每日聖經 申命記 14:22-29

每日聖經 Podcast 中文

Daily Bible Podcast English

2024年讀經進度表.pdf

Download PDF • 484KB

各位弟兄姊妹，平安。今天我们的读经进度是申命记第14章22至29节。这段经文记载了关于什一奉献的规定。

让我们深入了解什一奉献的真正内涵。当我们明白这一点时，就会认识到这实际上是一个非常重要的理财观念。这里提到的是要将你所产出的收成或农田所出产的10%分离出来，在上帝面前享用。关键在于第23节，它教导我们要时刻敬畏耶和华你的上帝。

因此，什一奉献的最大意义不是上帝缺钱，也不是上帝需要你奉献什么，而是要你通过这个教训，时刻思考并感恩上帝所赐予你的一切。当你清点你的产出时，你将不断感恩地说：“感谢上帝赐予我这一切。”然后你会将其中的一部分奉献给上帝。但这并不是奉献给上帝自己，接下来我们将看到这10%是如何被使用的。

十四章最後提到，你要奉献给住在你城里的利未人，不可抛弃他们。因为他们在以色列中没有分得土地和产业。最初，以色列的十二支派中，利未支派被特别选为祭司和在聖殿服事的人，他们不能拥有土地和产业。因此，他们的职责主要是为以色列各地的祭坛服务，侍奉上帝，并分享上帝的话语。他们的专职是宗教事务，而不是生产工作。

因此，上帝命令其他支派要供养他们，以确保他们能够履行自己的任务，而利未人不至于在生计上挣扎。这个制度实际上是非常合理的，也告诉我们，什一奉献不是上帝需要自己的份额，而是为了赏赐那些专心传道的人。在今天，这可以理解为全职牧师和全职传道工作者，因为他们专注于传讲上帝的道，而不是为自己谋生。所以，由教会和会众供养他们是正确的做法。

這裡我們可以注意到在每三年的末一年，人们被要求将本城的土产的十分之一取出来，存放在庫里。这是为了供应那些无份无业的利未人以及寄居者、孤儿和寡妇，确保他们能够得到充足的食物。实际上，这就是上帝当时设立的社会福利制度。

在任何社会中，无论多么健康，都会有一些人遇到困境，导致他们没有食物可吃，或者暂时陷入困境。与其让他们去挨家挨户地乞讨，更好的方式是让整个社会为这些可怜之人准备一笔专门的资金。这样，这些人就能够暂时度过难关，重新站稳脚步回到社会中。

这实际上是一个非常重要的社会福利制度，强调了共同关怀和责任。今天，在各个国家，社会福利制度正在积极发展，以确保社会中的弱势群体得到支持和关爱。

当我们理解奉献时，实际上包含了三个重要含义，这些内容在财务课程中进行了详细解释。以下是简要介绍这三个原则：

第一个奉献原则是“学习敬畏耶和华你的神”。首要的目标是，在每次赚取金钱时，我们都要铭记，货币的力量来自上帝，我们能够赚取金钱的能力也是上帝赐予的。因此，我们应该时刻心存感恩之情。这一点相当重要，因为我们应该纪念上帝，这才是一切的供应，这让我们时刻保持谦卑，时刻保持感恩之心。

第二个含义是，你实际上在向自己宣告：“我不缺这十分之一的金钱。”我明白，在事业初期，每一塊钱都显得非常重要。然而，当你首先奉献，强调的是在花费在自己身上之前，你先将十分之一奉献出去，这是对上帝的感恩，也是对自己的一种声明：我信靠上帝，我不会因这十分之一而短缺。这种心态非常重要，因为当你奉献时，你就拥有了一种富足的心态，你相信自己会因努力工作而获得超过所需的财富，上帝也会更加祝福你。因此，第二个含义是一种对自己的声明。

第三个，你要培养关心社会，关心其他人的心。我们这十分之一的奉献首先是为了奉养利未人，然后整座城要每三年拿出一些东西和钱，来支持那些遇到困难的人。孤儿寡妇，或者流浪到以色列土地上的外邦人，上帝都命令以色列人要对他们有怜悯，让他们吃得饱足。从经济学的角度来说，拿出十分之一来喂养他们，比过去如果这些人没饭吃，他们就只能选择去犯罪，无论是偷还是抢，还是卖淫，这些都是破坏社会和谐安定的问题。更多的钱去改判和惩罚这些可能只是没饭吃、无路可走的人。

一个健康的社会有繁荣的经济，同时也必须要有一个福利机制，帮助那些遇到困难和不幸的人。我们当为自己有能力提供感激之情，同时也要为了，不知道哪一天，也许我们也需要被帮助的人。上帝给我们的教训是相当重要的。

感谢各位的讲述，明天我们来看第十五章，一个关于贫困年的重要教导。

Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today, our reading takes us to Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 22 to 29. These verses contain instructions regarding tithing.

Let's delve deeper into the true meaning of tithing. When we understand this, we realize that it is a significant financial concept. Here, it mentions setting aside 10% of your produce or the yield of your fields to be consumed before the Lord. The key lies in verse 23, which teaches us to always fear the Lord your God.

Therefore, the true significance of tithing is not that God lacks money or needs your offering, but it is a lesson for you to constantly reflect and be grateful for all that God has provided you with. When you assess your earnings, you continually say, "Thank God for giving me all of this." Then, you offer a portion of it to God. However, this tithe is not for God Himself, and we will see how this 10% is used.

Towards the end of chapter 14, it is mentioned that you should give the tithe to the Levites who live in your cities; you must not neglect them. This is because they do not have a portion or inheritance within Israel. Initially, among the twelve tribes of Israel, the Levites were specially chosen as priests and servants of the sanctuary. They were not allowed to own land or property. Therefore, their main duty was to serve at altars throughout Israel, minister to God, and share God's word. Their full-time role was in religious matters rather than production work.

So, God commanded the other tribes to support them, ensuring they could fulfill their mission without struggling for livelihood. This system is quite logical and tells us that tithing is not about God needing a share; it is about rewarding those who dedicate themselves to preaching. In today's context, it can be understood as supporting full-time pastors and ministers because they are dedicated to delivering God's word and not earning a living on their own. Thus, it is right for the church and its members to provide for them.

Here, we can also notice that every third year, the people were required to take a portion of the produce and money out of their storehouses to support those in need. This was to ensure that orphans, widows, and foreigners who had come to the land of Israel would be cared for and have enough to eat. Economically, setting aside a tithe for these purposes is more cost-effective than dealing with the potential consequences of people resorting to crime, such as theft, robbery, or even prostitution, due to lack of food. These issues can disrupt social harmony and stability.

In any society, no matter how prosperous, some individuals may face difficulties that leave them without food or temporarily struggling. Instead of letting them go door-to-door begging, it's a better approach for society to prepare a designated fund to temporarily help these people get back on their feet and reintegrate into society.

This is, in essence, a crucial social welfare system emphasizing care and shared responsibility. Today, in various countries, social welfare systems are actively evolving to ensure support and care for vulnerable groups in society.

When we understand tithing, it encompasses three important meanings, which are elaborated in financial courses. Here's a brief overview of these three principles:

1. The first tithing principle is "learning to fear the Lord your God." The primary goal is to remember that every time you earn money, it comes from God, and your ability to earn money is also a gift from God. Therefore, you should always be thankful. This is crucial because it reminds us that God is the ultimate provider, keeping us humble and grateful at all times.

2. The second meaning is that you are essentially declaring to yourself, "I don't lack this 10% of money." You understand that, especially in the early stages of your career, every dollar is precious. However, by tithing first, you emphasize that before spending on yourself, you are giving away 10%, declaring your trust in God. This mindset is essential because when you tithe, you adopt an abundance mindset, believing that you will earn more than you need through hard work and that God will bless you accordingly.

3. The third aspect is that you develop a concern for society and the welfare of others. We see in these verses that the 10% tithe was initially intended to support the Levites, and then, every three years, the whole city would take out a portion of their goods and money to help those in need. This includes orphans, widows, foreigners, and those who had fallen on hard times. God commanded the Israelites to show compassion to them, ensuring they had enough to eat. From an economic perspective, setting aside a tithe to feed them is more efficient than dealing with the potential consequences of people who might resort to crime out of desperation.

4. 
   

In a healthy society with a thriving economy, there must also be a welfare mechanism to assist those facing difficulties or misfortune. We should be grateful for what we have, knowing that one day, we may also need help. The lesson God gives us here is highly significant.

Thank you for listening, and tomorrow we will explore Deuteronomy chapter 15, which teaches about the Year of Release, another important lesson.