2022-11-07 “We Have Been Called into a Holy Priesthood Fulfilling Our Duties in Christ”(Ezekiel 44:23-24)

2022-11-7 “We Have Been Called into a Holy Priesthood Fulfilling Our Duties in Christ 我们在基督里蒙了召作聖潔祭司去完成自己的责任”(Ezekiel以西结书44:23-24)

They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.

他們要教導我的子民分別聖俗,使他們分辨潔淨的和不潔淨的。他們要在爭訟的事上作判斷,要按著我的典章判斷。他們要在我所有的節期裡謹守我的律法和條例,守我的安息日為聖日。

Under the Old Covenant, one of the fundamental duties of the priests was to teach God’s people by both instruction and example the difference between the holy and the common (as well as between the unclean and the clean). The priests could also serve as judges or mediators. This was because they were supposed to be well versed in God’s laws and statutes and able to apply them in given situations. The priests were also called to live lives of obedience to God. This was to be true of their appointed meetings for worship, teaching, and sacrifice and also of God’s appointed Sabbaths. Under the New Covenant, the essence of these duties continues in Christ to be fulfilled by every Christian who has been called into a holy priesthood!

在舊約之下,祭司基要責任之一就是要以言教身教,去教導神的子民分別/辨聖俗(與及潔淨的和不潔淨的)。祭司們也可以作為審判官和調解人去服事,這是因為他們在神的律法典章上,應當是句句熟練的,並能夠把它們應用在當下的處境上。祭司們也蒙召去過著聽從神的生活,在他們被神命定的敬拜、教導和獻祭等聚會,並守安息日上都是確實如此的。在新約之下,這些責任的本質繼續在基督裡,讓蒙了召作聖潔祭司的每一個基督徒要去作成!

Prayer:

Sovereign Lord, if we are honest to you and to ourselves, we might have been falling short of these duties (or their essence). We neglect/ignore what is and how to differentiate the difference between the holy and the common (as well as between the unclean and the clean). We either are with no awareness or more often tend to act like ‘judges’ (not mediators) neglecting the importance of knowing your words deeply. Forgive and help us to live up to our call lives of obedience to you. Amen.

禱告: 至高無上的主啊!如果我們誠實面對你和自己,我們或許已一直在虧缺這些責任(或它們的本質);我們忽略/漠視什麼是和如何去分別/辨聖俗(與及潔淨的和不潔淨的)。我們沒有意識,又或慣常傾向去扮演「審判官」(不是調解人),忽略深入認識你話語的重要性。求你寬恕和幫助我們,去過著無愧于自己的召命、聽從你的生活。阿們。

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