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民数记生命读经 · 第28篇

行程（十三）

Journeying (13)
1读经：民数记十九章。在本篇信息中，我们要来看民数记十九章，这里说到除污秽的水。不过，在说到这事之前，我愿说一说民数记的分段。
1Scripture Reading: Num. 19 In this message we will cover chapter nineteen of Numbers, which deals with the water for impurity. However, before I come to this matter, I would like to say a word about the way the book of Numbers is sectioned
2第一段（民一1～九14）说到以色列人的成军。从九章十五节起，他们这军队开始出发，踏上行程。他们只走了三天多，搅扰、骚动和背叛就进来了。这些事在十一章开始发生。十一至十四章形成一组，在此我们看见四面的背叛。首先，在营边界的人向神发怨言、说恶语。（民十一1～，参申八2。）然后，搀杂的群众，就是那些不清楚自己身分和家族的人，按著他们肉体的欲望起贪欲。（民十一4～35。）第三，米利暗和亚伦，就是与摩西非常亲近，且在行政中心的人，背叛了。（民十二1～。）第四，以色列人不信他们能进入美地。这背叛是出于属肉体之百姓的不信（民十三１～十四３８）。十五章是一段插进的话，说到颁赐三面的典章：关于神不同供物的供备，就是基督的各面；关于守安息日，就是接受神为我们所作成的；以及关于百姓的穿著，表征我们的生活该是美丽的，我们的行为该在属天的管治之下。
2The first section (1:1—9:14) shows the formation of the children of Israel into an army. From 9:15 they began as the army to set out on their journey. They traveled only a little more than three days before the troubles, turmoils, and rebellions came in. These things began to take place in chapter eleven. Chapters eleven through fourteen form one group, in which we see four aspects of rebellion. First, the people on the border, on the edge, of the camp murmured evil against God (11:1-3; cf. Deut. 8:2). 3 Second, the mixed multitude, those who were not clear about their status and family, lusted according to their fleshly desires (Num. 11:4-35). Third, Miriam and Aaron, who were very close to Moses and in the center of the administration, rebelled (12:1-16). Fourth, the children of Israel were unbelieving concerning 16 entering into the good land. That was a rebellion out of the unbelief of a fleshly people (13:1—14:38). Chapter fifteen is an insertion in which ordinances were given in three directions: concerning God’spr o vision of different offerings, which are aspects of Christ; concerning the keeping of the Sabbath, which is to receive what God has done for us; and concerning the people’s dress, which signifies that our living should have some beauty and that our conduct should be under a heavenly ruling.
3就在三类典章颁赐后不久，十六章发生了全民、普遍的背叛。以色列人中，二百五十个顶尖且有名望的首领，背叛到一个地步，甚至无法用言语形容。在整本圣经中，我们再也看不到神向人发那么大的怒气，以致祂审判他们，使地开口，吞灭那些带头背叛的，及其家人并产业。值得注意的是，可拉有些儿女没有参与背叛，远离这事。至终，可拉的后裔撒母耳（代上六33～）成了大申言者和拿细耳祭司。撒母耳的孙子希幔，成了大卫所安排，利未事奉下神殿里圣别的歌者。
3Immediately after the three ordinances were given, in chapter sixteen a nationwide, universal, popular rebellion occurred. Two hundred fifty of the top leaders and wellknown men from among the children of Israel rebelled to such an extent that there is no word to describe it. In the whole Bible we cannot see another occasion where God was so angry with man that He judged the leaders of the rebellion by causing the earth to open its mouth and swallow them up with their families and possessions. It is noteworthy that some of the children of Korah did not join the rebellion. Rather, they departed from it. Eventually, Samuel, a descendant of Korah (1 Chron. 6:3 3-3 7), became a great prophet and a Nazarite 37 priest. Samuel’s grandson, Heman, became a psalmist and a holy singer in God’stem ple under the Levitical service arranged by David.
4十七章记载，在那次大的、可怕的背叛之后，神藉著复活的基督，在祂复活的能力里，表白了亚伦。这能力展示于一根发芽、开花、结果（甚至结出熟果）的枯槁死木上。十八、十九章是另一段插进的话。表面上，十八章是个条例，再次确证赐给亚伦祭司职任和利未人对祭司职任之事奉的奖赏。实际上，这乃是在前一项发芽的杖之外，再加上的有力表白。因著一伙利未人背叛了祭司，使百姓感到迷惑。因此在骚动之后，神再次确证祭司的职任。神已经在出埃及记和利未记二书中确证了祭司的职任。现今在民数记，神再次确证给祭司职任和利未事奉的奖赏。这乃是对背叛有力的表白。
4Chapter seventeen records that at the end of that vast, terrible rebellion, God vindicated Aaron by the resurrected Christ in His resurrection power. This power was displayed in a dead and dried up piece of wood that budded, blossomed, and bore fruit, even unto maturity. Chapters eighteen and nineteen are another insertion. Apparently chapter eighteen is a regulation that reconfirms the compensation, or reward, given to the Aaronic priesthood and the Levitical service to the priesthood. Actually it is a strong vindication added to the previous vindication, the budding rod. Because a company of the Levites had rebelled against the priests, the people became confused. Thus, after the turmoil, God reconfirmed the priesthood. God had already confirmed the priesthood in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. Now, in Numbers, God reconfirmed the reward to the priesthood and the Levitical service. This was a strong vindication against the rebellion
5我们若肤浅的读十八、十九章，就无法察知背叛后所遗留的背景和气氛。以色列人中间对祭司和利未人产生一种特别的气氛。祭司和利未人都没有赖以维生的产业。他们仅仅凭以色列人所给的十分之一维生。这实行乃是百姓给利未人十分之一，利未人又把十分之一给祭司，然后祭司把一些东西献给神。这就是说，祭司、利未人、百姓、甚至神自己，都要靠以色列人的『怜悯』而活。利未人靠以色列人所给的过活，祭司靠利未人所给的过活，神靠祭司、利未人、以色列人所给的过活。百姓若拒绝给，这三者—利未人、祭司、和神自己—都没有可吃的。所以神在这时候进来，再次确证祂给祭司和所有事奉祭司体系者的奖赏。这成了给以色列人世世代代遵守的约，就是永远的律例。（民十八11，19、23。）
5If we read chapters eighteen and nineteen in a superficial way, we will not be able to appreciate the background and atmosphere that remained after the rebellion. A particular kind of atmosphere was created among the children of Israel toward the priests and the Levites. Both had nothing as an inheritance to live on. They lived solely on what the children of Israel would give them in the way of tithes. The practice was that the people gave tithes to the Levites, the Levites in turn gave tithes to the priests, and the priests then offered something to God. This means that the priests, the Levites, and even God Himself lived on the mercy of the children of Israel. The Levites lived on the giving of the sons of Israel; the priests lived on the giving of the Levites; and God lived on the giving of the priests, the Levites, and the sons of Israel. If the people had refused to give, all three—the Levites, the priests, and God Himself—would have had nothing to eat. Therefore, at this juncture God came in to reconfirm His reward to the priests and to all the serving ones of the priesthood. This became a covenant, a perpetual statute, for the children of Israel to keep throughout their generations (18:11, 19, 23
柒 除污秽的水
VII. THE WATER FOR IMPURITY
6民数记十九章是圣经中非常特别的一章，很不容易明白为甚么这一章会放在这里。这章说到把一只红母牛与一些别的东西一起焚烧，灰用来作除污秽的水。阅读整章，我们能明白这里的不洁、污秽，主要是指死亡的玷污。这水是个供应，使人脱离死亡的影响和不洁。
6Chapter nineteen of Numbers is a very peculiar chapter in the Bible. It is not easy to understand why this chapter is here. In this chapter a heifer is burned with other items, and the ashes are used to make a water for impurity. By reading the whole chapter we can understand that the impurity, the uncleanness, refers mainly to the filthiness of death. This water is a provision to get rid of the effect and impurity of death.
7就在十六章的背叛之后，到处都是死亡。在一天之内，一万四千七百人死亡，他们的尸体到处横卧。在营内许多的帐棚里都有人的死尸。人摸了死尸，（民十九11，）或人死的时候在场，（民十九18，）或进入死尸所在的帐棚，（民十九14，）就受到污染。以色列人整整二百万的人口，都在死亡的影响之下。他们都在不洁的光景中。因此，需要除污秽的水废掉死亡的影响和不洁。在出埃及记和利未记中，很可能神没有想到除污秽的水，因为那时还没有像民数记这样普遍的9死亡。在民数记十九章，死亡笼罩了神整体的百姓。在一万四千七百人死亡以后，实际上一切帐棚和帐棚内的器具都受到污染。人无论到那里去，或摸到任何东西，都成了不洁。
7Immediately after the rebellion in chapter sixteen, death was everywhere. In one day fourteen thousand seven hundred people died, and their carcasses lay everywhere. In many of the tents in the camp, there were dead bodies. A man became contaminated by touching a dead body (19:11), by being present when a person died (v. 18), or by entering the tent where a dead body had been (v. 14). The entire population of two million Israelites was under the effect of death. They were all in a situation of impurity. Thus, there was the need for the water for impurity to annul the effect and impurity of death. Probably, in Exodus and Leviticus God did not have the thought concerning the water for impurity, because in those times there was not such a popular, universal death as in Numbers. In Numbers 1 death overshadowed the entire people of God. After the death of the fourteen thousand seven hundred, virtually all the tents and every vessel in the tents became contaminated. Wherever anyone went or whatever he touched, he became unclean.
8在十七章，发芽的杖表白了祭司职任。然后在十八章重申了规条，再次确证给祭司和利未人的赏赐，使难处永远得到解决。至终在十九章发明了除污秽的水，对付神百姓中间普遍所受死亡的影响。
8In chapter seventeen, the budding rod was a vindication of the priesthood. Then, in chapter eighteen, the regulations were restated as a reconfirmation of the compensation to the priests and the Levites so that the problem would be settled forever. Finally, in chapter nineteen, the water for impurity was invented to deal with the universal effect of death among God’sp eople
一 组成成分
A. Its Composition
9我们先来看除污秽之水的组成，并且看这水是如何组成的。
9Let us first consider the composition of the water for impurity and see how this water was composed
１ 红母牛
1. A Heifer
10『耶和华所吩咐之条例的律例，是这样说，你要告诉以色列人，带一只没有残疾、缺陷，未曾负轭的红母牛到你这里。』（民十九2。）这红母牛，洁净之水的主要成分，表征基督作我们的救赎。
10This is the statute of the law which Jehovah has commanded, saying, Tell the sons of Israel to bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect, and upon which a yoke has never come’’ (19:2). This heifer, the principal component of the water for purification, signifies Christ for our redemption
ａ红
a. Red
11红色表征罪之肉体的样式，为著外在的担负人的罪。当基督成为肉体的时候，祂成了罪之肉体的样式。（罗八3。）
11The color red signifies the likeness of the flesh of sin, for the bearing of man’ss in outwardly. When Christ was incarnated, He became in the likeness of the flesh of sin (Rom. 8:3).
ｂ没有残疾
b. Without Blemish
12红母牛没有残疾。这表征基督没有罪。基督虽然是在罪之肉体的样式里，在祂里面却没有罪。祂并没有罪性。
12The heifer was without blemish. This signifies that Christ was without sin. Although Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin, within Him there was no sin. He did not have the sinful nature
ｃ没有缺陷
c. Having No Defect
13红母牛没有缺陷。这指明基督是完全的。
13The heifer had no defect. This indicates that Christ was perfect
ｄ未曾负轭
d. Having Never Been under a Yoke
14红母牛未曾负轭。这表征基督从未被任何人所使用，特别是被神的仇敌撒但或为著他所使用。ｅ在营外宰于祭司面前
14The heifer had never been under a yoke. This signifies that Christ was never used by anyone, especially by or for God’se ne my, Satan. e. Slaughtered outside the Camp before the Priest
15『你要交给祭司以利亚撒。这母牛要给牵到营外，宰于他面前。』（民十九3。）基督是在营外，（来十三12，）就是在耶路撒冷城外的一座小山—加略—上被钉十字架的。
15You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and she shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him’’ (Num. 19:3). Christ was crucified outside the camp (Heb. 13:12), on Calvary, a little mount outside the city of Jerusalem
ｆ祭司要取这牛的一些血，向会幕前弹七次
f. Some of Her Blood Sprinkled by the Priest toward the Front of the Tent of Meeting Seven Times
16『祭司以利亚撒要用手指取些牛血，向会幕前弹七次。』（民十九4。）在遮罪日，遮罪的血要被带进帐幕里（位于营的中央），弹在约柜上，并对著幔子弹。（利四5～7，十六14～15。）然而，红母牛在营外，远离会幕的地方被宰后，牠的血是拿来向会幕前弹七次。
16Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and shall sprinkle some of her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times’’ (Num. 19:4). On the day of propitiation, the blood of propitiation was brought into the tabernacle (in the middle of the camp) and was sprinkled upon the ark and toward the veil (Lev. 4:5-7; 16:14-15). However, the heifer was slaughtered outside the camp, far away from the tent of meeting, yet the blood was sprinkled seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting
ｇ牛的皮、肉、血、和粪，要在祭司眼前焚烧
g. Her Skin, Flesh, and Blood, with Her Dung, Burned in the Sight of the Priest
17牛的皮、肉、血和粪，要在祭司眼前焚烧。（民十九5。）
17Her skin, flesh, and blood, with her dung, were to be burned in the sight of the priest (Num. 19:5
２ 香柏木、牛膝草、和朱红色绒，丢在烧牛的火中
2. Cedar Wood, Hyssop, and Scarlet Being Cast into the Burning of the Heifer
18『祭司要拿香柏木、牛膝草、朱红色绒，丢在烧牛的火中。』（民十九6。）香柏木表征基督在祂尊贵的人性里，牛膝草表征基督在祂卑微的人性里，朱红色绒表征救赎最高的意义。这就是说，在基督的救赎里，尊高的基督与卑微的基督，乃是除污秽之水的组成元素。３产生灰，用作除污秽的水民数记十九章九节是指红母牛的灰。红母牛与别的成分一起焚烧，便产生了灰，这灰表征基督被剥夺到无有。这灰要留作除污秽的水，为著洁净罪，或作赎罪祭。
18‘‘The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer’’ (v. 6). Cedar wood signifies Christ in His dignified humanity, hyssop signifies Christ in His humbled humanity, and scarlet signifies redemption in its highest significance. This means that the high and dignified Christ and the lowly and humbled Christ in His redemption were elements put into the composition of the water for impurity. 3. Producing Ashes for the Water for Impurity Numbers 19:9 refers to the ashes of the heifer. The burning of the heifer with the other elements produced ashes, which signify Christ reduced to nothing. These ashes were kept for the water for impurity; it was a purification of sin, or a sin offering.
４ 活水
4. Living Water
19十七节下半说到活水。这活水表征在基督复活里的圣灵。在除污秽的水里，有基督救赎的效能，同祂复活之灵洗净的能力。
19Verse 17b speaks of running water. Literally, the Hebrew word translated ‘‘running’’ means living. This living water signifies the Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Christ. In the water for impurity, there is the efficacy of Christ’s redemption with the washing power of the Spirit of His resurrection
二 用法
B. Its Usage
20我们需要来看的第二件事，就是除污秽之水的用法。
20The next matter we need to see is how the water for purification was used
１ 要弹在不洁净的人身上
1. To Be Sprinkled upon the Unclean Persons
21除污秽的水要弹在不洁净的人身上：那些摸了人尸体的，或进了死人帐幕、在死人帐幕里的，或碰了被刀杀的、死尸、人骨、坟墓的。（民十九11～14，16～20。）这是当时以色列人光景的写照。死亡的不洁遍布各处。
21The water for impurity was to be sprinkled upon the unclean persons: those who touched a dead body, or came into a tent or were already in a tent in which a man died, or touched one who had been slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave (vv. 11-14, 16-20). This is a picture of the situation of the children of Israel at that time. The uncleanness of death was everywhere
22本章所题的不洁，不是指罪，乃是指死亡。死亡来自罪，罪是死亡的根源。（罗五12。）从背叛的罪开始，死亡便在以色列人中间广为流行，因此需要有除污秽的水。只有基督藉著祂尊高并卑微的人性，带著祂的死以及复活之灵的救赎工作，才能医治并洁净那光景。
22The impurity in this chapter does not refer to sin but to death. Death comes out of sin, and sin is the root of death (Rom. 5:12). From the sin of rebellion, death became prevailing among the children of Israel. Thus, there was the need for the water for impurity. Only the working of Christ’s redemption, through His dignified and humbled humanity, with His death and the Spirit of His resurrection, could heal and cleanse the situation
２ 弹在死了人的帐幕上，并其中敞著口的器皿和器具上
2. To Be Sprinkled upon the Tent in Which a Man Dies and upon the Open Vessels and Furnishings in It
23这水要弹在死了人的帐幕上，并其中敞著口的器皿和器具上，洁净这一切。（民十九15，18。）三弹母牛的血，并焚烧牛皮、肉、血、粪的祭司，
23The water was also to be sprinkled upon the tent in which a man died and upon all the open vessels and furnishings in the tent, for their cleansing (Num. 19:15, 18). C. The Priest Who Sprinkled the Blood of the Heifer and Burned Its Skin, Flesh, and Blood, with Its Dung
烧母牛灰的人，收母牛灰的人，弹除污秽水的人，都要洗衣服，在水里洗澡
the Man Who Burned the Heifer, the Man Who Gathered Up the Ashes of the Heifer, and the Man Who Sprinkled the Water for Impurity Washing Their Clothes and Bathing Themselves in Water
24弹母牛的血，并焚烧牛皮、肉、血、粪的祭司，烧母牛灰的人，收母牛灰的人，弹除污秽水的人，都要洗衣服，在水里洗澡。（民十九7～10，18～19。）这表征凡与除污秽水有关联的人，都成为不洁，需要洗净。此后，以色列人的整个光景都得了洁净，脱离了他们背叛的罪所带进之死亡的影响。
24The priest who sprinkled the blood of the heifer and burned its skin, flesh, and blood, with its dung, the man who burned the heifer, the man who gathered up the ashes of the heifer, and the man who sprinkled the water for impurity were to wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water (vv. 7-10, 18-19). This signifies that whoever was involved with the water for impurity became unclean and needed to be washed and cleansed. After this, the entire situation of the children of Israel was cleansed from the effect of the death that came in from their sin of rebellion
25我盼望我们都能记住这些事：十一至十四章所记载的四个背叛；十五章所插进，关于供物、守安息日、百姓之穿著的典章；十六章所记载普及的背叛；十七章里藉著发芽之杖的表白；十八章里对祭司和利未人之奖赏的确证。接著，我们在十九章看见除污秽的水，洁净并废除因那次大背叛所带来死亡的影响。
25I hope that we all will keep in mind the four rebellions in chapters eleven through fourteen; the insertion in chapter fifteen, with the ordinances concerning the offerings, the keeping of the Sabbath, and the people’s dress; the widespread rebellion in chapter sixteen; the vindication through the budding rod in chapter seventeen; and confirmation of the reward to the priests and the Levites in chapter eighteen. Following all this, we see in chapter nineteen the water for impurity to cleanse away and annul the effect of the death that came from the great rebellion