[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 民數記 Numbers 1-2]
1 以色列人出埃及地後第二年二月初一，耶和華在西奈曠野，在會幕中吩咐摩西說： 2 「你要按宗族、父家、人名的數目計算以色列全會眾，數點所有的男丁。 3 以色列中凡二十歲以上能出去打仗的，你和亞倫要按照他們的隊伍數點。
民數記 Numbers 1:1-3
1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.
經過近一年的基礎訓練，學習了利未記中記載的律例和典章後，以色列人終於準備出發了。但首先，上帝要摩西清點有多少人「能出去打仗。」上帝賜給以色列人應許之地，但他們仍需透過爭戰來獲得土地。其次，人數是依家室、宗族清點的。
基督徒的生活不是拿到去迪士尼樂園的門票，而是在應許之地爭戰。不只是個人需要上戰場，整個以色列人也需要像軍隊一樣以會幕爲中心生活和行動。 「有多少人能出去打仗？」這對今天的教會，尤其是我們的下一代來說，是一個棘手的問題。研究顯示，台灣的基督徒人數一直在下降，美國也不例外。但更令人擔憂的是，教會正在以驚人的速度失去他們的下一代。
首先，上帝數點的是那些年滿二十歲、能出去打仗的人。然而，台灣教會從2017年到2022年，兒童主日學升到青年團契的參與人數減少了53.3%，2022年到2024年青年聚會人數又減少了11%。活動和聖經故事並不能培養出戰士，甚至無法留住他們。
其次，上帝是按「宗族、父家」來數點人數，而不是單按年齡來計數。教會出於「好意」將兒童和青少年與家庭分離，這「或許」正是我們失去他們的原因。整本聖經中都沒有兒童牧師或青年牧師的頭銜，只有負責教導孩子的父母。然而，教會卻讓父母忙於其他的服事，而忽略了自己的孩子。
除非我們將教會從活動中心轉變為訓練營（不僅僅是學習知識，而是像戰士一樣生活），將隔離轉變為家庭式的模式，否則我們不僅找不到「能出去打仗的」，更可悲的是，我們發現我們的下一代正在為上帝的敵人而戰。最重要的是，這是關乎整個教會的，而不僅僅是兒童主日學和青年團契的事。
禱告：
親愛的上帝，願祢喚醒教會領袖和父母，讓他們明白祢所數點的，而不是我們所數點的。求祢幫助教會培育下一代，讓他們能夠出去為祢爭戰！奉耶穌的名禱告。阿們。
After almost 1 year of basic training of learning the rules of statues recorded in Leviticus, now the Israelites is ready to move out. But the first God wanted Moses to count how many can go to war. God gives the Israelites the promised but it still need them to fight to acquire land. Second they are counted by families, clan by clan.
Christian life is not getting the ticket to Disney land but to fight in the promised land. Not only the man to fight but the entire Israelites also need to live and move like an army as the tabernacle at the center. “How many can go to war”, this is the tough question for today’s church especially for our next generation. According the study Taiwan’s Christian population has been declining and American is not exempt. But more alarming is church is losing their own next generation in a very alarming speed.
First, God is counting those who are twenty years old who can go to war. Yet church in Taiwan lost 53% from children Sunday to youth group from 2017 to 2022, and lost another 11% from 2022 to 2024. Activities and Bible story can’t produce soldiers and even to keep them in the church.
Second. God counting by families, clan by clan not by segreation. The “good” intention of church by seperation children and youth from their families “maybe” is the reason we are loosing them. From entire bible we don’t find the titles of children pastors or youth pastors but incharge parents to teaching their children. Yet church makes parents busy on other works and neglect their own children.
Unless we change the church from activity center to training camp(not just learn knowledge but to live like a soldier), from segration to family we not only won’t be able to find many can go to war, but sadly we found our own next generation fighting for God’s enemy. And most importantly this the matter of whole church not just the matter of children Sunday and youth group.
Prayer:
Dear God, may you wake up church leaders and parents to count what you count not what we count. Help your church to raise the next generation who can go out to fight for You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
