Friday, 19th February 2021
Ps Kathy Poon
Section One: V1-5 Minister of the Heavenly Sanctuary
V1-2 Jesus is our High Priest, sitting on the right-hand side of the Throne of God and as a Minister of the sanctuary in Heaven. The sanctuary is the place where God meets with people, representing the presence of God. In the Old Testament, the offering of the sacrifice is a symbol of Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross. We know a lot of things in the Old Testament are representing the New Testament, and the process of entering the tabernacle is a symbol of a better work that Jesus is doing – bringing us the sinners back to the glorious presence of God.
V3-5 The earthly sanctuary is when Moses saw a vision on Mt Sinai, and through his vision, he built the tabernacle (as shown in the picture below). The vision from Moses was like a photo he saw, not the real sanctuary, which is in Heaven. When we draw two lines connecting all the elements in the tabernacle, we will get a cross, which is a symbolism of the perfect salvation at the coming of Jesus, who made the new covenant with us.
In the Old Testament, only the High Priest can enter the holy of the holies, but when Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, the veil was ripped, a new and living way was made for us so we can be reconciled with God, all come to the holy of the holies and seek God face to face, with Jesus continuing His ministry as High Priest in the heavenly tabernacle for us.
*The bronze altar: for atonement of sins; The laver: to cleanse with water;
*The show bread: symbolising the word of God; The golden lampstand: the work of the Holy Spirit; The incense altar: prayers;
*The ark: God’s glorious presence
Section Two: V6-13 Engraved on the Heart
A lot of time when we talk to our children, they seem to know what we talk about but don’t really understand. In the same way, God also wants His children to listen and fully understand Him, but we often cannot.
V6-7 talk about the first covenant and the second covenant. The first covenant is the covenant of Sinai between God and the Israelites, with Moses and Aaron as the mediators. This covenant was engraved on the stone tablets, whereas the new covenant was to be engraved on the heart.
When the covenant was engraved on the stone tablets, the Israelites follow the covenant because they were afraid of punishment. They did not know God on a personal level. For the Israelites at the time, the word of God was only an objective fact, not a subjective experience, so they did not understand God’s heart behind all the laws. When Jesus became the Mediator of the better covenant, this will be engraved on the heart. When the covenant enters our hearts and is engraved on them, it will be internalised by us, making us understand the true meaning of keeping the covenant, and we can truly experience God in our life.
For example, when the parents tell their son, “don’t fight with your brother”, if the son is a “stone-tablet” person, he will respond yes, but when the parents are not looking, he will fight with his brother again. On the other hand, if the son is a person with parents’ words “engraved on his heart”, he knows the love of his parents for him and his brother, he knows the reasons behind not fighting, then even if the parents are not looking at him, he will not fight but willing to look after his brother.
When the values of the Bible become the values of our lives, then it becomes natural for us to live them out. We will no longer act out in fear, but make every decision, which is pleasing to God, out of our love for God. The experience of our Christian lives is a process of knowing the Bible, obeying the Bible, and living out the Bible.
How can we turn from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh? This process is also the work of the Holy Spirit. When others want to live a life like us, they will naturally follow the ways we do. So as a parent, do we live out a life for our children to look up to? That when they see us, they will also want to know the God we know, to have the same relationship as we do with God!
We need to bring out a Christian life, which attracts people to be like us. So, we need to engrave the Word of God in our hearts, to live out the teaching of the Bible!
Pursuit & Respond
Dear Lord, through Jesus Christ, You have built an eternal sanctuary for us in the Heaven. When we enter the tabernacle, do we only see the bronze altar, the laver, the show bread table, the golden lampstand, and the incense altar? Or do we see You? You want us to enter the better covenant, but somehow often we cannot understand Your Will. Lord, reveal to us the things we do not understand.
We come before You this morning, we have this passion in our hearts, but there are also some stones in our hearts. We want to be more like You, but we can’t live it out. Help us, Lord, take away the stones inside our hearts, take away all the fear and worries, let the laws we receive in our mind, not only stay on the stone tablets, but enter our hearts so we can understand You are the God, who loves us forever. You prepared the sanctuary in Heaven so we can enter the eternal covenant, Your calling for us is so wonderful and we long to be more like You! Amen
2021年2月19日 星期五
希伯来书 8
更美之约的中保
– Kathy 师母 –
一、在天上的帐幕做执事（v.1-5)
V1-2 耶稣作为大祭司优于地上亚伦等次的大祭司：亚伦（地上的祭司）是在地上的会幕服事神，而耶稣是在天上的帐幕中服事。这两个帐幕有何不同？人所支的的帐幕指的是摩西在西奈山领受异象后照着所看的来建造的。圣所（v2）是神跟人相会的地方，代表神的同在。耶稣现在是一个天上的大祭司，坐在主的右边做“执事”- 就是执行大祭司要做的事情。
V3-5 解释天上和地上的两个帐幕的不同之处：
地上的帐幕（会幕）如下图所示：先在外院的铜祭坛赎罪，用洗濯盆里的水洁净，再到圣所里的陈设饼 – 代表神的话语，金灯台代表圣灵的工作，金香坛就是祷告，最后进入到至圣所的约柜 – 也就是神荣耀的同在。所以经由这7个物件进入会幕就代表我们从一个罪人回到神面前、重返荣耀的过程。
摩西在西奈山看到关于帐幕的异象就好像一张照片，不是在天上主所支的真帐幕，这天上的帐幕才是地上帐幕的原型。这里面的7个物件连起来就像是一个十字架，预表新约即将到来的完全的救赎。
地上的祭司要献祭物给神，耶稣带的祭物不是动物，而是他自己（v.3) 。在地上的帐幕预表未来耶稣所为我们做的更美好的工作。整个帐幕就是我们回到神面前、重返神的荣耀的过程。以前的以色列人只能在外院做赎罪和洁净的工作，只有祭司可以进入圣所领受神的话语、服事金灯台、祷告，唯有大祭司可以进到至圣所与神面对面。当耶稣成为祭物，被钉死在十字架时，至圣所的幔子就裂开了。所以他为我们开一条又新又活的道路，带领我们与神和好，回到神面前，他也在天上的帐幕里继续执行大祭司的职务。
二、刻在心版上 (v.6-13)
做父母的都希望孩子能把我们教导他们的话记在心里，真实了解，并活出来。这也是神对我们的心意。在此段经文我们从这个角度来比较新旧约的不一样，就是在6-7节 讲到的两个约：前约（有瑕疵的西奈之约 v.7, 9）对比 后约（更美之约 v.6）。
西奈之约（旧约）是刻在石版上的。对于旧约的以色列来说，守律法是因为害怕刑罚，没有借着旧约来真实认识神。神的话对那时的以色列人只是一个客观的事实，不是主观的体验，没有明白神给他们律法背后的心意是什么。而耶稣说的“更美之约”是刻在心版上，进入我们心里，内化成为我们生命里面的一个元素，让我们明白为什么需要做某些事的意义，也知道结果如何。
举例说明：父母叮嘱哥哥说不可以打他的弟弟，如果是有“刻在石版上”心态的哥哥就会表面听话，但父母一走开，他就会去打弟弟。这个哥哥的顺服是基于害怕父母的惩罚，却不明白背后的真意。若是把“不要打弟弟”刻在“心版”上，这样的哥哥就会知道他不能打弟弟是因为父母的爱，他自己也会去照顾好弟弟，即使人看不到也不会去做不对的事，因为他明白父母的嘱咐背后的意思，他就发自内心愿意去遵守。
这就好像我们现在所讲的“外塑”和“内化”的概念。外塑就是外面的塑造，比如让孩子去学音乐、舞蹈等技能。内化：若是在教会里，就是让圣经的价值观活化成为信徒的价值观，让我们明白了，也愿意行出来。圣经的价值观成为我们生命的律，掌管我们生命，不是刻意去遵守规条（石版），而是自然而然的行出来这些价值观（心版）。比如做十一奉献：刻在石版上的人会觉得若不奉献就是被定罪成偷窃者，会受咒诅；但如果是将神的话语活化到生命里（刻在心版上）的人，就会看到我们今天所拥有的一切、获财的能力都是从神而来，他是我们祝福的源头，所以愿意献上什一，甚至更多。
信仰的经历是一个内化的过程，也是耶稣立新约的工作。我们可能一开始将自己和圣经划清界限，后来慢慢明白圣经，开始遵守圣经，最后活出圣经。从表面地遵守，到甘心乐意行出来，这是一个历程。当我们愿意降服在神里面，我们就会慢慢明白天父的心意，使之成为我们可以活出来的动力。这个过程是一个圣灵的工作：从石心里的恐惧，到被释放，到渴慕效法天父 – 爱神爱人，让真理的律刻在我们心里。我们做父母的（或者作为基督徒），是否活出一个让儿女或周围的人羡慕我们跟神的关系、让他们效法的生命？重点在于神的话语是否刻在我们心版上，我们是否活出圣经的价值观，以至于让人来羡慕，看到神的话语是真实的活在我们生命，也渴慕来寻求我们的神。
追求：
天父，你借着耶稣基督成就了在天上永恒的帐幕。当我们看见帐幕里的物件，我们看见的是主你用你的身体为我们开了一条又新又活的路，让我们进入到神里面。让我们思想我们的生命，是否一直在献祭、认罪中打转？是否只是求神的医治、力量？但主你要我们进入到更美好的约中。求神将我们的心所不明白的事指教我们。
主啊，我们心里火热，可也常常有石头卡在中间，我们想跟随、想更像你，却行不出来。求主帮助我们，挪去我们里面的惧怕、担忧，让我们脑袋里面的律法不再是刻在石版上的文字，而是进入我们心里，有一颗愿意的心，明白你是永远爱我们的神。求主把一个愿意和降服放在我们里面，让我们明白你是何等爱我们。你借借着耶稣基督为我们在天上所立的帐幕让我们进入永恒的新约。求圣灵借着你的话语来活化我们每一个人的心，明白你的旨意、呼召，对我们的指望。我们渴望生命更像你。求挪去我们里面一切的拦阻，让我们的生命可以回应你！求主帮助我们，挪走我们里面的石头，心变柔软，更多进入到你的话语。奉耶稣基督的名祷告！阿们！