【双语灵修】主的脸光照我们FACING US

「愿耶和华使他的脸光照你……」-民 6:25

我时常对这句话感到惊奇赞叹。以色列人在旷野中流徙时，并不是忠心的光辉典范。他们哀叹、抱怨，威胁说要回埃及，甚至制造偶像来代替神（出 16-17章; 32-33章）。然而，神却指示亚伦为以色列人祝福，而亚伦的双手曾制造过这些偶像。甚至，神还祝福说「把祂的名加在以色列人身上」（put his name on Israelites）—换句话说，神希望与以色列人紧密相连，使他们成为神家里的一部分！

还要注意的是，这段祝福的中间部分请求神「使他的脸光照」（make his face shine）祂的子民。把这个画面比作父母为自己的孩子而自豪，或配偶看到伴侣而喜笑颜开，是再恰当不过了。这个祝福超出了以色列人的期望：神因与他们有连结而满心欢喜地转向他们！

许多世纪之后，神在祂的儿子耶稣基督身上与我们有了更深的连结。神借着生和死成为和我们一样的人，这也超出了我们的期望。借着耶稣，我们体会到神的脸喜悦地光照着我们。正如保罗后来写道：「如今，那些在基督耶稣里的就不定罪了。」（罗 8:1）

祷告

神啊，我们惊叹于祢竟然愿意与我们来往！祢的爱何等伟大，祢喜悦我们，愿意在基督里与我们相和！阿们。

民数记 6:22-27
22 耶和华晓谕摩西说： 23 「你告诉亚伦和他儿子说，你们要这样为以色列人祝福，说： 24 『愿耶和华赐福给你，保护你！25 愿耶和华使他的脸光照你，赐恩给你！ 26愿耶和华向你仰脸，赐你平安！』27 他们要如此奉我的名为以色列人祝福，我也要赐福给他们。」

FACING US

“‘The Lord make his face shine on you. . . .’” - Numbers 6:25

I always marvel at this passage. The Israelites were not a shining example of faithfulness while they wandered in the desert. They grumbled and complained, threatened to go back to Egypt, and even made idols to worship in place of God (Exodus 16-17; 32-33). Yet God instructed Aaron—whose hands had made those idols—to bless the Israelites. Even more, God said that this would “put [his] name on the Israelites”—in other words, God wanted to be so closely identified with the Israelites that they would be part of his family!

Notice too that the middle of this blessing asks God to “make his face shine” on his people. It’s fitting to compare this image to a parent beaming with pride over their child or to a spouse absolutely glowing with joy at the sight of their partner. This blessing is beyond what Israel could have hoped for: having God turn toward them with overflowing delight at being associated with them!

Many centuries later, God became even more associated with us in his Son, Jesus Christ. Even more than we could have hoped, God became one with us in life and in death. Through Jesus, we experience God’s face shining on us with delight. And as Paul later wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Prayer
We marvel at your decision to associate with us, O God! How great is your love that you delight in us and have chosen to become one with us in Christ! Amen.

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳