香壇TheAltar of Incense
作者: Iain Duguid 譯者: Maria Marta
會幕的許多擺設都有一個實用的目的。 燈台為黑暗籠罩的環境提供光線，桌子是擺放陳設餅的地方。香壇的實際用途是燃燒馨香料，使空氣充滿芳香味。雖然這些擺設都是用純金做的，且裝飾豪華，相當於國王的附屬品，但從許多方面來說，它們都是平常的家具。借著日常的祭祀，所有感官都受到服侍：借著燈台、香壇、陳設餅桌的功用發揮，視覺、嗅覺、味覺的需求都得到滿足，耳朵同時還聽到大祭司聖衣上的鈴聲。 整個事件設計成：為了上帝豐富我們多元的感官體驗------非因上帝擁有像我們那樣的感觀，乃因祂確認祂所賜予我們的每種不同感官的長處。 只有最出色的事物才能足夠好的獻給宇宙的創造者。
除了實際用途和吸引感官之外，會幕的擺設還為上帝的百姓提供象征性的作用。燈台上的七盞燈象征上帝的祝福，它們光照著十二個陳設餅，陳設餅本身代表以色列的十二個支派。燈台本身是一種微型火柱，記念上帝在曠野與祂的百姓同在。伴隨著燈台的火柱，香壇上空形成並騰起一根一致的煙柱。
更重要的是，源於熏香本身的煙霧不斷從祭壇上升起，象征上帝百姓的祈禱不斷上升到主的面前。在帳幕裡，只有祭司們才能獻香，因為他們充當百姓和上帝之間的中保，象征性地將他們的禱告帶到致高者的面前。詩篇一四一篇2節表達了這種觀點，大衛向上帝祈禱：「願我的禱告如香陳列在你面前」。記載在歷代志下廿六章16–21節的事件明顯地違反了這種制度，當烏西雅王試圖越過祭司的抗議，進入聖殿燒香，並代表自己獻上。他長出的大痲風取代了他要尋求的尊貴的地位，麻風病使他不潔凈，從此不能再進入聖殿（廿六16–21）。
香壇也和以色列的祭祀儀式有關。當大祭司因自己所犯的罪，需要獻上贖罪祭時，他要以祭牲的血塗抹香壇的四角，並將其餘的血倒在壇腳（利四3–7）。全體會眾作為一個整體的贖罪祭也需要同樣的祭牲，祭牲的血要抹在香壇的四角上，其餘的血都要倒在燔祭壇腳（13 –
18節）。然而，即使定期獻上這些贖罪祭，也不足以對付人們因罪導致並累積起來的汙穢；為了防止土地變得不合適作神聖的居所，大祭司不得不在一年一度的贖罪日進入至聖所。他拿著輕便的香爐進幔子裡，香爐發出保護性的煙雲，讓他在煙雲的遮掩下，安全地取出潔凈祭牲的血，彈向約櫃上的施恩座的上面、和前面（利十六13 –
18節）。
盡管香是會幕和聖殿敬拜的重要組成部分，但新約崇拜不再需要香。在新聖殿，即教會，舊的祭祀儀式已經被它所象征的眾聖徒的祈禱取代，（參閱啟五8；八3–4）。現在我們不再需要祭司作中保，將我們的禱告祈求帶給上帝，因為我們可以奉基督，我們的大祭司的名靠近上帝。祂不僅是我們的辯護者，更為我們的罪作了贖罪祭（約壹二2）。作為我們真正的大祭司，祂已經把自己的血帶到帳幕和聖殿所指向的在天上的原型，並將它應用於天上的施恩座，從而永遠潔凈祂的子民（來九11–14）。這就是我們能藉著基督，新約中保所灑的血，沒有恐懼，沒有香的煙雲遮掩，安全靠近上帝的原因（十二24）。正如希伯來書作者的總結那樣：「因此，我們既然領受了不能震動的國，就應該感恩，照著 神所喜悅的，用虔誠敬畏的心事奉他」（28節）。願我們每日的感恩禱告，像香一般，上升到上帝的面前。
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌2017年十二月號 。
The
Altar of Incense
by
Iain Duguid
Many
of the furnishings of the tabernacle had a functional purpose. The lampstand
gave light in an otherwise dark enclosure, while the table provided a place on
which to put the showbread. Meanwhile, the incense altar served the practical
purpose of pleasantly scenting the air. These items were in many respects
ordinary pieces of furniture, albeit made out of pure gold and richly
ornamented as befitted the furniture of a king. All of the senses were
ministered to by the daily priestly ritual: sight, smell, and taste were
addressed through the lampstand, the incense altar, and the table of showbread,
while hearing was ministered to by the bells on the high priest’s garments. The
whole affair was designed as a rich multisensory experience for God—not because
He has senses like ours, but as an acknowledgment of the goodness of each of
the diverse senses He has given us. Only the very best of everything could
possibly be good enough to offer to the Creator of the universe.
In
addition to their practical usefulness and sensory attractiveness, the
tabernacle furniture also served a multivalent symbolic role for God’s people.
The seven lamps on the lampstand symbolized God’s blessing shining out upon the
twelves loaves of showbread, which themselves represented the twelve tribes of
Israel. The lampstand itself was a kind of miniature pillar of fire,
memorializing God’s presence with His people in the wilderness. The incense
altar formed a corresponding pillar of smoke to accompany the lampstand’s
pillar of fire.
What
is more, the smoke from the incense itself, constantly rising from the altar,
came to symbolize the prayers of God’s people constantly ascending before the
Lord. In the tabernacle, incense could only be offered by the priests, who thus
served as mediators between the people and God, symbolically bringing their
prayers into the presence of the Most High. This idea is expressed in Psalm
141:2, where David prays to the Lord, “Let my prayer be set before you as
incense.” A notable breach in this protocol is recorded in 2 Chronicles, when
King Azariah (also known as Uzziah) tried to enter the Holy Place and burn an
incense offering on his own behalf, over the protests of the priests. In place
of the elevated status he sought, he was struck with leprosy, which made him
unclean and therefore unable to enter any part of the temple complex in the
future (26:16–21).
The
altar of incense was also connected with the sacrificial rituals of Israel.
When a sin offering was required because of a failure on the part of the high
priest, the blood of the offering was smeared on the horns of the incense altar
and poured out at its base (Lev. 4:3–7). A sin offering for the community as a
whole required a similar sacrifice, with the blood also being applied to the
horns of the incense altar, while the blood was poured out at the less sacred
altar of burnt offering (vv. 13–18). However, even these regular sin offerings
were not sufficient to deal with the accumulated pollution caused by the people’s
sin; in order to prevent the land from becoming unfit for divine habitation,
the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of
Atonement. He carried with him a portable incense burner that would provide a
protective cloud of smoke, under which he could safely take the blood of
purification offerings and apply it to the mercy seat on top of the ark of the
covenant (Lev. 16:12–13).
Although
incense was an essential part of the worship of the tabernacle and temple, it
is no longer required for new covenant worship. In the new temple, the church,
the old priestly ritual has been replaced by what it symbolized, the prayers of
the saints (see Rev. 5:8; 8:3–4). Now we no longer need priestly mediators to
bring our prayers and petitions to God, for we may draw near in the name of
Christ, our Great High Priest. He is not merely our advocate, however; He
Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). As our true High
Priest, He has taken His own blood into the heavenly archetype toward which the
tabernacle and temple pointed and applied it to the heavenly mercy seat,
thereby cleansing His people forever (Heb. 9:11–14). This is what enables us to
approach God without fear, without a protective canopy of incense, safe through
the sprinkled blood of Christ, who is the mediator of the new covenant (12:24).
As the writer to the Hebrews sums it up, “Therefore let us be grateful for
receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God
acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (v. 28). May our thankful prayers
rise daily before God like incense.
Dr.
Iain Duguid is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia and founding pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church (ARP) in
Glenside, Pa. He is author of Is Jesus in the Old Testament?