民數記19:1-22

19:1 耶和華曉諭摩西、亞倫說：
19:2 「耶和華命定律法中的一條律例乃是這樣說：你要吩咐以色列人，把一隻沒有殘疾、未曾負軛、純紅的母牛牽到你這裡來，
19:3 交給祭司以利亞撒；他必牽到營外，人就把牛宰在他面前。
19:4 祭司以利亞撒要用指頭蘸這牛的血，向會幕前面彈七次。
19:5 人要在他眼前把這母牛焚燒；牛的皮、肉、血、糞都要焚燒。
19:6 祭司要把香柏木、牛膝草、朱紅色線都丟在燒牛的火中。
19:7 祭司必不潔淨到晚上，要洗衣服，用水洗身，然後可以進營。
19:8 燒牛的人必不潔淨到晚上，也要洗衣服，用水洗身。
19:9 必有一個潔淨的人收起母牛的灰，存在營外潔淨的地方，為以色列會眾調做除污穢的水。這本是除罪的。
19:10 收起母牛灰的人必不潔淨到晚上，要洗衣服。這要給以色列人和寄居在他們中間的外人作為永遠的定例。」
19:11 「摸了人死屍的，就必七天不潔淨。
19:12 那人到第三天要用這除污穢的水潔淨自己，第七天就潔淨了。他若在第三天不潔淨自己，第七天就不潔淨了。
19:13 凡摸了人死屍、不潔淨自己的，就玷污了耶和華的帳幕，這人必從以色列中剪除；因為那除污穢的水沒有灑在他身上，他就為不潔淨，污穢還在他身上。
19:14 「人死在帳棚裡的條例乃是這樣：凡進那帳棚的，和一切在帳棚裡的，都必七天不潔淨。
19:15 凡敞口的器皿，就是沒有紮上蓋的，也是不潔淨。
19:16 無論何人在田野裡摸了被刀殺的，或是屍首，或是人的骨頭，或是墳墓，就要七天不潔淨。
19:17 要為這不潔淨的人拿些燒成的除罪灰放在器皿裡，倒上活水。
19:18 必當有一個潔淨的人拿牛膝草蘸在這水中，把水灑在帳棚上，和一切器皿並帳棚內的眾人身上，又灑在摸了骨頭，或摸了被殺的，或摸了自死的，或摸了墳墓的那人身上。
19:19 第三天和第七天，潔淨的人要灑水在不潔淨的人身上，第七天就使他成為潔淨。那人要洗衣服，用水洗澡，到晚上就潔淨了。
19:20 「但那污穢而不潔淨自己的，要將他從會中剪除，因為他玷污了耶和華的聖所。除污穢的水沒有灑在他身上，他是不潔淨的。
19:21 這要給你們作為永遠的定例。並且那灑除污穢水的人要洗衣服。凡摸除污穢水的，必不潔淨到晚上。
19:22 不潔淨人所摸的一切物就不潔淨；摸了這物的人必不潔淨到晚上。」

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ² “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. ³ Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. ⁵ While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines. ⁶ The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. ⁷ After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. ⁸ The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

⁹ “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. ¹⁰ The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.

¹¹ “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. ¹² They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean. ¹³ If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile the Lord’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them.

¹⁴ “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, ¹⁵ and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

¹⁶ “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

¹⁷ “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. ¹⁸ Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. ¹⁹ The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. ²⁰ But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. ²¹ This is a lasting ordinance for them.

“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. ²² Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

*************

    說到「潔淨」和一般說的「乾淨」有些不同，不是藉由打掃或清洗來做到，這些只是一些表徵，真正能夠潔淨是要靠禮儀的作為與意義，來使心靈與肉體得著真正的潔淨。

    然而「潔淨」的目的是為了什麼？就是要得著心靈與肉體完全的健康。但是，儀式本身並不是讓人得著這些，真正的作為在於上帝，是因為上帝透過耶穌基督拯救與聖靈的實現，人才可以真正的潔淨！正如保羅所說：「要用水藉著道把教會洗淨，成為聖潔，可以獻給自己，作個榮耀的教會，毫無玷污、皺紋等類的病，乃是聖潔沒有瑕疵的。」（以弗所書5:26-27）

    求主保守我們，讓我們在耶穌的寶血和祂的聖道的潔淨之下，真的是完全的手潔心清，成為上帝所喜悅的兒女，榮耀上帝的名，永遠以上帝為我們的享受和喜樂！

詩篇31:1-24

31:1 （大衛的詩，交與伶長。）耶和華啊，我投靠你；求你使我永不羞愧；憑你的公義搭救我！
31:2 求你側耳而聽，快快救我！作我堅固的磐石，拯救我的保障！
31:3 因為你是我的巖石，我的山寨；所以，求你為你名的緣故引導我，指點我。
31:4 求你救我脫離人為我暗設的網羅，因為你是我的保障。
31:5 我將我的靈魂交在你手裡；耶和華誠實的上帝啊，你救贖了我。
31:6 我恨惡那信奉虛無之神的人；我卻倚靠耶和華。
31:7 我要為你的慈愛高興歡喜；因為你見過我的困苦，知道我心中的艱難。
31:8 你未曾把我交在仇敵手裡；你使我的腳站在寬闊之處。
31:9 耶和華啊，求你憐恤我，因為我在急難之中；我的眼睛因憂愁而乾癟，連我的身心也不安舒。
31:10 我的生命為愁苦所消耗；我的年歲為歎息所曠廢。我的力量因我的罪孽衰敗；我的骨頭也枯乾。
31:11 我因一切敵人成了羞辱，在我的鄰舍跟前更甚；那認識我的都懼怕我，在外頭看見我的都躲避我。
31:12 我被人忘記，如同死人，無人記念；我好像破碎的器皿。
31:13 我聽見了許多人的讒謗，四圍都是驚嚇；他們一同商議攻擊我的時候，就圖謀要害我的性命。
31:14 耶和華啊，我仍舊倚靠你；我說：你是我的上帝。
31:15 我終身的事在你手中；求你救我脫離仇敵的手和那些逼迫我的人。
31:16 求你使你的臉光照僕人，憑你的慈愛拯救我。
31:17 耶和華啊，求你叫我不致羞愧，因為我曾呼籲你；求你使惡人羞愧，使他們在陰間緘默無聲。
31:18 那撒謊的人逞驕傲輕慢，出狂妄的話攻擊義人；願他的嘴啞而無言。
31:19 敬畏你、投靠你的人，你為他們所積存的，在世人面前所施行的恩惠是何等大呢！
31:20 你必把他們藏在你面前的隱密處，免得遇見人的計謀；你必暗暗地保守他們在亭子裡，免受口舌的爭鬧。
31:21 耶和華是應當稱頌的，因為他在堅固城裡向我施展奇妙的慈愛。
31:22 至於我，我曾急促地說：我從你眼前被隔絕。然而，我呼求你的時候，你仍聽我懇求的聲音。
31:23 耶和華的聖民哪，你們都要愛他！耶和華保護誠實人，足足報應行事驕傲的人。
31:24 凡仰望耶和華的人，你們都要壯膽，堅固你們的心！

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
² Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
³ Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
⁴ Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
⁵ Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction
    and knew the anguish of my soul.
⁸ You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

⁹ Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,^[b]
    and my bones grow weak.
¹¹ Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶ Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
¹⁷ Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸ Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

¹⁹ How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you.
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
²² In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

***************

    「等候」和「急促」是我們對禱告的兩種反應，但是上帝都能容忍，就像詩人描述的：「至於我，我曾急促地說：我從你眼前被隔絕。然而，我呼求你的時候，你仍聽我懇求的聲音。」

    的確，我們禱告等不到結果時，常常會像詩人所說，會急促的下定論，以為上帝放棄了我們，不垂聽我們的禱告聲。但是，詩人後來並不放棄，仍然向上帝禱告，不管上帝有沒有應允，他堅定的相信：「你仍聽我懇求的聲音。」

    是的！不管任何況，我們依然堅定相信：「你仍聽我懇求的聲音」。因為，上帝是信實的上帝，我們之所以有信心，不是因為我們的意志上相信，是上帝本身就是信實的，信靠與仰望祂的人，必不落空！

民數記18章

     民數記18:1-32 ,

     民數記18:12   , 

     民數記18:19   ,

民數記18:1-32

18:1 耶和華對亞倫說：「你和你的兒子，並你本族的人，要一同擔當干犯聖所的罪孽。你和你的兒子也要一同擔當干犯祭司職任的罪孽。
18:2 你要帶你弟兄利未人，就是你祖宗支派的人前來，使他們與你聯合，服事你，只是你和你的兒子，要一同在法櫃的帳幕前供職。
18:3 他們要守所吩咐你的，並守全帳幕，只是不可挨近聖所的器具和壇，免得他們和你們都死亡。
18:4 他們要與你聯合，也要看守會幕，辦理帳幕一切的事，只是外人不可挨近你們。
18:5 你們要看守聖所和壇，免得忿怒再臨到以色列人。
18:6 我已將你們的弟兄利未人從以色列人中揀選出來歸耶和華，是給你們為賞賜的，為要辦理會幕的事。
18:7 你和你的兒子要為一切屬壇和幔子內的事一同守祭司的職任。你們要這樣供職；我將祭司的職任給你們當作賞賜事奉我。凡挨近的外人必被治死。」
18:8 耶和華曉諭亞倫說：「我已將歸我的舉祭，就是以色列人一切分別為聖的物，交給你經管；因你受過膏，把這些都賜給你和你的子孫，當作永得的分。
18:9 以色列人歸給我至聖的供物，就是一切的素祭、贖罪祭、贖愆祭，其中所有存留不經火的，都為至聖之物，要歸給你和你的子孫。
18:10 你要拿這些當至聖物吃；凡男丁都可以吃。你當以此物為聖。
18:11 以色列人所獻的舉祭並搖祭都是你的；我已賜給你和你的兒女，當作永得的分；凡在你家中的潔淨人都可以吃。
18:12 凡油中、新酒中、五穀中至好的，就是以色列人所獻給耶和華初熟之物，我都賜給你。
18:13 凡從他們地上所帶來給耶和華初熟之物也都要歸與你。你家中的潔淨人都可以吃。
18:14 以色列中一切永獻的都必歸與你。
18:15 他們所有奉給耶和華的，連人帶牲畜，凡頭生的，都要歸給你；只是人頭生的，總要贖出來；不潔淨牲畜頭生的，也要贖出來。
18:16 其中在一月之外所當贖的，要照你所估定的價，按聖所的平，用銀子五舍客勒贖出來（一舍客勒是二十季拉）。
18:17 只是頭生的牛，或是頭生的綿羊和山羊，必不可贖，都是聖的，要把牠的血灑在壇上，把牠的脂油焚燒，當作馨香的火祭獻給耶和華。
18:18 牠的肉必歸你，像被搖的胸、被舉的右腿歸你一樣。
18:19 凡以色列人所獻給耶和華聖物中的舉祭，我都賜給你和你的兒女，當作永得的分。這是給你和你的後裔、在耶和華面前作為永遠的鹽約（鹽就是不廢壞的意思）。」
18:20 耶和華對亞倫說：「你在以色列人的境內不可有產業，在他們中間也不可有分。我就是你的分，是你的產業。」
18:21 「凡以色列中出產的十分之一，我已賜給利未的子孫為業；因他們所辦的是會幕的事，所以賜給他們為酬他們的勞。
18:22 從今以後，以色列人不可挨近會幕，免得他們擔罪而死。
18:23 惟獨利未人要辦會幕的事，擔當罪孽；這要作你們世世代代永遠的定例。他們在以色列人中不可有產業；
18:24 因為以色列人中出產的十分之一，就是獻給耶和華為舉祭的，我已賜給利未人為業。所以我對他們說：『在以色列人中不可有產業。』」
18:25 耶和華吩咐摩西說：
18:26 「你曉諭利未人說：你們從以色列人中所取的十分之一，就是我給你們為業的，要再從那十分之一中取十分之一作為舉祭獻給耶和華，
18:27 這舉祭要算為你們場上的穀，又如滿酒醡的酒。
18:28 這樣，你們從以色列人中所得的十分之一也要作舉祭獻給耶和華，從這十分之一中，將所獻給耶和華的舉祭歸給祭司亞倫。
18:29 奉給你們的一切禮物，要從其中將至好的，就是分別為聖的，獻給耶和華為舉祭。
18:30 所以你要對利未人說：你們從其中將至好的舉起，這就算為你們場上的糧，又如酒醡的酒。
18:31 你們和你們家屬隨處可以吃；這原是你們的賞賜，是酬你們在會幕裡辦事的勞。
18:32 你們從其中將至好的舉起，就不致因這物擔罪。你們不可褻瀆以色列人的聖物，免得死亡。」

  The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. ² Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law. ³ They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die. ⁴ They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.

⁵ “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting. ⁷ But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share. ⁹ You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin^[a] or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. ¹⁰ Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

¹¹ “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

¹² “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the Lord as the firstfruits of their harvest. ¹³ All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

¹⁴ “Everything in Israel that is devoted^[b] to the Lord is yours. ¹⁵ The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. ¹⁶ When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels^[c] of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

¹⁷ “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁸ Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours. ¹⁹ Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

²⁰ The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. ²² From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die. ²³ It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. ²⁴ Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. ²⁷ Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. ²⁸ In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

³⁰ “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress. ³¹ You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting. ³² By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

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    上帝揀選利未人來處理事奉的事宜，要他們專心辦理聖殿的事情，而上帝是他們最大的保障與供應，凡是以色列族獻給上帝的祭物都是屬乎利未人的，也因為這樣耶和華對亞倫說：「你在以色列人的境內不可有產業，在他們中間也不可有分。我就是你的分，是你的產業。」

    相信上帝也是對今日的全職傳道人說：「我就是你的分，是你的產業。」

    也因此，上帝揀選的人，要勇敢向上帝求，上帝不會虧待他的僕人的，上帝必保守到底的，正如祂保守利未人一樣！

歌羅西書 1: 7~8

正如你們從我們所親愛、一同作僕人的以巴弗所學的。他為我們（有
古卷：你們）作了基督忠心的執事，也把你們因聖靈所存的愛心告訴了我們。

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        以巴弗是保羅的朋友，與他一同被捕下監，如下面經文所述。

                       「為基督耶穌與我同坐監的以巴弗問你安。」（門23）
保羅在以弗所監獄（也有人認為是在羅馬）寫這一封信時，以巴弗除了以巴弗之外，保羅也提到安多尼古、猶尼亞安、亞里達古是曾經與他一同被捕、一同坐監的伙伴。「又問我親屬，與我一同坐監的安多尼古和猶尼亞安，他們在使徒中是有名望的，也是比我先在基督裏。」（羅十六：7）「與我一同坐監的亞里達古問你們安。」（西四：10）「一同坐監」是保羅與同工之間最特別的團契關係。 

以巴弗除了和保羅一同坐監，他也是”基督忠心的執事”，”也把你們因聖靈所存的愛心告訴了我們”。

所以，以巴弗是一位值得學習的弟兄﹗