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出埃及记生命读经 · 第175篇

对付偶像和拜偶像的人

The dealing with the idol and the idolaters
1读经： 出埃及记三十二章七至十四节，十九至二十九节。
1Scripture Reading: Exo. 32:7-14, 19-29
2在前面的信息里，我们看过干犯律法和金牛犊偶像的原则，现在我们要接着来看摩西怎样对付偶像和拜偶像的人。
2In the foregoing messages we considered the breaking of the law and the principle of the golden-calf idol. Now we shall go on to see how Moses dealt with the idol and with the idolaters.
摩西为拜偶像的人祈求
Moses’ petition for the idolatrous people
耶和华论拜偶像之人的话
Jehovah’s word regarding the idolatrous people
3以色列人在山下拜偶像，摩西不是头一个晓得，这件事是神告诉摩西的：“耶和华吩咐摩西说，下去罢！因为你的百姓，就是你从埃及地领出来的，已经败坏了。”（7。）神特别告诉摩西，百姓已经败坏了。
3Moses was not the first to know that the children of Israel were practicing idolatry at the foot of the mountain. It was God who told Moses about this: “And Jehovah spoke to Moses, Go! Get down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves” (v. 7). God specifically told Moses that the people had corrupted themselves.
4你相信今天地上有基督徒团体内部还没有败坏的么？神的仇敌用来败坏基督徒的元素就是偶像。偶像是败坏的因素，没有甚么比偶像更能败坏我们。你爱甚么东西过于爱神，这个东西就是偶像，它会败坏你。你一旦被偶像败坏了，许多罪恶的东西都会进来。倘若我们爱一样东西过于爱神，这就会成为败坏我们的因素。罪恶会随之而来。因此我们必须谨慎，不要因著有了偶像而败坏自己；我们爱一些东西过于爱神，这就是偶像。
4Do you believe that there are groups of Christians on earth today who have not corrupted themselves? The elements used by the enemy of God to corrupt Christians are the idols. Idols are corrupting factors. Nothing corrupts us more than idols. Whatever you love more than God is an idol, and that thing corrupts you. Once you have been corrupted by an idol, many sinful things will come in. If we love a certain thing more than God, that will become a factor of our corruption. This will be followed by sins. Therefore, we need to be careful not to corrupt ourselves by having idols, by having things that we love more than God.
5接着，主对摩西论到拜偶像的人，说：“他们快快偏离了我所吩咐的道，为自己铸了一只牛犊，向它下拜献祭，说，以色列阿，这就是领你出埃及地的神。”（8。）以色列人在神的对付和训练之下差不多有一年了，他们见过神行了许多神迹，我们很难 相信他们这么快就偏离了神的道。
5Concerning the idolatrous people, the Lord went on to tell Moses, “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have bowed themselves down to it and have sacrificed to it; and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (v. 8). The children of Israel had been under God’s dealings and training for approximately a year. They had seen many miracles performed by God. It is difficult to believe that they could have so quickly turned aside from God’s way.
6今天基督徒对于神的道情形又如何呢？基督徒有圣经，但少有人接受神的道。反之，许多人铸造金牛犊、敬拜金牛犊就偏离了。
6What is the situation of today’s Christians regarding God’s way? Christians have the Bible, but very few take God’s way. Instead, many have turned aside by making a golden calf and worshipping it.
7照第九节来看，主也对摩西说：“我看这百姓真是硬着颈项的百姓。”这意思是说，百姓顽梗，不愿被征服、被折服而有所改变。他们不但硬着颈项，他们整个人也冥顽不灵。今天许多基督徒的光景也是这样。谁能征服那些拜金牛犊的基督徒呢？谁能说服他们不那样作呢？如果你想要和他们说话，他们也许会定罪你是异端。
7According to verse 9, the Lord also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” This means that the people were stubborn and were not willing to be subdued or convinced to have a change. Not only was their neck stiff, but their entire being was unbending. This is also the condition of many Christians today. Who can subdue those Christians who are worshipping a golden calf? Who can convince them to act otherwise? If you try to speak to them, they may condemn you as being heretical.
8主在第十节接着说：“你且由着我，我要向他们发烈怒，将他们灭绝，使你的后裔成为大国。”这话表明神考虑要除灭以色列人。祂对摩西这样说，的确不是要恐吓他。主所说的话是当真的。祂想保全摩西和他的家，使摩西成为一国，来完成祂的旨意，并实现祂给列祖亚伯拉罕，以撒、雅各的应许。
8In verse 10 the Lord went on to say, “And now, let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make you into a great nation.” This word indicates that God was considering that He would wipe out the children of Israel. He certainly would not have spoken this way to Moses to threaten him. The Lord surely meant what He said. He was thinking of preserving Moses and his family and of making of Moses a nation to fulfill His purpose and to fulfill His promise to the forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
摩西祈求的话
Moses’ word of petition
9三十二章十一至十三节有摩西为拜偶像之人的祈求。十一节说：“摩西便劝解耶和华他的神，说，耶和华阿，你为甚么向你的百姓发烈怒呢？这百姓是你用大力和大能的手，从埃及地领出来的。”（另译。）繙作“劝解”的希伯来字意思是“抚慰”、“恳求…的恩”，原意是使人的面貌甜美愉快。神的脸上有发怒的表情，而摩西想要平息神的面，使祂的脸喜乐。摩西尽力使神顾念拜偶像的人。这便是摩西的恳求。
9In 32:11-13 we have Moses’ petition for the idolatrous people. Verse 11 says, “And Moses appeased the face of Jehovah his God, and he said, O Jehovah, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?” The Hebrew word rendered “appeased” means to mollify, entreat the favor of. The literal meaning is to make the face of anyone sweet or pleasant. God had an angry expression on His face, and Moses was trying to appease God’s face, to make His face happy. Moses was trying to cause God to be in favor of the idolatrous people. This was Moses’ petition.
10神说要使摩西成为大国，摩西好像不为神的话所动。主说百姓无药可救了，祂要将他们灭绝，使摩西成为大国。如果我在那里，也许会受到这样的试探。我们多少会有几分谦卑，就轻易地说：“主，阿们。主，你怎么说都好。”然而，摩西不是这种想法。他反倒为着拜偶像之人的好处，平息神的怒容。
10It seems that Moses was not tempted by God’s word about making him into a great nation. The Lord was saying that the people were hopeless, that He would consume them, and that He would make of Moses a great nation. If I had been there, I probably would have been tempted by this situation. It would be easy for us to say, “Amen, Lord. Whatever You say, Lord,” humbling ourselves somewhat. However, Moses did not give in to this kind of thought. Instead, he appeased God’s angry face for the favor of the idolatrous people.
11主在第七节对摩西说，百姓是他的百姓，他将他们从埃及地领出来。但在十一节摩西问主说：“你为甚么向你的百姓发烈怒呢？这百姓是你用大力和大能的手，从埃及地领出来的。”这里摩西的意思是说：“主，你说这些是我的百姓，我将他们从埃及领出来。然而，主，这是你的百姓，不是我的。是你将他们从埃及地领出来，不是我，我没有力量这么作。”摩西向神祈求的时候，乃是真正的中保，是古代的律师。
11In verse 7 the Lord said to Moses that the people were his people and that he had brought them out of the land of Egypt. But in verse 11 Moses asked the Lord, “Why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?” Here Moses seems to be saying, “Lord, You say that these are my people and that I brought them out of Egypt. But, Lord, this is Your people, not mine. You brought them out of the land of Egypt, not I. I did not have the strength to do that.” Moses was a true mediator, an ancient attorney, as he made his petition to God.
12然后摩西继续说：“为甚么使埃及人议论说，祂领他们出去，是要降祸与他们，把他们杀在山中，将他们从地上除灭？求你转意、不发你的烈怒，后悔、不降祸与你的百姓。求你记念你的仆人亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列；你曾指着自己起誓说，我必使你们的后裔像天上的星那样多，并且我所应许的这全地，必给你们的后裔，他们要永远承受为业。”（12～13。）摩西告诉主，如果祂将百姓除灭，埃及人会毁谤祂。主必须顾念祂的名，不容自己被埃及人毁谤。 摩西说了这话以后，极力劝主回心转意，然后题醒祂想起祂与亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列所立的约。摩西有一个坚定的立场来祷告，他站在神信实的话、不变的应许上；这话和应许，神已经当作一个约赐给摩西的列祖了。摩西的意思是说：“主，如果你将这百姓灭绝，你就违背了你的话，违背了你与我们列祖所立的约。你不但会给埃及人毁谤你的把柄，你所行的也会与自己背道而驰。你是信实的神，你不能取消你的话。”
12Then Moses continued, “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, With evil intent He has brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce anger and repent concerning this evil toward Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself, and You spoke to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your seed, and they shall possess it forever” (vv. 12-13). Moses told the Lord that if He consumed His people, the Egyptians would slander Him. It was necessary for the Lord to take care of His name and not to allow Himself to be slandered by the Egyptians. After saying this, Moses urged the Lord to repent, and then he reminded Him of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Moses had a strong ground on which to pray. He stood upon God’s faithful word, the unchanging promise, that He had given to Moses’ forefathers as a covenant. Moses seemed to be saying, “Lord, if You consume this people, You will break Your word. You will break the covenant You made with our forefathers. Not only would You give ground to the Egyptians to slander You, but You would act contrary to Yourself. You are the faithful God, and You cannot swallow Your words.”
13十四节指明摩西的恳求有了功效：“于是耶和华后悔，不把所说的祸降与祂的百姓。”我们绝对想不到神也会回心转意。但摩西非常会祈求，他能彀说服神，使神回心转意。因此神改变了心意，定意不将百姓灭绝。主脸上的表情从忿怒变为愉快。
13Verse 14 indicates that Moses’ appeal was effective: “And Jehovah repented concerning the evil which He spoke of doing to His people.” We would never expect God to repent. But Moses was a very able petitioner. He was able to convince God that He should repent. Therefore, God changed His mind and decided not to consume the people. The expression in the Lord’s face changed from one of anger to one of pleasantness.
14如果我们是摩西的话，我们就不一样了。我们一听见主所说的气话，也许就会跑到 山下去对付拜偶像的人。但摩西下山以前，先劝慰主，他在天上的法庭处理案件，然后才下山对付偶像和拜偶像的人。
14If we had been Moses, we would have acted differently. Once we heard words of anger spoken by the Lord, we might have run down to the bottom of the mountain to deal with the idolatrous people. But before Moses came down, he appeased the Lord. He settled the case in the heavenly lawcourt. Only then did he come down to deal with the idol and the idolaters.
摩西对付偶像
Moses’ dealing with the idol
15我们在二十节看见摩西怎样对付金牛犊偶像：“又将他们所铸的牛犊，用火焚烧，磨得粉碎，撒在水面上，叫以色列人喝。”亚伦说，牛犊是从火中出来的。（24。）亚伦用火来造成金牛犊，而摩西用火将牛犊毁坏。摩西将牛犊用火焚烧以后，磨得粉碎，然后撒在水面上，强迫以色列人喝。这是甚么意思？这表征那些拜偶像的人，最终必须喝自己所拜的偶像。这就好比说，我们种甚么，就收甚么；或说，我们自食恶果。
15In verse 20 we see how Moses dealt with the golden-calf idol: “And he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it until it was powder; and he scattered it upon the surface of the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it.” Aaron said that the calf came out of the fire (v. 24). Aaron had used fire to shape the golden calf. But Moses used fire to destroy the calf. After burning the calf with fire, Moses ground it until it was powder. Then he scattered it upon the surface of the water and forced the sons of Israel to drink it. What is the significance of this? This signifies that eventually those who worship an idol must drink the very idol they worship. This can be compared to the saying that we reap what we sow, or that we eat the result of what we do.
16当然撒上金粉的水味道不会很好；茶水也许不错，金水就不同了。拜偶像的人喝自己所拜的偶像绝不是愉快的事，我们能彀由经历中证实这一点。我们当作偶像来敬拜的，最终成了我们必须喝的水。以往我们都有偶像，最终我们都喝偶像。喝我们的偶像不是享受，而是惩罚。这是一个原则，我们所拜的偶像总会成为我们必须喝进来的水。
16Certainly the water with gold powder sprinkled on it did not taste very good. Tea-water may be pleasant, but not gold-water. It is never pleasant for an idolater to drink the idol he worships. We can testify this from our experience. Whatever we worship as an idol eventually becomes the water we must drink. In the past, we all had idols, and eventually we drank of them. This drinking of our idols is not an enjoyment; it is a punishment. This is a principle. The idols we worship will always become the water that we must drink.
17圣经没有记载神吩咐摩西焚烧金牛犊，磨得粉碎，撒在水面上，叫拜偶像的人喝。然而，摩西照着神的心意采取这个行动，神也喜悦摩西所行的。
17There is no record of God telling Moses to burn the golden calf, grind it to powder, scatter the powder on the water, and make the idolatrous people drink it. Nevertheless, Moses took this action according to God’s heart, and God was pleased with what Moses did.
摩西对付拜偶像的人
Moses’ dealing with the idolaters
18摩西在三十二章二十一至二十四节，对付制造偶像的人─亚伦，然后在二十五至二十九节，对付拜偶像的人。“摩西见百姓放肆…就站在营门中说，凡属耶和华的，都要到我这里来！于是利未的子孙，都到他那里聚集。”（25～26。）在这里摩西发出了得胜者的呼召。拜金牛犊造成了分裂；摩西的呼召不是制造分裂，而是产生炼净。
18In 32:21-24 Moses dealt with the idol-maker, Aaron. Then in verses 25-29 he dealt with the idol worshippers. Seeing that the people were broken loose “Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Whoever is for Jehovah, come to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves to him” (vv. 25-26). Here Moses sounded a call for the overcomers. The worship of the golden calf caused division. Moses’ call did not cause a division; it produced a purification.
19利未人到摩西那里聚集，摩西对他们说：“耶和华以色列的神这样说，你们各人把刀跨在腰间，在营中往来，从这门到那门，各人杀他的弟兄，与同伴，并邻舍。”（27。）第二十八节说：“利未的子孙照摩西的话行了；那一天百姓中被杀的约有三千。”结果，利未子孙就从他们的弟兄中分别出来，取代以色列国作神的祭司体系。（29，申三三8～10。）申命记三十三章九节说到这件事：“他论自己的 父母说，我未曾看见，他也不承认弟兄，也不认识自己的儿女；这是因利未人遵行你的话，谨守你的约。”换句话说，利未人甚至否认了与那些拜金牛犊之人顶亲密的关系。
19When the Levites gathered themselves to Moses, he said to them, “Thus says Jehovah, God of Israel, Every man put his sword upon his thigh; pass through and return from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor” (v. 27). Verse 28 says, “And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people on that day about three thousand men.” As a result, the sons of Levi were separated from their brethren to replace the nation of Israel for God’s priesthood (v. 29; Deut. 33:8-10). Deuteronomy 33:9 speaks concerning this: “Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.” In other words, the Levites denied even their closest relationships with those who were worshippers of the golden calf.
20这些近亲表征我们的己。我们里面有许多拜金牛犊的“亲戚”，而我们必须“杀死”这些亲戚。不然的话，我们就会列在那些失去祭司职分的人当中。
20These close relatives signify ourselves. Within us we have many “relatives” who are worshippers of the golden calf, and we must “kill” these relatives. Otherwise, we shall be counted among those who have lost the priesthood.
21照出埃及记十九章来看，神愿意以色列全国都成为祭司的国度。这意思是说，神认为他们中间每一个人都是祭司。但由于拜金牛犊，以色列人多半失去了祭司职分，然后祭司职分就赐给一个支派─利未支派，因为利未人愿意杀死拜金牛犊的人。杀死拜偶像的人就把利未人从他们的弟兄中分别了出来，并使他们有资格得着神的祭司职分。从那时起，继续作神祭司的只有一个支派，而不是全国了。
21According to Exodus 19, God intended that the entire nation of Israel would be a priestly nation, a kingdom of priests. This means that, in God’s estimation, every one among them was a priest. But due to the worship of the golden calf, the majority of the children of Israel lost the priesthood. The priesthood was then given to a single tribe, the tribe of Levi, because the Levites were willing to kill the worshippers of the golden calf. The killing of the idol worshippers separated the Levites from their brethren and qualified them to have the priesthood of God. From that time onward only one tribe, not the entire nation, continued to be God’s priests.
22今天基督徒千千万万，这些基督徒都是神的祭司么？不，他们多半是拜金牛犊的人，是不纯洁敬拜神之人的伙伴。神的心意是要每一个基督里的信徒，每一个神的儿女，都作祭司。启示录一章六节，五章十节表明了这一点。基督的救赎有一个目标，就是要使所有的信徒都成为神的祭司。但因着历代以来不纯洁的敬拜，就是拜金牛犊，使许许多多的基督徒没有资格作祭司事奉神。不纯洁的敬拜使大体的信徒失去了祭司职分。但我们感谢主，旧约里面怎样有一个支派保有祭司职分，今天也照样有少数人向主忠诚，消杀不纯洁的敬拜，因而保有祭司职分。
22Today there are millions of Christians. Are all of these Christians God’s priests? No, most of them are worshippers of a golden calf; they are partners in the practice of impure worship. God’s intention is that every believer in Christ, every child of God, would be a priest. Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 indicate this. Christ’s redemption has the goal of making all the believers priests of God. But through the centuries impure worship, the worship of the golden calf, has disqualified a great many Christians from serving God as priests. Impure worship has caused the majority of the believers to lose their priesthood. But we thank the Lord that just as there was one tribe in the Old Testament that kept the priesthood, so there is a minority today who are faithful to the Lord to kill the impure worship and thus to keep the priesthood.
23我能彀作见证，半个世纪多以来，我们一直向主忠诚。我们遭受逼迫、反对、毁谤、中伤，因为我们不愿失去祭司职分。因着我们有祭司职分，乌陵和土明便与我们同在，这就是我们从圣经中得着亮光的原因。每当我们打开神的话，我们就蒙光照。这是对乌陵和土明的经历，对于保有神祭司职分的人乃是极大的祝福。
23I can testify that we have been faithful to the Lord for more than half a century. We have suffered persecution, opposition, slander, and libel because we are not willing to lose our priesthood. Because we have the priesthood, the Urim and the Thummim are with us. This is the reason we receive light from the Bible. Whenever we open up the Word of God, we are enlightened. This is the experience of the Urim and the Thummim, which are a great blessing to those who keep God’s priesthood.
24申命记三十三章八至九节说：“论利未说，耶和华阿，你的土明，和乌陵，都在你的虔诚人那里；你在玛撒曾试验他，在米利巴水与他争论。他论自己的父母说，我未曾看见，他也不承认弟兄，也不认识自己的儿女；这是因利未人遵行你的话，谨守你的约。”因着利未人向神忠诚，杀死拜金牛犊的人，他们就领受了权利，得著有土明和乌陵的祭司职分。神的祭司职分在于乌陵和土明。后来，利未人不忠诚，乌陵和土明就失去了；他们失去了乌陵和土明，也就失去了神的祭司职分。
24Deuteronomy 33:8 and 9 say, “And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.” Because the Levites were faithful to God and killed those who worshipped the golden calf, they received the right to have the priesthood with the Thummim and the Urim. God’s priesthood depends upon the Urim and the Thummim. Later, when the Levites became unfaithful, they also lost the Urim and the Thummim. When they lost the Urim and the Thummim, they lost God’s priesthood.
25这里要紧的点是说，我们必须纯洁，必须消杀不纯洁的敬拜，就是对金牛犊的敬拜。为着我们自己和神的缘故，我们必须消杀今天基督徒中间不纯洁的敬拜，然后我们就有资格作神的祭司。
25The crucial point here is that we need to be pure, and we need to kill the impure worship, the worship of the golden calf. For the sake of ourselves and for God, we need to kill the impure worship among today’s Christians. Then we shall be qualified to be God’s priests.
26我们来读出埃及记三十二章，不该仅仅把它当作一个故事或以色列人的一段历史。我们需要看见这一章里的原则，这些原则都可以应用到我们今天的光景中。我们必须除去自我妆饰，必须消杀对金牛犊的敬拜，以及我们这个人里有分这种敬拜的那一部分。然后我们就会保守自已在神祭司职分的地位上。你我都这么作，神就会继续得着少数的信徒来完成祂的旨意。愿我们都看见这些原则，使我们晓得当行的路。 我们的路不是分裂，而是炼净。主的恢复是一种炼净，不是一种分裂。主的恢复在于一班利未人向神忠诚，不失去作神祭司的资格。感谢主，我们有神的祭司职分，并且祂还将乌陵和土明赐给我们。
26We should not read chapter thirty-two of Exodus merely as a story or as part of the history of Israel. We need to see the principles in this chapter. All these principles are applicable to our situation today. We need to eliminate self-beautification, and we need to kill the worship of the golden calf and that part of our being which participates in such worship. Then we shall preserve ourselves on the standing of God’s priesthood. If we do this, God will continue to have a minority of believers for the fulfillment of His purpose. May we all see these principles so that we may know the way that we must take. Our way is not that of division; it is the way of purification. The Lord’s recovery is a purification, not a division. The recovery depends on a group of Levites who are faithful to God and who do not lose the qualifications to be God’s priests. Thank the Lord that we have God’s priesthood and that He gives us the Urim and the Thummim.