全新四年樂活讀經
W3 2012-01-18 (書20)
經文: 約書亞記 20:9 這都是為以色列眾人和在他們中間寄居的外人所分定的地邑，使誤殺人的都可以逃到那裡，不死在報血仇人的手中，等他站在會眾面前聽審判。
默想: 逃城是很特別的地方。十誡第六誡是不可殺人。耶和華在用洪水毀滅全世界，只留下進入方舟的挪亞一家八口人。那個時候，耶和華就立下：殺人者必須償命的命令。耶和華向挪亞說，流你們血、害你們命的，無論是獸是人，我必討他的罪，就是向各人的弟兄也是如此。凡流人血的，他的血也必被人所流，因為神造人是照自己的形像造的。這種看來似乎是一視同仁的絕對公義，在此卻作了更細微的處理。逃城的設立，是區分故意謀殺以及過失致死 (murder and manslaughter)之差異。這是在審判的公義上面，不全然只憑著行為的動作來作判決的根據，還要考慮行為的動機。故意謀殺者判處唯一死刑，過失致死者判處有期徒刑。求主幫助我，在是非善惡的倫理判斷上面，願意從黑白分明的兩分法 (Dichotomy)，學習由黑到白的層次考量 (Gradient)。
題目: 仁慈又周延的上主，顧及人性中無意的過犯，而設立了庇護城。試問在你的心中，是否也像上主一樣為人設立一個庇護所？
20:1 耶和華曉諭約書亞說：
Then the LORD said to Joshua,
20:2 「你吩咐以色列人說：你們要照著我藉摩西所曉諭你們的，為自己設立逃城，
"Say to the people of Israel, `Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
20:3 使那無心而誤殺人的，可以逃到那裡。這些城可以作你們逃避報血仇人的地方。
that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
20:4 那殺人的要逃到這些城中的一座城，站在城門口，將他的事情說給城內的長老們聽。他們就把他收進城裡，給他地方，使他住在他們中間。
He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.
20:5 若是報血仇的追了他來，長老不可將他交在報血仇的手裡；因為他是素無仇恨，無心殺了人的。
And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past.
20:6 他要住在那城裡，站在會眾面前聽審判，等到那時的大祭司死了，殺人的才可以回到本城本家，就是他所逃出來的那城。」
And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'"
20:7 於是，以色列人在拿弗他利山地分定加利利的基低斯；在以法蓮山地分定示劍；在猶大山地分定基列•亞巴（基列•亞巴就是希伯崙）；
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naph'tali, and Shechem in the hill country of E'phraim, and Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
20:8 又在約旦河外耶利哥東，從流便支派中，在曠野的平原，設立比悉；從迦得支派中設立基列的拉末；從瑪拿西支派中設立巴珊的哥蘭。
And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manas'seh.
20:9 這都是為以色列眾人和在他們中間寄居的外人所分定的地邑，使誤殺人的都可以逃到那裡，不死在報血仇人的手中，等他站在會眾面前聽審判。
These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that any one who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
Then the LORD said to Joshua,
20:2 「你吩咐以色列人說：你們要照著我藉摩西所曉諭你們的，為自己設立逃城，
"Say to the people of Israel, `Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
20:3 使那無心而誤殺人的，可以逃到那裡。這些城可以作你們逃避報血仇人的地方。
that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
20:4 那殺人的要逃到這些城中的一座城，站在城門口，將他的事情說給城內的長老們聽。他們就把他收進城裡，給他地方，使他住在他們中間。
He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.
20:5 若是報血仇的追了他來，長老不可將他交在報血仇的手裡；因為他是素無仇恨，無心殺了人的。
And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past.
20:6 他要住在那城裡，站在會眾面前聽審判，等到那時的大祭司死了，殺人的才可以回到本城本家，就是他所逃出來的那城。」
And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'"
20:7 於是，以色列人在拿弗他利山地分定加利利的基低斯；在以法蓮山地分定示劍；在猶大山地分定基列•亞巴（基列•亞巴就是希伯崙）；
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naph'tali, and Shechem in the hill country of E'phraim, and Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
20:8 又在約旦河外耶利哥東，從流便支派中，在曠野的平原，設立比悉；從迦得支派中設立基列的拉末；從瑪拿西支派中設立巴珊的哥蘭。
And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manas'seh.
20:9 這都是為以色列眾人和在他們中間寄居的外人所分定的地邑，使誤殺人的都可以逃到那裡，不死在報血仇人的手中，等他站在會眾面前聽審判。
These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that any one who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
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因著上帝的慈愛，上帝親自設立的「逃城」的目的：使誤殺人的不至于死（民35：11，12節），使利未人成爲百姓的祝福。耶和華住在以色列人中間,要求各支派按所承受爲業之地，把共四十八座城邑，其中有六座逃城給利未人，在約但河東要分出三座城，在迦南地也要分出三座城，都作逃城。（民35：1-8 節），使誤殺人的可以逃到那裏。
回覆刪除這表明上帝住在以色列人中間（民35：34），且給百姓帶進恩典——是恩典之城（民35：6節）。逃城是給誤犯殺人罪的人得蔭庇的地方，也作了上帝給人救恩的預表，不管是當時的蔭庇，或是作以後要來的事的預表，都顯明是恩典的事實（6節）。因著上帝的恩典，逃城是避難所，但上帝是公義的。對故意殺人者，不能顧惜（民35：16-21節。
若人得罪了我們，求主幫助我們，在我們的心中，預先為人設立一個庇護所，「逃城」，不要對人有成見。懂得憐憫人的軟弱，學習饒恕人，彼此相愛，用愛來連結，彼此建造。若我們得罪了他人，求主幫助我們，趕快來到主前，認罪悔改；逃離我們老我敗壞、罪惡的生命吧！不要耽延！