每週一妥拉 2018/4/8-/4/14
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（4/8-4/14）的閱讀稱為『第八（天）』（Shemini）：
妥拉：利未記9:1-11:47
先知書：撒母耳記下 6:1-7:17
*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貢物個別來服事祂，透過祭司將這些祭物呈現在祂面前，接受這些禮物與祭物並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，他們常常無法繼續站立，有時會伴隨著釋放主的歌！
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。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，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。
但他們不滿足神任命的『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。
在先知書(撒母耳記下6:1-7:17)顯出，在大衛王的品格裡面『長成的黑暗』正被彰顯出來，最後反而成為他在分辨上的『盲點』，他甚愛主的妥拉(教導)，能甦醒人心(詩篇19:7)。但是在將約櫃抬到耶路撒冷時，經文上特別強調此約櫃的聖潔：『這約櫃就是坐在二基路伯上萬軍之耶和華留名的約櫃。』(撒母耳記下6:2)，他卻允許用邏輯來取代妥拉一再的教導，就是約櫃是要用祭司的肩膀來扛抬的(出埃及記25:12-15;以及其他經文)。畢竟，此教導是發生在500年前，有輪子的牛車更現代，人力也比較少(連非利士人都知道)，而且還是新車。他對神神聖話語的疏忽帶來一場災難，還牽累到別人。無論烏撒是否自願駕車，他都沒有像祭司一樣被保護，他被放在一個不是出於神給他的位置，當他不自覺地觸摸到約櫃以防止滑跌，他便像拿答、亞比戶一樣被擊殺。
今日我們的主已經為我們提供一條安全進到祂同在的方式，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。『所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子民喝酒(『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』，正如在伊甸園中的夏娃(創世記3:3)，有一些人增加了原來的限制，但主關於不可摸的限制只有死掉動物的屍體(利11:8這些獸的肉，你們不可吃；死的，你們不可摸，都與你們不潔淨)。這些是神給以色列的飲食指引，單給猶太族群，神選擇以這種方式將他們分別出來。聖經沒有任何地方指出神渴望或要求所有人都要照著做。
在洪水之後，當挪亞與他的一家從方舟出來，神賜下特別的祝福：『凡活著的動物都可以作你們的食物。這一切我都賜給你們，如同菜蔬一樣』(創世記9:3)。『惟獨肉帶著血，那就是他的生命，你們不可吃』(創世記9:4; 使徒行傳15:29)。然而聖經對一些特定動物的限制只有針對猶太人。
下週的閱讀進度（4/15-4/21）是『雙倍閱讀』：I.『懷孕』（Thazria），讀經內容包括：妥拉─利未記12:1-13:59。II.『大痲瘋』（Metsora），讀經內容包括：妥拉─利未記14:1-15:33；先知書─列王記下7:3-20。
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. The Haftarah, unless otherwise noted, will be that read in Ashkenazy synagogues around the world. The references for all texts are those found in English translations of the Scriptures.
The readings for this week 8-14 April 2018 are called Shemini—“Eighth Day”:
TORAH: Leviticus 9:1—11`:47
HAFTARAH: II Samuel 6:1—7:17
(NOTE: Because of the extra day of Passover Week observed outside of Israel, the present readings will be one week behind those read in Jerusalem for each week until that of 12 May.)
*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 done their part in preparing 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 witnessed and 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 their father’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 dishonoured 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 favour 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 in this passage a portrayal of 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.
In the Haftarah (II Samuel 6:1—7:17) it appears not to have been a “growing darkness” in King David’s character which is manifest, but rather, what had become a “blind spot” in his discernment after presuming to rate certain of God’s words as worthy of more respect than others. He deeply loved the Torah (instruction) of the LORD, declaring it perfect, capable of “converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). Yet when it came time to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem (the incredible holiness of such an endeavor is emphasized in the text, “the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name—YHVH of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim” (II Sam. 6:2)), he evidently allowed his logic to preempt the LORD’s repeated instructions in the Torah that it was to be transferred by the use of poles on the shoulders of the priests (Exodus 25:12-15, and other places). After all, that was almost 500 years ago; a cart with wheels was more modern and took fewer men (even the Philistines had realized that), and it was a “new” cart. His negligence in treating God’s whole Word as holy resulted in disaster, in this case to others. Whether or not Uza volunteered for guiding the cart, he was not protected as the priests would have been—he had been placed in a role which was not God’s “positioning,” and when he spontaneously touched the ark to keep it from falling, like Nadav and Avihu, he was slain.
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 that 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 perform 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). These were dietary guidelines for Israel—for the Hebrew race, which God chose to set apart in this way. There is nothing in Scripture to imply that God desires or requires all people to follow these guidelines. Following the Flood, when Noah and his family came forth from the Ark, God released a special blessing, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs” (Genesis 9:3; Emphasis ours.). All humankind were (and still are, Genesis 9:4; Acts 15:29) forbidden to eat blood. But Biblical restrictions regarding particular creatures applied only to the Hebrews.
Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem
[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 15-21 April are a “double reading”: I. Thazria –-“Quicken with Seed”, “Conceive”: TORAH: Leviticus 12:1—13:59. II. Metsora—“Skin disease, leprosy”: TORAH: Leviticus 14:1—15:33; HAFTARAH: II Kings 7:3-20]
