为真道打美好的仗
在带领以色列民踏入旷野之前，神吩咐他们数点所有二十岁或以上、能出去参军打仗的男丁，结果被点数的“共有六十万零三千五百五十名。”
人口统计的记载未免有点沉闷，但我们却可以在此学到一些功课。第一，这个人口统计提醒我们，神是信实的。神曾向亚伯拉罕应许，他的子孙多起来，如同海边的沙（创世记 22:17）。能加入以色列军队的男丁数目共有几十万-而这个数目并没有包括妇女、小孩、利未人、和很多其他以色列民。神确实履行了衪的应许。
这个人口统计也表明，在这个历史时段中，神的子民需要一支军队来保护自己，当神呼召他们与祂和他们的敌人争战时，他们需要做好准备。神会为衪的子民争战和保护他们的，然而他们自己也需要站立得稳，并向其他国家表明他们是神忠心的子民。他们打的仗，根源于独一真神和其他国家的假神之间的属灵争战，这些假神都是由欺诈万民的大骗子撒但统领的，目的是要毁灭我们每一个人。
今天，我们仍然为神的国度而参与着这场属灵争战。基督徒的生活是一场信心的争战，魔鬼希望我们失去盼望和撇弃神。然而，我们的救主耶稣，已经胜过了所有攻击我们的属灵敌人了。你是否正在为真道打那美好的仗呢（提摩太前书 6:12）？
神啊，你是信实的。求你因耶稣的缘故帮助我们忠心于你。阿们。
民数记 1:1-4, 44-50
1以色列人出埃及地后，第二年二月初一日，耶和华在西奈的旷野，会幕中晓谕摩西说：
2“你要按以色列全会众的家室、宗族，人名的数目，计算所有的男丁。
3凡以色列中，从二十岁以外，能出去打仗的，你和亚伦要照他们的军队数点。
4每支派中，必有一人做本支派的族长，帮助你们。
44这些就是被数点的，是摩西、亚伦和以色列中十二个首领所数点的，这十二个人各做各宗族的代表。
46这样，凡以色列人中被数的，照着宗族从二十岁以外，能出去打仗，被数的共有六十万零三千五百五十名。
47利未人却没有按着支派数在其中，
48因为耶和华晓谕摩西说：
49“唯独利未支派你不可数点，也不可在以色列人中计算他们的总数。
50只要派利未人管法柜的帐幕和其中的器具，并属乎帐幕的。他们要抬帐幕和其中的器具，并要办理帐幕的事，在帐幕的四围安营。
The Good Fight Of Faith
"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans . . . listing every man by name, one by one." - Numbers 1:2
Before leading Israel into the wilderness, God told them to count every man 20 years old or older and able to serve in the army. And "the total number was 603,550."
A census may seem boring, but we can learn some things from it. First, it reminds us that God is faithful. God had promised that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). And here a census of the men able to serve in Israel's army numbers in the hundreds of thousands—and that doesn't include women, children, the Levites, and many others who made up the people of Israel. God had kept his promise.
The census also shows that at that time in history, God's people needed an army to defend themselves, and when God called them to battle against his and their enemies, they needed to be prepared. God would fight for his people and protect them, but they also needed to stand firm and show other nations that they were God's faithful people. The battles they fought were rooted in spiritual war between the one true God and the false gods of other nations, led by the great deceiver of all peoples—Satan, who wants to destroy us all.
Today we are still involved in spiritual war for God's kingdom. The Christian life is a fight of faith. The devil wants us to lose hope and abandon God. But Jesus, our Savior, has defeated all our spiritual enemies. Are you fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)?
God, you are faithful. Help us to be faithful to you, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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