旧约 - 利未记(Leviticus)第22章
"Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD. |
"Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the LORD. |
"'If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, |
or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. |
The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. |
When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. |
He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the LORD. |
"'The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy. |
"'No one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it. |
But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food. |
If a priest's daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. |
But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat any of it. |
"'If anyone eats a sacred offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it. |
The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the LORD |
by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.'" |
"Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you--either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel--presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, |
you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. |
Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. |
When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. |
Do not offer to the LORD the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. |
You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. |
You must not offer to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, |
and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.'" |
"When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the LORD by fire. |
Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. |
"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. |
It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD. |
"Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. |
Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy |
and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD." |
利未记第廿二章
第 22 章
利 22:1-9> 神为什么给祭司定出许多专门的守则?
22:1-9 百姓对埃及的祭司一定非常熟悉,那些祭司所关心的主要是政治方面的事;他们把宗教看作是争取权力的途径,所以在以色列人中设立新的祭司制度,有可能令人感到怀疑,不知与埃及的祭司是否一样。但是神要祂的祭司事奉祂,也服事百姓。他们的职务是宗教上的,是协助百姓到神面前来敬拜。他们不可利用自己的地位来争取权力,因为神不准他们拥有土地,收受金钱。这一切的规定使百姓放心,也令祭司能全心事奉。
利 22:19-25> 不可将有残疾的祭牲献给神,这对我们也适用吗?
22:19-25 以有残疾的牲畜作祭物献上,不蒙神悦纳,因为它不能代表神无瑕无疵的本性,只有毫无瑕疵的祭牲,才可以预表耶稣基督完美无罪的一生。我们将最好的时间、才能,以及财宝献给神,才显出敬拜的真义,证明我们将神看为至尊贵的。──《灵修版圣经注释》
利未记第廿二章
祭司与圣物(二十二 1 ~ 16 )
本章继续讲论祭司的事奉,话题从祭司本人的生活见证,转到祭司工作的事项。本段讲论祭司怎样处理圣物,特别是指祭物,而 17 ~ 33 节则指示接受什么样的祭物。
.祭司要远离圣物──以色列人献祭的祭物,除燔祭外,祭司都可以部分享用,所以神吩咐:“要远离以色列人所分别为圣,归给我的圣物”显得相当特别。其实这吩咐与神赐祭司可吃祭肉的应许并不相违,强调事奉态度必须认真,切忌随便处理祭物。
① 要“远离”圣物,必须认知圣物的存在和位置,并与自己的距离。事奉中要经常省察自己的光景和与神的距离或关系;
② 要“远离”圣物,表示祭司与圣物应有距离,两者并不连合,乃为两个个体,祭司不是圣物,所以不能将蒙召的恩典视为已成圣的地步;
③ 因为工作需要经常接触不洁净的人和物,容易沾染污秽;若不慎沾染又疏忽洁净,便干犯耶和华,所以远离圣物是一种防范措施,也是事奉的反省。总括来说,远离圣物的吩咐原意是:“免得轻忽了,因此担罪而死。”( 9 )疏忽不能构成逃避犯错责任的理由。
.祭司可以吃圣物──利未记一再说明,祭司可以吃圣物。这是神的恩典,也是事奉的赏赐:“以色列人归给我至圣的供物……都为至圣之物,……原是你们的赏赐,是酬你们在会幕里办事的劳。”(民十八 8 ~ 31 )事奉神不会徒然,神必赏赐报酬;不但事奉者得酬,甚至家属都因祭司得享神恩。神对事奉者恩佑有加,你能不事奉神吗?
祈祷 求主开我眼睛,使我认真和甘心乐意事奉。
神所喜悦的奉献(二十二 17 ~ 33 )
思想 献祭用的祭物,神既也有定规,试想想我现在以什么作祭物献给神?
前一段圣经指示祭司怎样处理祭物,本段圣经则是论述怎么样的祭司才适合献祭,“蒙悦纳”在本段重复出现( 19 ~ 21 、 23 、 25 、 27 、 29 ),说出无论奉献何物,只有两个蒙悦纳的条件才可献上。
.人所悦纳之物献上才蒙神悦纳──“蒙侻纳”一辞在本段的中文翻译,似乎带有被动的语态,表示成为神认为可接受的献物。查实本段七次的“蒙悦纳”,其中三次是被动语态的动词( 23 、 25 、 27 ),当然是指合神心意,被接纳之意。但其余四次乃为名词,意思是一样可羡慕,令人喜悦的东西。其中三处( 19 ~ 20 、 29 )还加上“你们以为”(中文翻译没将这词译出),教训相当明显,奉献的一个条件,就是要献上人所喜悦的物件,己所不欲,勿献予神。残疾有病的牛羊没有人喜悦,就不可拿来献祭,正如后来玛拉基先知就运用这原则来责备以色列人:“你们将瞎眼的献为祭物,这不为恶么……你献给你的省长,他岂喜悦你?……你们把抢夺的、瘸腿的、有病的拿来献上为祭,我岂能从你们手中收纳呢?”(玛一 8 、 13 )
.献上神所指示之物才蒙神悦纳──献给神的祭物除了是人所喜悦外,还得合乎神的心意,本段神启示几个蒙悦纳的条件:
① 祭物的种类:公牛、绵羊或山羊,只有这几种牲畜才可献上,当然还有些飞禽和植物也可用以献祭;
② 祭物的状况:纯全无残疾( 19 、 21 ),不单是没有疾病,也要端正美观;
③ 祭物的岁数:至少要到第八天才可奉献。“不可同日宰母和子”之说( 28 ),神学意义不清楚,但肯定说明,献祭必须按照神指示才蒙悦纳。
省察 我是否将最好的,按神心意奉献给神?──《新旧约辅读》
利 未 记
注释
二十二 1-9
然而,一个祭司若为了任何原因而成为「不洁净」,他就不可以吃圣物,因为主要原则是圣洁的与不洁净的必须分开(参上文第十一章之注释)。这种不洁净可以是轻微的,如因某些接触而礼仪上被视为不洁一天;也可以是严重的,如因严重的皮肤病而变得不洁净,要待至疾病得着痊愈为止。
二十二 10-15
这几节经文界定谁可算为祭司家庭的一分子,可以吃用圣物。
二十二 17-33
我们已在第十一章看见,洁净与不洁净之牲畜的分别,怎样反映出以色列人与其它民族的分别。这里再作进一步的谈论。正如以色列人分为祭司和庶民,洁净的牲畜也再分为用作献祭的和用作食用的。这样,相似的象征就是:祭司/献祭的牲畜:其它以色列人/其它洁净的牲畜:外邦人/不洁净的牲畜。这模式解释了二十一章 17 至 21 节与二十二章 18 至 24 节之字汇的类同。正如残缺使人不能参与祭司职务,残缺也使牲畜不能用来献祭。
在新约里,所有这些分别都废弃了。在基督里,不但没有犹太人和外邦人之分,而只有一个透过基督与神和好和彼此和好的新人类,而且,由于基督已完成了祭司献祭的功能,所以在基督的教会里,也不像以色列中有延续不断的祭司等级。圣殿里的幔子已裂开。借着基督牺牲的血,通往神那里的路已打开(参彼前一 19 ),而祂也为其子民,永久地站在神面前供大祭司之职。在基督里的全体神的子民,现在都称为祂圣洁的祭司,而瘸腿的、瞎眼的、长大麻疯的,和所有从前被拒于祭司职任以外的人,现在都被邀请进入这群体中(参路十四 13-21 )。即使是太监(在 20-21 节被排斥),也得到确认,他不但可以进入神的圣所,而且他的献祭也必蒙悦纳(赛五十六 3-8 )。
不过,虽然那些在教会中作道德和属灵监督的人,在新约中从未称为祭司,但他们要担负教导的职责,而这也是旧约祭司的职责。正因如此,新约对那些蒙召担负此等职责的人,在个人和家庭生活上也给予较高的标准。因此,在长老、监督和执事的资历要求中(提前三 1-13 ;多一 5-9 ;参雅三 1 ),也可看见这两章经文的回响(虽然语气颇为不同)。