《智慧之門》Day04
《分別為聖的智慧》
22 所羅門當着以色列會眾，站在耶和華的壇前，向天舉手說： 23「耶和華－以色列的上帝啊，天上地下沒有神可比祢的！祢向那盡心行在祢面前的僕人守約施慈愛； 24 向祢僕人－我父大衛所應許的話現在應驗了。祢親口應許，親手成就，正如今日一樣。 25 耶和華－以色列的上帝啊，祢所應許祢僕人－我父大衛的話說：『你的子孫若謹慎自己的行為，在我面前行事像你所行的一樣，就不斷人坐以色列的國位。』現在求祢應驗這話。 26 以色列的上帝啊，求祢成就向祢僕人－我父大衛所應許的話。27「上帝果真住在地上嗎？看哪，天和天上的天尚且不足祢居住的，何況我所建的這殿呢？ 28 惟求耶和華－我的上帝垂顧僕人的禱告祈求，俯聽僕人今日在祢面前的祈禱呼籲。 29 願祢晝夜看顧這殿，就是祢應許立為祢名的居所；求祢垂聽僕人向此處禱告的話。 30 祢僕人和祢民以色列向此處祈禱的時候，求祢在天上你的居所垂聽，垂聽而赦免。(列王紀上八22-30)
1 所羅門建造耶和華殿和王宮，並一切所願意建造的都完畢了， 2 耶和華就二次向所羅門顯現，如先前在基遍向他顯現一樣， 3 對他說：「你向我所禱告祈求的，我都應允了。我已將你所建的這殿分別為聖，使我的名永遠在其中；我的眼、我的心也必常在那裏。 4 你若效法你父大衛，存誠實正直的心行在我面前，遵行我一切所吩咐你的，謹守我的律例典章， 5 我就必堅固你的國位在以色列中，直到永遠，正如我應許你父大衛說：『你的子孫必不斷人坐以色列的國位。』 6 倘若你們和你們的子孫轉去不跟從我，不守我指示你們的誡命律例，去事奉敬拜別神， 7 我就必將以色列人從我賜給他們的地上剪除，並且我為己名所分別為聖的殿也必捨棄不顧，使以色列人在萬民中作笑談，被譏誚。 8 這殿雖然甚高，將來經過的人必驚訝、嗤笑，說：『耶和華為何向這地和這殿如此行呢？』 9 人必回答說：『是因此地的人離棄領他們列祖出埃及地之耶和華－他們的上帝，去親近別神，事奉敬拜他，所以耶和華使這一切災禍臨到他們。』」(列王紀上九1-9)
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below— You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way. 24 You have kept Your promise to Your servant David my father; with Your mouth You have promised and with Your hand You have fulfilled it—as it is today. 25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for Your servant David my father the promises You made to him when You said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let Your word that You promised Your servant David my father come true. 27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to Your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying in Your presence this day. 29 May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You will hear the prayer Your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. (1 Kings 8:22-30)
1When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 4“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 6“But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 9People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’ ” (1 Kings 9:1-9)
1When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 4“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 6“But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 9People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’ ” (1 Kings 9:1-9)
分享：在所羅門的生平中，另一個很重要的成就，就是為上帝建造了聖殿。但大家有沒有想過，為什麼要建造聖殿呢？其實這件事要追溯到大衛作王時，他希望為上帝建造聖殿，因為他認為上帝配得榮美的聖殿，而不是簡約的幔子。(參撒母耳記下七) 然而，當時上帝拒絕了，並應許大衛的後裔必為上帝建造聖殿。
到了所羅門作王，他終於可以為上帝建造聖殿。然而，他深知那怕是多榮美的聖殿也配不起上帝：「上帝果真住在地上嗎？看哪，天和天上的天尚且不足祢居住的，何況我所建的這殿呢？」(列王紀上八27) 這麼，為什麼上帝還讓人為祂起聖殿呢？因為上帝希望藉這殿提醒百姓要分別為聖！「3 你向我所禱告祈求的，我都應允了。我已將你所建的這殿分別為聖，使我的名永遠在其中；我的眼、我的心也必常在那裏⋯⋯ 6 倘若你們和你們的子孫轉去不跟從我，不守我指示你們的誡命律例，去事奉敬拜別神， 7 我就必將以色列人從我賜給他們的地上剪除，並且我為己名所分別為聖的殿也必捨棄不顧，使以色列人在萬民中作笑談，被譏誚。」(列王紀上九3、6-7) 原來，上帝准許人為祂建造聖殿，是為了讓人記得自己是分別為聖的一群，是至聖上帝的子民。
分別為聖，可說是上帝給我們一份很大的禮物。本來我們就是罪人，與上帝無份，但上帝卻藉著獨生子耶穌的拯救，讓我們能夠得稱為祂的子民、兒女，能夠擁有分別為聖的生命。然而，上帝又知道我們軟弱，於是容許人為祂造聖殿，作為提醒人之用。
各位，你是否看到分別為聖的重要？今天上帝又為你提供了什麼事物，來提醒你要分別為聖呢？
反思：我們今天有否活出分別為聖的生命呢？那是一個怎樣的生命呢？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢拯救我們，使我們擺脫罪的捆綁，得以享受豐盛的生命，更重要的是，我們能夠得稱為祢的兒女，活出分別為聖的生命。求祢叫我們看重這分別為聖的恩典，以這生命來見證祢、榮耀祢。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
Posted in CGCEp17