（民02）以会幕为中心 (Num 02) Centering at the Tabernacle

(ChatGPT was applied for English translation. 中文在后面)

Numbers 2:2,17
“The Israelites are to camp around the Tabernacle, each under his own standard, by the banners of their ancestral houses… Then the Tent of Meeting is to set out with the camp of the Levites in the center of the camps. They are to set out in the same order as they encamp, each in his own position, under his own standard.”

In the book of Numbers, we see that the Israelites in the Bible camped and marched with the Tabernacle at the center. The Tabernacle was the place where they worshiped the Creator and learned His words.

In modern society, people often, at a certain stage of life, center their lives around a particular matter and arrange other things accordingly. For example, I once centered my life around going abroad—taking relevant courses, preparing for exams, learning the foreign language, exercising my body. Even reading martial arts novels was for related relaxation and also served as encouragement. Later, I centered on job searching—planning to change fields for that purpose, doing research on career paths, applying for internships, preparing to ask suitable people for recommendation letters, and so on. Later still, I entered a phase where promotion became the center—doing research, teaching, applying for grants, supervising students, applying to other schools to gain leverage, etc. Eventually, it became a phase where children became the center of my work—buying a house had to consider the school district, the children’s extracurricular activities, future majors, even political candidates’ policies and whether they were good for children…

These centers are sometimes necessary under certain circumstances, but they are all relative. As Christians, following the will of the Creator is the absolute center. All other centers, consciously or unconsciously, serve this absolute center.

For example, our going abroad may unknowingly allow us the opportunity to come into contact with the church and the Bible; getting a stable job may allow us to earn money to support our family and also contribute more to the church and other good works; our work achievements, mentored students, and raised children may all bring more benefits to humanity by drawing from the goodness that comes from the Creator.

Centering on the Tabernacle was a command from the Creator to the Israelites in the Bible. This inspires us that, as the people of the Creator, we should intentionally make all our efforts in life to be done for the Lord. What was once unconscious and spontaneous—whether going abroad, job hunting, seeking promotion, or raising children—must now be done consciously for the Lord. When we realize that these are not absolute centers in themselves, but are actions centered around serving the Creator, then our actions have eternal value and no longer expire due to the limits of individual life. For the Creator will cause individual life to transcend death, to be resurrected in the ideal future society, and to receive rewards for the work done for Him.

Intentionally making the service of the Creator the center of life requires doing the following:

1. Study the Bible regularly to form a correct view of life and the world, to understand the will of the Creator and His commissions to us, to learn the general principles for how His people should treat others and handle matters, and to learn from the various examples of failure and success in the Bible.

2. In planning and making choices, pray and ask the Creator for guidance. For example, whether to go abroad, which school to apply to, which major to choose, how to find a spouse, which house to buy, how to raise children, and so on. When we make choices, the objective function to be optimized is no longer our own benefit in this life, but the will of the Creator. His will may not always align with our secular interests in this life, but it certainly aligns with our overall true interests for both this life and the next. This means we may need to consider things differently than what the secular world deems best. For instance, when choosing a spouse, we not only look at appearance or income, but also the person’s faith and whether they can be a co-worker in serving the Lord. Or, when choosing a school for our children, we don’t only consider prestige, but also whether the spiritual environment is good, whether there are suitable church fellowships. When we pray for the future, we must both ask the Lord to help us do our best and also entrust the final outcome to Him, letting His good will be accomplished.

3. Once we have entrusted the matter to the Creator through prayer, and have done our part, then regardless of how He fulfills it—whether the result matches our previous hopes or not—we must trust and give thanks. Because the Creator’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His reward spans both this life and the life to come.

（民02）以会幕为中心

民数记2:2,17 “以色列人要各归自己的纛下，在本族的旗号那里，对着会幕的四围安营。… 随后，会幕要往前行，有利未营在诸营中间。他们怎样安营就怎样往前行，各按本位，各归本纛。”

在民数记我们看到，圣经里的以色列人安营和行军，都以会幕为中心。会幕是他们敬拜造物主和学习祂的话语的地方。

现代社会的人们经常需要在某一阶段以某一件事为生活的中心，为了这个中心来安排别的事情来配合。比如我曾经以出国为中心，选有关的课，准备考试，学习外语，锻炼身体，甚至看武侠小说也是为了相关的调节放松，也起到励志的作用。我后来也曾把找工作作为中心，为之计划调整专业，作专业出路的调查研究，申请实习，准备找合适的人写推荐信，等等。我后来又曾经以得到终身教职为中心，作科研，教学，申请研究基金，带学生，申请其它的学校作杠杆，等等。后来到了以孩子为工作中心的时期了，买房子要考虑孩子的学区，要考虑孩子的课外活动，将来的专业方向，甚至选举议员时要看他们的政策对孩子是否有利…

这些中心，在某些情况确实是需要的，但它们都是相对的，作为基督徒，遵行造物主的旨意，才是绝对的中心。其它的中心，都是有意无意为这个绝对的中心而服务的。

比如我们的出国，可能无意中让我们有机会接触教会和圣经；我们得到稳定的工作，可能让我们可以赚钱养家，也可以更多的奉献支持教会和作其它的善工；我们的工作成果，辅导的学生，教养的后代，也可以为人类带来更多的益处，从造物主那里支取从祂而来的美善。

以会幕为中心，是圣经中造物主对以色列人的命令。这启发我们，作为造物主的子民，要有意地把所有生活中的努力都看成为主而做的。原来是无意识的自发的行为，不管是出国，找工作，拿终身职位，带孩子，都要有意识地为主而做。当我们意识到这些本身不是绝对的中心，而是围绕侍奉造物主这个真正的中心而做的，我们的行为就有了永恒的价值，不再因为个体生命的有限而失效。因为造物主会让个体的生命超越死亡，在将来的理想社会复活，并得到为祂作工的奖赏。

有意识的把侍奉造物主作为生活的中心，需要做这些：

1，平时多学习圣经，形成正确的人生观，世界观，了解造物主的旨意，和祂对我们的托付，学习造物主的子民待人处事的一般原则，以及圣经里各种失败成功的例子。

2，做事在计划和选择时要祷告，求造物主带领，比如是否出国，申请什么学校，选什么专业，怎么样寻找配偶，买哪个房子，如何教养后代，等等。我们做选择，最优化的目标函数不再是自己今生的利益，而是造物主的旨意，祂的旨意和我们今生的世俗利益不一定是一致的，但对我们今生来世的总体的真实利益却一定是一致的。这让我们在作选择时可能需要与世俗的最佳选择有不同的考虑。比如说选择配偶，就不光看外表或经济收入，也会注意对方的信仰，是否可以成为侍奉主的同工；又比如我们为孩子选学校，可能就不但是看是否有名气，也会注意学校的属灵环境，有没有合适的教会团契。我们为将来的事情祷告，既要求主帮助我们尽上自己努力的本分，又要把事情最终交托给主，让祂的美好旨意成全。

3，当我们借着祷告将事情的主权交给造物主，并且已经尽了自己的本分，那么不论祂是如何成就，不论结果是否与自己以前所盼望的一致，我们都要信靠和感恩，因为造物主的意念高过我们的意念，祂的奖赏能贯彻于今世来世的总和。