W1 2009-06-29 (出38:1-38:31)
出埃及記 38:26 凡過去歸那些被數之人的，從二十歲以外，有六十萬零三千五百五十人。按聖所的平，每人出銀半舍客勒，就是一比加。
默想: 主耶和華啊！以色列人在建造會幕時，似乎採取兩種奉獻的方法，有關奉獻金子，似乎是採取自由奉獻的方法，但是有關銀子的奉獻，好像是採取會幕稅的方法，以二十歲以上的男子，每人獻半舍客勒來徵收。相信這半舍客勒銀子是大家都能夠負擔的奉獻。教會的奉獻似乎也有十一奉獻與自由奉獻兩種方法。
題目: 你對於以色列人建會幕，採自由奉獻來奉獻金子，採人頭均攤來奉獻銀子的方法有何意感想呢？
大家平安
回覆刪除或許銀子是當時流通、可用來買賣的金屬，所以各家都有，且奉獻的起；金子，就像今日的鑽石，有很多、很多銀子的人家才有。超過二十歲的人"規定"要拿出一比加的銀子，表示：沒有人能置身事外。
God emphasizes more on the attitude than on the offering. Thus, God looked with favor on Abel and his offering (Ge 4:4), providing him with the burnt offering he needed (22:12-14). God stresses more on the proportion of offering than on the amount of offering. For example, the five offerings are determined by whether one is rich or poor (Le 1:3, 10, 14; 3; 1, 6).
回覆刪除In building the tabernacle, one contributed gold at his/her will since it is more valuable than silver. Regarding silver, more affordable to common people, could be obtained from the community counted in the census. It seems that this principle goes well with God’s.
草戊尚土 牧師和各位俱樂部的兄姐，平安：
回覆刪除我的感覺像是一個很有錢的富翁，在他過六十大壽的時候，他的兒女都回來向他祝賀，但是有的子女很有錢，有的子女卻沒甚麼錢，他們都想送禮物給他們的父親，然而這個父親其實什麼都不缺，於是告訴他的子女們，你們都包一個一塊錢的紅包給我，不可以多包也不可少包，我拿到這個紅包就可以感受到你們的祝福，這樣他的子女們都歡歡喜喜的來慶祝父親的生日，沒有人感到自卑也沒有人驕傲。
又過了不久，這個父親想為了他們的後代來蓋間學校，需要有足夠的桌椅來給小孩子讀書，於是又告訴他的子女們，你們可以自由樂捐這些桌椅，這不是送給我的而是給你們的小孩。
我想，向神表示奉獻的心是不論貧富，每個人都可以做到的，上帝也將每個人視為獨一無二的寶貝。然而每個人所受的恩典不同，可以衡量自己的能力把這些恩典再分享給別人，傳揚下去。
卯同學 敬上
Dear All, Peng An,
回覆刪除So it seemed that there were two kinds of offerings involved in tabernacle building. The first was a duty offering, which would be shared by all. The second was a voluntary offering, which would be a free will offering for those who were financially capable and also be willing.
In our church reconstruction project, we also tried to set up two kinds of offering. One was huge amount once for all offereing. The second was tiny amount but longterm offering. Personally I liked to encourage all to participate in the second kind of offering, which I would call it "an army of ants offering" 螞蟻雄兵奉獻法 While each one would just offer a tiny amount, like an ant could only carry that pity small amount, but every ant could contribute. And since all could afford it without seriously impacting our daily financial lives, thus we could all affordable to join this kind of offering for longterm, until the church had paid off all mortgages.