第二週•週三

w02d03-ch

晨興餧養

林前十14『所以，我所親愛的，你們要逃避拜偶像的事。』

約壹五21『孩子們，你們要保守自己，遠避偶像。』

在出埃及三十二章，金環是從妻子、兒子、女兒的耳上摘下來，用來製造偶像，就是金牛犢。…人戴耳環是爲了妝飾自己。今天的文化提倡自我妝飾，男男女女都花許多錢用於妝飾自己的東西上。…自我妝飾導致拜偶像。因這緣故，在三十三章五至六節，主賜給以色列人一條與妝飾有關的誡命：『耶和華對摩西說，…我只要片時在你們中間同你們上去，必會滅絕你們。現在你們要把身上的妝飾脫下來，我好知道怎樣待你們。因此，以色列人從住何烈山以後，就把身上的妝飾摘除乾淨。』主頒佈了關於妝飾的誡命，因爲三十二章記載得很清楚，自我妝飾導致拜偶像。…偶像的原則就是自我妝飾。（出埃及記生命讀經，二一○八至二一○九頁。）

信息選讀

與拜偶像有關的另一個原則是：拜偶像乃是撒但篡奪了神所賜給我們的，以致將其蹧蹋。…以色列人離開埃及以前，神使埃及人把金子和其他的寶物給他們。這金子是要用來建造帳幕的，帳幕需要大量的金子包裹豎板。…但這金子在用來建造神的居所以前，撒但就進來篡奪了金子，用來作成偶像。…以色列人若愛主到極點，他們就絕不會蹧蹋金子，用來作成耳環；反之，他們會保存起來給主使用。

在出埃及三十五章，百姓受囑咐要獻上金子和其他材料，爲着建造神的帳幕。爲着神的居所獻上的頭一樣物件就是金子；但在三十二章，有大量的金子卻被用來鑄造一隻牛犢。…神賜給我們許多東西，不是爲着我們妝飾自己，乃是要我們敬拜神並榮耀祂。但我們用這些東西來敬拜神並榮耀神以前，仇敵卻設法進來篡奪神所賜給我們的，將其蹧蹋。這是拜偶像的第二個原則，是得罪神的。

他們造了一隻金牛犢；〔這件事含示另一個原則。〕牛犢不是爲着勞動，乃是爲着享受，尤其是爲着給人喫。在舊約和新約，牛犢都是用來款待客人的。…在出埃及三十二章，那些妝飾自己的人都喜歡享受，享受就是他們的偶像。照樣，今天許多人也敬拜牛犢；那就是說，他們敬拜他們所享受的。…這樣解釋牛犢的意義，可由三十二章六節得着證實：『次日，百姓清早起來，獻上燔祭，並帶來平安祭，然後坐下喫喝，起來玩耍。』…寇特（C.A. Coates）說，他們在玩樂。許多美國人到了週末只關心喫喝玩樂。

按照十八節，摩西聽見歌唱的聲音；按照十九節，他『看見那牛犢，又看見人跳舞』。…這都是在金牛犢面前進行的。這裏的圖畫指明，牛犢表徵享受，以色列人敬拜他們所享受的。

我要請你們想想今天基督徒中間渴望娛樂的光景。我們很難找到一處所謂『教會的崇拜』是沒有一點娛樂的；他們用種種形式的娛樂吸引羣眾。一個地方若沒有娛樂，人就不願去那裏，他們要去有娛樂的地方。今天許多人爲着娛樂的緣故拜某種的金牛犢。（出埃及記生命讀經，二一一○至二一一二、二一二五頁。）

參讀： 出埃及記生命讀經， 第一百七十三至一百七十四、一百七十六至一百七十七篇。

WEEK 2 — DAY 3

w02d03-en

Morning Nourishment

1 Cor. 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 John 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

In Exodus 32 the gold rings were taken from the ears of the wives, the sons, and the daughters and used to make the idol, the golden calf. People put on earrings in order to beautify themselves. Today’s culture promotes selfbeautification. Men and women spend a great deal of money on items used to beautify themselves. Self-beautification leads to idolatry. This is the reason the Lord in 33:5 and 6 gave the children of Israel a commandment related to ornaments: “Now Jehovah had said to Moses, …If I were to go up in your midst for one moment, I would consume you. Now therefore put off your ornaments from you, and I will decide what to do to you. Thus the children of Israel were stripped of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward.” The Lord issued this commandment concerning ornaments because, as the record of chapter 32 makes clear, self-beautification leads to idolatry…The principle of an idol is self-beautification. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1837-1838)

Today’s Reading

Another principle related to idolatry is that idolatry is Satan’s usurping of what God has given us in order to make it a waste…Before the children of Israel left Egypt, God caused the Egyptians to give the children of Israel gold and other precious things. This gold was to be used for building up the tabernacle. The tabernacle required a large quantity of gold to overlay the standing boards…But before this gold was used for the building up of God’s dwelling place, Satan came in to usurp the gold and use it to make an idol…If the children of Israel had loved the Lord to the uttermost, they would never have wasted the gold by using it for earrings [or the idol]. Instead, they would have kept it for the Lord’s use.

In Exodus 35 the people were commanded to offer gold and other materials for the building up of God’s tabernacle. The first item of the offering for God’s dwelling place was gold. But in chapter 32 a large quantity of gold was used to make a calf. God has given us many things not for selfbeautification, but for us to worship God and glorify Him. But before we use these things to worship and glorify God, the enemy tries to come in to usurp what God has given us and to waste it. This is the second principle of idolatry, and it is an offense to God.

Another principle is implied by the fact that the people…made a golden calf. A calf is not for labor but for enjoyment, in particular, for eating. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, a calf was used to feed guests…The ones who beautified themselves in Exodus 32 liked enjoyment. Enjoyment was their idol. Likewise, many people today worship a calf; that is, they worship their enjoyment. This interpretation of the significance of the calf is confirmed by 32:6: “And they rose up early on the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”…C. A. Coates says that they sported. On the
weekends many people in this country care only for eating, drinking, and sporting.

According to verse 18, Moses heard the sound of singing, and according to verse 19, he “saw the calf and the dancing.”…All this took place in front of the golden calf. The picture here indicates that the calf signifies enjoyment and that the children of Israel were worshipping what they enjoyed.

Consider the situation among Christians today regarding the desire for entertainment. It is difficult to find a so-called church service where there is not any entertainment. Various forms of entertainment are used to attract a crowd. If there is no entertainment in a certain place, people will not want to go there. They want to go where they will be entertained. Many today worship some kind of golden calf for the sake of their entertainment. (Lifestudy of Exodus, pp. 1839-1840, 1851)

Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 173-174, 176-177