贖罪祭壇 What Sanctifies Our Offerings?

經文: 「又要把些血抹在會幕內、耶和華面前香壇的四角上。」（利未記四︰7）

焚香的祭壇，是聖者獻上禱告與讚美的地方，若能想像此處是耶穌寶血傾洒之處，更能使我們的敬拜蒙上帝悅納。因為祂看到祂愛子的血，祂就接納我們的奉獻與敬拜。 定睛在寶血上是必要的，因為那是惟一的贖罪祭。而罪常與我們看為是好的事混雜在一起，若沒有耶穌寶血的挽回祭，我們的悔改、信心、禱告，在上帝眼中，都不算數。有人輕看耶穌的流血，覺得那沒什麼，但對我們而言，這卻是我們一切盼望的基礎。寶血抹在香壇的四角，意味著當我們近到上帝面前，那將是最搶眼的部份。寶血使我們的禱告有力，所以它被抹在壇上最醒目之處。因為祂是獻在上帝面前，所以也擺在我們面前，藉以我們的獻祭得以潔淨。 來吧，因為羔羊已經代贖罪債，就讓我們坦然無懼地來到上帝面前，知道藉著寶血的遮蓋，我們已蒙悅納，我們的禱告，必像馨香之氣，達到上帝面前。  Scripture: “And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD” (Leviticus 4:7). The altar of incense is the place where saints present their prayers and praises; and it is delightful to think of it as sprinkled with the blood of the great sacrifice. This it is which makes all our worship acceptable with Jehovah: He sees the blood of His own Son and therefore accepts our homage.  It is well for us to fix our eyes upon the blood of the one offering for sin. Sin mingles even with our holy things, and our best repentance, faith, prayer, and thanksgiving could not be received of God were it not for the merit of the atoning sacrifice. Many sneer at “the blood”; but to us it is the foundation of comfort and hope. That which is on the horns of the altar is meant to be prominently before our eyes when we draw near to God. The blood gives strength to prayer, and hence it is on the altar’s horns. It is “before the LORD,” and therefore it ought to be before us. It is on the altar before we bring the incense; it is there to sanctify our offerings and gifts. Come, let us pray with confidence, since the Victim is offered, the merit has been pleaded, the blood is within the veil, and the prayers of believers must be sweet unto the LORD.

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