5. Manna issue 64 - The Christ in the Book of Numbers - Part 2 Manna 民數記中的基督 - 第二回 嗎哪
A Bible Study Series 查經系列
based on “The Christ in the Book of Numbers” by Chen Shen Chuan
節錄自 陳勝全長老 的民數記的基督
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.
The people went about and gathered it,
ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar,
cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it;
and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.
And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
(Num 11:7–9)
7這嗎哪彷彿芫荽子，又好像珍珠。
8百姓周圍行走，把嗎哪收起來，
或用磨推，或用臼搗，煮在鍋中，
又做成餅，滋味好像新油。
9夜間露水降在營中，嗎哪也隨著降下。
(民 11：7-9)
Despite having rescued millions of Israelites from the clutches of Pharaoh,
Moses found himself facing a new and seemingly insurmountable challenge
—that of providing for the people’s daily needs.
Where, in the endless desert,
would he find sufficient food and water for a multitude?
儘管已從法老的魔掌中拯，救了數百萬以色列人，
摩西發現自己面臨著一個新的、看似無法克服的挑戰，
—滿足人們日常生活的需要。
在那一望無際的沙漠中，
他能為眾人找到足夠的食物和水嗎？
Certainly, when the Israelites entered the wilderness after they had left Egypt,
and found that their provisions were exhausted,
the state of their faith could not have been in starker contrast from
when they had crossed the Red Sea
—a time when they were singing, dancing and filled with thanksgiving.
Now, there was nothing in their hearts except disbelief and dissatisfaction.
的確，當以色列人離開埃及進入曠野時，
發現他們的食物用完了，
他們的信仰狀態與過去當他們過了紅海時，
形成更鮮明的對比，
—那時他們歌頌、跳舞並充滿感恩。
而現在，他們的心中，除了不信和不滿，再無其他。
Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
And the children of Israel said to them,
“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!
For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the LORD said to Moses,
“Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.
And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day,
that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”
(Ex 16:2–4)
2以色列全會眾在曠野向摩西、亞倫發怨言，
3說：巴不得我們早死在埃及地、耶和華的手下；
那時我們坐在肉鍋旁邊，吃得飽足。
你們將我們領出來，到這曠野，是要叫這全會眾都餓死阿！
4耶和華對摩西說：
我要將糧食從天降給你們。
百姓可以出去，每天收每天的分，
我好試驗他們遵不遵我的法度。
(出 16：2-4)
These biblical verses highlight the origin of manna.
We learn that God rained it down from heaven,
and the Israelites had bread to eat for the next forty years.
The only times it stopped was on the weekly Sabbath,
because God required His people to rest.
這些聖經章節，強調了嗎哪的起源。
我們得知，神從天上降下嗎哪，
接著四十年裡，以色列人有餅可吃。
唯有它會停止的時刻，就是每週的安息日，
因為神要求祂的子民安息。
The Bible calls manna the “bread from heaven”
(Ex 16:4),
a food the Israelites depended solely on for their survival
during the forty-year period in the arid, desolate desert.
Alas, the Israelites did not realize
how blessed they were and ended up despising it;
such was their ingratitude.
Nevertheless, God continued to send manna until Joshua,
the second-generation leader,
led the people into Canaan and across the River Jordan
(Josh 5:12).
From that juncture, the people began eating the local produce and manna from heaven ceased.
聖經稱嗎哪為“天上的糧”
（出 16：4），
以色列人主要賴以生存的食物，
在這乾旱荒涼沙漠中的四十年期間。
唉，以色列人並不明白，
他們有多麼幸福，且最後鄙視這種幸福；
這就是他們的忘恩負義。
然而，神繼續賜下嗎哪，直到約書亞，
他是第二代的領導人，
帶領百姓進入迦南地，越過約旦河
（書 5：12）。
從那時起，人們開始食用當地的農產品，天上的嗎哪也停止了。
1THE PREFIGURATION OF CHRIST 1 基督的預表
Although the period of the wilderness journey to the appearance of Jesus Christ spanned over 1400 years,
the mystery of Christ was already hidden in the appearance of manna.
During Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum, a group of people came and searched for Him by boat.
When they had found Him, they asked,
“Rabbi, when did You come here?”
Jesus answered,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs,
but because you ate of the loaves and were filled”
(Jn 6:25–26).
雖然曠野之旅到耶穌基督出現的時間，跨越了 1400 多年，
基督的奧秘已經隱藏在嗎哪的出現中。
耶穌在迦百農傳道期間，有一群人乘船來尋找祂。
當他們找到祂時，他們問：
“25拉比，是幾時到這裡來的？”
耶穌回答說，
“26我實實在在的告訴你們，你們找我，並不是因見了神蹟，乃是因吃餅得飽。”
（約 6：25-26）。
Jesus understood their motives;
He knew they were looking for Him not
because they had witnessed His miracles,
but because they had had their fill of the physical bread He had provided.
He therefore took the opportunity to impart an important teaching
—the need to labor for spiritual food that endures to everlasting life
as opposed to the food that perishes
(Jn 6:27).
耶穌明白他們的動機；
祂知道，他們尋找祂，不是
因為他們早已見證了祂的神蹟，
而是因為，他們早已吃膩了祂所準備的物質嗎哪餅。
因此，祂藉此機會傳授重要的教導
—要努力追求能存活永生的靈糧
而不是反過來，追求會腐爛的食物
（約 6：27）。
At this point, the Jews asked Jesus for a sign,
perhaps hoping for a repeat of the miracle of the five barley loaves
(Jn 6:1–14).
Hence, they tested Jesus,
saying, “Our fathers ate the manna in the desert;
as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat’ ”
(Jn 6:31).
In response, Jesus told them that
the manna, which their fathers ate, was not the true bread from heaven
but that “the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world”
(Jn 6:33).
By saying this, Jesus associated Himself with the manna
that sustained the Israelites in their wilderness journey some 1400 years ago.
就在這時，猶太人向耶穌求神蹟，
也許希望重現五個大麥餅的神蹟
（約 6：1-14）。
因此，他們試探耶穌，
說：“31我們的祖宗在曠野吃過嗎哪，
如經上寫著說：他從天上賜下糧來給他們吃。”
（約 6：31）。
作為回應，耶穌告訴他們，
他們祖先所吃的嗎哪，不是真正來自天堂的糧食，
而“33因為神的糧就是那從天上降下來、賜生命給世界的。”
（約 6：33）。
因為這樣說，耶穌將自己與嗎哪連結，
與大約 1400 年前，供養以色列人完成曠野之旅的嗎哪連結。
In fact, Jesus directed these words not only to the Jews of that generation,
but to all mankind.
He wanted everyone to know that He is the bread of life
(Jn 6:35),
the giver of the truth.
實際上，耶穌不僅對那一代的猶太人說了這些話，
而是對全人類說的。
祂想讓每個人都知道，祂是生命之糧
（約 6：35），
真理的賜予者。
1.1 Christ Has the Words of Life 1.1 基督有生命之道
Then Simon Peter answered Him,
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
(Jn 6:68)
68西門彼得回答說：主阿，你有永生之道，我們還歸從誰呢？
(約 6：68)
As Christians, we are not exempt from the responsibilities and routines of life,
but we can avoid the emptiness often experienced by the people of the world and live a victorious life.
The Bible teaches us to do this by overcoming the temptations of Satan,
which elder John defines as
“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”
(1 Jn 2:16).
作為基督徒，我們不能免除生活的責任和日常活動，
但我們可以避免世人經常感到的空虛，過著得勝的生活。
聖經教導我們通過克服撒旦的誘惑，來做到這一點，
約翰長老定義為
“16肉體的情慾，眼目的情慾，並今生的驕傲”
（約壹 2：16）。
Jesus sets out the way to live a victorious life,
which is to rely on the word of God:
“Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”
(Mt 4:4).
Amos prophesied, saying,
“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD,
‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD’ ”
(Amos 8:11).
Just as our physical body needs food and water,
our spiritual self needs the word of God,
the manna from heaven, to survive:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life”
(Jn 6:63).
耶穌指明了道路，可以過著得勝的生活，
就是靠著神的話語：
“4人活著，不是單靠食物，
乃是靠神口裡所出的一切話。”
（太 4：4）。
阿摩司預言說，
“‘看哪，日子將到，’主耶和華說，
“11主耶和華說：日子將到，
我必命饑荒降在地上。人飢餓非因無餅，
乾渴非因無水，乃因不聽耶和華的話。”
（摩 8：11）。
正如我們的身體需要食物和水一樣，
我們屬靈的自我需要神的話語，
來自天上的嗎哪，方得生存：
“63叫人活著的乃是靈，肉體是無益的。
我對你們所說的話就是靈，就是生命。”
（約 6：63）。
When we “eat” the word of Christ each day,
we will never hunger or thirst again,
and our inner life will thrive
as we continue our journey until we reach the land of rest.
當我們每天“攝取”基督的話話時，
我們將不再有飢餓或口渴，
我們的內心生命將會發旺生長，
正當我們繼續自已的旅程，直到到達那安息之地。
1.2 Christ Is the Bread of Life 1.2 基督是生命之糧
In Capernaum, Jesus told the Jews,
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world”
(Jn 6:51).
在迦百農，耶穌告訴猶太人，
“51我是從天上降下來生命的糧；
人若吃這糧，就必永遠活著。
我所要賜的糧就是我的肉，
為世人之生命所賜的。”
（約 6：51）。
If we were to interpret these words literally,
they would be unfathomable.
Not surprisingly, the Jews debated amongst themselves,
saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
(Jn 6:52).
Unknown to them, Jesus was, in fact,
referring to a sacrament He would soon institute
—the Holy Communion.
如果我們要從字面上解釋這些詞，
他們將是很難評估。
毫不意外的，猶太人自已內部爭論不休，
說：“52這個人怎能把他的肉給我們吃呢？”
（約 6：52）。
他們所不知道的是，實際上是，耶穌，
指的是，祂很快就會設立的聖禮
—聖餐禮。
From the Lord’s words in Jn 6:51, 53–58,
we understand that His body is the everlasting bread of life,
which He is willing to share with those who believe in Him.
He says His flesh is “food indeed” and His blood is “drink indeed”,
for whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life,
will be raised up on the last day and abides in Jesus just as He abides in him
(Jn 6:54, 56).
從主在約翰福音六章 51，53-58 節的話語中，
我們明白，祂的身體是永恆的生命之糧，
祂願意與那些相信祂的人分享。
祂說，祂的肉“真是食物”，他的血“真可飲用”，
無論任何人吃祂的肉，喝祂血的人，就有永生，
將在末日復活，並且住在耶穌裡面，正如祂住在主裡面一樣
（約 6:54，56）。
The apostle Paul further tells us that whenever we eat of the bread and drink of the cup,
we remember the Lord’s death and anticipate His second coming.
Since the bread and cup represent the body and blood of Christ,
we need to examine ourselves before partaking,
lest we eat and drink judgment upon ourselves
(1 Cor 11:23–31).
使徒保羅進一步告訴我們，每當我們吃這餅，喝這杯的時候，
我們就是在記得主的死，並且期待祂的第二次降臨。
因為這餅和這杯，代表了基督的身體和寶血，
我們在參與之前，需要反省自己，
免得我們吃喝給自已審判
（林前 11：23-31）。
Whoever eats the body of Jesus Christ and drinks His blood in a solemn manner will live forever,
unlike the wilderness generation
who ate the physical manna for forty years and passed away.
Christ is the true spiritual bread that we need in our faith journey.
無論誰莊嚴慎重的吃了耶穌基督的身體、喝了祂的寶血，就必永遠活著，
不會像曠野的那一世代的百姓，
他們吃了四十年物質的嗎哪，還是死去。
在我們信仰之旅中，基督真是我們需要的靈糧。
2THE BREAD OF LIFE 2 生命之糧
As a result of God’s providential care,
none of the Israelites died of hunger in the wilderness.
The manna that sustained them was physical,
but it also prefigured bread that is spiritual.
由於神的眷顧，
沒有以色列人因為飢餓而死於曠野。
維持他們生命的嗎哪，只是物質的，
但它也預表了靈糧。
2.1 The Bread That Descended from Heaven 天國降下之糧
God, who is the giver of life,
sustains His creatures with the goodness of the earth.
Yet, the manna He bestowed to the Israelites was different:
it came down from heaven and settled on the ground with the dew
—a phenomenon that defied the laws of nature.
Manna was certainly a physical food,
but it was not of this world.
神，祂是生命的賜與者，
用大地的好物，維繫祂創造物的生命。
然而，祂賜給以色列人的嗎哪，有所不同：
它從天而降，與露水一起落在地上，
—是一種違背自然法則的現象。
嗎哪當然是一種物質的食物，
但它不是來自於這個世界。
Similarly, Jesus Christ was not from the world:
He descended from heaven and was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and not through human will or desire
(Mt 1:18–20).
Accordingly, He was free of sin, and the nature of His life was heavenly and spiritual
—unlike man, who is born of woman and is under the bondage of sin
(Job 14:1; Rom 5:12).
同樣的，耶穌基督也不是來自這個世界：
祂從天而降，由聖靈懷孕而生，
而不是通過人的思想或慾望
（太 1：18-20）。
因此，祂沒有罪，祂生命的本質是屬天的和屬靈的，
—不像人類，是由女人所生，並且處於罪的捆綁之下
（伯 14：1；羅 5：12）。
By sending manna from heaven,
God wanted to show that Christ is the true manna
—the bread from heaven
—who will enable all nations to receive life.
Therefore, with regard to the coming of Christ,
Paul acknowledged that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh;
He was not of the world
(1 Tim 3:16).
從天上降下嗎哪，
神想要表明，基督是真正的嗎哪
—天國之糧
—祂能使萬國得生命。
因此，關於基督的降臨，
保羅承認，耶穌是神道成肉身。
祂不屬於世界
（提前 3：16）。
On one occasion, when Jesus was discussing the events in the wilderness years with the Jews,
He said,
“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead”
(Jn 6:49).
His point was that man’s life is limited;
even the elect who ate the manna did not have any special dispensation over death.
But now, people could take heart in knowing the true manna had arrived:
Jesus had descended from heaven to impart the “words of eternal life”
(Jn 6:68).
Jesus told His audience,
“I am the bread of life.
He who comes to Me shall never hunger,
and he who believes in Me shall never thirst”
(Jn 6:35).
He reiterated this point in John 6:48, “I am the bread of life”,
and assured His listeners that He was able to raise them up in the last day
(Jn 6:40, 50).
有一次，當耶穌與猶太人，討論曠野歲月發生的事件時，
祂說，
“49你們的祖宗在曠野吃過嗎哪，還是死了。”
（約 6：49）。
他的論點就是，人的生命很有限；
即使是吃了嗎哪的選民，也沒有任何特別免去死亡的豁免權。
而今，人們可以放心，因為知道真正的嗎哪已經到來：
耶穌從天而降，傳授“永生之道”
（約 6：68）。
耶穌告訴祂的聽眾：
“35我就是生命的糧。
到我這裡來的，必定不餓；
信我的，永遠不渴。”
（約 6：35）。
祂在約翰福音六章 48 節重申了這一點，“我就是生命之糧”，
並向他的聽眾保證，在末日祂能夠復活他們
（約 6：40，50）。
Despite the truth Jesus shared, many Jews still rejected Him.
Today, there are believers who fail to treasure His truth,
even though it has the power to sustain their spiritual lives.
They prefer, instead, to receive things of a secular nature,
even though these can neither satisfy, nor bring about spiritual growth.
In a way, such people are like the Israelites who deemed the manna tasteless and bland.
Yet, had it not been for this heavenly bread,
the chosen people would have perished in the wilderness long before the end of the forty years,
and it would have been impossible for them to inherit Canaan.
儘管耶穌分享了真理，但許多猶太人仍然拒絕祂。
今日，有些信徒沒有珍惜祂的真理，
即使真理有能力維持他們的靈命。
相反的，他們更願意接受世俗的事物，
儘管這些東西既不能滿足，也不能帶來靈性的成長。
在某種程度上，這些人就像以色列人一樣，他們認為嗎哪平淡無味。
然而，若不是因為有這天上之糧，
在四十年結束之前，選民早就會死在曠野，
他們絕不可能，可以繼承迦南地。
2.2 Prepared for the Elect 2.2 為選民預備好
The Book of Genesis records how God revealed to Abram that
his descendants would be
“strangers in a land that is not theirs,
and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years “
(Gen 15:12–14).
On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram
and promised to give the land of Canaan to his descendants
(Gen 15:18–21).
創世記記載，神如何向亞伯蘭啟示，
他的後代將
“13你的後裔必寄居別人的地，
又服事那地的人；那地的人要苦待他們四百年。“
（創 15：12-14）。
在當天，耶和華與亞伯蘭立約，
並且應許將迦南地賜給他的後裔
（創 15：18-21）。
In order to keep His promise, God even arranged for manna to come down from heaven.
It was part of His gracious plan and providential care
—He truly is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides
(cf. Gen 22:14).
為了實現祂的應許，神甚至安排嗎哪從天上降下來。
這是祂恩典的計劃和預備照顧一部分
—祂真的是耶和華以勒，神會預備
（參見，創 22：14）。
In 1 Corinthians, Paul recounts the history of Israel
and cautions the believers not to be ignorant of the fact that
their
“fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink”
(1 Cor 10:1–4).
Here, Paul refers to manna as “spiritual food”
as it prefigured Christ and His spiritual provision for the saints.
Hence, Jesus says,
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”
(Jn 10:9–10).
在哥林多前書，保羅重述了以色列的歷史，
並告誡信徒不要忽視一個事實，
他們的
“1祖宗從前都在雲下，都從海中經過，
2都在雲裡、海裡受洗歸了摩西；
3並且都吃了一樣的靈食，
4也都喝了一樣的靈水。”
（林前 10：1-4）。
這裡，保羅認為嗎哪是“靈糧”，
因為它預表了基督，以偶祂給聖徒的屬靈預備。
因此，耶穌說：
“9我就是門；凡從我進來的，必然得救，
並且出入得草吃。
10盜賊來，無非要偷竊，殺害，毀壞；
我來了，是要叫羊（或作：人）得生命，並且得的更豐盛。”
（約 10：9-10）。
Jesus constitutes the true food that God has prepared to sustain our life.
耶穌成了真正的食物，是神準備用來維持我們的生命。
2.3 Freely Given 2.3 白白賞賜
God bestowed bread freely from heaven for His people through His great power.
Yet, despite experiencing this gracious miracle daily,
the Israelites were not only ungrateful for His providential care,
they even began murmuring
(Num 11:6).
In doing so, they angered and grieved the heart of God
(Num 11:10).
神用祂的大能，從天上白白賜下糧食給祂的子民。
然而，儘管每天都體驗這種恩典的神蹟，
以色列人不僅不懂感激神預備照顧他們，
他們甚至開始發怨言
（民 11：6）。
他們這樣做，激怒了神的心，使神傷心
（民 11：10）。
Such is man’s nature that we often fail to cherish the things,
which are free in life.
Worse, we may even despise them.
As Christians, we should realize that what we have comes from God,
including our salvation
(Mt 10:8).
Like David, we should offer prayers of thanksgiving,
recognizing that
“all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You”
(1 Chr 29:12–14).
這是人之常情，我們往往不珍惜事物，
那些生活中免費的東西。
更糟糕的是，我們甚至可能會鄙視那些事物。
作為基督徒，我們應該意識到，自已所擁有的一切來自於神，
包括我們的得救
（太 10：8）。
像大衛一樣，我們應該獻上感恩的祈禱，
認識到
“14因為萬物都從你而來，我們把從你而得的獻給你。”
（代上 29：12-14）。
Throughout his life, David had fought victoriously against Israel’s enemies,
yet he understood that all things were from God.
It was thus with an earnest attitude that
he entreated God to accept the offerings made by himself and his people.
The question is, do we have the same understanding as David?
大衛一生，都戰勝了以色列的敵人，
但是他明白，萬物都來自於神。
因此，就是以這樣認真的態度，
他懇求神接受他和百姓所獻的祭。
問題是，我們和大衛有同樣的認知嗎？
2.4 Must Be Gathered 2.4 要去收集
When God rained down manna, He expected the people to go out and gather it
(Num 11:8; Ex 16:16, 21).
It was not a difficult task
(Num 11:8),
and if they did it each day, they were assured of food to eat.
Compared to the time when they were enslaved in Egypt and subject to harsh labor,
it was a world apart.
當神降下嗎哪時，祂想要大家出去收集
（民 11：8；出 16：16，21）。
這不是一項很難的任務
（民 11：8），
如果他們每天都這樣做，就保證會有食物可吃。
比起他們在埃及為奴承擔嚴苛勞苦的時候，
這是一個截然不同的世界。
Believers need the word of God to nourish their spiritual life.
For this reason, the saints of old assembled together constantly, drawing near to God
(Heb 10:25).
This grace is available to those who are baptized into Christ
and is the only way to find true fulfillment in our spiritual life, to be joyful in God
(Lk 1:46–47)
and to avoid a crisis of faith.
信徒需要神的話語，來培育他們屬靈的生命。
因此，古時的聖徒常聚在一起，親近神
（來 10：25）。
受洗歸入基督的人，都可以獲得這種恩典，
並且才是在我們屬靈生活中，找到真正滿足的唯一途徑，在主裡有喜樂
（路 1：46-47）
並且避免信仰的危機。
Although manna was freely given, the people needed to gather it each morning.
The same principle applies to spiritual food:
as believers, we must put in effort to gather it each day,
collecting as much as we each need by studying and listening to the word of God.
There are no short cuts.
雖然嗎哪可以白白取用，但是每天早上，大家都需要收集。
同樣的原則也適用於屬靈的糧食：
作為信徒，我們必須每天努力收集，
藉由學習和聆聽神的話語，盡量收集我們每個人所需要的東西。
並沒有捷徑可走。
2.5 Crushed and Passed through Fire 2.5 打碎火烤
When God gave the Israelites manna to eat,
He actually provided them with a versatile new food.
It looked like coriander seed
and could be ground on millstones, crushed in a mortar, cooked in pans, or made into cakes
—much like grains of rice, wheat or beans.
Since manna could be prepared in different ways,
its taste must have been rich and varied.
Yet the Israelites did not appreciate what the Lord had provided for them:
"But now our whole being is dried up;
there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"
(Num 11:6).
神賜給以色列人吃嗎哪的時候，
祂實際為他們準備了一種多用途的新食物。
看起來像芫荽籽一樣，
可以在石磨上磨碎，在研缽中搗碎，在煎盤中煮熟，或製成蛋糕
—很像米粒、小麥粒或豆粒。
由於嗎哪可以用不同的方式烹煮，
它的味道一定是豐富多樣的。
然而，以色列人並不珍惜耶和華為他們所預備的：
“6現在我們的心血枯竭了，
除這嗎哪以外，在我們眼前並沒有別的東西！”
（民 11:6）。
The Israelites’ reaction towards manna brings to mind the experience of Jesus Christ.
In order to accomplish salvation and remove the emptiness in man’s heart,
He had to endure many afflictions
(Phil 2:6–8; 1 Pet 2:24).
Much like manna, He submissively allowed Himself to be crushed,
milled and passed through the fire.
In giving His body for our sake, Jesus became the food
that nourishes our spiritual lives.
Unfortunately, many people in His time could not accept Him
and were unwilling to turn to Him.
And to this day, there are still believers who fail to cherish the Lord’s grace.
以色列人使用嗎哪的反應，讓人想起耶穌基督的經歷。
為了完成救贖，除去眾人心靈的空虛，
祂不得不忍受許多苦難
（腓 2：6-8；彼前 2：24）。
就像嗎哪一樣，祂順從地讓自己被碾碎，
磨碎，並且經過火烤。
為了我們捨棄身體，耶穌成為了食物，
培育我們的屬靈生命。
不幸的是，祂那個時代的很多人，都不能接受祂
並且不願意轉向祂。
時至今日，仍有很多信徒不珍惜主的恩典。
2.6 Exceedingly Sweet 特別甜蜜
And the people spoke against God and against Moses:
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
(Num 21:5)
6現在我們的5就怨讟神和摩西說
“你們為甚麼把我們從埃及領出來、使我們死在曠野呢？
這裡沒有糧，沒有水，我們的心厭惡這淡薄的食物。”
（民 21：5）
In the Book of Numbers, manna is described as having “the taste of pastry prepared with oil”
(Num 11:8),
while the Book of Exodus says “the taste of it was like wafers made with honey”
(Ex 16:31).
Therefore, the Israelites’ complaint of a “worthless” food was a serious distortion of the reality.
在民數記中，嗎哪被描述為，“油酥糕點的味道”
（民 11：8），
而出埃及記說“它的味道就像蜂蜜薄餅”
（出 16：31）。
因此，以色列人抱怨食物是“毫無價值”，其實大大歪曲事實。
Man’s life depends on the word of God
(Deut 8:3; Mt 4:4),
and those who diligently seek His word will experience its wonderful taste.
King David says,
人生命的存留在於神的話語，
（申 8：3；太 4：4），
那些勤懇尋求祂話語的人，會體驗到它的奇妙滋味。
大衛王說，
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
(Ps 19:9–10)
9耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠；
耶和華的典章真實，全然公義─
10都比金子可羨慕，且比極多的精金可羨慕；比蜜甘甜，
且比蜂房下滴的蜜甘甜。
（詩 19：9-10）
Another psalmist writes,
“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
(Ps 119:103).
另一位詩人寫道，
“103你的言語在我上膛何等甘美，在我口中比蜜更甜！”
（詩 119：103）。
Through His sufferings and His sacrifice on the cross for mankind,
Jesus became the true manna, the word of eternal life.
A Christian’s attitude towards material things
is a good indicator of his attitude and reverence for the word of God.
As faithful believers, we should not bargain with God about our daily bread,
nor complain when it does not meet our expectations.
Rather, we should accept and learn to appreciate His loving provision and His salvation grace.
In our faith journey, we should pursue the truth through daily Bible reading and regular service attendance.
And, instead of striving after the transient things of the world,
we ought to focus on the hope that is everlasting.
通過祂為人類釘死十字架的苦難和犧牲，
耶穌成為真正的嗎哪，永生之道。
基督徒對物質事物的態度，
是自已的態度與敬畏神話語的好指標。
作為虔誠的信徒，我們不該為自已日常的飲食向神討價還價，
即使它不符合我們的願望時，也不要發怨言。
相反的，我們應該接受並學習，感謝祂慈愛的預備和拯救的恩典。
在我們的信仰之旅中，應該通過每天讀經和定期參加聚會，來追求真理。
還有，而不是努力追求世界短暫的事物，
我們應該專注於永生的盼望。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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