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出埃及记生命读经 · 第139篇

亚伦和他的儿子成圣作祭司（七）

The sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be the priests (7)
1读经： 出埃及记二十九章二十九至四十六节。
1Scripture Reading: Exo. 29:29-46
结语
A conclusion
2出埃及记二十九章二十九至四十六节实际上是二十八章、二十九章的结语。二十八章论到祭司的衣服，二十九章主要是论到祭司的食物。祭司有了合式的衣服和食物，就是合格的。二十九章二十九至四十六节不但记载了这两章的结语，也略略记载了祭司的衣服、祭司的食物以及神的食物。二十九至四十二节上半有一些条例，说到大祭司的圣衣，（29～30，）祭司的圣食物，（31～34，）以及天天把祭司的手充满了的祭物。（35～42上。）因此，摩西启示了祭司的衣服、祭司的食物和神的食物以后，就略略地告诉我们一些条例，是论到祭司的衣服，以及祭司和神的食物。我们需要有个印象，就是这些条例与三件事─祭司的衣服、祭司的食物、神的食物─有关。
2Exodus 29:29-46 is actually the conclusion of chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine. Chapter twenty-eight is on the priestly garments, and chapter twenty-nine is mainly on the priests’ food. The priests are qualified by having the proper clothing and food. Not only does 29:29-46 give us a conclusion of these chapters; it also presents a brief sketch concerning the priests’ garments and their food and also God’s food. Verses 29 through 42a contain statutes concerning the holy garments of the high priest (vv. 29-30), the holy food for the priests (vv. 31-34), and the daily offerings of the filling of hands of the priests (vv. 35-42a). Thus, after the revelation regarding the garments of the priests, the food of the priests, and God’s food, Moses gives us a brief sketch of the statutes concerning the priestly garments and the food for the priests and God. We need to be impressed that these statutes are related to three matters — to the priests’ garments, to the priests’ food, and to God’s food.
3四十二节下半至四十六节有这些事的结果、结局，就是神来与祭司相会，和他们说话，甚至住在他们和所有的以色列人中间。四十二节说到主要在会幕门口与我们相会，和我们说话。以下的经文说：“我要在那里与以色列人相会，会幕就要因我的荣耀成为圣。我要使会幕和坛成圣，也要使亚伦和他的儿子成圣，给我供祭司的职分。我要住在以色列人中间，作他们的神。他们必知道我是耶和华他们的神，是将他们从埃及地领出来的，为要住在他们中间；我是耶和华他们的神。”照这些经文来看，有了祭司的衣服、祭司的食物，以及祭司献给神的食物，结果就是神来与我们相会，和我 们说话，并住在我们中间。
3In verses 42b through 46 we have the result, the issue, of all these things. The result is that God comes to meet with the priests, to speak with them, and even to dwell among them and among all the sons of Israel. Verse 42 speaks of the door of the tent of meeting where the Lord will meet with us to speak with us. The following verses say, “And I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory. And I will sanctify the tent of meeting and the altar, and Aaron and his sons I will sanctify to serve as priests to Me. And I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and I will be their God. And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, Who brought them out from the land of Egypt that I might dwell in their midst; I am Jehovah their God.” According to these verses, the result of having the priestly garments, the priestly food, and the food offered to God by the priests is that God comes to meet with us, speak with us, and dwell among us.
4如果我们不彀注意这个简略的记载，就无法了解这些经文。事实上，我们愈读这段话，就愈不了解。许多年前我读到这些经文的时候，我的经历就是这样。如果我们想要研读这段话，而没有一段简要的记载，同时也不了解它的结语，这段经文就会使我们感到为难，我们很不容易看见这些经文的真义。
4If we do not pay adequate attention to this brief sketch, we shall not be able to understand these verses. In fact, the more we read this portion of the Word, the less we shall understand it. This was my experience in reading these verses years ago. If we try to read and study this portion without a brief sketch and a knowledge of its conclusion, we shall have difficulty with these verses. It is not easy to see the real significance of these verses.
5假设你接到父母亲的一封长信，有好几页之多。你也许会发觉很难了解这封信的重点或中心点。你也许仔细读过好几遍，还是看不见要点。这说明了我们不容易了解出埃及记二十八章和二十九章。我们甚至把这两章读了二十遍，还是无法简要地指出这两章所启示的是甚么。当然，许多人会照着白纸黑字来谈论这两章圣经，他们说得很正确，二十八章是论到祭司的衣服，二十九章则告诉我们，亚伦和他的儿子需要成圣，好作祭司来事奉。然而，亚伦和他的儿子如何成圣作祭司来事奉神呢？你能彀清楚、明确地解释他们成圣的方式么？
5Suppose you receive a lengthy letter from your parents, a letter several pages long. You may find it difficult to grasp the emphasis or the central point of this letter. You may read it through carefully a number of times and still not see the main point. This is an illustration of our difficulty in understanding Exodus 28 and 29. We may read these chapters even twenty times and still may not be able to point out in a brief way what is revealed in these chapters. Of course, many can talk about these chapters according to letters in black and white. They may say, correctly, that chapter twenty-eight speaks of the clothing of the priests and that chapter twenty-nine tells us that Aaron and his sons need to be sanctified in order to serve as priests. However, how were Aaron and his sons sanctified to serve God as priests? Can you explain clearly and definitely the way they were sanctified?
6亚伦和他的儿子成圣作祭司包含了许多步骤：洗去污秽、用祭司的衣服来遮盖赤身露体、藉着赎罪祭来对付罪恶的性情，并且把他们的虚空充满了。首先亚伦和他的儿子必须被洗净，并穿上衣服。然后他们必须晓得，他们是生在罪里，有罪恶的性情，而且他们需要赎罪祭来解决这个难处。但他们得了洁净、穿上衣服，并献上了赎罪祭之后，他们还是虚空的。他们没有甚么东西可以满足神，也没有甚么东西可以满足他们自己。因此，他们不但外面需要把手充满，里面还需要把胃充满。他们要成圣，就需要四个步骤：洗净、穿上衣服、对付罪恶的性情，并且里外都充满了。
6The sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be priests involves a number of steps: the washing away of uncleanness, the covering of nakedness by the priestly garments, the dealing with the sinful nature through the sin offering, and the filling of their emptiness. First Aaron and his sons had to be washed and clothed. Then they needed to realize that they were born in sin, that they had a sinful nature, and that they needed a sin offering to solve this problem. But even after they had been cleansed and clothed and had offered the sin offering, they were still empty. They had nothing to satisfy God or themselves. Therefore, they needed not only the outward filling of their hands, but also the inward filling of their stomachs. To be sanctified they needed the four steps of washing, clothing, dealing with the sinful nature, and filling without and within.
7出埃及记二十八章、二十九章的信息释放出来以前，你看见祭司成圣的四个步骤么？我不信我们中间以往有谁清楚过。不但如此，有些人甚至读了这些信息以后，还是记不住这四个点。因此，我劝你们要记住使亚伦和他儿子成圣作神的祭司所不可少的四个步骤：洗去污秽、遮盖赤身露体、对付罪恶的性情，以及把虚空充满。
7Before these messages on Exodus 28 and 29 were given, did you see these four steps of the sanctification of the priests? I doubt that any of us were clear about these matters. Furthermore, even after reading these messages, some still may not be able to recall these four points. Therefore, I urge you to remember the four steps necessary to sanctify Aaron and his sons to be priests of God: the washing away of uncleanness, the covering of their nakedness, the dealing with their sinful nature, and the filling of their emptiness.
神渴望住在我们中间
God’s desire to dwell among us
8在本篇信息里，我们来到二十九章二十九至四十六节，就是二十八章和二十九章的结语。即使我们现在晓得使亚伦和他儿子成圣作祭司的步骤，我们也可能不晓得如何把这些步骤应用到结语上。换句话说，我们也许不晓得这两章有一个目标。出埃及记二十八章和二十九章的目标是甚么？有些人以为是使神所救赎的人成圣作祭司。然而，成圣并不是目标，成圣乃是一个过程。
8In this message we come to 29:29-46, the conclusion of chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine. Even though we may now understand the steps in sanctifying Aaron and his sons to be priests, we may not understand how to apply these steps to the conclusion. In other words, we may not realize that these chapters have a goal. What is the goal of Exodus 28 and 29? Some may think that the goal is to sanctify God’s redeemed ones to be His priests. However, this sanctification is a procedure; it is not the goal.
9我晓得要懂出埃及记二十八章和二十九章的目标很不容易。我们发觉不但要了解圣经有些话的意义很不容易，阅读属灵书籍，甚至阅读一封信，也有同样的难处。最近，我接到一位信徒的来信，他告诉我说，他非常得著『神的经营”这本书的帮助。他还对我说，他读过许多水流出版社所出版的书籍，得了滋养和帮助。然而，他的信表明他对于所读过的许多点，实际上并没有恰当的领会。这说明了我们不容易懂得属灵的 事。
9I realize that it is not easy to understand the goal of Exodus 28 and 29. Not only do we find it difficult to grasp the significance of certain parts of the Bible; we have the same difficulty in reading spiritual books or even in reading a letter. Recently, I received a letter from a believer who told me how much he had been helped by The Economy of God. He further told me that he had devoured a number of other books put out by the Living Stream Ministry and had been nourished and helped by them. However, his letter indicated that actually he did not have the proper understanding of much of what he had read. This is an illustration of our difficulty in understanding spiritual matters.
10因这缘故，我所说的话常是重复的。有些事情我们需要一再地重复，圣经本身就常常重复。譬如，新约里一再地告诉我们要相信耶稣基督。新约吩咐我们多少次要相信基督？没有疑问，这是一再地重复的。这样重复的原因乃是我们有发沉、不开通的耳朵。我们听是听了，却常常不明白。
10For this reason, my speaking is often repetitious. We need to have certain things repeated again and again. The Bible itself is often repetitious. For instance, in the New Testament we are told repeatedly to believe in Jesus Christ. How many times does the New Testament charge us to believe in Christ? There can be no doubt that this is repeated again and again. The reason for such repetition is that we have dull, stubborn ears. We hear, yet we often do not understand.
11让我再问一次，出埃及记二十八章和二十九章的目标是甚么？我们已经指出，在二十九章四十二节下至四十六节可以找到目标。这个目标就是神来和我们说话，与我们相会，并住在我们中间。神不仅仅要来访问我们；祂渴望住在我们中间。四十二节说，主要与我们相会，和我们说话。四十五至四十六节主说，祂要住在以色列人中间。神首先说，祂要与我们相会，然后说祂要和我们说话，最后说祂要住在我们中间。这指明神住在我们中间在于祂对我们说话，以及我们对祂说话。换句话说，就是在于我们与神之间的交谈。我们的说话也许会使祂远离，也许会鼓励祂来与我们同住。
11Let me ask once again, what is the goal of chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine of Exodus? As we have pointed out, the goal is found in 29:42b-46. This goal is God’s coming to speak with us, to meet with us, and to dwell among us. God does not want merely to pay us a visit; He desires to dwell among us. Verse 42 says that the Lord will meet with us and speak with us. In verses 45 and 46 the Lord says that He will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel. God first says that He will meet with us, then that He will speak with us, and eventually that He will dwell in our midst. This indicates that God’s dwelling among us depends on His speaking to us and on our speaking to Him. In other words, it depends on the conversation between us and God. Our speaking may keep Him away, or it may encourage Him to dwell with us.
12在这些经文里，神的意思是说：“我要与你同住，而不仅仅是暂时访问访问你，我的心意是要住在你们中间。因此，我要到你这里来和你说话，看看到底你如何，以及你在那里。我渴望在你们中间得着一个会幕。你们所居住的帐棚不是会幕，我的帐棚、帐幕，才是会幕。有了祭司的衣服、祭司的食物，甚至献给我的食物，目标乃是我能与你们相会，并住在你们中间。”
12In these verses God seems to be saying, “I want to dwell with you and not just visit with you for a short time. My intention is to dwell among you. Thus, I want to come to you and talk with you to see how you are and where you are. My desire is to have among you a tent of meeting. The tents in which you dwell are not the tent of meeting, but My tent, the tabernacle, is the tent of meeting. The goal of having the priestly garments, the priestly food, and even the food offered to Me is that I may meet with you and dwell among you.”
邀请神来用餐
Inviting God to dinner
13我要用一个日常的比方来使你牢记出埃及记二十八章、二十九章之目标的意义，这启示在二十九章四十二节下至四十六节。事实上这几章是告诉我们如何邀请神来用餐。从我们应邀去吃饭或邀请别人到家里来吃饭的经历。就能稍微懂得邀请神来用餐是甚么意思。圣徒们常常要求我给他们一个时间交通，许多时候我必须告诉他们，我挪不出时间来。然后他们的策略就是邀请我到他们家里吃饭。事实上，他们的用意不是因着爱心来请我吃一顿大餐，而是要造出一个机会来和我说话。他们晓得如果我接受了吃饭的邀请，他们就会有时间来要求了。因此，他们的邀请就是他们的策略，要和我有单独相处的时间。这里的点是说，邀请某人到家里用餐，就是给他一个机会，把他自己向你敞开，并和你有交通。
13I would like to use an everyday illustration to impress you with the significance of the goal of Exodus 28 and 29 as revealed in 29:42b-46. These chapters actually tell us how to invite God to dinner. From our experience of being invited to dinner or of inviting others to our home for dinner, we can understand something of what it means to invite God to dinner. Often saints have asked me to give them a time for fellowship. On a number of occasions, I had to tell them that I could not spare the time. Their strategy then was to invite me to their home for dinner. Actually, it was not their intention to feed me a good meal out of love; it was to create an opportunity to have a time to speak with me. They knew that if I accepted the invitation to dinner, they would have the time they were seeking. Thus, their invitation was their strategy to have time alone with me. The point here is that by inviting someone to your home for a meal, you give that person the opportunity to open himself to you and to have fellowship with you.
14在邀请神来用餐的事上，不需要策略。神非常乐意接受我们的邀请。事实上，祂自己题议我们邀请祂来用餐。出埃及记二十八章和二十九章启示，神要我们邀请祂来用餐，祂要来与我们同吃。然而，要使祂能来，我们就需要作好必须的准备。
14In the matter of inviting God to come to dinner, there is no need for strategy. God is very willing to accept our invitation. In fact, He Himself has proposed that we invite Him to dinner. Chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine of Exodus reveal that God wants us to invite Him to dinner, that He wants to come and eat with us. However, in order for Him to come, we need to make the necessary preparations.
15豫备与神一同用餐，可用中国人豫备接待贵宾吃饭的习俗来说明。首先，主人必须沐浴，如果需要的话，还得理发，并穿上上好的衣服。屋子必须彻底整洁，庭院也必须打扫干净。倘若没有作好这样的豫备，主人就轻看了他们的贵宾。客人愈尊贵，豫备也必须愈完全、愈彻底，甚至屋子有些地方需要重新粉刷。而后，当然必须豫备上好的食物。这项豫备该含有各种不同的食物：水果、蔬菜、鱼、鸡、肉。需要碱水鱼，也需要淡水鱼。此外，应当有一些进口的食物，由远地甚至其它的国家所进口的名产。然后把这些食物摆在一起，为这位贵宾设摆筵席。
15Preparing to have dinner with God can be illustrated by the Chinese custom of preparing to receive an honored guest for dinner. First, the hosts need to bathe, get a haircut if necessary, and dress in their best clothes. Also, the house must be thoroughly cleaned, and the yard must be swept. If such preparations are not made, the hosts would despise their honorable guest. The more honorable the guest, the more complete and thorough the preparation must be. It may even be necessary to freshly paint certain parts of the house. Then, of course, the best food must be prepared. This preparation should involve a variety of food: fruit, vegetables, fish, fowl, and meat. There would be the need for both salt-water fish and fresh-water fish. Furthermore, there should be some imported foods, famous foods from places far away, even from other countries. All these food items would then be put together in preparing a feast for the honored guest.
16主人邀请贵宾并作周全的豫备是有目标的。这个目标就是诱使贵宾在享受筵席的时候敞开自己，和主人及其家人随意谈话。如果这位贵宾这样来谈话，主人定规很喜乐，认为花费这么多的时间和金钱来豫备是值得的。他已经达到邀请这位贵宾到家里来用餐的目的。
16The host has a goal in issuing an invitation to an honored guest and in making thorough preparations. This goal is that, while enjoying the feast, the honored guest will be induced to open himself and speak freely with the host and his family. If the honored guest engages in a conversation in such a way, the host will be happy, considering that it was worthwhile to spend so much time and money to prepare for that occasion. He had attained his purpose in inviting that honored guest to his home for dinner.
17这个比方帮助我们了解出埃及记二十八章和二十九章。在这两章里面，祭司就是主人，邀请尊贵的客人。他们成圣是为了要接待这位客人用餐。大祭司亚伦就像主人家里的父亲，而亚伦的儿子─众祭司─就好比家里的儿女。他们一同把主当作贵宾来服事。他们成圣的所有步骤，目的全是为了邀请主来用餐。
17This illustration helps us to understand Exodus 28 and 29. In these chapters the priests are the hosts, the ones inviting the honored guest. They are sanctified in order to receive this guest for dinner. Aaron, the high priest, is like the father in the host family, and his sons, the priests, may be compared to the children in this family. All together they are serving the Lord as their honorable guest. All the steps of their sanctification are for the purpose of having the Lord come to dinner.
18在这个国家里，有些人邀请客人用餐，到了接待客人的时候，也许还没有豫备齐全。譬如说，他们也许没有穿着合式的鞋子。但照着出埃及记二十八章、二十九章以及上述的比方来看，我们应当被洗净，并且合式地遮盖起来。
18In this country some who invite a guest for dinner may not be thoroughly prepared when the time comes to receive their guest. For example, they may not be wearing proper shoes. But according to Exodus 28 and 29 and the illustration given above, we should be washed and properly covered.
19我用这个比方来说明这两章启示出邀请神来与我们同住的正确方式。祂的来临、说话、居住和我们与祂同吃有关。当人一同进餐时，常常亲切地交谈。神与我们相会也是这样。
19I use this illustration to show that these two chapters reveal the proper way to invite God to come to dwell with us. His coming, speaking, and dwelling are related to our eating together with Him. When people share a meal together, they often converse in a loving, intimate way. This is also true of God’s meeting with us.
神喝
God drinks
20最近我想起，照着圣经来看，神也要喝。我甚至考虑需要一种单张，题目就是“神喝”，出埃及记二十九章四十节和四十一节题起奠祭，这奠祭不是给祭司的，而是完全给神的。所以，因着奠祭是浇奠给神的，我们就能彀准确地说：神喝。神不但吃，神也喝！照出埃及记二十九章来看，我们不但该以食物来服事神，也该给祂一些东西喝。我们需要浇上奠祭来给祂喝。最终，我们该以食物和奠祭的酒来服事祂。
20Recently it has occurred to me that, according to the Bible, God drinks. I have even been considering the need for a tract entitled “God Drinks.” Exodus 29:40 and 41 mention the drink offering. This drink offering was not for the priests. Rather, it was altogether for God. Thus, because the drink offering was poured out for God, we can rightly say that God drinks. Not only does God eat, but He also drinks! According to Exodus 29, we should not only serve God with food, but we should also give Him something to drink. We need to pour out the drink offering for Him to drink. Eventually, we should serve Him with both food and the wine of the drink offering.
成圣的目标
The goal of sanctification
21你有没有想过出埃及记二十八章和二十九章启示了邀请神用餐的正确方式？这两章启示出我们必须作甚么，神才与我们相会，和我们说话，最后住在我们中间。这就是亚伦和他儿子成圣作祭司的目标。
21Have you ever imagined that Exodus 28 and 29 reveal the proper way to invite God for dinner? These chapters reveal what we must do to have God meet with us, speak with us, eat with us, and, eventually, dwell among us. This is the goal of the sanctification of Aaron and his sons to be priests.
22假设一个中国家庭豫备请一位贵宾用餐。当他们忙着整洁屋子、打扫庭院、烹煮食物的时候，别人也许会问他们在作甚么。当然这一家的人不会说，这一切豫备的本身就是目的。不，清扫的目标不是清扫，作菜的目标不是作菜。这一切豫备的原因乃是有一位贵宾要来。这一家的人会说：“你知不知道我们为甚么忙着整洁、清扫、作菜呢？因为市长今天晚上要来用餐。”他们豫备的目标全是为着接待这位贵宾。
22Suppose a Chinese family is preparing to have an honored guest for dinner. While they are busy cleaning the house, sweeping the yard, and cooking the food, others may ask them what they are doing. Certainly the members of this family would not say that all this preparation is an end in itself. No, the goal of cleaning is not cleaning, and the goal of cooking is not cooking. The reason for all this preparation is that an honored guest is coming. Those in this family may say, “Do you know why we are so busy cleaning, sweeping, and cooking? The reason is that the mayor is coming for dinner tonight.” The goal of all their preparation is to receive such an honored guest.
23照样，我们被洗净并穿上衣服也有一个目标。我们的目标就是要接待神用餐。为甚么我们需要成圣作祭司来事奉神呢？我们需要成圣的所有步骤，因为神要来用餐，而我们必须豫备好来事奉祂。不但如此，我们也要与祂同吃。
23In like manner, we have a goal in being washed and clothed. Our goal is to receive God for dinner. Why do we need to be sanctified to serve God as priests? We need all the steps of sanctification because God is coming for dinner, and we must be ready to serve Him. Furthermore, we shall eat with Him.
24我们家里有客人的时候，一方面，我们服事他；另一方面，我们与他同吃。首先我们把上好的食物给客人，然后大家一同享受。我们也把一些东西给尊贵的客人喝。我们的目标乃是我们的客人─主自己─向我们敞开，和我们随意说话，而后定意与我们同在，并与我们同住。这岂不是出埃及记二十八章和二十九章奇妙的注解么？如果我们看见这个目标，看见祭司成圣时所有步骤的原因，我们就了解这两章所启示的了。
24When we have a guest in our home, on the one hand, we serve him, and, on the other hand, we eat with him. First we give the guest the best portion of the food, and then we all enjoy the meal together. We also give the honored guest something to drink. Our goal is that our guest, the Lord Himself, will then open Himself to us, speak freely with us, and then decide to stay with us and dwell with us. Is this not a wonderful exposition of Exodus 28 and 29? If we see this goal, the reason for all the steps in the sanctification of the priests, we shall understand what is revealed in these chapters.