晨興聖言-經營美地...(W7-5)

第七週•週五

w07d05-ch

晨興餧養

來四14 ～ 15『…我們…有一位經過了諸天，尊大的大祭司，就是神的兒子耶穌，便當堅守所承認的。因我們並非有一位不能同情我們輭弱的大祭司，祂乃是在各方面受過試誘，與我們一樣，只是沒有罪。』

在基督的升天裏，祂也作了在諸天裏的大祭司。〔來四14。〕…主藉着成爲肉體，從神那裏到我們
這裏來；然後藉着復活與升天，從我們這裏回到神那裏去，作我們的大祭司，在神面前擔負我們，並照顧我們一切的需要。（二17 ～ 18，四15。）…基督在祂的升天裏經過了諸天，現今不僅在天上，（九24，）更是高過諸天，〔七26，〕遠超諸天之上。（弗四10。）祂在升天裏就職進入祂的祭司職任。（路加福音生命讀經，七七五頁。）

信息選讀

在啓示錄裏，首先不是揭示基督爲執政管理者，乃是揭示祂爲祭司；這是很有意義的。一章十三節
說，『燈臺中間，有一位好像人子，身穿長袍，直垂到腳。』一面，基督是大祭司，在諸天裏爲眾召會代求；（來七25 ～ 26，羅八34；）另一面，祂是大祭司，在眾召會裏行動，照顧眾召會。啓示錄一章十三節描述基督爲大祭司，就如祂的長袍所顯示的，這長袍直垂到腳，乃是祭司袍。（出二八33 ～ 35。）

基督是大祭司，行走在燈臺中間，並照顧這些燈臺，特別是藉着修剪燈盞使燈臺照亮。然後啓示錄八章啓示基督是把香獻在金壇上的祭司：『另一位天使拿着金香爐，來站在祭壇旁邊，有許多香賜給他，好同眾聖徒的禱告獻在寶座前的金壇上。』（3。）所以，一章啓示基督是照顧燈臺的祭司，八章揭示祂是向神獻香的祭司。當然，五章啓示祂是全宇宙的執政管理者。對於宇宙，基督不是祭司，乃是執政管理者。但對於召會，基督乃是大祭司。作爲升到諸天裏的一位，祂現今乃是祭司，仍然活着、工作並盡職。

我們不知道甚麼對我們有益，但是主知道，祂知道我們在地上的生活需要甚麼。…我們對我們的生活都有偏好，我們巴望富有，擁有許多物質的東西。但主可能讓我們貧窮，剝奪我們許多東西。同樣的，我們巴望孩子愛主、事奉主。…然而，我們兒女的光景可能和我們所巴望的大不相同。我們若以這事問主，主會說，『你不知道甚麼對你最好，我知道事情應該就是這樣。』

也許你以爲這樣的事與基督的升天無關。然而，基督的升天實在與這些有關。主的升天包括祂的祭司職任。升天的主乃是擔負我們、托住我們、並照顧我們的大祭司。究竟甚麼對我們有益，這不在於我們的解釋，乃在於主的解釋。比方說，你也許買了一輛新車，盼望能用許多年。但主對這件事的意見乃是：你的車子只該用很短的時間。你若來對我說，『…祂旣知道這事，爲甚麼許可我買車？祂爲甚麼不阻止我？』我當然無法解釋爲甚麼。只有主知道，因爲祂是大祭司。

主照顧我們，總是積極的。有一天我們會看見祂，並要敬拜祂。有人可能對祂說，『主耶穌，赦免我向你抱怨我的情況。現在我知道神爲着我的旨意都是美好的。』我們的大祭司正在妥善的照顧我們眾人。（路加福音生命讀經，七七五至七七九頁。）

參讀：神在人裏的行動，第九章。

WEEK 7 — DAY 5

Morning Nourishment

Heb. 4:14-15 Having…a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all respects like us, yet without sin.

In His ascension Christ was also made the High Priest in the heavens [Heb. 4:14]…The Lord came from God to us through incarnation, and then He went back from us to God through resurrection and ascension to be our High Priest to bear us in the presence of God and to care for all our needs (2:17- 18; 4:15)…In His ascension Christ passed through the heavens; now He is not only in heaven (9:24) but is also higher than the heavens, far above all the heavens (Eph. 4:10). In His ascension He was inaugurated into His priestly office. (Life-study of Luke, second edition, p. 658)

Today’s Reading

It is significant that in the book of Revelation Christ is unveiled first not as the Administrator but as the Priest. Revelation 1:13 says, “In the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet.” On the one hand, Christ is the High Priest interceding in the heavens for the churches (Heb. 7:25-26; Rom. 8:34); on the other hand, He is the High Priest moving in the churches to care for them. In Revelation 1:13 Christ is depicted as the High Priest, as shown by His garment, a garment reaching to the feet, that is, a priestly robe (Exo. 28:33-35).

As the High Priest, Christ is walking among the lampstands and taking care of them, especially of their shining by trimming the lamps. Then in Revelation 8 Christ is revealed as the Priest offering the incense at the golden altar: “Another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and much incense was given to Him to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne” (v. 3). Therefore, in chapter 1 Christ is revealed as the Priest taking care of the lampstands, and in chapter 8 He is unveiled as the Priest offering incense to God. Then, of course, in chapter 5 He is revealed as the Administrator over the whole universe. To the universe Christ is not the Priest; He is the Administrator. But to the church Christ is the High Priest. As the ascended One in the heavens, He is now living, working, and ministering as a Priest.

We do not know what is good for us, but the Lord knows. He knows what is needed for our life on earth. We may desire to be wealthy and have many material things. But the Lord may allow us to be poor and deprive us of many things. Likewise, we may desire to have children who love the Lord and serve Him…However, the situation concerning our children may turn out to be much different from what we desire. If we ask the Lord about this, He may say, “You do not know what is best for you. I know that this is the way it should be.”

Perhaps you are thinking that matters such as these have nothing to do with the ascension of Christ. However, the ascension of Christ certainly is related to these things. The Lord’s ascension includes His priesthood. As the ascended One, He is the High Priest bearing us, holding us, and taking care of us. However, what is good for us is a matter not of our interpretation but of His. For example, you may buy a new car, hoping that it will last many years. But the Lord’s opinion of the matter is that your car should last a very short time. If you were to come to me and say, “…Since He knew this, why did He allow me to buy it? Why didn’t He stop me?” I, of course, cannot explain why. Only the Lord knows the reason; He is the High Priest.

The Lord’s care for us is always positive. One day we will see Him and worship Him. Some of us may say to Him, “Lord Jesus, forgive me for complaining to You about my situation. Now I know that God’s will for me is good.” Our High Priest is taking good care of us all. (Life-study of Luke, second edition, pp. 658-661)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, “The Move of God in Man,” ch. 9