1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，

2. Thank you very much for tuning in to this broadcast.
非常感谢你收听这个节目。

3. We have been talking about Moses
我们一直在谈关于摩西的事，

4. and, today, I want to tell you that God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle.
今天所要讲的是神命令摩西建造会幕。

5. This large tent would symbolize God’s dwelling among His people.
这个大帐篷代表神居住在祂的百姓中间，

6. Imagine a large arena surrounded by houses -
请你想象一个极大的运动场，四周围绕着许多房屋，

7. up the hills, down the valley - everywhere, so that, from every window, people could see the arena.
满山满谷到处都是，而每一家人的窗口都对着运动场。

8. This large tent of the Lord’s was in the middle of the town
耶和华的这个巨大的帐篷就在市中心，

9. and it was surrounded by the tents where God’s people dwelt
四周围都是神的百姓所居住的小帐篷，

10. so, every time they looked outside their door,
所以每次当他们在家门口往外看时，

11. they remembered the presence of God.
他们都记得神与他们同在。

12. The tabernacle was a foreshadowing of the literal presence of God among His people, the church,
会幕其实就是神与祂的教会，祂的子民同在的预表。

13. and that is what John said about Jesus in his Gospel, Chapter 1 -
也就是约翰在他的福音书里，第一章讲到耶稣时所说的；

14. that “he ‘tabernacled’ among us and we beheld his glory.”
祂的帐幕在我们中间，我们也见过祂的荣光。

15. Not in a symbolic form, but in person.
并不是象征，而是真人；

16. Not in a shadow, but in reality,
并不是影像，而是实体。

17. and John said, “He dwelt among us and we beheld his glory,
约翰说；祂住在我们中间，我们也见过祂的荣光，

18. the glory of the only Son of the Father.”
正是父独生子的荣光。

19. After the people of God were judged for the sin of idolatry,
当神的百姓因犯奸淫，也就是信仰上不忠的罪，而受到刑罚之后，

20. now, they were ready to obey the Lord;
他们总算愿意顺从神了。

21. so we see the response to the building of the tabernacle.
因此我们看见他们回应神，来建造会幕。

22. God had, so far, supernaturally provided for their protection from the plagues of Egypt.
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能保护他们，免受那些降临在埃及的灾难；

23. God, so far, supernaturally provided for their escape from the land of slavery.
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能，带领他们逃脱奴役之地；

24. God, so far, supernaturally provided for their crossing of the Red Sea.
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能，带领他们过红海；

25. God, so far, supernaturally provided for them manna from Heaven.
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能，从天上降下吗哪；

26. God, so far, supernaturally provided for them sweet water out of bitter water.
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能，使苦水变甜；

27. God, so far, supernaturally provided them with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night;
在此之前，神曾以超然的大能，使他们白天有云柱、晚上有火柱来领路。

28. then, why on earth didn’t God just provide them with a tabernacle to worship in?
但此刻，神为什么不自己造一座会幕给他们来敬拜呢？

29. Because Deuteronomy, Chapter 2, verse 7, tells us,
因为在申命记第2章第7节那里告诉我们：

30. “The Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything.”
耶和华你的神常与你同在，故此你一无所缺。

31. God gave and gave and gave.
神一给再给，不断供应给他们。

32. He gave when they praised Him.
他们赞美时神供应，

33. He gave when they complained and murmured.
他们发牢骚、出怨言时神也供应。

34. He gave to them, not because of their faithfulness, but because of His faithfulness.
神供给他们，并不是因为他们对神忠心，而是因为祂是信实的神。

35. Now, I want you to imagine a father who gives his son everything,
你可以想象一位父亲，把所有的一切都给予儿子，

36. but he asks nothing of his son.
却对儿子没有任何要求。

37. The boy grows up to be a teenager,
当儿子进入青少年期，

38. and he gets everything he asks for.
他的每一个要求都得到了满足，

39. He never lifts a finger to do anything around the house;
他在家里连一根手指头也不需要动。

40. never having any type of chores to take care of;
从没有做过家务事，

41. never to help anyone else in the family.
从不帮家人做事，

42. He only gets and gets and gets.
只是不断的接受，接受，接受。

43. Then, he grows up to be a man
然后他长大成人了，

44. and the same thing just keeps on going.
还是维持同样的情形。

45. Imagine what kind of a husband he would be.
你想他将成为一个怎样的丈夫？

46. Imagine what kind of an employee he would be.
你想他将成为一个怎样的雇员？

47. Imagine what kind of a citizen he would make.
你想他将成为一个怎样的公民？

48. Imagine what kind of a church member he would be.
你想他将来在教会里是一个怎样的信徒？

49. Would anyone in his right mind say that this son is healthy emotionally, let alone spiritually?
任何一个心智健全人都会认为，这个孩子在心理和灵性上是个健康的人吗？

50. No.
不会的。

51. In the same way, God was training His people to be emotionally and spiritually healthy.
同样的，神也要训练祂的百姓，成为心理和灵性上都健康的人。

52. In the same way, God longs for those who claim to be saved by His grace
同样的，神也盼望所有愿意靠着祂的恩典得救的人，

53. to be emotionally and spiritually healthy.
在心理和灵性上都能健康。

54. How does He do that?
神怎样达到这目的呢？

55. By teaching them to give of their substance.
就是让他们拿出自己拥有的东西。

56. You receive salvation by grace.
你靠着恩典得救；

57. You receive His protection by grace.
你靠着恩典得到神的保护；

58. You receive His provision by grace.
你靠着恩典得到神的供应；

59. You receive your daily needs by His grace.
你靠着恩典得到每天所需用的；

60. You receive guidance by His grace,
你靠着恩典得到神的引领；

61. and on and on and on.
以及许许多多。

62. What kind of a Christian will you be
你是一个怎样的基督徒？

63. if you cannot see it in your heart to give back to God?
如果你不从心底愿意奉献给神。

64. What kind of a son or a daughter would take and take; receive and receive; get and get and give so little in return?
为人子女的，就是一味的接受，却不懂得回报，那么，他是一个怎样的人呢？

65. That’s why God told His people first to give ten percent to the Levites,
因此神要求祂的百姓，先奉献十分之一给利未人；

66. then, the second ten percent as a first fruit;
再献上十分之一作为初熟果实的奉献；

67. then, a third tithe every third year, to the poor,
然后每三年再奉献十分之一赒济穷人；

68. and, on top of that, a free will offering.
除了这些之外，还有甘心乐意的奉献。

69. What is God doing?
神为什么要这么作呢？

70. Is He trying to make them miserable?
是否叫他们为难呢？

71. No. He wanted them to remember that He is the owner.
不是的，神要他们记得，祂才是万有的主宰。

72. God told the parents to teach their children all of these things. Why?
神为什么要求作父母的，要这样教导他们的儿女呢？

73. So that their children grow up understanding the debt they owe to God.
这样，当儿女长大成人后就会明白，是我们欠了神的债。

74. Giving back to God the firstfruit not only demonstrates God’s ownership,
把初熟的果实献给神，不但表明这些是属于神的，

75. but it also tells us to trust God.
并表明我们要信靠神。

76. The nature of the firstfruit is to be taken off the top,
初熟果实的意义表明，所献上的是最好的，

77. not the leftover.
而不是剩余的。

78. The nature of the firstfruit is both best and first, not the inferior.
初熟果实的意义代表，是最好、也是首先的，而不是次等的。

79. For most people are like the farmer who owned two calves,
大部分的人都像这个有两头牛的农民一样，

80. one brown and one white.
他的牛一头是棕色的，一头是白色的。

81. He told his family that he was going to give one of them to the Lord,
他对家人说，他要把其中一头奉献给神。

82. but he did not say which one
但他没说奉献哪一头牛，

83. or when he will give it to the Lord;
也没说什么时候奉献。

84. so, when one of the calves died,
当其中一头牛死了，

85. the farmer shook his head and said, “Too bad! The Lord’s calf died.”
农民摇摇头说，糟糕，神的那头牛死了。

86. That kind of attitude, when it is practiced, brings the judgment of God.
如果我们存这种心态来奉献，神要审判我们。

87. God said, in Malachi 3,
玛拉基书第三章那里，神说：

88. “Will a man rob God?
人岂可夺取神之物呢？

89. Yet you rob me.”
你们竟夺取我的供物。

90. “But you ask, ‘How do I rob you?’
你们却说，我们在何事上夺取你的供物呢？

91. In the tithe and offering.
就是你们在当纳的十分之一，和当献的供物上。

92. You are cursed with a curse because you are robbing Me..”
因你们通国的人都夺取我的供物，咒诅就临到你们身上。

93. and God goes on to say,
神继续说：

94. “Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse. Don’t hold back any of it.”
你们要将当纳的十分之一全然送入仓库。

95. In fact, the only time that God says, “Test me,” was in the area of money.
事实上神只说过一次“试试我”，就是在金钱方面。

96. “Let Me show you whether I would not open the windows of Heaven
以此试试我，是否为你们敞开天上的窗户，

97. and pour My blessings on you that you cannot contain them all.”
倾福与你们，甚至无处可容。

98. Have you been praying for something and God has not answered your prayer?
你是否求神某件事，至今还没有得到答复？

99. Have you considered that you may be robbing God
你有没有想过，可能你夺取了神的物？

100. and God is not going to answer prayer until you come clean with Him?
除非你还清了你欠神的，不然神不会听你祷告的。

101. Nowhere in the Bible does God say that He is delighted in self-centered, spoiled children.
圣经从来没有说过，神喜悦那些以自我为中心，被宠坏的儿女。

102. The tithe of the firstfruit is not only recognizing God’s ownership,
奉献初熟果实的十分之一，不仅是承认神的主权，

103. it is not only saying to God, “God, we trust You,”
也不仅仅是对神说，神啊，我们信靠你。

104. but in giving, you are saying, “God, I belong to You.”
当你奉献时，你乃是对神说，神啊，我属于你。

105. In giving, you are saying, “Everything I have comes from You and I belong to You.”
当你奉献时，你乃是对神说，我所有的一切都是从你而来，我属于你。

106. When God asked the people of God to give different things for the building of the tabernacle,
当神要求祂的百姓，为建造会幕而奉献各样的东西时，

107. He was not asking them to give their tithe.
祂不是要求他们奉献十分之一；

108. He was not asking them to give their firstfruit,
祂不是要求他们奉献初熟的果实；

109. but He was asking them to give a free will offering.
而是要求他们甘心乐意的奉献。

110. My listening friend, this is very important.
亲爱的朋友，这是很重要的。

111. The tithe was the test of their obedience,
十一奉献，为了要试验他们是否顺服；

112. but the free will offering was a test of demonstrating of love and joy and a heart of worship.
甘心乐意的奉献，则是为了试验他们，能否彰显爱心、喜乐和敬拜的心。

113. In Exodus 35 and 36, we read of the flood of generosity among the people.
出埃及记35和36章，我们看见百姓都慷慨的奉献。

114. There was a contagious spirit of giving -
乐意奉献的心彼此感染，

115. so much so, that the people brought more than enough
以致于百姓所奉献的，超出了所需要的，

116. and, literally, they had to be restrained from giving.
使得他们必须宣布，叫百姓停止奉献。

117. This was beyond the tithe and beyond the firstfruit.
这是十分之一和初熟果实之外的奉献。

118. Just think about this.
你想想，

119. It is estimated that the cost of the tabernacle would be equal to five million dollars of our today’s money.
据估计，建造会幕的费用，相当于今天五百万美元的价值，

120. This is not bad for a bunch of refugees,
对那一群难民来说，真是很难得了。

121. but there is something else that is very important here I want you to notice before I conclude.
在我结束前，希望你留心另一件很重要的事。

122. When they got swept off by the spirit of giving,
当他们被奉献的热诚席卷时，

123. they were transformed from being gripers and whiners into being joyful worshippers.
他们从好发牢骚、整天埋怨的人，转变为喜乐的敬拜者。

124. Nothing would make you a more joyful person than the spirit of giving.
再没有比一颗乐意奉献的心，更能使你成为一个喜乐的人了。

125. There’s something else that’s very important here.
还有另一件很重要的事，

126. Everyone gave.
人人都奉献。

127. The same thing happened when David challenged the people to give a free will offering for the building of the temple.
当大卫呼吁百姓为建造圣殿来奉献时，也是同样的情形。

128. Listen to what he said in 1 Chronicles 29.
请听他在历代志上29章里所说的话。（代上29:1-9）

129. My listening friend, as I conclude, I want to tell you this.
亲爱的朋友，在结束前让我告诉你，

130. David measured their loyalty to God by their willingness to give.
大卫以他们奉献的热诚，来衡量他们对神的忠心。

131. To give tithe and firstfruit because God commands us to,
我们奉献十分之一和初熟的果实，因为这是神的命令，

132. and then we give free will offerings.
同时，我们也甘心乐意的奉献。

133. We give tithe and firstfruit because God commands it;
十一奉献和初熟的果实是神命令的奉献，

134. but, then, we give free will offering because we have discovered and experienced the joy of giving,
但当我们经历了奉献的喜乐后，就会甘心乐意的奉献；

135. and, when we discover the joy of giving, we want to give all the more.
当我们经历了奉献的喜乐后，我们就更乐意慷慨奉献了。

136. To those of you who have never committed your life to Jesus Christ as your Savior,
如果你还没有将自己的生命交给耶稣基督，还没有接受祂为你的救主，

137. you need to begin by giving Him your life first,
你需要先把自己的生命交给祂。

138. for He wants you before He wants what’s yours.
在你献上你所有的之前，先让祂拥有你的生命。

139. Will you do that today?
你今天就愿意这么作吗？

140. It is my prayer that you will.
我祈求神你愿意。

141. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大地赐福给你，下次节目再会。