民数记［第十七章］
Book of Numbers 17
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民数记 第十七章|Book of Numbers 17【神的拣选，生命的事奉】
11/04/2024
一、神亲自印证祂的拣选（V1-7）
神必亲自印证对我们的拣选。我们也当尽的本份活出被拣选的生命。
1.认定拣选忠于所托（V1-5a）
神要12支派和亚伦将自己的名字写在自己的杖上，除了要他们认出自己的杖以外，更是要他们认定自己是神拣选作为这支杖的领袖，不是别人的杖。各人都有神给的托付和当尽的本分，所以要忠于所托。
作为领袖的，纵使有人不满挑战你，你只要清楚认定神对你的拣选，忠心的去完成神的托付就可以了。不需要用权柄自己去证明你是神所拣选的。就像祂为亚伦所做的，神也会亲自印证祂对你的拣选。
2.被神拣选堵住破口（V5b）
当神要使摩西的後裔取代以色列百姓，摩西并没有因此而幸灾乐祸。相反的，是站在破口中竭力的求神赦免。可拉一党还有全会众，聚集攻击摩西、亚伦时，他们的反应是马上俯伏於地代求。当瘟疫发作时， 亚伦为了救这些悖逆的百姓，不顾自己的安危，站在活人死人中间为百姓赎罪，堵住了破口。
作为神所拣选的，不但不该以自己的利益作为优先考虑，相反的，我们要成为那堵住破口的人。这也是主耶稣被挂在十架上所给我们留下的榜样：“父啊！赦免他们，因为他们所做的他们不知道”。
3. 放下主权到神面前（V6-7）
V7摩西就把杖存放在约柜的帐幕内，在耶和华面前。杖代表权柄。被神所拣选的人或作为权柄者，就要像杖被放在耶和华面前那样的，常常来到神的面前，从神那里支取生命、力量、更多的爱去继续的爱神爱人。
二、带出复活的生命事奉（V8-9）
1.有复活能力的服事（V8-9）
杖都是用已经枯干、死去的树枝做的。没根没叶，完全不可能长出任何生命。但亚伦的杖竟然死里复活，不仅长了叶子，发了芽，开了花，还结了杏子。
神借着死里复活的神迹，印证了对旧约大祭司亚伦的拣选。作为被神拣选的人，我们所有的才干、智慧、旧造都必须首先经历十字架的死亡，才能带出主耶稣复活能力的神迹事奉来。使病得医治、使本来已经没有希望的关系被修复、使人从绝望中再次恢复和找到生命的盼望。。。。
2.抓住神恩典的记号（V10-11）
神吩咐摩西把以亚伦的杖放在法柜前，除了是给那些背叛之子留作记号，其实这里更是显明神无穷恩典的记号。V10b神不愿人无知而死亡，所以以亚伦的杖给后来世代作为警戒。
罪导致我们不止肉身、更重要的是灵性的死亡。今天神让我们读到这经文，正是祂彰显恩典记号的时刻。让我们抓住这机会来检视自己的生命，认罪悔改、与神对齐。
3.选择生命、儆醒悔改（V12-13）
以色列百姓并不是因为觉得悖逆和不顺服权柄，冒犯了神的主权而惧怕。他们担心的是自己挨近神的帐幕而死。所以他们看重的不是生命，也没有儆醒的悔改。
总结：以生命来事奉神
•我们都是神的拣选。
•要尊荣神所设立在我们生命之上的每一个权柄。
•要抓住神恩典的记号，走在耶稣基督已经为我们铺好的复活道路上。
•选择生命、活出美好的生命见证、以生命来事奉神。
Numbers 17 God's Election, Life’s ministries
GK611 Morning Devotion
11 April 2024
The Morning Devotion Speaker: Ps Deborah Tan
1. God Himself Seals His Election (V1-7)
God will personally confirm us as His chosen ones. We too should do our part to live out our lives as He chose us.
(1) Acknowledging to be faithful to the entrustment (V1-5a)
God told the 12 tribes and Aaron to write their names on their staffs, not only to recognise their staffs, but also to identify themselves as God's chosen leaders of the staff and not someone else's staff. Each man had a commission and a duty from God, so he was to be faithful to his entrustment.
As a leader, even if someone challenges you with dissatisfaction, you only need to clearly recognise God's choice for you, and faithfully fulfill God's entrustment. There is no need to use authority to prove to yourself that you are God's chosen one. Just as He did for Aaron, God will personally confirm you are His chosen ones.
(2) Chosen by God to close the gap (V5b)
When God was about to cause the descendants of Moses to replace the people of Israel, Moses did not gloat over it. On the contrary, he stood in the breach and begged God's forgiveness with all his might. When Korah's party and the whole congregation gathered to attack Moses and Aaron, their response was to immediately fall on their faces and intercede. When the plague struck, Aaron, regardless of his own safety, stood among the living and the dead to atone for the sins of the disobedient people and closed the gap.
As God's chosen ones, not only should we not prioritise our own interests, but rather, we should be the ones who close the gap. This is also the example Jesus left for us when he hung on the cross: "Father! Forgive them, for they know not what they do".
(3) Laying down his sovereignty before God (V6-7)
v7 And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. The staff represents authority. The one who is chosen by God or as the one who is in authority is to come to God as often as the staff was deposited before the Lord, to receive life, strength and more love so to continue loving God and men.
2. Bringing forth resurrected life minstries (V8-9)
(1) Ministry with resurrection power (V8-9)
The staffs were made from branches of trees that had dried up and died. Without roots or leaves, it was totally impossible for any life to grow. But Aaron's staff turned out to be resurrected from the dead, and not only did it grow leaves, sprout, blossom, and yielded ripe almonds
Through the miracle of the resurrection from the dead, God sealed the election of Aaron, the high priest of the Old Testament. As people chosen by God, all our talents, wisdom, and old creation must first experience the death of the cross in order to bring forth the miraculous ministry of the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus. Bringing healing to the sick, restoring relationships that were hopeless, restoring and finding hope of life again from despair 。。。。
(2) Seize the sign of God's grace (V10-11) God's command to Moses to place the rod of Aaron in front of the ark of the law was not only a sign to the sons of betrayal, but it was also a sign of God's infinite grace. v10b God does not want people to die in ignorance, so Aaron's rod served as a warning to the generations to come.
Sin leads to not only physical but more importantly spiritual death. The fact that God has allowed us to read this scripture today is the time for Him to reveal the sign of grace. Let us seize this opportunity to examine our lives, confess our sins, repent, and align ourselves with God.
(3) Choose life, be vigilant and repent (V12-13)
The people of Israel were not fearful of them being rebellious and disobedient to authority and had offended God's sovereignty. What they feared was their own death as they approached the tabernacle of God. So it was not life that they valued, nor did they repent in watchfulness.
Conclusion: Serving God with Your Life
- We are all God's chosen ones.
- Honour every authority that God has established over our lives.
- Take hold of the sign of God's grace and walk in the path of resurrection that Jesus Christ has paved for us.
- Choose life, live a good testimony of life, and serve God with your life.
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