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出埃及记生命读经 · 第133篇

亚伦和他的儿子成圣作祭司（一）

The sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be the priests (1)
1读经： 出埃及记二十九章一至十四节；四十章十二至十五节；利未记八章一至九节，十二至十七节。
1Scripture Reading: Exo. 29:1-14; 40:12-15; Lev. 8:1-9, 12-17
2本篇信息我们来到出埃及记的另一段。我们已经说过帐幕及其器具，也说过祭司的衣服。当神的百姓聚集在西乃山的时候，摩西得着了帐幕样式的启示，以及帐幕器具的图样。以色列人要建造一个居所、一个圣所，让神在他们中间居住，并让祂的百姓事奉祂。接着，出埃及记就记载了祭司衣服的描述。
2In this message we come to another section of the book of Exodus. We have covered the tabernacle with its furnishings and also the priestly garments. When God’s people were gathered at Mount Sinai, Moses received the revelation of the pattern of the tabernacle and the design of the furniture of the tabernacle. The children of Israel were to build a house, a sanctuary, for the Lord to dwell among them and for His people to serve Him. Following this, the book of Exodus records a description of the priestly garments.
3在圣经中，衣服是表征我们的生活、行为、举止和特质。这指明就着事奉神的祭司来说，出埃及记先是顾到他们外面的行为，就是祭司的衣服所表征的。现在到了二十九章，有一段是论到亚伦和他的儿子成圣作祭司。
3In the Bible garments signify our living, behavior, conduct, and character. This indicates that, concerning the priests, God’s serving ones, Exodus first takes care of their outward conduct signified by the priestly garments. Now in chapter twenty-nine we have a section dealing with the sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be priests.
把我们虚空的手充满了
Filling our empty hands
4凡是读出埃及记二十九章的人，对于所谓祭司的奉献往往很容易有深刻的印象。表面看来这一章是论到奉献，因为这里我们看见祭司和他们的衣服已经豫备好了，并且需要献上。有些译本以任命这个词来代替奉献，圣经的这种译法是基于传统、宗教任命圣职的作法。事实上，这种译法是没有根据的。九节说：“给亚伦和他儿子束上腰带，包上裹头巾，他们就凭永远的定例，得了祭司的职任；又要将亚伦和他儿子分别为圣。”繙作分别为圣的希伯来字原意为“把手充满了”。分别为圣或任命这两个词都不准确，因此，在第九节我宁可不用分别为圣这个词。这一节所说的乃是把祭司的两手充满了。因为他们的两手是空的，就需要把他们的手充满了。这指明我们不该空手事奉神。倘若我们要事奉神，我们的手就必须充满了基督。因此，将祭司分别为圣，或使他们承接圣职（如果我们要用这个词的话），意思就是把他们的手充满了。凡事奉主的人两手都必须充满了基督。
4Those who read Exodus 29 can easily be impressed with what is often called the consecration of the priests. Apparently this chapter is concerned with consecration, for here we see that the priests and their garments have been made ready and need to be consecrated. Some versions use the word ordination instead of consecration. This translation of the Bible is based on the traditional, religious practice of ordination. Actually, there is no ground for this translation. Verse 9 says, “And you shall gird them with a girdle, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them; and the priesthood shall be theirs for an eternal statute; and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.” The Hebrew word rendered consecrate literally means “fill their hand.” Neither the word consecrate nor the word ordain is accurate. Therefore, I prefer not to use the word consecrate in verse 9. What this verse talks about is the filling of the priests’ hands. Because their hands were empty, they needed their hands to be filled. This indicates that we cannot serve God empty-handed. If we would serve Him, our hands must be filled with Christ. Thus, to consecrate the priests, to ordain them (if we want to use that word), means the filling of their hands. The hands of those who serve the Lord need to be filled with Christ.
5二十九章一节使用成圣这个词：“你使亚伦和他儿子成圣，给我供祭司的职分，要 如此行；取一只公牛犊，两只无残疾的公绵羊。”使一样东西成圣与任命它或献上它 完全不同。成圣的意思就是把一样东西分别出来。譬如，牛群里有许多牛，把其中的一只从群中分别出来，结果，这只牛就成圣了。不但如此，一只动物从牛群或羊群中分别出来的时候，还盖上印记，表明它已经分别出来了。因此，成圣的意思就是用一个印记把某样东西分别出来。
5In 29:1 the word sanctify is used: “And this is the thing which you shall do to them to sanctify them to serve as priests to Me: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish.” To sanctify something is absolutely different from ordaining it or consecrating it. To sanctify means to set something apart. For example, there may be many cattle in a herd, but one of these cattle is set apart from the herd. As a result, that animal is sanctified. Furthermore, when an animal is set apart from the herd or flock, a mark may be put on it to indicate that it has been set apart. Hence, to sanctify means to set something apart with a certain mark.
6从前我们是在世上的罪人中间，但有一天主把我们分别出来了。救恩是包罗万有的，被分别出来也包含在救恩之内。有一天主耶稣把我们分别出来，也就是拯救了我们。祂把我们从罪人中分别出来。得救并这样分别出来就是成圣。
6Formerly we were among all the sinners in the world. But one day the Lord set us apart. Salvation is an all-inclusive matter, and it includes being set apart. One day the Lord Jesus came to set us apart, that is, to save us. He separated us from sinners. To be saved and set apart in this way is to be sanctified.
7主使我们成圣总是把我们标明出来，盖上印记。我们带着一个标记，表明我们已经得救、成圣并分别归神了。你知道把我们分别出来的标记是甚么？这个标记就是基督自己。
7The Lord’s sanctifying always labels us, puts a mark upon us. We bear a mark to indicate that we have been saved, sanctified, and set apart unto God. Do you know what is the mark that separates us and sets us apart? This mark is Christ Himself.
8我们还是罪人的时候，是虚空的。我们不但两手空空，连全人也是虚空的。等到我 们得救了，基督就进到我们里面来，成了把我们从虚空的罪人中分别出来的标记。从那时起，我们里面、我们手中就有一些东西可用来事奉神。然而，许多基督徒不懂得 这件事，没有人告诉他们说，基督充满了他们的手。不过，从我们得救的时候起，我们就有了基督。
8When we were among sinners, we were empty. Not only were we empty-handed, but our whole being was empty. When we were saved, Christ came into us and became the mark that sets us apart from empty sinners. From that time on, we have had something within us, something in our hand, with which to serve God. Many Christians, however, do not realize this. No one has told them they have Christ to fill their hand. Nevertheless, from the time we were saved, we have had Christ.
9我们既然有基督，就不该空手来到神面前。反之，我们总该带着基督来到祂面前。这就是我们在主耶稣的名里祷告、聚会的原因。在主的名里聚会就是与祂相会。像犹太人祷告神，却不在主耶稣的名里祷告，就是空手向神祷告。但我们在主耶稣的名里祷告就不同了，因为我们是两手充满向神祷告。
9Since we have Christ, we should not come to God empty-handed. Rather, we should always come to Him with Christ. This is the reason we pray and meet in the name of the Lord Jesus. To meet in the Lord’s name is to meet with Him. Those, such as the Jews, who pray to God without praying in the name of the Lord Jesus, pray to Him in a way that is empty-handed. But our praying in the name of the Lord Jesus is different because we are praying to God with our hands filled.
10现在我们能彀懂得出埃及记二十九章里奉献的意思就是把手充满了。真正的奉献乃是以基督来充满我们的虚空，这也就是成圣。每当我们来到聚会中，我们总该把一些属于基督的东西献给神，我们不该空手来聚会，在聚会中空手是必须被定罪的。我们都该是两手满了基督的祭司。
10Now we can understand that consecration in Exodus 29 means to fill our hands. Genuine consecration is the filling up of our emptiness with Christ. This also is sanctification. Whenever we come to the meetings, we should have something of Christ to offer to God. We should not come to the meetings empty-handed. To be empty-handed in the meetings is to be condemned. We all should be priests whose hands are filled with Christ.
赎罪祭
The sin offering
11大祭司亚伦在埃及经历了逾越节。论到把亚伦虚空的两手充满，赎罪祭乃是献给神的头一种祭。这岂不是逾越节重复出现么？逾越节难道不包含赎罪祭么？这些问题很不容易答覆。我们得救的时候都经历过逾越节，那么，为甚么我们还需要赎罪祭呢？为甚么祭司虚空的手充满了，还需要赎罪祭呢？我们得救时经历了逾越节，罪过得以赦免。然而我们来到主面前，还需要赎罪祭。无论我们得救了多久，每当我们来事奉神的时候，我们都需要赎罪祭，因为我们还活在肉体里、活在旧造里。要作祭司事奉神，就需要赎罪祭，甚至在晨更的时候接触主也需要赎罪祭。作祭司事奉神是一件大事，而在晨更中接触主比较起来是一件小事，但两种情况都需要赎罪祭和赎愆祭。
11Aaron, the high priest, experienced the Passover in Egypt. In relation to the filling up of Aaron’s empty hands, the sin offering was the first offering presented to God. Was this not a repetition of the Passover? Did not the Passover include the sin offering? These questions are not easy to answer. We all experienced the Passover when we were saved. Why, then, do we still need the sin offering? Why in the filling up of the priests’ empty hands was there still the need for the sin offering? When we were saved and experienced the Passover, our sins were forgiven. Nevertheless, when we come to the Lord, we still need the sin offering. No matter how long we have been saved, whenever we come to serve God, we need the sin offering because we are still living in the flesh, in the old creation. To serve God as priests requires the sin offering. Even to contact the Lord during morning watch requires the sin offering. Serving the Lord as a priest is a great matter, and contacting Him in the morning watch is a comparatively small matter, but in both cases we need the sin offering and the trespass offering.
分别的标记
The mark of separation
12把一个人献上作神的祭司就是使他成圣，而使他成圣就是把他分别出来。要使一个人分别出来作祭司事奉神，他的手就必须是充满的，把手充满成了一个标记，把他从一切凡俗的事物中分别出来。倘若我的手中充满了基督的东西，就表明我已经分别出来了。凡有基督在他手中充满他虚空的，就是分别出来的、是成圣的。
12To consecrate someone to be God’s priest is to sanctify him, and to sanctify him is to set him apart. In order for someone to be set apart to serve God as a priest, his hands need to be filled. This filling up of the hands becomes a mark that sets him apart from everything that is common. If I have something of Christ filling my hands, this indicates that I have been set apart. Whoever has Christ in his hands to fill his emptiness is set apart, sanctified.
13第九节用了分别为圣这个词不但不准确，也不恰当，因它多多少少使人对于本章的记载不容易有正确的领会。我们读到分别为圣这个词，自然而然会想到把自己献给主。但我们已经指出，这里分别为圣的意义就是基督充满了我们的虚空。我们凭着自己 是空手的，现在我们虚空的手必须被基督充满。把我们的手充满不是一件奉献的事；而是使我们成圣，把我们分别出来，使我们与别人有所不同。
13Not only is it inaccurate to use the word consecrate in verse 9, but it is also inappropriate, because it somewhat hinders the proper understanding of what is recorded in this chapter. When we read the word consecrate, we may automatically think about dedicating ourselves to the Lord. But as we have pointed out, the meaning of consecrate here is to have Christ filling up our emptiness. In ourselves we are empty-handed. Now we need our empty hands to be filled with Christ. Having our hands filled is not a matter of consecration; it is to sanctify us, to set us apart, to make us different from others.
14如果我们的手充满了基督，我们的家人、邻居、同事就会看出我们的不同。但如果我们是凡俗的，与不信的人没有分别，那么我们就不是祭司。使我们与别人有别的，乃是基督充满了我们的手。无论我们在学校、在工作中，或在家里，我们的手都必须满了基督。然后被基督充满就会成为一个标记，使我们从凡俗的人中分别出来。别人会认出我们的不同，他们还是空手，但我们的手却满了基督。两手被基督充满就是成圣作祭司。
14If our hands are filled with Christ, those in our family, neighborhood, or place of employment will realize that we are different. But if we are common, if there is no difference between us and unbelievers, then we are not priests. What makes us different from others is that we have Christ filling our hands. Wherever we may be, at school, at work, or at home, we need to have hands full of Christ. Being filled up with Christ will then be a mark that sets us apart from those who are common. Others will recognize that we are different. They are still empty-handed, but our hands are full of Christ. To have hands filled with Christ is to be sanctified to be a priest.
分别出来作祭司事奉神
Set apart to serve God as priests
15我年轻的时候，就从弟兄会的教师那里得知普遍的祭司职分。弟兄会反对圣品阶级制度。一百六十年前他们兴起之前，圣品阶级在基督徒中间很盛行。然后弟兄会起来反对这种制度，并且证实它是错的。他们说，照新约来看，所有的信徒都是祭司。因着这个教训是事实，我就接受了，并且传给别人。然而，我不晓得神的子民如何才能 成圣作祭司来事奉。
15When I was young, I learned about the universal priesthood from the Brethren teachers. The Brethren are opposed to the clergy-laity system. Before they were raised up one hundred sixty years ago, the clergy and laity were prevailing among Christians. Then the Brethren began to stand up against this system and testify that it is wrong. They said that, according to the New Testament, all believers are priests. Because this teaching is true, I accepted it and passed it on to others. However, I did not realize how God’s people could be sanctified to serve as priests.
16虽然亚伦和他的儿子都是神的子民，但他们还需要成圣。出埃及记二十九章里向他们所作的，不是作在不信的人、埃及人身上。因为亚伦和他的儿子是在神的子民中间 ，甚至他们还在埃及的时候，就经历了逾越节。但他们还需要分别为圣，好作祭司事奉神。照第九节来看，他们是凭着永远的定例，得了祭司的职任。使亚伦和他的儿子成圣，并使他们与别人不同的是甚么？使他们从其余的以色列人中分别成圣的，乃是他们的两手充满了所有丰富的祭物。这样的充满就使他们成圣，把他们分别出来，并成为分别和成圣的标记。不错，我们都得救了，但我们需要问问自己，我们的手有没有被基督充满。
16Although Aaron and his sons were of God’s people, they still needed to be sanctified. What was done to them in Exodus 29 was not done to unbelievers, to Egyptians. Because they were among the people of God, Aaron and his sons had experienced the Passover, even while they were yet in Egypt. But they still needed to be set apart, sanctified, in order to serve God as priests. According to verse 9, the priesthood was to be theirs for an eternal statute. What was it that sanctified Aaron and his sons and made them different from others? What made them different and sanctified them from the rest of the children of Israel was the filling up of their hands with all the rich offerings. This filling sanctified them, set them apart, and became a mark of separation and sanctification. Yes, we all have been saved, but we need to ask ourselves if our hands are filled with Christ.
17有很长一段时间，我不晓得如何作祭司。经过多年的摸索，我逐渐晓得要作祭司事奉神，我们的手就需要充满基督。赞美主，我不再摸索了！现在我看见了，我们的手 充满了基督，就把我们分别出来作神的祭司事奉神。
17For a long time I did not know how to be a priest. Through years of groping, I gradually came to understand that to serve God as a priest requires that our hands be filled with Christ. Praise the Lord that I am no longer groping! Now I see that it is by having our hands filled with Christ that we are set apart to serve God as His priests.
18我们都需要得着鼓励，在聚会中尽功用，但问题乃是如何尽功用。有些人尽功用，也许只是说：“赞美主！”然而，如果有人只是这样来尽功用，过了一段时间，他在聚会中这么宣告，就不再有甜美的味道了。说：“哦，主，阿们，阿利路亚！”也是这样。要在聚会中合式地尽功用，我们的手都需要充满了基督。
18We all need to be encouraged to function in the meetings. But the question is how to function. Some may function by simply saying, “Praise the Lord!” However, if someone functions only in this way for a period of time, he will no longer have a pleasant taste when he declares this in the meetings. The same will be true of saying, “O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah.” To function properly in the meetings, we all need to have our hands filled with Christ.
19我们需要看见成圣作祭司事奉神是甚么意思。这样被分别出来不是因着我们这一方有甚么行动而发生的；而是因着我们的手充满了基督作祭物。我们虚空的手充满了基督，就是成圣，成圣就使我们分别出来作神的祭司。
19We need to see what it means to be sanctified to serve God as a priest. This matter of being set apart, separated, does not take place by some action or activity on our part; it comes about by having our hands filled with Christ as the offerings. This filling up of our empty hands with Christ is our sanctification, and this sanctification sets us apart to be God’s priests.
20是谁把我们分别出来？那位把我们分别出来作祭司的乃是基督。然而，把我们分别 出来的基督不仅仅是道理的基督；祂乃是我们所经历的基督，成为充满我们两手的祭物。如果我们了解这一点，我们就有合宜的根基来看亚伦和他的儿子成圣作祭司的细节。
20Who sets us apart for this? The One who sets us apart to be priests serving God is Christ. However, the Christ who sets us apart is not a mere doctrinal Christ; He is the Christ we experience as the offerings filling up our hands. If we understand this, we have the proper foundation to consider the details of the sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be priests.
需要被洁净
The need to be cleansed
21我们的手要充满基督，我们就需要被洗净。出埃及记二十九章四节说：“要使亚伦和他儿子到会幕门口来，用水洗身。”如果我们不是洁净的，充满两手所需要的就无法赐给我们。因此我们需要被洗净。凡是不洁净的人，就不能作祭司来事奉。故此，就需要把亚伦和他儿子带到会幕门口来，用水洗身。
21In order to have our hands filled with Christ, we need to be washed. Exodus 29:4 says, “And you shall bring Aaron and his sons near unto the door of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water.” What we need for the filling of our hands cannot be given to us if we are unclean. Therefore, we need to be cleansed, washed. One who is dirty cannot serve as a priest. For this reason, it was necessary for Aaron and his sons to be brought near to the door of the tent of meetings and washed with water.
22亚伦和他儿子用水洗身，表征用话中的水洗去属地接触的污秽。（来十22，约十五3，参看弗五26。）在约翰十五章三节主耶稣说：“现在你们因我讲给你们的话，已经干净了。”（另译。）以弗所五章二十六节保罗说：“既用话中之水的洗涤，洁净了她。”（另译。）对我们而言，洗净我们的水就是神的话。在约翰十四、十五、十六章里我们看见祭司的成圣。在这几章里面，主耶稣使祂的门徒成圣作 祭司。这个成圣开始于话的洗涤，因主告诉他们说，他们因着祂的话，已经干净了。以弗所五章二十六节原则上也是一样，我们藉着话中的水已经成圣、洗净了。
22The washing of Aaron and his sons with water signifies the washing away of the defilements of the earthly touch, with the water in the Word (Heb. 10:22; John 15:3 see Eph. 5:26). In John 15:3, the Lord Jesus says, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” In Ephesians 5:26 Paul says, “That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.” For us, the water that washes us is the word of God. In chapters fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen of John we see the sanctification of the priests. In these chapters the Lord Jesus was sanctifying His disciples to be priests. That sanctification began with the washing of the word, for the Lord told them that they were clean because of His word. The same is true in principle with Ephesians 5:26. It is by the water in the word that we are sanctified and cleansed.
穿上祭司的衣服
Clothed with priestly garments
23五至九节指明亚伦和他儿子洗净以后，要穿上祭司的衣服。首先要给亚伦穿上内袍，和以弗得的外袍，并以弗得，又带上胸牌。然后给他束上以弗得的带子。接着把冠冕戴在他头上，将圣冠─金牌加在冠冕上。这圣冠就像一顶冠冕，是祭司衣服的花朵。亚伦一旦这样穿戴齐全，他的衣服在他身上就成了完全而完美的彰显，满了华美和荣耀。
23Verses 5 through 9 indicate that after Aaron and his sons were washed, they were clothed with the priestly garments. First Aaron was clothed with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate. Then he was girded with the band of the ephod. Following that, the turban was put upon his head, and upon the turban there was the holy crown, the golden plate. This holy crown was like a diadem; it was the blossom of his priestly garments. Once Aaron had been clothed in this way, his garments became upon him a complete and perfect expression full of beauty and glory.
食物是最不可少的
The crucial need of food
24如果亚伦穿着祭司的衣服站在会幕门口许久，他也许会说：“我饿了，外面看来，我穿戴齐全，我的赤身露体遮盖了，并且穿上了华美、荣耀的衣服，但我还需要一些东西来滋养我，并使我饱足。”这意思是说，祭司除了衣服以外，还需要祭物，祭物 要成为祭司的食物。祭司除了被洗净、穿上衣服以外，还需要里面的滋养、里面的加强。
24If Aaron had stood near the tent of meeting clothed in his priestly garments for a long period of time, he may have said, “I’m hungry. Outwardly I am properly clothed. My nakedness is covered, and I am clothed with garments for beauty and glory. But I still need something to nourish me and fill my hunger.” This means that the priests needed the offerings in addition to the garments. The offerings were to be the priests’ food. In addition to being washed and clothed, the priests needed inward nourishment, inward strengthening.
25我们来看祭司的洗净和穿衣这幅图画，就晓得食物是最不可少的。我们由前面的信 息中晓得，祭司的衣服是豫表基督的，查考这些衣服乃是查考基督身位绝佳的路。甚至在新约里，说到基督身位的细节，也没有像出埃及记论到祭司的衣服这一段这么清楚、丰富、深奥的记载。但这些衣服只是为着外面的彰显和华美，无法满足里面滋养的需要。
25As we consider the picture of the washing and clothing of the priests, we realize the crucial need of food. We know from previous messages that the priestly garments typify Christ. To study these garments is an excellent way to study the Person of Christ. Not even in the New Testament do we have such a clear, rich, and profound record of the details of Christ’s Person as that in Exodus concerning the priestly garments. But these garments were only for outward expression and beauty. They could not meet the inward need for nourishment.
26浪子回家的故事说明了衣服和食物的需要。浪子定意要回家是因为他饿了，没有东西可吃。他回来不是要穿上衣服作为外面的彰显和华美。然而，他的父亲在餧养他之前，先给他穿上衣服。照路加十五章二十二节来看，父亲对仆人说：“把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿。”当袍子穿在他身上的时候，浪子也许对自己说：“我还是饥饿的。袍子对我父亲也许非常重要，但对我却不是这么重要。我回来是因为我需要吃些东西。”父亲吩咐仆人把上好的袍子给他儿子穿上以后，就说：“把那肥牛犊牵来宰了，我们可以吃喝快乐。”（路十五23。）使饥饿之人快乐的不是衣服，而是肥 牛犊。
26The story of the prodigal son and his return home illustrates the need for both clothing and food. The prodigal son decided to return home because he was hungry and had nothing to eat. He did not come back in order to have a garment for outward expression and beauty. However, before feeding him, the father first clothed him. According to Luke 15:22, the father said to his servants, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him.” As the robe was being placed upon him, the prodigal son may have said to himself, “I’m still hungry. The robe may be very important to my father, but it is not that important to me. I came back because I needed something to eat.” After telling the servants to put the best robe on his son, the father said, “And bring the fattened calf; slaughter it, and let us eat and be merry” (Luke 15:23). What made the hungry one happy was not the clothing — it was the fatted calf.
27倘若亚伦穿上衣服而没有得着餧养，他定规是饥饿的，他会说：“外面看来样样都好，都很华美，都很荣耀，但我饿了怎样办？我里面还是空的。”亚伦穿上祭司的衣服，还是需要食物，这幅图画指明我们需要基督作我们外面的彰显和荣耀，更需要基督作我们里面的滋养和加强。我们需要祂作我们的食物！因这缘故，在出埃及记二十八章有祭司的衣服，二十九章有祭司的食物。倘若我们这些神的儿女要成圣作祭司来事奉祂，就需要外面的衣服和里面的滋养，这衣服和滋养就把我们的虚空充满了。
27If Aaron had been clothed and not fed, he surely would have been hungry. He may have said, “Outwardly, everything is fine, beautiful, and glorious. But what about my hunger? I’m still empty inside.” This picture of Aaron clothed with the priestly garments but still in need of food indicates that we need Christ to be our outward expression and glory and even the more to be our inward nourishment and strengthening. We need Him to be our food! For this reason, in Exodus 28 we have the clothing of the priests, and in chapter twenty-nine we have the food for the priests. If as children of God we are to be sanctified to be priests serving Him, we need both outward clothing and inward nourishment. This clothing and nourishment are the filling up of our emptiness.
我们的虚空被基督充满
Our emptiness filled with Christ
28现在我们就能领会我们的虚空被基督充满是甚么意思。有里面的虚空，也有外面的虚空，外面的虚空是赤身露体，里面的虚空是饥饿。我们要生存就必须解决外面的赤身露体，和里面的饥饿这两个问题。因此，要维持人的生活，食物和衣服是绝对不可少的。这些需要和居住、交通工具，乃是我们生活的基本要项。谋生的意思就是赚取我们所需要的，来保证我们有衣、有食、有住屋、有交通工具。圣经里所强调的不是住屋和交通工具，而是衣、食。我们有了基督作我们的衣服，也就有了祂作我们的住处，因为我们的衣服就是我们的住处。此外我们可以说，那灵就是我们的交通工具。然而，在本篇信息中，我们是论到衣服和食物。我们外面必须有衣服，里面必须有食 物。
28Now we can understand what it means to have our emptiness filled with Christ. There is an inward emptiness and an outward emptiness. Outward emptiness is a matter of nakedness, and inward emptiness is a matter of hunger. To exist we must solve the problems of both outward nakedness and inward hunger. Thus, for the maintenance of human life, food and clothing are absolutely vital. These needs, along with lodging and transportation, are the basic aspects of our living. To earn a living means to earn what we need to guarantee that we have clothing, food, lodging, and transportation. In the Bible the emphasis is not on lodging and transportation; it is on clothing and food. When we have Christ as our clothing, we also have Him as our lodging, for our clothing is our lodging. Furthermore, we may say that the Spirit is our transportation. In this message, however, we are concerned with clothing and food. Outwardly we must have clothing, and inwardly we must have food.
29我们所需要的衣服和食物都是基督，这也是路加十五里浪子的比喻所说明的。回家的浪子所穿上好的袍子是基督，肥牛犊也是基督。上好的袍子是基督作我们的衣服，而肥牛犊是基督作我们的食物。赞美主，我们穿了上好的袍子，享受了肥牛犊，我们就被充满且成圣了！我们因父神成圣，作祂的祭司，有基督作我们成圣的标记。充满我们虚空的基督乃是使我们有所分别，把我们从凡俗中分别出来的一位。阿利路亚，我们的虚空完完全全被基督充满了！我们外面不再赤身露体，里面也不再饥饿。基督作我们的衣服，充满了我们外面的虚空；基督也作我们的食物，充满了我们里面的虚空。
29Both the clothing and food we need are Christ. This also is illustrated by the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The best robe placed upon the returned prodigal is Christ, and the fatted calf also is Christ. The best robe is Christ as our clothing, and the fatted calf is Christ as our food. Praise the Lord that when we wear the best robe and enjoy the fatted calf, we are filled and sanctified! We are sanctified by God the Father to be His priests with Christ as the mark of our sanctification. The Christ who fills our emptiness is the One who separates us, who sets us apart from being common. Hallelujah, our emptiness is completely filled with Christ! No longer do we have nakedness outwardly or hunger inwardly. Our outward emptiness is filled with Christ as our clothing, and our inward emptiness is filled with Christ as our food.