神的異象
懼怕性命不保！
經文
民數記十七1-13
1耶和華對摩西說：
2你曉諭以色列人，從他們手下取杖，每支派一根；從他們所有的首領，按著支派，共取十二根。你要將各人的名字寫在各人的杖上，
3並要將亞倫的名字寫在利未的杖上，因為各族長必有一根杖。
4你要把這些杖存在會幕內法櫃前，就是我與你們相會之處。
5後來我所揀選的那人，他的杖必發芽。這樣，我必使以色列人向你們所發的怨言止息，不再達到我耳中。
6於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們的首領就把杖交給他，按著支派，每首領一根，共有十二根；亞倫的杖也在其中。
7摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
8第二天，摩西進法櫃的帳幕去。誰知利未族亞倫的杖已經發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。
9摩西就把所有的杖從耶和華面前拿出來，給以色列眾人看；他們看見了，各首領就把自己的杖拿去。
10耶和華吩咐摩西說：把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。
11摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
12以色列人對摩西說：我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
13凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？
信息分享
以賽亞書六5記載以賽亞在看見神的聖潔的異象後說：「我是嘴唇不潔的人，又住在嘴唇不潔的民中……」，這究竟是甚麼意思？有些解經家相信他是承認自己與世俗掙扎。但是更可能的解釋應該是以賽亞承認自己不配作先知──說話是先知的工作。
我們不能確定哪一個解釋正確，但我們可以肯定的是：以賽亞看見神的聖潔時，便懼怕自己性命不保。這從他的話中可以明顯看到：「我眼見大君王萬軍之耶和華」（賽六5）。為甚麼這句似乎是平淡的話反映了以賽亞懼怕性命不保？要明白這句話，我們必須再看今天的經文：「凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。」在以色列有一件眾人皆知的事：沒有人可以靠近神而仍然能夠存活。任何看見神的人都可以預期自己會立即死去。事實上，神曾經說過：「你不能看見我的面，因為人見我的面，不能存活」（出三十三20）。
也許現在我們可以明白「我眼見大君王萬軍之耶和華」這句話，背後隱藏著的意思。以賽亞的呼喊反映的遠遠不單是普通的定罪，而是不能言喻的恐懼。他看見大君王、全能的耶和華。現在他一定會死！但他真的會死嗎？不，因為正如我們將會看到，神不單是聖潔的神，祂也是恩典的神。
「神是恩典的神」
進深研究
出三十三12-21；提前一17，六11-16
1. 摩西祈求甚麼？
2. 保羅怎樣向提摩太描述主？
祈禱
天父，求您幫助我更清楚今天的真理──我在得救前必須承認自己的失喪，自己是全然無助的。天父，我誠心地承認救恩全是恩典。我十分、十分感激您。阿們。
The Vision of God
Fearing for one's life!
Bible reading:
Numbers 17:1-13
1 [a]The Lord said to Moses,
2 "Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.
4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.
5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites."
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them.
7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.
9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
10 The Lord said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die."
11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!
13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?"
Message
Today we ask ourselves: What did Isaiah mean when, following 's holiness, he said: "I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips..." (Isa. 6:5)? Some commentators believe he was confessing here to a struggle with profanity. Probably a more likely explanation is that Isaiah is acknowledging his unworthiness to be a prophet - the spoken word being a prophet's business.
Which of these is the true explanation we cannot be certain, but what we do know for sure is this: when Isaiah saw the holiness of God he feared for his life. This is evident in his statement: "My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isa. 6:5). Why should such seemingly innocuous words reflect a fear for his life? To understand what is being said here we need to look at today's text once again: "Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die." It was a well-known fact in Israel that no one could get close to God and live. Anyone who saw God expected to die immediately. In fact, God said on one occasion: "You cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live" (Ex. 33:20).
Perhaps now we can understand something of the concern that reverberated beneath the words: "My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Isaiah's cry reflects much more than an ordinary conviction of sin; it is one of unspeakable horror. He had seen the King, the Lord Almighty. Now he must die! But does he? No, for as we shall see, God is not only a God of holiness - He is also the God of grace.
"God is a God of grace"
Prayer
Father, help me see even more clearly the principle that is at work here, namely that before I can be saved I must admit my lostness - my utter helplessness. I freely confess, Father, that salvation is all of grace. And I am deeply, deeply thankful. Amen.
Further study
Exodus 33:12-21
1 Timothy 1:17; 6:11-16
1. What was Moses' prayer?
2. How did Paul describe the Lord to Timothy?
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