摘自锡安之光
MARCH 12, 2023 INTERCESSION, TEACHINGS
The parasha for this week (March 11-17, 2023) is called Ki Tisa. Packed with rich insight and majestic mystery, Ki Tisa includes God’s instructions for the offering of incense to Him in Israel’s holy tabernacle and temple. Today, neither tabernacle nor temple exists. But as a New Covenant believer, your personal ministry to God—even you yourself—are as a holy and fragrant incense to Him. “We are the sweet fragrance of Messiah unto God” (2 Corinthians 2:15). What does this profound reality suggest?
From the parasha, Exodus 30:34-37 (NIV) says: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you….Consider it holy to the Lord.’”
</em><em>Ki 充满了丰富的洞察力和庄严的奥秘，包括上帝关于在以色列的圣幕和圣殿中向他献香的指示。今天，会幕和圣殿都不存在。但作为一名新约信徒，你对上帝的个人事工——甚至你你自己 - 对他来说就像圣洁芬芳的香。 “我们是弥赛亚献给上帝的馨香之气”（哥林多后书 2:15）。这个深刻的现实意味着什么？ 出埃及记 30:34-37 (NIV) 说：“<em>然后耶和华对摩西说：‘取香的香料——树胶、onycha 和波斯树脂——和纯净的乳香，全部等量，混合香，调香师的作品。它是咸的，纯洁的，神圣的。将其中一些磨成粉末，放在会幕中的法台前，我会在那里与你会面……视它为耶和华的圣物
First, consider that the person and ministry of Yeshua are as incense to God and to us. “Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering to God, a sweet fragrance” (Ephesians 5:2). A similar reality is expressed in Song of Solomon 3:6. “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?” Here the implied reference is to Yeshua.
Pure, sacrificial love is fragrant in the spirit realm. In temple times, this was tangibly expressed by the priestly offering of physical incense. Today, incense is still important to God through the priestly ministry of worship and prayer. As a follower of Yeshua, you have the high honor of being part of His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9 ). Though intangible, the concept is not merely metaphorical.
To the extent you are a man or woman of prayer, you are as incense to God. In Hebrew, Psalm 109:4 literally reads, “I am prayer.” Now consider that Psalm 141:2 translates, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense.” Together, these verses imply that in the realm of the Spirit, a prayerful, dedicated believer is genuinely as sweet incense to Him.
首先，考虑一下耶稣的位格和他的事工对上帝和我们来说就像香。“弥赛亚爱我们，舍己为我们预备为馨香的供物献给神”（以弗所书 5:2）。雅歌 3:6 表达了类似的现实。 “这好像一团烟雾，有没药和乳香的香气，从旷野上来的是谁？”这里隐含的参考是耶稣。 纯洁、牺牲的爱在精神领域散发着芬芳。在神庙时代，这是通过祭司献上香火来具体表达的。今天，通过祭司的敬拜和祈祷，香对上帝来说仍然很重要。作为耶稣的追随者，您很荣幸成为他君王祭司的一员（彼得前书 2:9）。虽然是无形的，但这个概念不仅仅是隐喻。 在某种程度上，你是一个祈祷的男人或女人，你就像上帝的香一样。在希伯来语中，诗篇 109:4 的字面意思是“我在祈祷”。现在想想诗篇 141:2 的翻译：“愿我的祷告如香陈在你面前。” <strong><em><u>这些经文一起暗示，在圣灵的领域里，一个虔诚、献身的信徒对他来说真的就像香甜的香。
Personally, I delight in sweet aromas. They can uplift my spirit and soothe my soul. The notion that to Almighty God, I can somehow be a sweet aroma, serving even as incense, elevates my understanding of who I am in Him, to Him and for Him. It stirs devotion and fresh passion for my Beloved King–as I trust it does for you, too.
But to be as incense, a crushing, fiery process is involved. In actual practice, the incense ingredients of Exodus 30 were pulverized and beaten into tiny pieces. Next, they were burned by a controlled fire. Only then could their sweet aroma be released.
At times you may feel beaten into small pieces and pulverized. You may feel “the heat is on” and you’re passing through fire. Be encouraged that in this trying process, God is working in you an ever deepening, surrendered condition of soul. Remember that a soul surrendered in love releases prayer and worship that is a pure and sweet, delightful fragrance to Him. Be encouraged that the aroma of incense can be produced and released no other way.
Exodus 30 identifies four specific ingredients for the temple incense (called ketoret). Each was highly prized, extraordinarily costly and greatly valued. Similarly, you are highly prized and valuable to God and His kingdom. This means you are an essential “ingredient” to the Body of Messiah, one needed for the full release of the destiny of the entire ekklesia. As the ketoret was a blend of spices, each member of the Body is a needed ingredient to the blend of worship and prayer we collectively offer God in our generation.
就个人而言，我喜欢甜美的香气。他们可以振奋我的精神，抚慰我的灵魂。对于全能的上帝，我可以以某种方式成为一种甜美的香气，甚至可以作为熏香，这一想法提升了我对我在他里面的身份、对他的认识以及对他的认识。它激发了对我敬爱的国王的忠诚和新的热情——我相信它对你也是如此。 但要像香一样，需要一个粉碎、燃烧的过程</u></em></strong>。在实际操作中，出埃及记 30 的香成分被粉碎并打成小块。接下来，他们被受控火烧毁。只有这样，它们的甜美香气才能释放出来。 有时您可能会感到被打成小块并被粉碎。您可能会感到“热气腾腾”并且您正在穿越火海。受到鼓励，在这个尝试过程中，上帝正在你的灵魂中不断加深、降服的状态。 <em><strong><u>记住，一个在爱中降服的灵魂释放出纯洁而甜蜜的祈祷和敬拜... 出埃及记 30 确定了圣殿熏香的四种特定成分<em>（称为</em><em>ketoret）</em>。每一件都非常珍贵，价格昂贵，价值不菲。同样，你对上帝和他的国度来说是非常珍贵和有价值的。 <strong><em><u>这意味着你是弥赛亚身体的重要“成分”，是完全释放 的命运所必需的。你由于是香料的混合物，因此身体的每个肢体都是我们这一代人集体献给上帝的敬拜和祈祷所必需的成分。
Next, consider that when you inhale a substance, it enters into your body, gets absorbed, and in a sense, becomes part of you. When your prayers ascend to God, they are carried and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. They get absorbed into heaven. In some mysterious manner, I believe your prayers and worship may get absorbed into the heart of God Himself as He “inhales” them as incense.
What might the 4 specific ingredients of the ketoret of Exodus 30 reveal about our relationship and journey with God?
(1) The Hebrew word used for the first spice is nataf, which simply means “a drop.” Bible scholars and botanists today do not know exactly what nataf was or is, although some translate it as storax or stacte. Some, but not all, believe the reference is to myrrh. In Scripture, myrrh is said to symbolize bitterness, affliction or suffering. Nataf drops are believed to have resembled tear drops. Perhaps that is our clue: nataf is a spice derived from a plant with sap that, like myrrh, drips like tears. Sometimes, the incense we offer God today comes from tears shed to express the passion, even brokenness of heart, of our worshipful, prayerful surrender to Him.
用于第一种香料的希伯来语单词是 nataf，简单的意思是“一滴”。今天的圣经学者和植物学家并不确切知道 nataf 过去是什么，尽管有些人将其翻译为 storax 或 stacte。有些人（但不是所有人）认为这里指的是没药。在圣经中，据说没药象征着苦涩、痛苦或苦难。 Nataf 滴剂被认为类似于泪滴。也许这就是我们的线索：nataf 是一种香料，来自一种植物，这种植物的汁液就像没药一样，会像眼泪一样滴落。有时，我们今天献给上帝的香来自流下的眼泪，以表达我们对上帝的敬拜和祈祷的热情，甚至是心碎。
(2) Onycha (shekhelet, from a biblical root meaning “to roar”) is the second of the ketoret ingredients. The word is used only once in Scripture, here in Exodus 30. Like nataf, its identity is uncertain. Some believe onycha was resin from labdanum. A subspecies of labdanum quite possibly used in ketoret was rock rose (sometimes also identified as the rose of Sharon). The name is derived from the fact this plant seemingly stems from very dry rock, where nothing else can grow.
There may be times when you feel like rock rose, stuck or hidden in a dry, rocky place where seemingly nothing can grow. Be encouraged! At such times, precious roots for prayer and worship may not only take hold in you, but actually flourish. Interestingly, some Bible scholars say the sound made in collecting onycha resembled a lion’s roar. Perhaps the jealous roar of the Lion of the tribe of Judah sounds in the spirit over you as you’re being prepared, like onycha, to serve as beautifully fragrant incense.
来自圣经的词根，意思是“咆哮”）是 ketoret 成分中的第二种。这个词在圣经中只用过一次，在出埃及记 30 章中。和 nataf 一样，它的身份不确定。有些人认为 onycha 是来自劳丹脂的树脂。很可能在 ketoret 中使用的劳丹脂亚种是岩玫瑰（有时也被认为是沙龙玫瑰）。这个名字来源于这样一个事实，即这种植物似乎源于非常干燥的岩石，那里没有其他东西可以生长。 有时您可能会觉得自己像岩蔷薇，被卡在或隐藏在干燥、多岩石的地方，那里似乎什么都无法生长。受到鼓励！在这种时候，祈祷和敬拜的宝贵根基不仅会在你心中生根发芽，而且实际上会蓬勃发展。有趣的是，一些圣经学者说收集 onycha 时发出的声音类似于狮子的吼叫。也许犹大部落狮子嫉妒的咆哮在你的灵魂中响起，因为你正准备像 onycha 一样，充当美丽芬芳的熏香。
(3) Like the ingredients above, the spice galbanum (khelbanah) is used only in Exodus 30. Defined merely as “fragrant gum,” the word stems from a Hebrew root meaning to be fat, rich, choice or the best of something. God receives your wholehearted devotion, prayer and worship as top choice, a full and rich offering in the spirit of Romans 12:1. Galbanum is also said to have had strong healing properties. When ignited by His love, we offer God the choice portion or best of everything that is ours. This process is not only healing and life-giving for us, but in His hands, for extended kingdom purposes.
与上述成分一样，香料波斯树脂 (khelbanah) 仅在出埃及记 30 中使用。仅被定义为“香口香糖”，该词源于希伯来语词根，意思是脂肪、丰富、精选或最好的东西。上帝接受你全心全意的奉献、祈祷和敬拜，这是最佳选择，是本着罗马书 12:1 精神的丰盛祭品。据说白松香具有很强的治疗作用。当被他的爱点燃时，我们将我们所有的精选或最好的部分献给上帝。这个过程不仅对我们来说是治愈和赋予生命的，而且在他的手中，是为了扩展王国的目的。
(4) The fourth ingredient of temple incense was frankincense (levona). The name comes from a Hebrew word meaning “white.” White implies purity. Frankincense drips from a tree with flowers that are white and is covered by a sticky white substance when it solidifies. It is derived from bleeding the tree by cutting it sharply and letting its sap drip in the form of golden tears. Frankincense is the spice mentioned in Song of Solomon 3:6 “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?” The implied reference here is to Yeshua. But your surrender to God is also a pure and sweet perfume which He adores.
寺庙熏香的第四种成分是乳香 (levona)。这个名字来自希伯来语，意思是“白色”。白色意味着纯洁。乳香从开着白色花朵的树上滴下来，当它凝固时，上面覆盖着一层粘稠的白色物质。它是通过锐利切割树木并让其树液以金色眼泪的形式滴落而流出的。乳香是雅歌 3:6 中提到的香料，“这好像一团烟雾，散发着没药和乳香的香气，从旷野上来的是谁？”这里隐含的参考是耶稣。但你对上帝的臣服也是一种纯净而甜美的香水，是他所钟爱的。
While God commanded only the above 4 ingredients for ketoret, it is believed 11 spices were actually used, at least in the Second Temple. One particular ingredient was added to cause smoke from the burning incense to ascend straight up and not be blown about by the wind. To ancient Israel, this symbolized a direct ascent to God’s heavenly temple. It stirred the priests and lay people to keep the Recipient of the incense (and of their inistry) foremost in mind and heart. They were not to focus on the fragrant beauty of the incense itself.
The offering of incense to YHVH was not about making the temple smell good or setting a religious mood. Incense was (and is) very important to Him, as seen by how the writers of Scripture recount how each of Israel’s kings allowed it to be used or misused – and the consequences.
虽然上帝只为 命令了上述 4 种成分，但据信实际使用了 11 种香料，至少在第二圣殿中是这样。添加了一种特殊的成分，使燃烧的香产生的烟雾笔直上升，而不是被风吹散。对古代以色列人来说，这象征着直接登上上帝的天上圣殿。<strong><em><u> 它激起祭司和平信徒将熏香者（以及他们的事工）铭记在心。他们不会专注于熏香本身的芬芳之美。 向耶和华献香并不是要让圣殿闻起来香或营造一种宗教氛围。 <strong><em><u>香对他来说过去（现在）非常重要，正如圣经作者如何叙述以色列的每位国王如何允许使用或滥用香以及后果所见。
Consider that according to Bible scholars, temple incense was burned on an altar placed directly in front of the curtain leading into the Holy of Holies. This meant the act of offering incense physically placed the priests the closest they could get to the Holy of Holies, except on Yom Kippur. Today, your closest intimacy with the Holy One will often be experienced through surrendered prayer and worship.
Your prayers will also play a significant role in the unfolding of events associated with the coming of Yeshua. Revelation 8:3-4 says, “An angel in heaven was given much incense to offer with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar before the Throne. The smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” As a result, angelic activity reserved for the end times is released on earth.
As we transition from Purim to Passover and Resurrection Day, ask the Holy Spirit to renew your heart for prayer and worship, especially if you’re tempted to grow weary in well doing. Remember that your prayers and worship are as incense to Him. What’s even more exhilarating, you yourself are as incense to Him, delighting your Beloved’s heart for eternity.
请想一想，根据圣经学者的说法，圣殿香是在圣坛上焚烧的，该坛直接放置在通往至圣所的幔子前。 <strong><em><u>这意味着除了赎罪日之外，献香的行为实际上让祭司离至圣所最近。</u></em></strong>今天，你与圣者最亲密的关系通常会通过臣服的祈祷和敬拜来体验。 <p>您的祈祷也将在与耶稣来临相关的事件的展开中发挥重要作用。启示录八章三至四节说，“有一位在天上的使者，被赐予许多香，要与圣徒的祈祷一同献在宝座前的金坛上。这香的烟和圣徒的祈祷从天使的手中升到神面前。”结果，为末世保留的天使活动在地球上释放。 <p><strong><em><u>当我们从普珥节过渡到逾越节和复活日时，祈求圣灵更新你的心去祈祷和敬拜，尤其是当你被诱惑变得厌倦做好事时。记住，你的祈祷和敬拜对他来说就像焚香一样。更令人振奋的是，你自己对他来说就像焚香，让你心爱的人永远快乐。