神的异象
神圣的强调
经文
利未记十一26-47
26凡走兽分蹄不成两瓣、也不倒嚼的，是与你们不洁净；凡摸了的就不洁净。
27凡四足的走兽，用掌行走的，是与你们不洁净；摸其尸的，必不洁净到晚上。
28拿其尸的，必不洁净到晚上，并要洗衣服。这些是与你们不洁净的。
29地上爬物与你们不洁净的乃是这些：鼬鼠、鼫鼠、蜥蜴与其类；
30壁虎、龙子、守宫、蛇医、蝘蜓。
31这些爬物都是与你们不洁净的。在他死了以后，凡摸了的，必不洁净到晚上。
32其中死了的，掉在甚么东西上，这东西就不洁净，无论是木器、衣服、皮子、口袋，不拘是作甚么工用的器皿，须要放在水中，必不洁净到晚上，到晚上才洁净了。
33若有死了掉在瓦器里的，其中不拘有甚么，就不洁净，你们要把这瓦器打破了。
34其中一切可吃的食物，沾水的就不洁净，并且那样器皿中一切可喝的，也必不洁净。
35其中已死的，若有一点掉在甚么物件上，那物件就不洁净，不拘是炉子，是锅台，就要打碎，都不洁净，也必与你们不洁净。
36但是泉源或是聚水的池子仍是洁净；惟挨了那死的，就不洁净。
37若是死的，有一点掉在要种的子粒上，子粒仍是洁净；
38若水已经浇在子粒上，那死的有一点掉在上头，这子粒就与你们不洁净。
39你们可吃的走兽若是死了，有人摸他，必不洁净到晚上；
40有人吃那死了的走兽，必不洁净到晚上，并要洗衣服；拿了死走兽的，必不洁净到晚上，并要洗衣服。
41凡地上的爬物是可憎的，都不可吃。
42凡用肚子行走的和用四足行走的，或是有许多足的，就是一切爬在地上的，你们都不可吃，因为是可憎的。
43你们不可因甚么爬物使自己成为可憎的，也不可因这些使自己不洁净，以致染了污秽。
44我是耶和华─你们的神；所以你们要成为圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。你们也不可在地上的爬物污秽自己。
45我是把你们从埃及地领出来的耶和华，要作你们的神；所以你们要圣洁，因为我是圣洁的。
46这是走兽、飞鸟，和水中游动的活物，并地上爬物的条例。
47要把洁净的和不洁净的，可吃的与不可吃的活物，都分别出来。
信息分享
昨天我们发现神的圣洁远超过祂本性的其他方面，这是否令你感到惊讶？著名神学家查诺克（Stephen Charnock）说：「对于神圣洁的描述总是多于祂的全能；阐述祂的尊严的也比任何其他部分的多。祂的圣洁比其他一切都更多地被用作祂的称号。你永远都找不到『祂大能的名字』或『祂智慧的名字』，但却会找到祂伟大的名字，而最多是找到祂圣洁的名字。」查诺克继续说的话给我留下深刻的印象，我希望也会给你留下深刻的印象。他说：
「圣洁想要超越神所有其他完美的属性，因此是其他一切的荣耀；它是神的荣耀，所以是神一切完美属性的荣耀；神的能力是祂一切完美属性的力量，因此祂的圣洁是它们的美；如果没有神全能的支持，一切都会是软弱的，因此，如果没有圣洁作为装饰，一切都会变得不恰当。如果圣洁被玷污，其他一切都会失去荣耀；正如在太阳失去光辉的一刻，它也会失去温暖、力量，失去它的生长力和复苏的属性。正如真诚是基督徒每一个恩典的光辉，纯洁也是神每一种属性的光彩。祂的公义是圣洁的公义。祂的智慧是圣洁的智慧。祂能力的膀臂是『圣臂』（诗九十八1）。祂的真理或应许是『圣言』（诗一零五42）。那个能代表神一切属性的名字就是『圣名』（诗一零三1）。」「纯洁是神每一种属性的光彩」
进深研究
罗一1-7；出十六23；申二十六15：代上二十九3；尼十一1；帖后一10
1. 还有甚么其他东西被形容为圣洁？
2. 你会形容自己为圣洁吗？
祈祷
天父啊，如果说您的教会该在甚么时候需要对您的圣洁有新的领悟的话，那就是今天。求您以那些认识圣洁的先知和教师们充满我们的教会。奉基督独一和宝贵的名字祈求，阿们。
The Vision of God
The divine emphasis
Bible reading:
Leviticus 11:26-47
26 "'Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean.
27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.
28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29 "'Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,
30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.
31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening.
32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean.
33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.
34 Any food you are allowed to eat that has come into contact with water from any such pot is unclean, and any liquid that is drunk from such a pot is unclean.
35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean.
36 A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean.
37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean.
38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
39 "'If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening.
40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.
41 "'Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten.
42 You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean.
43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them.
44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.
45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
46 "'These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground.
47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.'"
Message
Did it surprise you to discover yesterday that the holiness of God is emphasised more than any other aspect of His nature? Stephen Charnock, a renowned theologian, says this: "God is oftener styled Holy than Almighty and set forth by this part of His dignity more than by any other. This is more fixed on as an epithet to His name than any other. You never find expressed 'His mighty name' or 'His wise name' but His great name and most of all His holy name." He goes on to make a statement that I pray will make as deep an impression upon you as it did upon me:
"As it seems to challenge an excellency above all His other perfections, so it is the glory of all the rest, as it is the glory of the Godhead, so it is the glory of every perfection of the Godhead; as His power is the strength of them, so His holiness is the beauty of them, as all would be weak without almightiness to back them, so all would be uncomely without holiness to adorn them. Should this be sullied, all the rest would lose their honour, as at the same instant the sun should lose its light, it would lose its heat, its strength, its generative and quickening virtue. As sincerity is the lustre of every grace in a Christian, so is purity the splendour of every attribute in the Godhead. His justice is a holy justice. His wisdom a holy wisdom. His arm of power 'a holy arm' (Psa. 98:1). His truth or promise a 'holy promise' (Psa. 105:42). His name which signifies all attributes in conjunction is 'holy' (Psa. 103:1)."
"Purity is the spendour of every attribute in the Godhead"
Prayer
O Father, if ever Your Church needed a fresh vision of Your holiness it is today. Fill our pulpits with prophets and teachers who have a knowledge of the Holy. This we ask in Christ's peerless and precious Name. Amen.
Further study
Romans 1:1-7
Exodus 16:23
Deuteronomy 26:15
1 Chronicles 29:3
Nehemiah 11:1
2 Thess. 1:10
1. What other things are described as holy?
2. Would you describe yourself as holy?
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