（民25）新鲜的口味 New flavors, (Numbers 25)
(Chat GPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）
Numbers 25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
On Saturday night, right after the Sabbath ended, I was particularly eager to check out various news and forums on my electronic devices to see what new things had happened. This is because during the entire Sabbath, I avoid these and mostly read prayer books, the Bible, and commentaries. So I believe that when the Israelites in Numbers 25:2 ate the food of the pagans, they must have found it novel and enjoyable, since these Israelites, having just come out of the wilderness, might have eaten manna since birth and never tasted grains. It’s like the Chinese saying “other people’s food always tastes better.”
When the Sabbath ended tonight, I wanted to continue studying the Bible because I have extra tasks next week. However, at that moment, the Bible was much less appealing than secular news and forums. I call this “spiritual fatigue,” similar to how people describe “aesthetic fatigue” in long-term marriages.
When this phenomenon occurs, it is essential to be particularly vigilant of potential dangers. When secular websites are especially enticing, it becomes more likely to see inappropriate content. When one experiences aesthetic fatigue towards their spouse, it becomes more likely to fall for someone they shouldn’t love. When the Israelites wanted to change their tastes, they followed pagans and worshiped false gods, resulting in a plague that killed 24,000 people.
How can we resolve taste fatigue, aesthetic fatigue, and spiritual fatigue? The key is that what the Lord provides is sufficient. Manna contained all the necessary nutrients and had sustained them for nearly forty years without anyone suffering from malnutrition. If they had waited a few more months until they crossed the Jordan River and celebrated the Passover commemorating the Exodus, the Lord would have given them the produce of the Promised Land, and the manna would have ceased (Joshua 5:10-12).
Jews believe that for every forbidden thing there is a permitted counterpart. See, e.g.,
As Psalm 23 teaches, that the Lord is my Shepherd, I will not lack. It also teaches, that He leads my in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. The Lord, who created everything, will not let us lack enjoyment in food, love, or entertainment, just because we walk in the right ways. There are proper ways to enjoy these, and the Lord’s arrangements are the best. Therefore, when “spiritual fatigue” happens, we can pray, Lord, teach me “so that I may take delight in your teachings” (Psalm 119:47).
（民25）新鲜的口味
民25：2 因 为 这 女 子 叫 百 姓 来 ， 一 同 给 她 们 的 神 献 祭 ， 百 姓 就 吃 她 们 的 祭 物 ， 跪 拜 她 们 的 神 。
我在周六夜里安息日刚结束后，打开电子设备时，特别想看杂七杂八的新闻和论坛，看看有什么新的事情发生。这是因为我整个安息日都不看这些，看的基本上是祷告书，圣经，和解经的书。所以我觉得民数记25：2节的以色列人吃外邦人的食物时一定觉得很新鲜，很享受，因为这些初出旷野的以色列人可能从一出生就吃的吗哪，从来没有吃过五谷杂粮。就像中国的俗语所说的“别人家的饭更香”。
今夜安息日刚结束时，我想继续研究圣经，因为下周有额外的事情，但是这时候，圣经比世俗新闻论坛对我的吸引力小得多。我把这称作“属灵的疲劳”，就像有人形容结婚久了的人可能会对配偶产生“审美的疲劳”。
这种现象发生时，要特别警惕潜在的危险。当世俗的网站特别有吸引力的时候，就更有可能看不该看的东西，当对自己的配偶审美疲劳时，就更有可能爱不该爱的人，当以色列人想换换口味时，他们跟随外邦人拜了假神，遭受了瘟疫，死了两万四千人。
口味疲劳，审美疲劳，属灵疲劳，怎么解决呢？关键在于：主给的足够。吗哪有各种营养，已经养活了他们就近四十年，谁也没有营养不良。其实他们再等几个月，到约旦河对面过了纪念出埃及的逾越节，主就会给他们吃应许之地的土产了，吗哪也随之而停（书5：10-12）。
犹太人认为，每一样被禁止的东西都有相应的东西被允许。参见https://www.quora.com/Every-pleasure-is-permitted-in-Judaism-if-done-in-the-right-way-What-would-be-the-Jewish-route-towards-the-taste-of-pork
就像诗篇23所教导的，造物主是我的牧者，“我必不至缺乏”。又教导，祂 …“为 自 己 的 名 引 导 我 走 义 路 ”。主是创造万有的，祂不会让我们因为走正路而缺乏该有的享受，不管是食物，爱情，还是娱乐，都有正当的方式，而且主的安排最好。所以当属灵疲劳发生时，我们可以祷告，主啊，教导我 “在 你 的 命 令 中 自 乐”（诗119:47）。