神彰显衪的公义时,实在令人震惊。可拉、大坍、亚比兰和他们的家人,都活活被脚下的地吞灭了。神藉此表明了摩西和亚伦是衪委派的领袖。
可惜,这件骇人的事并没有制止以色列民发怨言,他们继续攻击摩西和亚伦。神于是便在营地降下瘟疫。
随后,亚伦便遵照摩西的指示,拿着香炉来到众人当中,为百姓的罪献上赎罪祭。这是一个大胆的行动,瘟疫发作了,很多人都被感染,有些甚至已经死亡了。亚伦若触摸任何染了瘟疫或因瘟疫死亡的人,他就会成为不洁净和不能执行祭司的职事了。然而,他仍然履行了祭司的职务,今天的经文说,他“站在活人死人中间,瘟疫就止住了。”他这样做免去了更多活人步入死人的行列。
这个景象指向耶稣为我们成就了的事。当神子耶稣成为一个像我们这样的人时,衪进入了一个充满罪恶和死亡的世界,衪甚至为我们舍命,为要替我们偿还罪债,现今衪仍活着为我们代求,好叫我们救恩稳固;衪站在活人死人中间,保守我们得到衪为我们预备的救恩。如果你是在基督里的人,地狱便不能伤害你,耶稣已经封闭了这条路,赞美神!
耶稣啊,感谢你拯救我们,求你帮助我们忠心为你而活。阿们。
民数记 16:1-7, 25-35, 41-50
1利未的曾孙、哥辖的孙子、以斯哈的儿子可拉,和鲁本子孙中以利押的儿子大坍、亚比兰,与比勒的儿子安,
2并以色列会中的二百五十个首领,就是有名望选入会中的人,在摩西面前一同起来,
3聚集攻击摩西、亚伦,说:“你们擅自专权。全会众个个既是圣洁,耶和华也在他们中间,你们为什么自高,超过耶和华的会众呢?”
4摩西听见这话就俯伏在地,
5对可拉和他一党的人说:“到了早晨,耶和华必指示谁是属他的,谁是圣洁的,就叫谁亲近他。他所拣选的是谁,必叫谁亲近他。
6可拉啊,你们要这样行:你和你的一党要拿香炉来,
7明日在耶和华面前,把火盛在炉中,把香放在其上。耶和华拣选谁,谁就为圣洁。你们这利未的子孙擅自专权了!”
25摩西起来,往大坍、亚比兰那里去,以色列的长老也随着他去。
26他吩咐会众说:“你们离开这恶人的帐篷吧,他们的物件,什么都不可摸,恐怕你们陷在他们的罪中,与他们一同消灭。”
27于是众人离开可拉、大坍、亚比兰帐篷的四围。大坍、亚比兰带着妻子、儿女、小孩子,都出来,站在自己的帐篷门口。
28摩西说:“我行的这一切事本不是凭我自己心意行的,乃是耶和华打发我行的,必有证据使你们知道。
29这些人死若与世人无异,或是他们所遭的与世人相同,就不是耶和华打发我来的。
30倘若耶和华创作一件新事,使地开口,把他们和一切属他们的都吞下去,叫他们活活地坠落阴间,你们就明白这些人是藐视耶和华了。”
31摩西刚说完了这一切话,他们脚下的地就开了口,
32把他们和他们的家眷,并一切属可拉的人丁、财物,都吞下去。
33这样,他们和一切属他们的都活活地坠落阴间。地口在他们上头照旧合闭,他们就从会中灭亡。
34在他们四围的以色列众人听他们呼号,就都逃跑,说:“恐怕地也把我们吞下去!”
35又有火从耶和华那里出来,烧灭了那献香的二百五十个人。
41第二天,以色列全会众都向摩西、亚伦发怨言说:“你们杀了耶和华的百姓了!”
42会众聚集攻击摩西、亚伦的时候,向会幕观看,不料,有云彩遮盖了,耶和华的荣光显现。
43摩西、亚伦就来到会幕前。
44耶和华吩咐摩西说:
45“你们离开这会众,我好在转眼之间把他们灭绝。”他们二人就俯伏于地。
46摩西对亚伦说:“拿你的香炉,把坛上的火盛在其中,又加上香,快快带到会众那里,为他们赎罪。因为有愤怒从耶和华那里出来,瘟疫已经发作了。”
47亚伦照着摩西所说的拿来,跑到会中,不料,瘟疫在百姓中已经发作了。他就加上香,为百姓赎罪。
48他站在活人死人中间,瘟疫就止住了。
49除了因可拉事情死的以外,遭瘟疫死的,共有一万四千七百人。
50亚伦回到会幕门口,到摩西那里,瘟疫已经止住了。
"Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped." - Numbers 16:47-48
It was a shocking display of God's justice. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and all their families were swallowed alive by the earth. In this way God showed that Moses and Aaron were his appointed leaders.
But that terrible event didn't keep the people from grumbling. They continued to oppose Moses and Aaron. So God sent a plague on the camp.
Then, as Moses directed him to, Aaron ran into the midst of the people with his holy censer to offer atonement for the people's sins. It was a bold move. Because of the plague, many people were already diseased, and some had already died. For Aaron to touch anyone who had the plague or died from it would have made him unclean and unable to minister as a priest. But he did his priestly duty. In the words of our passage, he "stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped." He prevented those who were alive from joining the dead.
This scene points to what Jesus has done for us. When Jesus, the holy Son of God, became human like us, he entered a world filled with sin and death. He even took on death for our sake, to pay the price for our sins. And now he lives to intercede for us. So our salvation is secure. He stands between the living and the dead, keeping us in the salvation he has won for us. If you are in Christ, hell cannot touch you. Praise God that Jesus bars the way!
Jesus, thank you for saving us. Help us to live faithfully for you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳