每週一妥拉 2013/3/31-4/6
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（3/31-4/6）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。』 

本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。在利未記十章，拿答、亞比戶『在耶和華面前獻上凡火，是耶和華沒有吩咐他們的』，就有火從耶和華面前出來，把他們燒滅。主特別給予他們崇高與尊貴的『地位』，但他們的慾望使獨特的保護無法再環繞他們。在撒母耳記下的這一段經文，烏撒碰觸了沒有被正確抬放的約櫃，『神耶和華向烏撒發怒，因這錯誤擊殺他，他就死在神的約櫃旁。』瑪垃基書3:2-3說：『因為祂如煉金之人的火，…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，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。

下週的閱讀進度（4/7-4/13）是平常的兩倍：
1.『懷孕』（Thazria），讀經內容包括：妥拉─利未記12:1-13:59；先知書─列王記下4:42-5:19。 
2.『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. All texts are those of English translations of the Scriptures.

This week (March 20-26) the readings are called Shemini ("Eighth" day.):
TORAH: Leviticus 9:1-11:47
HAFTARAH: II Samuel 6:1-7:17

*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."

This week's readings center upon the Holiness of Israel's LORD-including the consequences to his children of not honoring that holiness. In Leviticus 10, Nadav and Avihu offer "strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them", and fire comes out from His presence and consumes them. They had a high and exalted "positioning" given specifically to them by the LORD. But their desire after that of their father led them into a place where their unique protection was no longer with them. In the II Samuel passage, Uzzah touches the Ark which was being carried improperly, and "the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for the irreverence, and he died there by the ark of God." 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, yet will at the same time yield ourselves to the refining, that the offerings which we offer up will be done in righteousness, in spirit and in truth. 

Martin and Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem

[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week 7-13 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]