於2011-07-17發佈

醫治與先知性憐憫

在舊約中的大祭司在袍子周圍有鈴鐺和石榴相間,好讓祭司走路時,鈴鐺會撞擊到石榴而發出響聲。透過這樣的方式,你總是知道大祭司在哪裡。我們可以在出埃及記廿八章33-35讀到:

袍子周圍底邊上要用藍色、紫色、朱紅色線做石榴。在袍子周圍的石榴中間要有金鈴鐺:

一個金鈴鐺一個石榴,一個金鈴鐺一個石榴,在袍子周圍的底邊上。

亞倫供職的時候要穿這袍子。他進聖所到耶和華面前,以及出來的時候,袍上的響聲必被聽見,使他不至於死亡。

在馬太福音十一章13節告訴我們:『所有的律法都說了預言』甚至每一個零碎或細節。因為鈴鐺代表宣言,或釋放出的信息,而石榴在那時是當作藥來使用,大祭司袍子周圍有這些鈴鐺和石榴,預表無論何時真正的大祭司耶穌行走時,醫治的信息就釋放出來。這也指出耶穌如何將醫治和先知性事工緊緊繫在一起;這也是何以血漏的婦女知道她只要摸到耶穌的衣服就會得醫治─她認出耶穌是真正的大祭司。

到今日仍是如此,何時我們的大祭司行動,醫治的信息就釋放出去。這是因為祂如此眷顧祂的子民,以致於祂不要他們生病或受苦,祂想要他們完全。我們藉由祂十字架的救贖,不僅為我們買贖了罪得赦免,更是救我們脫離罪所帶來的結果。

我們可以來看舊約時代的先知,發現他們很少醫治,但新約的一切都與醫治有關─身體層面、感情層面和屬靈層面的醫治。這即是何以新約先知與醫治事工緊緊連結在一起。

我們也看到耶穌的一生,憐憫是祂權柄的一個根基。當祂憐憫世人,他們就像沒有牧人的羊,於是耶穌就成為他們的牧人。當祂憐憫行走在黑暗中的人,祂就成為他們的老師。愛與憐憫是新約屬靈權柄的根基;正是天父對人類的愛與憐憫,使祂不得不將祂唯一的愛子賜給我們,成為我們的拯救,而這持續成為一切真實屬靈權柄的根基。

這與先知性啟示的基本層級─感動有何關係?這很難讓許多人瞭解,但主想要一些先知性的啟示非常主觀。我不是說『所有』,而是『一些』。這並不是說祂要我們曲解啟示,而是祂想要我們感覺祂所感覺的,不是單知道要做什麼。主不要祂的先知與信息分離,乃要他們與祂同心同意。

再一次,耶穌行走在地上已證實的一件事,就是祂的心想要醫治人,讓受壓制的自由。祂醫治了一些甚至不會感謝祂的人,只因為祂深愛他們。這就是祂的心,祂也要祂的使者感受這樣的心。

在耶利米書我們有極佳的範例,關於舊約神的先知是如何愛他要傳達信息的對象。耶利米必須傳講審判即將臨到以色列的信息,但我們看見在耶利米書和耶利米哀歌中,他是如何愛那些收到審判信息的人。這可能是主何以揀選耶利米成為祂使者的主要原因;神愛以色列,甚至超過耶利米。我們可以確信審判臨到是因為祂愛我們,並沒有其他方式可以對付腐敗或叛教。

我們有一個不幸的錯誤認知:那就是先知總是充滿怒氣,而這怒氣反映出神的感受。聖經中確實有一些例外和例子,提到先知顯然不愛他們受差派去到的百姓那,例如約拿。只有一位使者是完美的─耶穌;然而,主會按著我們所能的程度,在祂要我們傳達的事情上,與我們分享祂的心。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 26, 2011)


The Prophetic Experiences, Part 3
Healing and Prophetic Compassion
Week 26, 2011
 
The high priest in the Old Testament had bells and artificial pomegranates on the hem of his garment. These were sown interchangeably so that when he walked, the bells would strike the pomegranates and sound off. In this way, you could always tell where the high priest was when he was moving about. We see this in Exodus 28:33-35:

And you shall make on its hem (the high priest’s garments) pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe.
    
And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD…

We are told in Matthew 11:13, “the law prophesied…” even every “jot and tittle,” or every detail. Because bells represented a proclamation, or a message going forth, and pomegranates were used for medicine in those times, that the high priest would have these on the hem of his garment represented how whenever Jesus, the true High Priest moved, the message of healing would go forth. This also speaks of how closely the healing and prophetic ministries would be tied by Jesus. This is also why the woman with the issue of blood knew that if she just touched the hem of Jesus’ garment she would be healed—she recognized that Jesus was the true High Priest.

It is still true today that whenever our High Priest moves, the message of healing will go forth. This is because He cares so much for people that He does not want them sick or afflicted but wants them made whole. Our redemption through His cross not only purchased for us the forgiveness of sin but the deliverance from the consequences of sin.

We may look at the Old Testament prophets and see that they were rarely involved in healing. This is true, but the New Testament is all about healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This is why New Testament prophets are so connected to the healing ministry.

We also see through the life of Jesus that compassion was a foundation of His authority. It was when He felt compassion for the people, who were like sheep without a shepherd, that He became their Shepherd. It was when He felt compassion for the people who walked in darkness that He became their Teacher. Love and compassion is the foundation for spiritual authority in the New Testament. It was love and compassion for mankind that compelled the Father to send His only begotten Son for our salvation, and this continues to be the foundation for all true spiritual authority.

How does this relate to the basic level of prophetic revelation—impressions? This is hard for many to understand, but the Lord wants some prophetic revelation to be subjective. I did not say “all,” but “some.” This does not mean that He wants us to distort it, but He wants us to feel what He is feeling, not just know what to do. The Lord does not want His prophets to be disconnected from the message but to be of one mind and one heart with Him.

Again, one thing that He proved when He walked the earth was His heart for healing people and setting the oppressed free. He healed those who would not even thank Him because He loved them. This is His heart, and He wants His messengers to feel it, too.

We have a good example in Jeremiah of how the prophets of God in the Old Testament were compelled to love those whom they were messengers to. Jeremiah had to deliver the message of the impending judgment that was to come upon Israel, and yet we see throughout the Book of Jeremiah and in his Book of Lamentations how much he loved those who were the recipient of this message of judgment. This is likely a primary reason why the Lord chose Jeremiah as His messenger. God loved Israel even more than Jeremiah. God loves mercy and always would much rather show mercy than judgment. We can be sure that when judgment comes it is because He loves us, and there is simply no other way to deal with the corruption or apostasy.

It is a tragic misconception that prophets are always angry and that this anger reflects how God feels. We do have exceptions and examples of prophets who obviously did not love the people they were sent to, Jonah being a good example of this. Only one messenger has ever been a perfect messenger—Jesus. However, to the degree that we are able, the Lord wants us to share His heart in the matters He wants us to address.