[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 出埃及記 Exodus 29-31]

42 這要在耶和華面前,在會幕的門口,作為你們世世代代經常獻的燔祭。我要在那裏與你們相會,和你說話。 43 我要在那裏與以色列人相會,會幕就要因我的榮耀成為聖。44 我要使會幕和祭壇分別為聖,也要使亞倫和他的兒子分別為聖,作事奉我的祭司。 45 我要住在以色列人中,作他們的 神
42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory.44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God

出埃及記 Exodus 29:42-45

在西奈山上,上帝不僅頒給了摩西十誡,還吩咐他建造會幕,在那裡祂要與以色列人相會(出 25:8-9)。 我們敬拜的上帝不僅希望我們遵守祂的誡命,而且祂也渴望與我們說話並與我們同住。 全能聖潔的神要住在我們中間,真是不可思議! 但是為了讓神住在我們中間,我們需要按照祂的設計而不是我們的設計建造一個聚會場所。 神是聖潔的神,所以祂的地方是聖潔的地方。 我們需要被分別為聖,器具需要被分別為聖,祭司和工匠都需要被聖別。 這就是為什麼我們需要耶穌的寶血來潔淨我們:使我們聖潔。

聖潔神不能住在不潔淨的地方。 我們在打掃家裡、預備過年的同時,也讓我們把心和家打掃乾淨分別為聖,迎接神住在我們中間,讓我們知道耶和華是我們的神。 (出 29:46)

禱告:親愛的上帝,讓我們明白祢要住在我們中間! 幫助我們潔淨我們的心、我們的家、我們的教會,是的,甚至我們的國家,好讓祢住在我們中間。 奉耶穌的名,阿們。

*祝大家農曆新年蒙福!

On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses not only the Ten Commandments but also the commandment to build a tabernacle  where He would meet with the Israelites (Ex. 25:8,9). The God we worship not only desires that we will follow His commandments; He also desires that He will speak with us and dwell with us. It is an unfathomable idea that our Almighty and Holy God would want to dwell among us! But in order for God to dwell among us we need to build a meeting place according to His design, not ours. God is a holy God, so His place is a holy place. We need to be consecrated, the furniture needs to be consecrated, the priest and the craftsmen all need to be holy. This is why we need the blood of Jesus to cleanse us: to make us holy.

A Holy God cannot dwell in a place which is not holy. As we clean up our homes to celebrate the Chinese New Year and to prepare for the new year, let us moreover consecrate our hearts and our homes to welcome God to dwell among us, so that we will know that the LORD is our God. (Ex. 29:46)

Prayer: Dear God, let us understand that You want to dwell among us! Help us to consecrate our hearts, our homes, and our churches and, yes, even our country for You to dwell among us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*I wish everyone a blessed Chinese New Year!

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