歷代志下29:5-11

 

29:5 對他們說：「利未人哪，當聽我說：現在你們要潔淨自己，又潔淨耶和華─你們列祖上帝的殿，從聖所中除去污穢之物。
29:6 我們列祖犯了罪，行耶和華─我們上帝眼中看為惡的事，離棄他，轉臉背向他的居所，
29:7 封鎖廊門，吹滅燈火，不在聖所中向以色列上帝燒香，或獻燔祭。
29:8 因此，耶和華的忿怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷，將其中的人拋來拋去，令人驚駭、嗤笑，正如你們親眼所見的。
29:9 所以我們的祖宗倒在刀下，我們的妻子兒女也被擄掠。
29:10 現在我心中有意與耶和華─以色列的上帝立約，好使他的烈怒轉離我們。
29:11 我的眾子啊，現在不要懈怠；因為耶和華揀選你們站在他面前事奉他，與他燒香。」

⁵ and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. ⁶ Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. ⁸ Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. ¹⁰ Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

 

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    希西家向利未人說這一段話的目的，就是他要恢復真正的敬拜。那甚麼是真正的敬拜呢？就是恢復摩西律法所說的樣式，真正敬畏上帝，遵守祂的約，而不是外表虛假的行動。

 

    他勉勵利未的子孫：「我的眾子啊，現在不要懈怠；因為耶和華揀選你們站在他面前事奉他，與他燒香。」

 

    就是要恢復聖殿中各樣的陳設、獻祭、燒香、…，因為這些事上帝同在的象徵，若沒有上帝的同在，以色列就不再是以色列了，不再是上帝的子民了！上帝藉著主耶穌拯救我們，也就是要彰顯上帝的同在！

 

    今日的教會不是靠任何活動，而是要靠上帝的同在彰顯這是基督的身體、上帝的家！