民數記27:12-23

27:12 耶和華對摩西說：「你上這亞巴琳山，觀看我所賜給以色列人的地。
27:13 看了以後，你也必歸到你列祖（原文是本民）那裡，像你哥哥亞倫一樣。
27:14 因為你們在尋的曠野，當會眾爭鬧的時候，違背了我的命，沒有在湧水之地、會眾眼前尊我為聖。」（這水就是尋的曠野加低斯米利巴水。）
27:15 摩西對耶和華說：
27:16 「願耶和華萬人之靈的上帝，立一個人治理會眾，
27:17 可以在他們面前出入，也可以引導他們，免得耶和華的會眾如同沒有牧人的羊群一般。」
27:18 耶和華對摩西說：「嫩的兒子約書亞是心中有聖靈的；你將他領來，按手在他頭上，
27:19 使他站在祭司以利亞撒和全會眾面前，囑咐他，
27:20 又將你的尊榮給他幾分，使以色列全會眾都聽從他。
27:21 他要站在祭司以利亞撒面前；以利亞撒要憑烏陵的判斷，在耶和華面前為他求問。他和以色列全會眾都要遵以利亞撒的命出入。」
27:22 於是摩西照耶和華所吩咐的將約書亞領來，使他站在祭司以利亞撒和全會眾面前，
27:23 按手在他頭上，囑咐他，是照耶和華藉摩西所說的話。

  ¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. ¹³ After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, ¹⁴ for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,^[a] and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. ²⁰ Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. ²¹ He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

²² Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

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    「按手」是一個記號，就像「洗禮」是一個記號，是職分的傳承，因為上帝讓摩西成為祂的代表，世上帝親自成就的，然而他要將這個職分傳給約書亞的時候，為了讓人也認同約書亞，所以需要摩西「按手」為記號，雖然約書亞新中有聖靈，受上帝的引導，但為了人的需要必須如此。

    同樣今日牧師受值也需要「按手」為記號，稱為「按牧」或「封牧」。這不代表牧師高於弟兄姊妹之上，而是因為功能上的需要，讓人認出他要代表上帝施行聖禮，彰顯基督的教會。也因為這樣牧師是相對於群羊，是責任不是轄制。正如彼得前書5章2-3節所說：「務要牧養在你們中間上帝的群羊，按著上帝旨意照管他們；不是出於勉強，乃是出於甘心；也不是因為貪財，乃是出於樂意；也不是轄制所託付你們的，乃是作群羊的榜樣。」

    當然「牧師」不一定是終生職，也有階段性的任務，是相對於「群羊」，尤其是現在有需多被稱為「流浪牧師」，其實這是不恰當之名詞，不可以如此稱呼，最好還是稱為「休任牧師」，因為上帝要期暫時休息，好重新出發。當然，也不盼望休息太久，願主快快安排，好重新發揮恩賜來建立教會。