Joshua 约书亚记 18-19 — A New Day 崭新的一天

Since it was centrally located, Shiloh was the ideal place for the tabernacle. During the years of Israel’s wanderings, the tabernacle was in the center of the camp. Now it was at the center of the land, accessible to all and a reminder that the fear of God must be at the heart of the nation.

由于示罗位于地域的中心,所以是设立会幕的理想地点。在以色列流浪旷野的岁月里,帐幕处在营地的中心。如今,它设立在应许之地中央,便于所有以色列人,也提醒他们敬畏神当是国家的重心。

 

Beware the sin of neglect! It was not the enemy that prevented the tribes from claiming their inheritance; it was their own indifference and indolence. (See James 4:17.)

谨防疏忽之罪!阻止支派取得产业的并非敌人,而是他们自己的冷漠和懒惰(雅4:17)。

 

The surveyors gathered the facts, but God gave the guidance needed for the allocation of the land (18:8–10). We must obey the Lord if we want to know His will. Although we must not lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:6), we must have understanding in order for God to direct us.

划地势的人收集了资料,但给予分配土地所需的指示是出于神(18:8-10)。如果我们想知道神的旨意,就必须服从祂。我们虽然不可倚靠自己的聪明(箴3:6),但仍需要对事情有所了解,神才能指导我们。

 

Joshua saw to it that the distribution to the tribes was completed before he received his own inheritance (19:49–50). The city of Timnath was located in a mountainous region where life would not be easy. Joshua could have chosen the finest place in the land, but he put others first and let them take the best (1 Cor. 10:24; Phil. 2:1–4).

约书亚确保各支派地业分配完毕后,才领受自己的产业(19:49-50)。亭拿西拉城位于山区地带,要在那里生活定不容易。约书亚本大可以为自己选择土地最好的地段,但他却以人为先,让他们得到最好的(林前10:24; 腓2:1-4)。

 

Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告

 

Israel’s assembling and setting up the tabernacle at Shiloh, hints at the dawn of a new day. Shiloh was about ten miles northeast of Bethel, thirty miles north of Jerusalem, in the tribal territory of Ephraim. Shiloh seems to have been the primary centre of Israelite worship during the pre-monarchic period (Josh. 18:1; 21:2, 22:9, 12; Judg. 18:31; 21:12, 19; 1 Sam. 1–2). This was a new situation. The day would come, Moses had told Israel (Deut. 12:1–15), when Yahweh would choose a place in the land where He was to be worshipped, a place where sacrifices were to be offered and sacrificial meals enjoyed. The semilaxity of the wilderness period would cease when God brought them into their inheritance and gave them rest in the land. Here they were to worship faithfully, joyfully, and safely. For New Testament believers, our Lord had paved a new way from the cross and now we can come to Him directly as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (John 4:23) Let us thank the Lord for what he has done for us.

以色列在示罗聚集并设立帐幕,暗示了崭新一天的到来。示罗位于伯特利东北约有十英里(16公里),耶路撒冷以北三十英里(48公里),在以法莲支派的境界。示罗似乎一直都是以色列人在立王时代以前的主要敬拜场场地(书18:1,21:2,22:9,12; 士18:31,21:12,19; 撒上1-2)。这是一个新的局面。摩西曾告诉以色列(申12:1-15),耶和华将选择人当崇拜祂、祭祀祂,以及享用祭祀之餐的地方。当神领他们到应许之地,在那里给予他们安息时,他们在旷野中的半松懈状态将结束。在这里,他们要忠诚地、欢喜地,并安全地敬拜祂。对新约信徒而言,我们的主已从十架为我们劈开一条新的道路,使我们如今能直接来到神的面前,正如耶稣对撒玛利亚妇人说的:“时候将到,如今就是了,那真正拜父的,要用心灵和诚实拜他,因为父要这样的人拜他。”(约4:23)让我们感谢主为我们所做的一切。