Tuesday, 11th January 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-3 Belonged to the Earth
We must be alert in the environment, which is ever-changing, do not be afraid, but through it, receive the revelations from God. We are the ones being called and following God, do not conform to this world, but to influence the world. We are not little people, God has chosen us therefore do not look down on ourselves. We have a new life, a resurrected life, so when our old-self comes out to lure us, we must reject it with faith. Have faith and know that in Christ we are new creations and we will not be bound by the same problems. V1 ‘For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.’
V2 ‘He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.’ We are often trapped by our own weaknesses, we give ourselves excuses and we hold onto our past. We only want to hear comforting words from others. We do not seek the Word of God and continue to feel sorry for ourselves. As the priests of God, we must speak out the truth, understand the truth, and to know that only the truth can set us free.
Section Two V4-11 Belonged to Heaven
V4 ‘And no man takes this honour to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.’ No one can say that they are the High Priest because the High Priest was appointed by God. Aaron was called by God, he only listened to God, until the time when Moses was on Mt Sinai, and the people were inpatient, they asked Aaron to build a golden calf for them to worship, then when Aaron listened to the people, he failed.
V5 ‘So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ A godly priest would not listen to the people, but only God. God will not give up on the godly priest, who He chose. We must know our identity, know who we are, and why we are called. There are a lot of lies in this world, but can we pray like Jesus, for God’s Will to be done instead of our will?
V8 ‘Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.’ Jesus came to the world not by the identity as a priest, but by the identity as the Son. What is our life like when we are chosen to be the priests of the New Testament? Do we list to people or God? V9-10 ‘And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.’ We must know that being chosen is God’s Will, it’s never about what people say.
Ephesians 3:9 says, ‘And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.’ The Will of God is for us to understand what has been hidden in God’s creation. When we become the priests, God wants us to understand the mystery of His creation and He wants us to lead people to understand it. As priest, we need to know that we can overcome our difficulty and our troubles in life, because we can do all things through Christ, who has strengthened us. A heavenly priest will not give in to the earthly desires, but to strive to follow the Will of God.
Jesus came to save us, God is not here to condemn us, His Will is for us to know who we really are as His chosen priests.
Section Three V12-14 To Grow Up
V12 ‘For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.’ God is love and God brings hope. He trusts us and He loves us, despite of our rebellious and disobedience. Every lesson we receive in the morning devotion is building us up and making us teachers like Jesus. But do we believe in it and receive it by faith?
V13 ‘For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.’ We become infants, who cannot eat solid food; we only stay in the stage of relying on God’s grace and mercy, but not the teaching of God. In Matthew 24:45, it says, ‘Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?’ People like to hear what pleases them, to eat what they chose to eat; but as the servants of God, we are managing the house of God, and giving food in due season. God’s Word is our daily bread, our Rhema, which needs to be distributed to the people in the house of God.
V14 ‘But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.’ God gave us feet, for us to stand up, to walk, to run… it’s ok to fall but are we willing to stand up again? We are not infants anymore, we must have love and trust in God, to learn to walk, to stop standing in the same place, to take steps forward… eventually the door will close on us, if we don’t respond then God will call someone else. It’s our choice.
Romans 12:2 says, ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ Jesus says our thoughts and attitude must change, God is talking to each one of us, He is training us and renewing us, so we can differentiate the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. We can experience God, if we are willing to be a godly priest, not an earthly priest.
希伯来书 5 – 神要的祭司
2022年1月11日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
我们对于环境的变换要敏锐，不是害怕，而是要敏锐于从神那里得到启示。我们跟从神的人不要被世界带着走，而要影响世界。我们都不是泛泛之辈，因为我们都是蒙神拣选的人。因此，不要小看自己，不要用过往的态度对待自己，神对我们的心意是“重生”，所以我们拥有的是不再一样的复活的生命。当我们过去的软弱又出来的时候，我们要抵挡从仇敌来的谎言，宣告自己是已经得到重生的人，靠着那加给我们力量的凡事都能做。作为基督徒我们若常常只是处理情绪的问题，就无法影响世界。仇敌就是用很多这些问题使我们陷入繁忙。面对过去的问题又要出现的时候，我们要相信，在基督耶稣里，我们是新造的人，不再被同样的问题缠累。
祭司的责任是要将人带回到神那里，现在我们很容易说我们都是“新约的祭司”，表示可以自己跟神沟通。然而，我们所说的“祭司”，是否是神所要的？我们所呈现出来“祭司”的样式，是否符合神所要的样子？
一、v.1-3 属地的
V1 “从人间挑选的大祭司”是为人办事，就是献”礼物和赎罪祭”。
V2-3 我们是否也是时常被自己的软弱所困，并且给我们的软弱找借口？我们是否整天抓着过去的软弱不放，走不出困扰？我们是否只想从教会牧者那里听到体谅、安慰自己的话？“愚蒙的”就是不了解神话语的人，我们是否曾是这样？这都是属地的人，为地效力。我们信主有一段时间了，但仍然陷在自己的困局，因为我们属地的“祭司”太体谅我们的软弱，当我们的赎罪祭被献上之后，我们的心又欢畅了。当一个“祭司”能够讨会众的欢心，会众就选他当领袖；若一个人因为讲真理而得罪会众，别人就不会请他当教会的领袖，这就是“属地的”规则。
二、v. 4-11 属天的
V4 亚伦不是自己说或者被人选举当祭司就成为祭司的，他是被神拣选的。亚伦在摩西上西奈山很久没下来之后，开始听众人的话，造了金牛犊，结果出现大问题。属天的祭司不该听从人的话。
V5 出自诗篇2:7 – 说这话的“那一位”指的就是耶和华。
V6 出自诗篇110:24 – 这也是神所说的话。
V7 耶稣基督在地上时曾在客西马尼园流泪痛哭，求神听他，但最后他愿意顺服，求神不要体贴他的软弱，不听他自己的话，只求神的旨意成全在自己身上。我们的祷告像客西马尼园的耶稣那样吗？我们是否只想要神拿走我们的苦杯、困境，还是愿意放下里面的谎言、软弱，单单求神的旨意成就在自己身上？我们信主，不是要我们的主耶稣什么都听我们的话，不要把神当成有求必应的偶像来拜。
V8 -9 “谦卑顺服、舍己利他”的生命树就是我们的主耶稣基督所做出来的榜样。
V10 因为耶稣在地上愿意顺从，战胜软弱，神就“照着麦基洗德的等次称他为大祭司”。我们不要在恩典神学里面打滚。我们“祭司”的身份应该是神说的，而不是从人而来。
V11 以弗所书 3:9 说“又使众人都明白，这历代以来隐藏在创造万物之神里的奥秘是如何安排的” – 神所怀的意念，他原是希望我们每一个人都能明白，且去教导人明白的。然而，我们让别人明白的，是仍然以为自己都是软弱的，犯了罪轻松祷告认罪就好了，却没有让人明白，我们是可以胜过里面的软弱的。我们是否只讲好听的话给人听，没办法将神的奥秘给人指明？我们让人觉得神的国只是一个可以选择的便利商店，想要什么就自己选。当人的听觉是懒惰的，就“听不进去”神国的真理。我们耳朵迟钝，因为我们懒惰，不愿意听自己不想听的话。然而，属天的祭司不会去体贴自己的软弱，只会将神的奥秘陈明在蒙召的人身上。我们是属天的，还是属地的？当神让我们知道自己真实的光景时，不是要批判我们，因为耶稣来是要拯救我们，审判的时刻还未到。
三、v.12-14 要长大
V12 我们知道属天和属地不一样的时候，我们就要长大。从前文中看到，我们确实是属地的，但这一段讲到神对我们的爱与信任使人看到盼望。本节的原文没有“看”这个字，而是这些事情显明出来，就是我们学习的功课。我们每天来到晨祷学习、领受神给我们的灵粮，本该成为可以去教导人的师傅了，“谁知还得有人将神圣言小学的开端另教导你们，并且成了那必须吃奶、不能吃干粮的人！”-“有人”指的就是我们的“旧人”。我们在晨祷追求的时候是否不愿意认罪，反而到网上寻找、挑选自己想听的东西？我们喜欢听自己的老我选的教导，因为我们听了觉得舒服，不会像在教会那样被要求。“神圣言小学的开端”- 就是我们刚得救时学的道理，诸如“神是爱”、“只要认罪就罪得赦免”，但我们不愿意下功夫成圣。在马太福音 24:45 耶稣对我们说，“谁是忠心有见识的仆人，为主人所派管理家里的人，按时分粮给他们呢？”-“忠心有见识的仆人”都是神所派的，不是别人的仆人指派的，如今神仆人的问题就是只讲让人听了舒服的话。在初代的教会，“执事”是负责派饭的，“使徒”是神拣选的，负责带领、讲道，将神给他们的灵粮“按时分粮”给家中神所派他们管理的人。
V13 只能吃奶的人就是“婴孩”，只听得进“神是爱”，却吃不进神的话。
V14 “长大成人”就是我们能够面对我们的苦难，不再有玻璃心，不会因为一句话、一个眼神或一件任务伤心。神给我们两只脚，我们是否学习去爬、去走、去跑，是否愿意跌倒了还会站起来，还是只想吃奶？耶稣曾借着十个童女的比喻警戒我们，“门”是会关起来的，不要只停留在吃奶的阶段，到门关起来的时候后悔莫及。“心窍”指的是“功能”。罗马书12:2 教导我们：“不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”我们的思维和态度要更新。我们若整天说“我的个性就是这样”，我们就没有在生命中看到神了。当我们愿意操练、长大，就能“分辨好歹了”。
我们是否愿意相信，神是可以被我们经历的？神要的祭司，我们是否就这样领受，还是不愿长大成人，只想做个婴孩？我们要选择做属地的祭司，还是属天的祭司？