（利01）谁把供物献给谁?
(Leviticus 1) Who Offers Sacrifices to Whom?
(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）
Leviticus chapter 1 talks about a “burnt offering,” where “everything must be burnt on the altar,” as a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9). Ancient Chinese also had similar rituals, such as the “ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, piling up firewood to burn sacrificial animals, jade, and silk, so that the smoke could reach the heavens, hence named burning firewood.” See https://baike.baidu.hk/item/燔柴/8599082. However, in ancient China, the offering sacrifices to heaven were later monopolized by the royal family. Ordinary people could only worship heaven through ancestor worship. See “Wikipedia • Heaven” link in “Unique Monotheism in the Chinese Imperial Family” https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/天. In contrast, the burnt offering taught in the Bible is open to everyone to offer to the Creator. Leviticus 1:2 says, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any of you brings an offering to the L-rd…'” Here, there is no restriction stating that only the royal family or nobility of Israel can offer burnt sacrifices. Jews even believe that people of all nations can offer burnt sacrifices. See https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.1.2?lang=bi&with=Bekhor%20Shor&lang2=en
The word used for “person” in “If anyone brings” (Leviticus 1:2) is “Adam” in the original text, referring to the common ancestor of humanity. Before the Creator, everyone is equal, all are descendants of Adam; whether kings, nobles, or commoners, all were created by the same Creator, owe Him their lives, and should offer burnt sacrifices to Him (symbolizing dedicating one’s life to Him). In this regard, Christianity is more advanced; in ancient China, only the emperor was the “son of heaven,” and only he could worship heaven, while Christians believe that everyone is a “child of the Heavenly Father and can worship the supreme God.
The ancient Chinese royal family’s monopoly on offering sacrifices to heaven may have been a means of control. However, it had serious negative consequences. Commoners could only worship ancestors and not directly worship heaven, leading them to gradually forget the existence of a Supreme Ruler worthy of worship, forming a backward culture where everyone worships their own ancestors. They gradually forgot that their ancestors’ own lives were also given by the Creator, and their ancestors should also offer burnt sacrifices to worship the Creator. Leviticus 1:2 mentions “…brings an offering to the L-rd,” teaching us that the object of worship must be the Creator and not any created being. Even offering sacrifices to “heaven” is inappropriate if what is sacrificed is material heaven (such as the atmosphere or outer space). People can honor their ancestors, but they cannot make ancestors the object of worship. Ancestors are also human and have made mistakes; they will also face the righteous judgment of the Creator in the future resurrection. Instead of living to glorify ancestors, it is better to live to glorify the Creator, who rules over all things, to fully realize the purpose of the Creator in creating one’s ancestors. Let us worship the ultimate object worthy of worship, the Creator Himself, and nothing else.
（利1）谁把供物献给谁
利未记第一章讲到一种“燔祭”，“要 把 一 切 全 烧 在 坛 上”， 是献给造物主的“馨 香 的 火 祭 。”（利1:9）
中国古人也有类似的仪式，“祭天之禮，積柴以實牲體、玉帛而燔之，使煙氣之臭上達於天，因名祭天曰燔柴也。” 参见
https://baike.baidu.hk/item/燔柴/8599082
但是，中国古人的祭天，后来被皇室垄断了，一般人只能通过祭祖而祭天，参见 “维基百科•天”链接里的“中國皇室中獨特的一神論”https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/天。而圣经教导的燔祭，则是人人都可以献给造物主，利未记1:2说“你 晓 谕 以 色 列 人 说 ，你 们 中 间 若 有 人 献 供 物 给 耶 和 华 ，…”，这里没有设定限制说只有以色列的王室贵族才能献燔祭。犹太人认为甚至认为各民族的人都可以献燔祭。参见https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.1.2?lang=bi&with=Bekhor%20Shor&lang2=en
“若 有 人 献”（利1:2）里面用的字“人”，原文是“亚当”，就是那位受造的人类共同祖先。在造物主目前，人人平等，都是亚当的后代，无论君王贵族与平民百姓，都是造物主所造的，都欠祂一条命，都该向祂献燔祭（象征立志为祂而活）。在这一点上，基督教是先进的，在中国古代只有皇帝是“天子”，只有他可以祭天，而基督徒则人人都是“天子”（天父的儿女），都可以敬拜最高的上帝。
中国古代皇室对祭天的垄断，可能是作为一种统治的手段。但是这带来了严重的负面后果。平民百姓只能祭祖不能直接祭天，使得他们逐渐忘了有一位宇宙的最高主宰当受敬拜，形成了人人各拜自家祖先的落后文化。他们逐渐忘了祖宗们自己的生命也是当年造物主所赐的，祖宗们自己也是应该献燔祭敬拜造物主的。利未记1:2里提到‘…献 供 物 给 耶 和 华’，这教导我们献祭的对象，只能是造物主，不能是任何受造物。就连是祭“天”，如果所祭的是物质的天（例如大气层或者外太空等受造物），也是不应该的。 人可以纪念祖先，但不能把祖先作为敬拜的目标。祖先也是人，也犯过错，也要将来在复活时接受造物主公义的审判。人活着与其为了光宗耀祖，不如为了荣耀掌管万有的造物主，这样才能充分实现造物主当年创造自己的祖先的目的。让我们敬拜那当受敬拜的终极目标，造物主自己，没有其他。