2.18.21 有多少人可以去打仗? How Many Can Go To War?

民數記 26:1 瘟疫過了之後，耶和華對摩西和亞倫祭司的兒子以利亞撒說： ² 「你們要將以色列全會眾，按他們的父家，凡二十歲以上能出去為以色列打仗的，計算總數。」

Numbers 26:1 After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, ² “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.” 

民數記記錄了兩次人口普查，首先是在西奈山，然後是在以色列人進入應許之地之前在摩押平原上計算凡二十歲以上能出去為以色列打仗的。 是的，上帝已經給了他的子民一塊土地，但是以色列人被要求去戰鬥以真正獲得它。 在曠野遊蕩了40年後，人數卻從603,550人減少到601,730人。

如果上帝在COVID-19之前和之後在我們的教會中進行了人口普查，那麼數字將是什麼？ 不幸的是，即使對於仍通過Zoom或YouTube聚會的教會，許多人已經退出了我們的教會。 當我們考慮到在教會可以真正為神國“打仗”的的人數時，將會面臨更大的挑戰。 願疫情和選情成為我們教會的警鐘，興起訓練更多能夠參加打仗的門徒！

Numbers records the taking of two censuses, first at Mount Sinai and later at the plain of Moab right before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, of the number of Israelites above the age of twenty who are able to go to war. Yes, God had given His people the land, but the Israelites were required to go to battle to actually acquire it. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the numbers are shown to have decreased from 603,550 to 601,730.

If God had taken a census in our churches before COVID-19 and then takes one after COVID-19, what will the numbers show? Unfortunately, many have already dropped out of our churches, even for churches that are still meeting by Zoom or by YouTube. A greater challenge comes when we consider the number among church attendees who can actually “go to war” for the Kingdom of God. May COVID-19 and the election serve as a wake up call to our churches to train more who are able to go to battle!