QT 26/12/2024 Thu. Christmas Message 08. Because of the great fire. 因为那强烈的火

QT 26/12/2024 Thu. Christmas Message 08. Because of the great fire.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/deut18:15-22

Deuteronomy 18:15–22 A New Prophet like Moses
[15] “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—[16] just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ [17] And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. [18] I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. [19] And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. [20] But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ [21] And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’—[22] when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (ESV)

Some of us wish to see or experience God in a more direct and powerful manner. So did the Israelites of Moses' time. However, after having a glimpse of The LORD's awesome power, they changed their minds because the voice of the LORD, with the accompanying fire, were too overwhelming for them. The previous episode of encountering The LORD was vividly described:

Exodus 20:18–21 [18] Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off [19] and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” [20] Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” [21] The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. (ESV)

Because of the great fire and voice of the LORD, He appointed Moses a mediator to be in-between The LORD and the people. In addition, a future "prophet like Moses" would continue this function when Moses is gone.

The New Testament gospel writers portrayed Jesus as having this role, a new Moses.

(1) Jesus, "he went up on the mountain" (Matthew 5:1), just like Moses did;

(2) Jesus fed the five thousand men, besides women and children miraculously (Matt 14:13–21) in a "desolate place" (Matt 14:13, 15). The manna from heaven fed the exodus Israelites despite their wilderness wanderings. In fact, Jesus is the new manna–"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35, 48).

(3) Moses died outside the promised land (Deut 34:5). Jesus died outside the old Jerusalem city (Matt 27:32).

(4) Moses enacted the Tabernacle and passed through its curtains while it was in the Sinai Desert. Yet Jesus "passed through the heavens" (Hebrews 4:14), pointing to his access to God the Father and his credentials to represent us before God and to plead and pray to Him for us now.

Don't you have the greatest gift this Christmas if you accept Jesus Christ?

QT 26/12/2024 星期四. 圣诞信息 08: 因为那强烈的火
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/deu/18

申命记 18:15–22 “耶和华你的　神要从你中间，就是从你的众兄弟中间，给你兴起一位先知来，像我一样；你们要听从他。16 这正是你在何烈山开大会的日子，求耶和华你的　神的一切话，说：‘不要让我再听见耶和华我的　神的声音了；也不要让我再看见这大火了，免得我死亡。’ 17 耶和华对我说：‘他们所说的都很好。18 我要从他们的兄弟中间，给他们兴起一位先知，像你一样；我要把我的话放在他口里，他必把我吩咐他们的一切话都对他们说。19 如果有人不听从他奉我的名所说的话，我必亲自追讨那人的罪。20 “‘不过，如果有先知擅自奉我的名，说我没有吩咐他说的话，或是奉别神的名说话，那先知就必须处死。’ 21 如果你心里说：‘耶和华没有说过的话，我们怎能知道呢？’ 22 一位先知奉耶和华的名说话，如果那话不成就，也不应验，这话就不是耶和华说的；是那先知擅自说的，你不要怕他。”

我们中的一些人希望以更直接、更有力的方式看到或经历上帝。摩西时代的以色列人也是如此。然而，在领略了耶和华令人敬畏的大能之后，他们改变了主意，因为耶和华的声音和随之而来的火焰让他们难以承受。上一段与耶和华相遇的情节被生动地描述了出来：

出埃及记 20:18–20 全体人民都看见打雷、闪电、角声和冒着烟的山；人民看见了，就颤抖，远远地站着。19 他们对摩西说：“求你和我们说话吧，我们必定听你的话，不可让　神和我们说话，恐怕我们死亡。” 20 摩西回答人民：“不要惧怕，因为　神降临是要试验你们，叫你们常常敬畏他，不至犯罪。”

因为耶和华的大火和声音，祂任命摩西为中保，在耶和华和百姓之间做中间人。此外，未来的跟 “摩西一样的先知” 将在摩西离世后继续履行这一职责。《新约》福音书的作者将耶稣描绘成具有这种角色的新摩西。

(1）耶稣 “上了山”（马太福音 5：1），就跟像摩西一样；

(2）耶稣在 “旷野”（马太福音14：13-15）奇迹般地喂饱了五千人，还有妇女和儿童（马太福音14：13-21）。尽管出埃及的以色列人在旷野流浪，但天上的 “吗哪” 还是喂饱了他们。事实上，耶稣就是新吗哪--“我就是生命的食物”（约翰福音 6：35，48）。

(3) 摩西死在应许之地之外（申 34：5）。耶稣死在耶路撒冷旧城之外（马太福音 27：32）。

(4) 当会幕在西奈沙漠时，摩西主持了会幕的建造，并穿过会幕的帷幕。然而，耶稣 “经过了众天”（希伯来书 4：14），表明他可以接近父神，有资格在神面前代表我们，为我们恳求和祷告。

如果你接受耶稣基督，你不就拥有了这个圣诞节最棒的礼物吗？