於2019-05-04發佈


每週一妥拉 2019/4/28-5/4

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4/28-5/4稱為你們要聖潔』(Kedoshim
妥拉:利未記19:1-20:27
先知書:阿摩司書 9:7-15

*利未記19:1-2.耶和華對摩西說:你曉諭以色列全會眾說:你們要聖潔,因為我耶和華你們的神是聖潔的。

正如埃弗里特.福克斯Everett Fox)在他翻譯的聖經註釋中指出:『十九章是利未記的重要章節,內容廣泛有力,它將聖潔延伸至生活的每一個層面,家庭、曆法、異教、工作、民法與刑法、社交關係與性方面。大部分的律例(但不是全部)都在處理我們所謂的道德問題,也就是人與人之間的關係。藉此它們成為西方對這些問題的範例與基石,至少以理想的形式來看。』

至於二十章,『我們跳到律法上如何處理一些以聖經觀點對神最嚴重的冒犯:拜偶像(包括拜摩洛與交鬼)、咒罵父母、通姦與淫亂的罪。二十章和十九章的區別在於其包含刑罰方式。』(摘自埃弗里特.福克斯對摩西五經的翻譯)

*利未記19:3.你們各人都當孝敬父母,也要守我的安息日。我是耶和華你們的神。』

這一章(關於對聖潔最初的呼召)一開始的明確指令,結合了對父母的孝敬與第一件記錄在聖經上與聖潔有關的事─安息日:神賜福給第七日,定為聖日;因為在這日,神歇了祂一切創造的工,就安息了(創世記2:3)。『我是耶和華』『我是耶和華你們的神』這句話在這章中至少出現15,神立約的名字耶和華(YHWH)的正確發音在今日並不確定,有些學者認為是耶和華(Yehovah),有些則認為是雅威(Ya’hweh)。耶和華和以色列要進入那地的其他神祇很不一樣─祂與眾不同,而祂跟隨者的生活形態也要有所不同!祂是耶和華!祂名字的大能要為那些願意順服之人釋放恩典與權柄。

*利未記19:17-18.不可心裡恨你的弟兄;總要指摘你的鄰舍,免得因他擔罪。不可報仇,也不可埋怨你本國的子民,卻要愛人如己。我是耶和華。』

耶穌將愛人如己的命令與大誡命放在一起,就是盡心、盡性、盡意愛主─我們的神(馬太福音22:39)。在新約裡,約翰進一步教導:『人若說自己在光明中,卻恨他的弟兄,他到如今還是在黑暗裡。愛弟兄的,就是住在光明中,在他並沒有絆跌的緣由。惟獨恨弟兄的,是在黑暗裡,且在黑暗裡行,也不知道往哪裡去,因為黑暗叫他眼睛瞎了。』(約翰壹書2:9-11)

*利未記19:32.在白髮的人面前,你要站起來;也要尊敬老人,又要敬畏你的神。我是耶和華。這節經文前半段『在白髮的人面前,你要站起來』(Mifnei seva takum),寫在耶路撒冷公車內!

請禱告:以色列的長者能親近神,年輕人對以色列年長者的尊敬與尊榮─並認識到這與『敬畏神』息息相關。

Bus Sign

*利未記20:7-8.所以你們要自潔成聖,因為我是耶和華你們的神。你們要謹守遵行我的律例;我是叫你們成聖的耶和華。

『自潔』、『聖潔』與『成聖』這幾個字裡面全都有希伯來文Kadosh(聖潔);在這裡我們個人的責任在於『分別為聖』─藉由遵行神的指示,但我們也看見最後要成為聖潔也需要主自己的工作!

*阿摩司書 9:11-12.到那日,我必建立大衛倒塌的帳幕,堵住其中的破口,把那破壞的建立起來,重新修造,像古時一樣。使以色列人得以東所餘剩的和所有稱為我名下的國。此乃行這事的耶和華說的。 

這段經文傳統上與重建以色列有關,我們相信這是真的。大衛首先在錫安山上建立他的皇宮,就在摩利亞山南邊的山下,而他的兒子所羅門在摩利亞山蓋了第一聖殿。撒迦利亞書12:10清楚提到,有一天施恩叫人懇求悔改的靈會臨到『大衛家』。以西結書34:23-30和37:22-28預言以色列的聯合國度未來會在大衛底下再次被重建。 

但是在使徒行傳15:12-17,我們看見雅各這位在耶路撒冷初代彌賽亞教會的領袖,應用這段經文說神不僅要在猶太人當中興起一個屬靈的結構,更要『叫餘剩的人,就是凡稱為我名下的外邦人,都尋求主。

在過去30年,聖靈啟示另一種型態的『大衛帳幕』。大衛是『合神心意的人』,因此他是首先與末後『用心靈與誠實』敬拜的人。他把約櫃帶來耶路撒冷,主同在的居所,放在一個暫時的帳幕,有敬拜者在主面前持續服事長達32年之久(歷代志上16:1)。我們在今日看見此景象正在發生,聖靈在持續的敬拜禱告中興起,在以色列並在世界各地,成為應驗阿摩司書9:11終極預言的重要序幕,這將成為以色列與世界各國的祝福。
 
請禱告:神的國降臨在立約的希伯來子民與祂所應許之地直到永遠,在大衛城上,在此古老地區,這裡在聖殿山南方下面一點,是大衛建造他第一個宮殿,並為約櫃豎立帳幕之處!目前此地居住著穆斯林的阿拉伯人與正統猶太教教徒。禱告神的公義與公平、祂的智慧、勇氣、憐憫與時候臨到耶路撒冷市長與總理納坦雅胡,他們正面對一些重大決定,關乎耶路撒冷古大衛會幕地區。請為在這條狹窄道路為鄰卻彼此仇視的阿拉伯人和正統猶太人禱告,光會照進他們的黑暗大衛子孫,也就是神的兒子已來到地上,祂還會再來掌權的啟示臨到他們。 

禱告在亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各與其他國家後裔之間的藩籬倒塌在天父的憐憫中,為著祂兒子對亞當所有子孫的工作,他們將如同一個新人般聚在一起。

禱告集體敬拜讚美與禱告之家,將持續在以色列和世界各地被建立與成長,如同大衛帳幕的模式,是由真理的靈所滋養。

下週的閱讀進度(5/5-5/11)被稱為『說』Emor)讀經內容包括:妥拉─利未記21:1-24:23;先知書─以西結書44:15-31。

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.

29 April is Day #9 of “Counting the Omer” to Pentecost!
(Leviticus 23:9-16)

The readings for Synagogues in Israel  (*)  this week 28 April—4 May 2019 are called Kedoshim—“Holy Ones”:
 
TORAH:  Leviticus 19:1—20:27
HAFTARAH:  Amos 9:7-15
 
*Leviticus 19:1-2.  “YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Speak to the entire community of the Children of Israel, and say to them:  “Holy are you to be, for holy am I, YHWH your God!”’”   (Everett Fox Trans.).
 
As Everett Fox points out in the commentary to his translation, “As the key chapter of this part of Leviticus, Chapter 19 is wide-ranging and rhetorically powerful.  It extends holiness to virtually all areas of life—family, calendar, cult, business, civil and criminal law, social relations, and sexuality.  Most (but not all) of the laws deal with what we would term ethics, that is, relations between people…As such, they have become an exemplar and a cornerstone, at least in idealized form, in Western thinking about these issues.”  
 
For Chapter 20“We move now into laws dealing with some of the more serious offenses against God in the biblical view: idolatry (Including worship of the “Molekh” and consulting spirits), insulting parents, adultery, and sexual crimes.  These are distinguished from the previous chapter by the inclusion of punishments; their seriousness is indicated by their capital nature.” (Fox, Everett: The Five Books of Moses…©1995, Shocken Books, New York).
 
*Leviticus 19:3 (Fox Translation).  “Each-man—his mother and his father you are to hold-in-awe, and my Sabbaths you are to keep:  I am YHWH your God!”  (Everett Fox Trans.). 
 
The first specific directive in this chapter (regarding the initial call to holiness) combines the reverent respect for one’s parents with that of the first thing ever recorded as being “holy”—the Sabbath (“Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it VaYekadesh, i.e. “made it holy], because in it He ceased from all His work which Elohim had created and made.”—Genesis 2:3).  The phrases “I am YHWH!”  or “I am YHWH your God!” are used at least 15 times in this chapter. YHWH (The exact pronunciation is today uncertain, some scholars think Yehovah, others Ya’hweh) is different than all the other gods served by the inhabitants of the lands Israel would be entering.  As He is different, so the life-styles of His followers must be different!  He is YHWH The very power of that NAME released with His directives would provide sufficient grace and authority for those who would be willing to obey.
 
*Leviticus 19:17-18.  “You shall not hate your brother in your heart.  You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.  You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of Your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am YHVH.” 
 
Yeshua would equate this command to “love one’s neighbor as one’s self” with the First Commandment, to “Love YHVH our God with all our hearts, souls and minds” (Matthew 22:39).  In the New Covenant, John would teach further that
 
“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.  He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” 
(I John 2:9-11).
 
*Leviticus 19:32.  “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.”  
 
The first part of this verse, Mifnei seva takum!— “Before the aged, Arise!” is today posted on little signs (see below) over the first seats behind the driver in public buses in Jerusalem!
 
PLEASE PRAY for the aged in Israel—that they will draw near to their God.  Pray for the younger, that there will be a renewal of respect and honor for age in the Land—with the realization that this is linked to the “Fear of God” and honoring the Name of the LORD.

Bus Sign

*Leviticus 20:7-8.  “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am YHVH your God.  And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them:  I am YHVH who sanctifies you.”  
 
The words “consecrate”, “holy” and “sanctifies” in this passage all have within them the root of the Hebrew word kadosh.  Here we have man’s responsibility in “setting himself apart”—by guarding and walking in God’s directives—but we also see that becoming truly Holy will ultimately require a work of the LORD Himself! 
 
*Amos 9:11.  “In that day I will raise up the fallen sukka [hut, temporary shelter, tent, tabernacle] of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old.  That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Nations who are called by My name.”  
 
This passage has traditionally been interpreted as relating to the restoration of Israel in her land.  We believe this to be true.  David built his first palace on Mount Zion, just south and below Mount Moria where his son Solomon would eventually raise the First Temple.   Zechariah 12:10 makes clear that a day of grace for conviction and repentance is coming to the “House of David” in Jerusalem.  And Ezekiel 34:23-30 and 37:22-28 prophecy that in latter days a united kingdom of Israel under David will be restored. 
 
Yet, in Acts 15:12-17, we find James (Jacob) a leader in the early Messianic congregation in Jerusalem, applying this passage to God’s raising up of a spiritual structure within which not only Jews, but also “the rest of humankind may seek the LORD, even the Nations who are called by My name.”
 
And within the past 30 years, the Holy Spirit has revealed yet another aspect of the “Tabernacle of David.”    David was “a man after God’s own heart.”  As such, he was first and last a worshipper “in Spirit and in truth”.  He brought the Ark of the Covenant, above which dwelt the Presence of the LORD, up to Jerusalem, placed it in a tent (a temporary dwelling, sukka), and stationed worshippers around it ministering continually before the LORD for some 32 years (I Chronicles 16:1).   We see in this the phenomenon in our own day of the Holy Spirit’s raising up places of continual Davidic worship and intercession, in Israel and around the world, as an earnest of—a  “prelude to—the ultimate fulfillment of the Amos 9:11 prophecy, which will be a blessing to Israel and all of the World.
 
PLEASE PRAY:  that God’s “Kingdom Come!” over the Covenant Hebrew people and the land which He has promised to them forever.  Over the City of David, the ancient location just south and below the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where David built his first palace and erected the tent for the Ark.  The area is currently home to both a Muslim Arab and an Orthodox Jewish population.  Pray for God’s righteousness and justice, His wisdom, courage, compassion and timing over Israel’s Prime Minister and Jerusalem’s Mayor, who continue to face decisions of great import regarding this area.  Pray for the Arabs and Orthodox Jews who are often hostile neighbors on this tiny strip of land…that a Light would shine in their darkness—a revelation of the Son of David who is also the Son of God, who came once as a Man into this world, and who will one day return to rule. 
 
For barriers to come down between the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the other Nationsthat they draw together as One New Man in the mercy of God the Father for all the descendants of Adam in the work of His Son.
 
Pray that houses of corporate praise, worship and intercession, as modelled by David and nourished by the Holy Spirit of Truth, will continue to be established and grow in Israel and around the world!

Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem

(*)  Because of the extra day of Passover Week observed outside of Israel (which this year occurred on a Sabbath), the readings in the Nations will be one week behind those read in Jerusalem until 3 August, when a “double-reading” will cause the readings for both to again coincide. 
 
[The Parashah for next week 5-11 May 2019 is called  Emor—“Say!”  TORAH:  Leviticus 21:1—24:23; HAFTARAH:  Ezekiel 44:15-31]