【双语灵修】需要一位中保NEED FOR A MEDIATOR

出埃及记 32:1-14

百姓见摩西迟延不下山，就大家聚集到亚伦那里，对他说：“起来，为我们做神像，可以在我们前面引路，因为领我们出埃及地的那个摩西，我们不知道他遭了什么事。” 亚伦对他们说：“你们去摘下你们妻子、儿女耳上的金环，拿来给我。” 百姓就都摘下他们耳上的金环，拿来给亚伦。 亚伦从他们手里接过来，铸了一只牛犊，用雕刻的器具做成。他们就说：“以色列啊，这是领你出埃及地的神！” 亚伦看见，就在牛犊面前筑坛，且宣告说：“明日要向耶和华守节。” 次日清早，百姓起来献燔祭和平安祭，就坐下吃喝，起来玩耍。

耶和华吩咐摩西说：“下去吧，因为你的百姓，就是你从埃及地领出来的，已经败坏了。 他们快快偏离了我所吩咐的道，为自己铸了一只牛犊，向它下拜献祭，说：‘以色列啊，这就是领你出埃及地的神！’” 耶和华对摩西说：“我看这百姓真是硬着颈项的百姓。 你且由着我，我要向他们发烈怒，将他们灭绝，使你的后裔成为大国。” 摩西便恳求耶和华他的神说：“耶和华啊，你为什么向你的百姓发烈怒呢？这百姓是你用大力和大能的手从埃及地领出来的。 为什么使埃及人议论说‘他领他们出去，是要降祸于他们，把他们杀在山中，将他们从地上除灭’？求你转意，不发你的烈怒；后悔，不降祸与你的百姓。 求你记念你的仆人亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列，你曾指着自己起誓说：‘我必使你们的后裔像天上的星那样多，并且我所应许的这全地，必给你们的后裔，他们要永远承受为业。’” 于是耶和华后悔，不把所说的祸降于他的百姓。

星期二

三月二十四日

需要一位中保

“于是耶和华后悔，不把所说的祸降与他的百姓。” - 出 32:14

当摩西去会见神，领受律法时，他去了很长的时间—共四十昼夜（《出埃及记》 24:18）。以色列百姓等得不耐烦，就想到不如做一个“神的形像”，那么他们自己便见到神了。摩西的兄弟亚伦，虽然曾见过神在拯救以色列人离开为奴之地时，所显露的善良和惊人的能力，却没有挺身对抗这些民众，他反而成为匠师，把百姓拿出来的所有金器熔了，铸成一只金牛犊。

亚伦指着金牛犊，宣称这便是领他们出埃及的神。虽然“十诫”在他们脑海中的印象犹新，但他们竟然去膜拜这件看不见又听不到的偶像。

永活的神看见又听到民众所作的，便告诉摩西祂要全然消灭他们。然而摩西走到信实的神和失信的民众中间，向神求情。不是基于百姓所作的，而是基于神的属性，祂的信实和祂对与亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各所立的盟约之承诺。

摩西这样作中保，至终是要指向耶稣的工作，耶稣为拯救我们舍弃自己的生命，又为我们向神代求。今天我们仍需要耶稣作我们的中保，祂是永不会失信的。

祷告

主啊，我们仍然有制造偶像的倾向，而不去敬拜你，我们祈求你的赦免。感谢你赐我们耶稣，作我们终极的中保，阿们。

Exodus 32:1-14

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

NEED FOR A MEDIATOR

The LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. —Exodus 32:14

While Moses met with God and received the law for the people, he was away for a long time—40 days and nights (Exodus 24:18). The people of Israel grew tired of waiting and wondered why they couldn’t make an image of God that they could see for themselves. Aaron, the brother of Moses, had seen all the goodness and amazing power of God while he worked to bring the Israelites out of slavery. But Aaron did not stand up to this mob. Instead he became the artist who melted down all kinds of gold objects to make a sculpture of a golden calf.

Aaron pointed to the golden calf and proclaimed that this was the god who had brought them out of Egypt. Even with the Ten Commandments still fresh in the minds of the people, they held a festival to commemorate this image that could not see or hear.

The living God saw and heard what the people had done, and he told Moses that he was about to destroy them. But Moses stepped in between the faithful God and the faithless mob. Moses pleaded not on the basis of the people’s actions but on the character of God—his faithful character and his covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

This work of Moses as a mediator pointed ultimately to the work of Jesus, who paid with his own life for our salvation and also intercedes with God for us. We still need Jesus as our mediator today—and he never fails.

Lord, we are still prone to make idols rather than worship you. Forgive us, we pray. Thank you for giving us Jesus as our ultimate mediator. Amen.