者和宇宙的主宰,祂可以並決定何時需要,以超自然與神奇的方式介入祂稱為祂的兒女所發生的事件中。思想一下以下的話:

*這並不是獨斷、奧秘的占卜,而是造物主的指令,祂以很真實與實在的方式出現,與祂的百姓同行。那婦人所喝下的灰並不是地上的污穢,它來自會幕的地板,是被住在那裡彰顯同在的萬神之神所潔淨,祂也用相同的塵土來造人,並將生命的氣息吹入他的鼻孔。

*正如造物主用『光體』來點亮天堂,以色列婦女的命定與崇高呼召是用她們的子宮孕育生命,成為全人類的祝福(創世記 12:10-20; 20:1-17; 26:6-11)的確,有一位終將誕生並帶來世界真光。撒旦痛恨此命定與其果子,他從一開始就想要攔阻,他企圖擾亂撒拉與利百加的子宮(創世記12:10-20; 20:1-17; 26:6-11)。他也嘗試殺光所有在埃及的希伯來男嬰,在神釋放他的百姓離開埃及後,他們呼召和命定的本質開始清楚:他們是祂特別的珍寶,是在全世界面前歸祂作祭司的國度,為聖潔的國民(出埃及記 19:5-6)

*在此情況,妻子顯然在丈夫的『監督』下(民數記5:19, 20, 29)31節似乎暗示倘若妻子因姦淫而玷污身體,丈夫又沒有採取行動,此監督便要在神面前負責。倘若丈夫有採取行動,妻子也承認有罪,男人就為無罪,婦人必擔當自己的罪孽。』 

*最終,這並不是對女性的虐待,事實是對她的保護─天上的神將成為她超自然的辯護申冤者,甚至當她的名譽受到在她先生裡面的控告者指責時。那男人呢?當不忠的過失只在妻子身上時,男人可以在身體上不忠不潔嗎?再一次,以色列的神住在他們中間,祂賜下指令來維持社會秩序與管理,在各個階層指派負責的人,包括在家庭中。公義的神超自然的運行,藉由祂所立下的律法來證明婦女的行為有罪還是無罪,祂當然也會信實的觀看並審判祂所指派來執行律法之男人的行為。

*民數記 6:1-21『拿細耳人的律法』拿細耳人與『分別』有關,在這裡是指一個人許了特別的願來聖化自己,單單將自己歸給神。另一個在第2節使用分別歸耶和華的字和詩篇4:3有關:『你們要知道,耶和華已經分別虔誠人歸祂自己。』但在這裡,是人選擇將自己分別出來,許此願的外顯記號是不吃喝任何與葡萄有關的東西。男人在許願離俗期間,不可用剃頭刀剃頭。在參孫的例子(參考這週的先知書),可能還有撒母耳(撒母耳記上1:11)以及施洗約翰(路加福音1:15),他們可能都以這種方式將生命獻給主。

*民數記 6:22-27. 耶和華曉諭摩西說:你告訴亞倫和他兒子說:你們要這樣為以色列人祝福,說:
願耶和華賜福給你,保護你。
願耶和華使祂的臉光照你,賜恩給你。
願耶和華向你仰臉,賜你平安。  

主聖潔之名的賜福透過祭司成為以色列的遮蓋和保護。沒有其他名字能有真正的能力來賜福他們,成為他們的保障和保護,釋放恩典在他們身上,或是以真實的平安來保守他們的心思意念。在此祝福中有兩次提到神的臉;活在祂臉上的光之絕對必要性,貫穿在整本希伯來聖經中。摩西禱告若沒有神的臉(有時翻為『同在』),就不要將他與百姓領到應許之地(出埃及記33:14-15)。在詩篇八十篇,詩人亞薩一連三次將神的臉發光等同於『救恩』,而詩篇四十四篇3節可拉後裔將以色列贏得地土歸功於神的『右手』、祂的膀臂,和祂臉上的亮光。在大衛所唱的詩篇,有一個聲音說:『你們當尋求我的面』,而大衛的回應,也是人心中的呼求是:『耶和華啊,祢的面我正要尋求,不要向我掩面』(詩篇27:8-9)。 

當主將祂的名字雅威(YHVH)放在以色列之上,神的賜福也會臨到以色列兒女。今日以色列已經失去對那個名字的讀法;在吟誦主的賜福時,神的名被改為Adonai(我的主)。然而,神的名卻藏著耶穌的希伯來名Yeshua,是Yehoshua的縮短版,意指神拯救(YHVH Saves)!是『神榮耀所發的光輝,是神本體的真像,常用祂權能的命令托住萬有』(希伯來書1:3);是和平之君。 

我們既身為聖潔的祭司成員(啟示錄1:6),我們鼓勵你用此祝福來為猶太百姓禱告,並將與救恩聯合的耶穌之名放在其上。禱告聖靈的能力會挪去猶太人眼中的帕子,使他們能面對面認識他們的主。我也不再掩面不顧他們,因我已將我的靈澆灌以色列家。這是主耶和華說的(以西結書39:29 

*民數記 7:6-9. 於是摩西收了車和牛,交給利未人,把兩輛車,四隻牛,照革順子孫所辦的事交給他們,又把四輛車,八隻牛,照米拉利子孫所辦的事交給他們;他們都在祭司亞倫的兒子以他瑪手下。但車與牛都沒有交給哥轄子孫;因為他們辦的是聖所的事,在肩頭上擡聖物。』 

申命記17:18要求以色列的王要將律法書,為自己抄錄一本,好讓他們在掌權時謹守遵行其指示,然而大衛顯然沒有做到此,或是說在其他指示上都沒問題,除了『聖所的事』(當然包括約櫃)要在『肩頭上』扛擡。大衛沒有按著神特別的指示來處理聖所的事,即使有真誠熱情的敬拜讚美,仍造成災難(歷代志上13:5-14)。 

民數記7:89. 摩西進會幕要與耶和華說話的時候,聽見法櫃的施恩座以上、二基路伯中間有與他說話的聲音,就是耶和華與他說話。 數世紀之後,主的話『稀少,不常有默示』(撒母耳記上 3:1)。然而『神的燈在神耶和華殿內約櫃那裡,還沒有熄滅,耶和華呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳說:我在這裡! 』(撒母耳記上 3:3-4) 

請禱告:為以色列的信徒持守純淨禱告,他們願意在主的同在中等候,聆聽主的靈要對會眾說的話。 

*士師記 13:6.婦人就回去對丈夫說:有一個神人到我面前來,他的相貌如神使者的相貌,甚是可畏。我沒有問他從哪裡來,他也沒有將他的名告訴我。』

在這一段敘述中,神的天使/使者來到瑪挪亞的妻子面前,宣告她將要懷參孫,婦人至少有五次以『人』來提到這位天使,其中兩次稱他為『神的人』(Man of God)。有趣的是,希伯來文很容易將其翻成『神人』(The God-Man)。故事的後面,這位神人拒絕告訴他的名字,因為一切都『太奇妙了』,瑪挪亞相信他和他的妻子必要死,『因為看見了神。』當然,這時的耶穌還沒有道成肉身,卻在此顯出道成肉身前來到地上的實例。 

請禱告:當猶太人在週末讀到或聽到這段經文,神能開啟他們對此的瞭解,以致於他們或許能領會來到瑪挪亞和他妻子面前,在火焰中升上去那位的身份─就是以西結所看見坐在寶座上的那位,也是出埃及記十九章在火中降臨的那位(路加福音24:44-45),亦是那先前以肉身來到地上,還會再來的那位!

下週的閱讀進度(5/31-6/6)被稱為『點燈』B'ha'alotcha讀經內容包括:妥拉─民數記8:1-12:16;先知書─撒迦利亞書2:10-4:7。

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 (Parasha) 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, and follow the texts read in Ashkenazy Jewish synagogues..

The Parasha for this week 24-30 May 2015 is called Naso-"Elevate":
TORAH: Numbers 4:21-7:89
HAFTARAH: Judges 13:2-25

Numbers 5:11-31 "The Law of Jealousy". This difficult and for many highly-offensive passage deals with what has been called "the only clear-cut instance of trial by ordeal in the Bible" (Robert Alter). It describes a ritual for determining a woman's guilt or innocence after a spirit of jealousy has aroused within her husband a suspicion that she has "gone astray and behaved unfaithfully toward him" (5:12-13, 29) by having physical relations with another man, yet there being no physical or circumstantial evidence of this. Verse 14 alludes to the possibility of a "spirit of jealousy" coming upon men, both when their wives are guilty or when they or innocent of this sin.

The man is to bring her to the priest with an appropriate offering. The priest then brings her near and sets her "before the LORD" (5:16). He takes holy water in an earthen vessel and sprinkles in it dust from the floor of the tabernacle. The woman is bound under an oath that drinking this water will bring a curse upon her body if she has lied and is guilty-the oath is written into a book and scraped into the mixture, a grain offering of jealousy from the woman's hand is waved before the LORD, and a portion of it burnt on the altar-and the woman is required to drink the bitter water. If she is guilty, her stomach will swell, her thigh rot, and she will "become a curse" among her people. If she has not defiled herself and is pure, she will be clean and able to conceive seed, her stomach to swell with the blessing of children.

The situation described in this passage strikes many commentators as bazaar, primitive, superstitious, not to mention demeaning, unfair and irrational in the extreme; for some, it seems an ordeal "based on a kind of archaic magic" (Alter). But that is through the paradigm of a modern mind not used to taking into consideration such factors as the existence of a supernatural God of love, truth and justice, the Creator and Lord of the universe, One able and determined when necessary to intrude what appear to be supernatural and marvelous ways into the affairs of those He calls His children. Consider the following:

*This was not some arbitrary, occult divination, but a directive of the Creator of the worldwho was present and traveling with His people in a real and tangible way. The dust the lady was to drink was not mere filth from the ground, it was from the floor of the mishkan(dwelling place, tabernacle), sanctified by the manifest presence of the God of Gods who dwelt there-and who had molded man from the same dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life.

*Even as the Creator had placed "light-bearers" to illumine the heavens (Gen. 1:14), It was the destiny and high call of the Israeli women to bear within their wombs progeny through whom the families of the world would experience illumination into God's nature and blessing for all humankind (Gen. 12:3; 26:4; 28:14)-Indeed, one would eventually bear and bring forth the Light of the World. Satan hated this destiny and its fruit. He had sought to thwart if from the beginning by attempting to violate the wombs of both Sarah and Rebekah (Gen. 12:10-20; 20:1-17; 26:6-11). He had attempted to slay all the male children in Egypt. After God had delivered His people from Egypt, the nature of their call and destiny began to clarify-they were to be a special treasure to Himself, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation before the whole world (Exodus 19:5-6). Vital to this was that the bearers of that treasure keep themselves pure.

*In this circumstance, the wife is obviously seen as being "under" her husband's oversight(vss 19, 20, 29). Verse 31 seems to imply that that oversight extended to being held responsible before God if she defiled her body by adultery, and he failed to take action. If he did so and she were convicted, "Then the man would be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt."

*Ultimately, rather than an abuse of the woman, it in fact served as a protection for her-the God of Heaven would be her supernatural defense and vindication-even when her honor was impugned by the Accuser working through the fallen nature of her husband under whose authority she had been placed. And what of the man? Were they free to be sexually unfaithful with impunity, while the onus for unfaithfulness rested only upon the wife? Again, the God of Israel was dwelling in their midst. He released directives for maintaining order and governance in the society through responsibilities appointed to those positioned at every level-including over families. The righteous God who worked supernaturally to convict or vindicate the actions of a woman of His people through laws He had lain down regarding the conduct of His people, would surely be also faithful to see and judge the actions of those He had appointed to administer those laws.

*Numbers 6:1-21-"The Law of the Nazirite". Nazir has to do with "separation"-in this case by a person consecrating him- or her-self with a special vow, usually for a specific period of time, for devotion to God. Another word for separation or "being set apart" used in verse 2 is linked with that used in Psalm 4:3, "But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who trusts in His lovingkindness." But here, the person chooses to set himself apart. One outward mark of one engaged in this vow was his abstinence from eating or drinking anything related to the grape. Another, in the case of a male, was abstinence from allowing his head to be touched with a razor for the duration of the vow. In the case of Samson (see this week's Haftarah) and probably Samuel (I Samuel 1:11) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15), the person was dedicated to the Lord in this way for life.

*Numbers 6:22-27. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, "This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

'YHVH bless you and guard you
YHVH make His face shine upon you and grace you
YHVH lift up His face to you and give you Shalom.'

"So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

With this blessing the LORD's holy name YHVH was placed over the Israelites by the priests as a covering and protection. No other name would have true power to bless them, to be their guard and keeper, to release grace upon them, or to guard their hearts and minds with trueshalom. Twice this blessing refers to the LORD's face in relation to the one blessed. The absolute necessity of being in the light of that face permeates the Hebrew Bible from beginning to end. Without God's face (sometimes in English translated 'presence') attending them, Moses prayed to God not to bring himself and the people up to the Promised Land (Exodus 33:14-15). Three times in Psalm 80 the minstrel Asaph equates God's causing His face to shine on Israel with "salvation", while in Psalm 44:3 the sons of Korah attribute Israel's winning of the Land to YHVH's "right hand, His arm, and the light of His face, because he loved them". There is a voice, sang David, crying out within every man, "Seek My face".and his response, whenever He recognized it, would be "Your face, LORD, I will seek.do not hide Your face from me" (Psalm 27:8).

So this was the blessing which would attend the Children of Israel when the priests placed God's name YHVH over them. Today Israel has lost the pronunciation of that Name; when the blessing is recited, it is usually replaced by another name for deity, Adonai (Lord/Master). However, the root of the original Name it is hidden within the Hebrew name for Jesus.Yeshuaa contraction for Yehoshua, means YHVH Saves! He is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word"(Hebrews 1:3). He is Sar Shalom.the Prince of Peace. As members of a Holy Priesthood (Rev. 1:6), we would encourage you to pray this blessing over the Jewish people, placingThe Name conjoined with Salvation-Yeshua-over them. Pray for the veil to be removed from Jewish eyes through the power of the Holy Spirit that they may come into His presence, to know their LORD face-to-face. "And I will not hide my face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel,' says Adonai YHVH-the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 39:29).

*Numbers 7:6-9. "So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service [i.e. transfer of the outer coverings, etc., of the tents of the Tabernacle]; and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service [i.e. transfer of the skeletal structure of the Tabernacle, bars, pillars, etc.], under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders." Deuteronomy 17:18 would require future Kings of Israel to hand-write out a copy of the Five Books of Moses, the Torah, so that its instructions would be infused into every aspect of their reigns-yet David evidently failed to do this-or at least attend to this graphic directive that carts were ok for everything else, but the "holy things" (including of course, the Ark of the Covenant) were to be "carried on their shoulders." His failure to follow God's special instructions for dealing with The Holy, resulted, even in the context of genuine ardent praise and worship in other ways, resulted in disaster (II Sam 5:13; I Chron 13:5-14).

Numbers 7:89. "Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the kaporet ["mercy seat"] that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him."Centuries later, the word of the LORD here had become "rare" and there was "no widespread revelation" (I Samuel 3:1). Yet here, "before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of YHVH where the ark of God was.YHVH called Samuel. And he answered, 'Hineini-"Here I am!" PLEASE PRAY: for believers in Israel to keep themselves pure-and to be willing to wait in the Presence of the LORD to "hear what the Spirit is saying to the congregations."

*Judges 13:6. "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome." In this recounting of the coming of the angel/messenger of God to Manoah's wife to herald the conception of Samson, at least five times he is referred to as a 'man'. Two of those times he is called a "Man of God".which, interestingly, could just as easily be translated from the Hebrew "The God-Man" (Ish ha-Elohim). Later in the story he refuses to give his name, since it is 'wonderful'-and at the end Manoah is convinced that he and his wife must die, "because we have seen God." Of course, at this time Yeshua/Jesus had not yet taken on human flesh. But it appears, nonetheless, to be an instance of a pre-incarnate manifestation of the One who was to come. PLEASE PRAY for the understanding of Jews who read or hear these words next weekend to be opened, that they may comprehend the identity of the One who came to Manoah and his wife and ascended in the flame-of the One who was seated on the throne of the chariot in the Ezekiel passage-of the One who came down in flame onto the mountain in Exodus 19 (Luke 24:44-45)-of the Onewho has come in the flesh once before, and Who is coming again!

Martin and Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem


[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week (31 May-6 June 2015) are calledB'Ha'alotcha-"When You Light Up": TORAH: Numbers 8:1-12:16; HAFTARAH: Zechariah 2:10-4:7.