【双语灵修】名字有什么意义?WHAT’S IN A NAME?

利未记 24:10-16

有一个以色列妇人的儿子,他父亲是埃及人,一日闲游在以色列人中,这以色列妇人的儿子和一个以色列人在营里争斗。 这以色列妇人的儿子亵渎了圣名,并且咒诅,就有人把他送到摩西那里。(他母亲名叫示罗密,是但支派底伯利的女儿。) 他们把那人收在监里,要得耶和华所指示的话。

耶和华晓谕摩西说: “把那咒诅圣名的人带到营外,叫听见的人都放手在他头上,全会众就要用石头打死他。 你要晓谕以色列人说:凡咒诅神的,必担当他的罪。 那亵渎耶和华名的,必被治死,全会众总要用石头打死他。不管是寄居的,是本地人,他亵渎耶和华名的时候,必被治死。

星期二

十一月二十五日

名字有什么意义?

“‘那亵渎耶和华名的,必被治死。’” - 利 24:16

这是一个很难解释的故事。两个人动起武来,大家脾气火暴,大吵大叫。其中一人引用神的名字去咒诅另一人,这明显违背了不可亵渎耶和华的名字的命令。我们应该怎样处理这事呢?

神的名字不是我们可以随便用来表达震惊、愤怒或有趣的。也不是我们可以用来支持自己喜欢的政治或社会立场的。当然我们也要留意,不会轻率地说“神这样告诉我。”

我们怎样使用神的名字,塑造我们怎样看神的性格。如果我们把神的名字当作一句妙语,我们便不会把神当作是甚么一回事。如果我们用神的名字去支撑我们的政治或社会立场,那神只不过是我们的一个吉祥物而已。但如果以敬畏的心去使用神的名字,我们便会以耶和华当得的荣耀去尊崇祂。但在这个故事中的人却看不见这点,因此他要为所犯的罪受到最终的惩罚,真是很难想像得到这样的结果。

多年之后,耶稣被诬告亵渎而最终被处死。但对我们来说,这却是好消息。因着耶稣被判罪,我们一切误用神的名字的罪,包括一切羞辱神的说话和行为,便得赦免了。而现在神恩慈地授权我们可使用祂的名字,以致我们能藉着呼求祂的名字而得救。

祷告

主耶稣,求祢帮助我们,在说话和行为上都尊崇祢名字的神圣。惟愿我们称祢的名字时,只是单单为了荣耀祢。阿们。

Leviticus 24:10-16

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

“Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death.” —Leviticus 24:16

This is a difficult story. Two men get into a fight. Tempers flare, and shouting erupts. One of the men invokes God’s name as a curse, clearly defying God’s command not to blaspheme the Lord. What should be done?

God’s name is not for our casual use to express shock or anger or amusement. It’s not something we can invoke to support our favorite political or social causes. Of course, we also should be careful about flippantly saying “God told me this or that.”

The way we handle God’s name shapes the way we view God’s character. If we treat God’s name as a punchline, we will not take God seriously. If we invoke God’s name to prop up our political or social positions, God becomes little more than a good luck charm. But when we use God’s name with reverence and awe, we will find that we honor God—as the Lord deserves. The man in this story failed to see that, and although it’s difficult to imagine, he paid the ultimate penalty for his sin.

Many years later, Jesus was (wrongly) accused of blasphemy and was eventually put to death. But what good news for us! Jesus was condemned so that all of our misuse of God’s name—every way in which we dishonor God by our words and actions—would be forgiven. Now God graciously entrusts his name to us so that we may call upon it for salvation!

Lord Jesus, help us to honor the sanctity of your name in the way we speak and live. May we only use your name to glorify you. Amen.