詩篇40:1-17

40:1 （大衛的詩，交與伶長。）我曾耐性等候耶和華；他垂聽我的呼求。
40:2 他從禍坑裡，從淤泥中，把我拉上來，使我的腳立在磐石上，使我腳步穩當。
40:3 他使我口唱新歌，就是讚美我們上帝的話。許多人必看見而懼怕，並要倚靠耶和華。
40:4 那倚靠耶和華、不理會狂傲和偏向虛假之輩的，這人便為有福！
40:5 耶和華─我的上帝啊，你所行的奇事，並你向我們所懷的意念甚多，不能向你陳明。若要陳明，其事不可勝數。
40:6 祭物和禮物，你不喜悅；你已經開通我的耳朵。燔祭和贖罪祭非你所要。
40:7 那時我說：看哪，我來了！我的事在經卷上已經記載了。
40:8 我的上帝啊，我樂意照你的旨意行；你的律法在我心裡。
40:9 我在大會中宣傳公義的佳音；我必不止住我的嘴唇。耶和華啊，這是你所知道的。
40:10 我未曾把你的公義藏在心裡；我已陳明你的信實和你的救恩；我在大會中未曾隱瞞你的慈愛和誠實。
40:11 耶和華啊，求你不要向我止住你的慈悲！願你的慈愛和誠實常常保佑我！
40:12 因有無數的禍患圍困我，我的罪孽追上了我，使我不能昂首；這罪孽比我的頭髮還多，我就心寒膽戰。
40:13 耶和華啊，求你開恩搭救我！耶和華啊，求你速速幫助我！
40:14 願那些尋找我、要滅我命的，一同抱愧蒙羞！願那些喜悅我受害的，退後受辱！
40:15 願那些對我說阿哈、阿哈的，因羞愧而敗亡！
40:16 願一切尋求你的，因你高興歡喜！願那些喜愛你救恩的，常說：當尊耶和華為大！
40:17 但我是困苦窮乏的，主仍顧念我；你是幫助我的，搭救我的。上帝啊，求你不要耽延！

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.^[b]
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
    but my ears you have opened^[c]—
    burnt offerings and sin offerings^[d] you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.^[e]
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.

¹⁴ May all who want to take my life
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
    be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    you are my God, do not delay.

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

    大衛的詩句當中常常會說明自己所遇見的困苦，並且在這樣的困苦中尋求耶和華的幫助。雖然困苦還在，但是他的心中相信上帝必定故念，這就是信心的表現！所以他會向上帝禱告說：「但我是困苦窮乏的，主仍顧念我；你是幫助我的，搭救我的。上帝啊，求你不要耽延！」

    許多時候，我們覺得自己的事情要靠自己來處理，尋求別的幫助，會讓人覺得自己使無能的，而感到恨羞愧！也因為這樣，人很不容易求救，常常會逞強，非等到自己無法處理，不然是不會輕言求救的！

    然而上帝也不鼓勵我們倚靠人，可是祂卻要我們仰望祂，尤其是在事情的一開始就要依靠祂！這不是一件羞恥的事，上帝喜悅我們和祂一起面對苦難，並且在我們的心中加添心力，使我們能剛強面對！

    想想保羅所說的話：「他(主)對我說：『我的恩典夠你用的，因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全。』所以，我更喜歡誇自己的軟弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。」(哥林多後書:12:9)

    這也告訴我們，要承認自己的軟弱，好尋求基督的能力覆庇我們，這樣我們才能如保羅一般見證說：「我為基督的緣故，就以軟弱、凌辱、急難、逼迫、困苦為可喜樂的；因我甚麼時候軟弱，甚麼時候就剛強了。」(哥林多後書:12:10)

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.

***********

    「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。

民數記27章

        民數記27:1-11  ,

        民數記27:12-23  ,

民數記27:1-11

27:1 屬約瑟的兒子瑪拿西的各族，有瑪拿西的玄孫，瑪吉的曾孫，基列的孫子，希弗的兒子西羅非哈的女兒，名叫瑪拉、挪阿、曷拉、密迦、得撒。她們前來，
27:2 站在會幕門口，在摩西和祭司以利亞撒，並眾首領與全會眾面前，說：
27:3 「我們的父親死在曠野。他不與可拉同黨聚集攻擊耶和華，是在自己罪中死的；他也沒有兒子。
27:4 為甚麼因我們的父親沒有兒子就把他的名從他族中除掉呢？求你們在我們父親的弟兄中分給我們產業。」
27:5 於是，摩西將她們的案件呈到耶和華面前。
27:6 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
27:7 「西羅非哈的女兒說得有理。你定要在她們父親的弟兄中，把地分給她們為業；要將她們父親的產業歸給她們。
27:8 你也要曉諭以色列人說：『人若死了沒有兒子，就要把他的產業歸給他的女兒。
27:9 他若沒有女兒，就要把他的產業給他的弟兄。
27:10 他若沒有弟兄，就要把他的產業給他父親的弟兄。
27:11 他父親若沒有弟兄，就要把他的產業給他族中最近的親屬，他便要得為業。』這要作以色列人的律例典章，是照耶和華吩咐摩西的。」

  The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward ² and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. ⁴ Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

⁵ So Moses brought their case before the Lord, ⁶ and the Lord said to him, ⁷ “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.
⁸ “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

***********

    一般人的認為產業只傳子不傳女，在這裡有傳女的案例。不過傳女是因為沒有子嗣，通常這樣的情形在台灣也有。傳女的時候，通常會用招贅的方式來結婚，好是財產不落入外姓的人。而以色列人和我們一樣的觀念，土地是屬於家族的，不可以流於外人手中。

    而婚姻之所已有法律上的問題，主要是載繼承權問題，而在法律上通常也是以土地是有家族性的觀念來處理。也因為這樣，必須先有家族的資格才能承受地土。

    同樣在信仰上也有「子嗣」的問題，我們必須要先成為上帝家中的人，才有資格承受上帝的國。然而我們信主耶穌之後就可以處得子嗣的資格，正如保羅所說：「你們既為兒子，上帝就差他兒子的靈進入你們（原文是我們）的心，呼叫：『阿爸！父！』可見，從此以後，你不是奴僕，乃是兒子了；既是兒子，就靠著上帝為後嗣。」（加拉太書4:6-7）

    所以，我們要確信聖經給我們的應許：「凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就賜他們權柄作上帝的兒女。這等人不是從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，乃是從上帝生的。」（約翰福音1:12-13）

詩篇39篇

      詩篇39:1-13 ,

      詩篇39:6  ,