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

           Because “holiness” rejects “defilement”, sinners cannot come close or see God without being destroyed. However, God has created a place for sinners, where they are shielded.  This idea is first revealed in Exodus 33:20-23, when Moses asked to see the glory of God, “ But, “he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”  Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.   When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.   Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”  (Exodus 33:20-23)  

             The place was safe and secure. It was as firm as a solid rock, and powerful and strong as the mighty hand of God, which covered and protected Moses from being destroyed when the glory of God passed by. Such was a beautiful picture because we all desired to see the glory of God, and Moses was about to get his satisfaction. Yet, his satisfaction was incomplete. He could only see the back of God.  The back of God implied something – God was looking ahead to a grand future when all his children would be made holy and they would see Him in glory together. He would not let Moses spoil that perfect moment. This was the “good ending” that the Old Testament prophets and saints were looking forward to.     

             “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”   (Hebrews 11:39-40)   

              Jesus Christ is the safe and secure place that God has already prepared for us.  God made Christ to bear our iniquities, His “righteousness” to cover our “unrighteousness”, and His “holiness” to cover our “defilement”.

            “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  (Isaiah 53:4-6)

             Under His shield, we can come close to God without being destroyed. Not only that, we are adopted us as His children.

           “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5) 

             續上週：從「聖物」理解「聖潔」

            既然「聖潔」絕對排斥、毀滅「污穢」，有罪污的人就不可能靠近或覲見神而不被銷滅了。然而，神為罪人創造了一個「地方」，就是用自己「遮蓋」人。這個觀念首先在出埃及記33:20-23出現。當摩西要求要看見神的榮耀時，神說：「你不能看見我的面，因為人見我的面不能存活。」21耶和華說：「看哪，在我這裡有地方，你要站在磐石上。22我的榮耀經過的時候，我必將你放在磐石穴中，用我的手遮掩你，等我過去，23然後我要將我的手收回，你就得見我的背，卻不得見我的面。」

           神所預備的，是個安全的地方；那地方如磐石之堅固，如神的手之有力，牢牢地掩護著摩西；讓神的榮耀在祂面前經過而不致被銷滅。這是一幅扣人心絃的圖畫，因爲每個人都想看見神的榮耀；而摩西這一刻好像快要得償所願了。很可惜，美中不足！摩西只能看見神榮耀的背面。可這背面，卻隱藏着一個更美的將來。當我們看見神的背面，就表示祂已經走在我們的前面；原來有一個比此刻更榮耀的時刻，那就是神的子民都成爲聖潔，同時看見神的榮耀。這是一家之主所期待的「大團圓」啊！

           39這些人都是因信得了美好的證據，卻仍未得著所應許的；40因為神給我們預備了更美的事，叫祂們若不與我們同得，就不能完全。（希伯來書 11:39-40）

          耶穌基督就是那個神為罪人預備的安全地方。祂使基督承擔我們的罪過，以祂的「義」遮蓋我們的「不義」，以祂的「聖潔」遮蓋我們的「污穢」。

          4祂誠然擔當我們的憂患，背負我們的痛苦；我們卻以為祂受責罰，被神擊打苦待了。5哪知祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因祂受的刑罰，我們得平安；因祂受的鞭傷，我們得醫治。6我們都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在祂身上。（以賽亞書 53:4-6）

         在祂的掩護之下，我們得以接近神而不被銷滅。不但如此，還蒙神收納為兒女。

         4就如神從創立世界以前，在基督裡揀選了我們，使我們在祂面前成為聖潔，無有瑕疵；5又因愛我們，就按著自己意旨所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分。（以弗所書 1:4-5） 

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