Continued from last week: “Consecration” and “Holiness”  

          Previously, we learned that “holiness” will not pass on to other things through different mediums.  Even though the fold of a garment would become consecrated as a result of carrying consecrated meat, items being touched by the fold of that garment would not be consecrated.  On the other hand, “defilement” is pervasive.  Anything that has been touched will become unclean without exception. Even consecrated items would be considered unclean once they had contact with defiled items.  Thus, we see in the Old Testament a clear picture of the nature of “holiness” and “defilement”.  However, this can just be head knowledge.  How about in practice?  Will God (who is holy) become “unclean” after He meets with a sinful man or Satan?   

             Scripture has brought us to another level of understanding of “holiness”. “Holiness” is not only meant to be a moral or value system, indeed it is the power and divine nature of God himself.  “Holiness” has the absolute power to exclude and eliminate “defilement”.  That means that which is “defiled” would be destroyed even before it has a chance to come in contact with “holiness”.  In the Bible, we can find several examples:   

                “Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.  They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”       (Exodus 19:12-13)     

                 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish.  Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”       (Exodus 19:21-22)  

                 Likewise, all the burnt offerings had to be sacrificed in the exact way God commanded, so that they would be accepted by God; that is, to be killed and burnt. No wonder that for those who had met with God, their response was one of great fear.  The parents of Samson met with the angel of the Lord, and their immediate response was “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” (Judges 13:22)   

             Therefore, the “holiness” of God is extremely fearful in the eyes of a defiled sinner.    

             When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”  (Exodus 20:18-20)   

              In the New Testament we are instructed to approach God in similar fashion:   “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”   (Hebrews 12:28-29) 

              續上週：從「聖物」理解「聖潔」

              律法讓我們知道，「聖潔」不會透過別的渠道外泄。因此，衣襟雖然兜過聖肉被視為「聖」，但任何挨近它的東西都不能因此視爲「聖」。相反，「污穢」卻無孔不入；任何沾上的都視為不潔。就算聖物挨上污穢，也視為不潔。這樣，律法將「聖潔」和「污穢」的性質活現我們眼前。不過，這只是觀念層面的知識；實際上是怎樣的？尤其是聖潔的上帝，遇上污穢的罪人或撒但，上帝會成爲「不潔」嗎？

              爲此，律法帶我們進入「聖潔」的另一層面；原來「聖潔」並非只有純正的道德意識，他是神本體的內涵和權能；「聖潔」對「污穢」有絕對的排斥及摧毀力。那就是說：「污穢」還來不及靠近「聖潔」，就全然被銷毀了。聖經有多處表達這樣的觀點。

              你要在山的四圍給百姓定界限，說：『你們當謹慎，不可上山去，也不可摸山的邊界；凡摸這山的，必要治死他。不可用手摸他，必用石頭打死，或用箭射透；無論是人是牲畜，都不得活。到角聲拖長的時候，他們才可到山根來。』」（出埃及記 19:12-13）

              耶和華對摩西說：「你下去囑咐百姓，不可闖過來到我面前觀看，恐怕他們有多人死亡；又叫親近我的祭司自潔，恐怕我忽然出來擊殺他們。」（出埃及記 19:21-22）

               再者，所有獻于神的祭牲，都必須按神所定的規矩獻上才蒙悅納：殺、燒。難怪那些遇見神使者的，都驚惶失色。參孫的父母遇見了神差遣的使者，他們的第一反應是：瑪挪亞對他的妻說：「我們必要死，因為看見了神。」（士師記 13:22）

               原來神的「 聖潔」，對污穢的人來說，是極其可怕的。

               眾百姓見雷轟、閃電、角聲、山上冒煙，就都發顫，遠遠的站立，對摩西說：「求你和我們說話，我們必聽；不要神和我們說話，恐怕我們死亡。」摩西對百姓說：「不要懼怕；因為神降臨是要試驗你們，叫你們時常敬畏他，不至犯罪。」（出埃及記 20:18-20）

               新約希伯來書12:28-29這樣勸勉我們：所以我們既得了不能震動的國，就當感恩，照神所喜悅的，用虔誠、敬畏的心事奉神。因為我們的神乃是烈火。

Comments for this post are now off.