QT 25/11/2024 Mon. Hebrews 10. The broken and contrite heart sacrifice. 献祭：忧伤的灵，痛悔的心。
QT 25/11/2024 Mon. Hebrews 10. The broken and contrite heart sacrifice.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/heb10
In Hebrews 10, the writer repeats, in case the readers do not get it: Jesus Christ IS the one who can really "clean up" a worshiper (Heb 10:1-18) so that the worshiper can "have confidence to enter the holy places" (Heb 10:19) into the presence of God.
REFLECTION: What should the readers' responses be then?
APPLICATION: (1) Draw near to God (Heb 10:22).
(2) Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (Heb 10:23).
(3) Consider how to stir up one another on to love and good work (Heb 10:24).
(4) Meet up together more and more frequently (Heb 10:25).
(5) Flee from sin (Heb 10:26-31).
(6) Continue to persevere in the face of suffering, displaying joy throughout (Heb 10:32-34).
(7) Look forward to the reward from God (Heb 10:35-36).
(8) Be like those who "have faith and preserve their souls" (Heb 10:39).
We wish to highlight Hebrews 10:2, which asks a rhetorical question, "Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered...?"
The question demands a positive answer: yes, they would have stopped (if the sacrifice was sufficient). Worshippers of more than 2500 years ago had allowed the meaningfulness of offering sacrifices to God to degrade to a mindful go-through-the-motion mechanical deed. Worship was, to them, no longer a matter of a personal relationship with God. What is ours today?
Once a mechanical act of worship sets in, the event of worship numbs the mind of the worshipers. The worshipers no longer relate the worship event to the necessity of avoiding sins in the other parts of their weekly lifestyle.
Believers of old should have known better, that these repeated animal sacrifices were totally inadequate. They should have seen the death of these animals on their behalf in the sacrificial rites, and be warned or alerted that the death should have been theirs, if not for God's mercy.
Indeed, worshipers today need not repeat the animal sacrifices—these have STOPPED, because Christ's death was SUFFICIENT.
The significance of a sacrifice to God ought to be found not in the animal that was offered but in the worshipers' hearts—hearts that were broken and contrite (1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 40:6; 50:8–10; 51:16–17; Isa. 1:10–12; Jer. 7:21–23; Hos. 6:6; Amos 5:21–23).
God takes sin seriously. He is not satisfied with a sacrifice that is presented to him without a broken and a contrite heart. He desires a life of obedience and dedication to doing his will.
星期一 2024年11月25日 今日读经: 希伯来书10章. 献祭：忧伤的灵，痛悔的心。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Heb/10/
在希伯来书10章，作者重复一遍，以免读者不明白：耶稣基督是那个能够真正地“洁净”一个信徒(来10:1-18)，以致那信徒“可以坦然无惧地进入至圣所”(来10:19)，来到神的面前。
反思：那么读者的回应当如何呢？
应用:(1)进到神的面前(来10:22)。
(2) 要坚持我们所宣认的盼望，毫不动摇。(来10:23).
(3) 当彼此关心，激发爱心，勉励行善。(来10:24).
(4) 不可放弃聚会而要常常聚会。(来10:25).
(5) 远离罪恶(来10:26-31).
(6) 继续忍耐痛苦的煎熬, 又以喜乐的心接受(来10:32-34)。
(7) 期待那来自神的赏赐(来10:35-36)。
(8) 做一个“有信心以致保全生命的人”(来10:39)。
我们希望强调希伯来书10:2，其中提出了一个反问：“若不然，献祭的事岂不早已止住了吗？...”。
这个问题需要一个肯定的答案：是的，他们会停止献祭（如果祭物足够的话）。2500 多年前的崇拜者们已经让向上帝献祭的意义退化成了一种只知道按部就班的机械行为。对他们来说，敬拜不再是与上帝建立个人关系的问题。今天，我们又是怎样的呢？
一旦开始机械地敬拜，敬拜活动就会麻木敬拜者的心灵。敬拜者不再把敬拜活动与在每周生活方式的其他部分避免犯罪的必要性联系起来。
昔日的信徒应该更清楚，这些重复的动物献祭是完全不够的。他们本应看到这些动物在献祭仪式中为他们而死，并被警告或警醒，如果不是上帝的怜悯，死亡本应属于他们的。
事实上，今天的敬拜者不需要重复动物献祭，因为基督的死已经足够了。
上帝非常认真地看待罪孽，祂并不满足于所献上的是没有破碎的并知道悔改的心。 祂渴望的是愿一生顺服并献身于实现祂旨意的心。（参撒母耳记上 15：22；诗篇 40:6; 50:8–10; 51:16–17; 以赛亚 1:10–12; 耶利米 7:21–23; 何西阿 6:6; 阿摩司 5:21–23).
