Friday, 4th September 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文：
「壇上的火要在其上常常燒着，不可熄滅。祭司要每日早晨在上面燒柴，並要把燔祭擺在壇上，在其上燒平安祭牲的脂油。在壇上必有常常燒着的火，不可熄滅。」
——利未記 6:12–13
引言
讀利未記第六章，我們會發現這一章很特別。
前半部分講的是人犯罪之後，怎樣歸還、賠償、獻祭；中間講祭司每天怎樣處理壇上的燔祭、灰燼和火；後面又講到素祭、祭司自己的獻上，以及贖罪祭和「至聖」的規定。
表面看，好像是很多不同的條例。
但如果把整章放在一起，我們會看見一條很清楚的生命方向：
神不是只叫人偶爾來到祭壇，而是要祂的百姓持續活在祂面前。
祭壇不是只有犯罪時才來。
也不是有需要時才來。
更不是有聚會、有感動時才來。
祭壇代表一個人持續活在神面前的生命。
有罪，要來處理。
有過去留下的東西，要來整理。
有神所點燃的火，要來守住。
有自己的人生，要重新獻上。
有神的聖潔，也要重新敬畏。
對今天的我們來說，我們不是重新回到舊約的獻祭制度，因為耶穌基督已經一次獻上自己，成全了贖罪的工作。
但祭壇所啟示的屬靈原則仍然提醒我們：
我們每天都要藉着基督重新回到神面前。
所以今天我們從利未記第六章思想三個提醒：
一、回到祭壇，先處理生命中未處理的地方
經文：利未記 6:2–5
「若有人犯罪，干犯耶和華……他既犯了罪，有了過犯，就要歸還他所搶奪的……另外加上五分之一。」
第六章一開始，神處理的是人與人之間的問題。
有人欺騙鄰舍。
有人搶奪別人的東西。
有人欺壓人。
有人撿到失物，卻起誓說不是自己拿的。
這些看起來都是人際之間的事情，但神卻說：
這是「干犯耶和華」。
這一句很重要。
它讓我們知道，我們不能把與神的關係和與人的關係分開。
我們不能說：
「我跟神沒有問題，只是跟某個人有問題。」
如果我們明知道自己傷害了人、欺騙了人、虧欠了人，卻完全不願處理，這件事情同樣影響我們與神的關係。
所以神要求犯罪的人，不只是帶祭物來。
他首先要歸還。
還要加上五分之一。
然後才把贖愆祭帶到神面前。
這裏讓我們看見：
真正的悔改，一定帶着責任。
不是單單說：
「主啊，赦免我。」
而是：
「主啊，我願意面對我所做錯的事。」
如果可以修復，就去修復。
如果需要道歉，就去道歉。
如果需要歸還，就去歸還。
如果需要承擔後果，就願意承擔。
到了新約，耶穌不是取消這個原則，而是把我們帶到更深的真實裏。
我們得赦免，不是因為自己可以賠償所有的罪，而是因為基督已經為我們付上我們不能付的代價。
但一個真正被恩典赦免的人，也會願意面對自己對別人造成的傷害。
所以每天回到神的祭壇，第一件事不是問：
「神今天要給我甚麼？」
而是先問：
「我生命裏有沒有甚麼，是需要在神面前先處理的？」
有沒有昨天說錯的一句話？
有沒有一個我一直逃避的人？
有沒有一個明知道不對，卻仍然不願承認的地方？
我們很多時候一早起來，就開始處理工作、訊息、行程、責任。
但利未記第六章提醒我們：
先處理裏面，才去處理外面。
因為一個沒有處理的罪、一個沒有修復的關係，會慢慢影響我們整個屬靈生命。
每天回到神面前，就是容讓祂先光照我們。
二、回到祭壇，清理昨日的灰，守住今日的火
經文：利未記 6:10–13
「祭司要穿上細麻布衣服……把壇上所燒的燔祭灰收起來……把灰拿到營外潔淨之處。」
「壇上的火要在其上常常燒着，不可熄滅。祭司要每日早晨在上面燒柴。」
這一段有一個很深的畫面。
祭司每天早晨起來，要做兩件事情：
清灰，添柴。
灰，是昨天燃燒過留下來的。
柴，是今天要加上去的。
經文沒有說灰本身就是罪，也沒有說灰一定會把火熄滅。
但這個每天清灰、添柴的次序，給我們一幅很有力量的屬靈圖畫：
昨天燃燒過，不代表今天不用再回到神面前。
那些灰證明昨天真的有火。
昨天真的有獻祭。
昨天真的有經歷。
但祭司不能抱着昨天的灰說：
「昨天已經燒過了，今天不用再做了。」
他每天都要重新回來。
這正是我們屬靈生命很容易出現的問題。
我們常常停留在昨天。
昨天的失敗。
昨天的傷害。
昨天的疲倦。
昨天的罪疚。
有時候甚至是昨天的成功。
昨天的感動。
昨天很深的敬拜。
昨天很大的突破。
這些都可能是真實的。
但無論是好的還是不好的，
昨天都不能代替今天。
昨天的失敗，不要變成今天的定罪。
昨天的傷害，不要變成今天的苦毒。
昨天的成功，不要變成今天的驕傲。
昨天的屬靈經歷，也不要變成今天不再尋求神的理由。
祭司每天早晨清灰之後，就要添柴。
神說：
「祭司要每日早晨在上面燒柴。」
這句話對我有很深的提醒。
到了利未記第九章，我們會看見，火從耶和華面前出來，燒盡祭物。
所以這壇上的火，與神自己所賜下的火有關。
但神卻把維持這火的責任交給祭司。
火的源頭是神，但祭司要每天添柴。
這就是我們屬靈生命很重要的原則。
今天我們不是靠自己的宗教熱情維持一團火。
真正的生命是從神而來。
耶穌基督使我們可以重新親近父神，聖靈也在我們裏面工作，使我們有渴慕、有感動、有力量回應神。
但我們仍然有責任回應祂。
我們仍然要每天親近祂。
所以當我們說：
「我最近很冷淡。」
「我最近沒有以前那麼愛神。」
「我最近禱告沒有感覺。」
我們也需要問：
我今天有沒有添柴？
我今天有沒有讀神的話？
我今天有沒有禱告？
我今天有沒有安靜？
我今天有沒有順服神？
我今天有沒有處理罪？
我今天的心，最先被甚麼佔據？
很多時候，不是神不再作工，而是我們的注意力慢慢被工作、人、手機、壓力、計劃和世界上的事情佔滿了。
柴沒有再加上。
火自然就愈來愈微弱。
所以每天回到神面前，就是：
昨天的灰，交給神整理；今天的柴，重新加上。
三、回到祭壇，把自己重新獻上，守住聖潔
經文：利未記 6:19–23、25–29
「亞倫和他的子孫受膏的日子，要獻給耶和華的供物……這素祭要全燒給耶和華。」
「贖罪祭的條例乃是這樣……這是至聖的。」
第六章後半部分，神開始更直接地對祭司說話。
祭司不只是幫別人獻祭的人。
他自己也要獻上。
特別在受膏的時候，他要把自己的素祭完全獻給神。
這是一個非常重要的提醒。
事奉神的人，自己也在祭壇上。
我們很容易把祭壇理解成：
別人有罪，我幫他禱告。
別人有需要，我幫他服事。
別人軟弱，我幫他扶持。
別人要成長，我幫他預備信息。
但神提醒祭司：
你自己也要獻上。
你不能只幫別人來到神面前。
你自己也要來。
這對每一個服事神的人都很重要。
特別是領袖、牧者、同工。
我們很容易每天忙着預備別人的屬靈需要，卻沒有處理自己的生命。
我們可以預備一篇很好信息，自己卻沒有被神的話光照。
可以帶別人禱告，自己卻沒有真正禱告。
可以鼓勵別人愛神，自己的心卻慢慢離開神。
所以祭壇首先不是我們工作的地方。
祭壇首先是我們獻上自己的地方。
到了新約，這個獻上的生命沒有消失，只是不再是獻動物的祭。
保羅說：
「將身體獻上，當作活祭，是聖潔的，是神所喜悅的。」
因為基督已經為我們成為完全的祭，所以我們今天的回應，不是再為自己贖罪，而是因着祂已經成就的救恩，把整個生命獻給祂。
而且到了贖罪祭的條例，神又反覆強調：
「這是至聖的。」
祭物怎樣處理，誰可以吃，在甚麼地方吃，器皿怎樣潔淨，神都有清楚規定。
為甚麼？
因為神要教祂的百姓：
祂是聖潔的。
我們來到神面前，不只是需要熱情。
也需要敬畏。
不只是需要感動。
也需要分別。
不只是要火。
也要聖潔。
今天我們能夠坦然來到神面前，不是因為神降低了祂聖潔的標準，而是因為基督已經為我們承擔罪的代價，開了一條又新又活的路。
所以恩典從來不是叫我們輕看聖潔。
真正的恩典，反而使我們更願意把生命分別出來歸給神。
所以真正的屬靈生命，不只是問：
「我有沒有火？」
還要問：
「我的生命有沒有分別為聖？」
我的說話是否屬神？
我的金錢是否屬神？
我的關係是否屬神？
我的思想是否屬神？
我的事奉是否真的為神？
我的私人生活，是否與我公開的敬拜一致？
每天回到神面前，不只是求神再一次點燃我。
也是再一次向神說：
「主，我把自己重新獻給祢。」
總結
利未記第六章整章放在一起，其實給我們一幅很完整的屬靈生命圖畫。
每天回到祭壇，
不是只做一件事情。
而是讓神重新整理我們整個生命。
有未處理的罪和關係，要處理。
有昨天留下的灰，要整理。
有神所點燃的火，要每天添柴。
有自己的人生，要重新獻上。
有神的聖潔，要重新敬畏。
但今天我們能夠這樣回到神面前，不是因為我們還需要像舊約一樣一次又一次用祭牲為自己贖罪。
而是因為耶穌基督已經一次獻上自己，成為那完全的祭。
祂處理了我們最大的阻隔。
祂為我們開了親近父神的道路。
祂使我們今天可以不是帶着恐懼來到祭壇，而是帶着感恩、敬畏和信心重新回到神面前。
所以祭壇對今天的我們，不是重新獻祭贖罪的地方。
而是一幅生命的提醒：
每天藉着基督回到神面前。
讓祂光照我。
讓祂潔淨我。
讓祂整理我。
讓祂重新得着我。
我們很多時候很關心：
今天有甚麼工作？
今天有甚麼聚會？
今天有甚麼責任？
今天要處理甚麼人？
但利未記第六章讓我重新思想：
在我去處理今天所有事情以前，我有沒有先回到神面前？
祭司每天早晨起來，要先處理祭壇。
這不是說我們每個人都要照着舊約祭司的工作程序生活，而是這個畫面提醒我們：
在世界佔據我們以前，先讓神得着我們。
在人的聲音進來以前，
先聽神的聲音。
在工作開始以前，
先讓神整理我們的心。
在服事別人以前，
先把自己獻給神。
因為真正健康的屬靈生命，
不是靠昨天，
不是靠職分，
也不是靠曾經有過的經歷。
而是每天藉着基督，重新回到神面前。
所以今天，我們不只是開始新的一天。
我們先回到神的祭壇。
每天回到神的祭壇。
省察
今天早晨，我可以安靜問自己：
- 我生命裏有沒有一些罪、虧欠或關係，是我一直沒有真正處理的？
- 我有沒有仍然停留在昨天的失敗、傷害、成功或屬靈經歷裏？
- 神曾經在我裏面點燃的火，我今天有沒有重新添柴？
- 我是否一直在服事別人，卻很久沒有把自己重新獻給神？
- 因着基督已經為我開了親近神的路，我今天是否仍然帶着感恩、敬畏和聖潔來到祂面前？
願我們每一天醒來，
不是只想着怎樣完成今天的事情，
而是先藉着基督回到神面前。
讓祂處理我們，
潔淨我們，
更新我們，
重新點燃我們，
也重新得着我們。
因為一個每天回到神面前的人，才是一個每天重新活在神面前的人。
Key Scripture:
“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”
— Leviticus 6:12–13, NKJV
Introduction
When we read Leviticus 6, we may notice that this chapter seems to contain many different instructions.
The first part speaks about what a person must do after sinning—making restitution, adding compensation, and bringing an offering.
The middle section speaks about how the priests were to care for the burnt offering, remove the ashes, add wood, and keep the fire burning.
The final section speaks about the grain offering, the offering of the priests themselves, the sin offering, and the repeated reminder that these things were “most holy.”
At first, these may seem like separate regulations.
But when we read the whole chapter together, we begin to see one clear direction:
God did not want His people to come to the altar only occasionally. He wanted them to live continually before Him.
The altar was not only for moments of failure.
It was not only for times of need.
It was not only for special gatherings or emotional moments.
The altar represented a life that continually remained before God.
If there was sin, it had to be dealt with.
If something from yesterday remained, it had to be cleared away.
If God had kindled the fire, that fire had to be maintained.
If there was a life to offer, it had to be surrendered again.
And if God is holy, His holiness must still be honored.
For us today, we are not returning to the Old Testament sacrificial system, because Jesus Christ offered Himself once for all and completed the work of atonement.
But the spiritual truth revealed through the altar still speaks to us:
Every day, through Christ, we return again to the presence of God.
- Return to the altar and deal with what has been left unresolved
Scripture: Leviticus 6:2–5
“If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD… because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen… and he shall add one-fifth more to it.”
The chapter begins with problems between people.
Someone deceives a neighbor.
Someone takes what belongs to another person.
Someone oppresses another person.
Someone finds lost property but lies about it.
These appear to be human relationship issues.
Yet God says that such a person has committed:
“a trespass against the LORD.”
That is very important.
It tells us that we cannot separate our relationship with God from the way we treat people.
We cannot say,
“My relationship with God is fine. I only have a problem with that person.”
If we knowingly hurt someone, deceive someone, wrong someone, or owe someone something, but refuse to deal with it, that also affects our walk with God.
So God required the offender not only to bring an offering.
He had to restore what was taken.
He had to add one-fifth more.
Then he brought the trespass offering before the Lord.
This teaches us something very important:
True repentance carries responsibility.
Repentance is not only saying,
“Lord, please forgive me.”
It is also saying,
“Lord, I am willing to face what I have done.”
If something can be restored, restore it.
If an apology is needed, apologize.
If something must be returned, return it.
If responsibility must be taken, take responsibility.
In the New Testament, Jesus does not remove this principle. He brings us into an even deeper reality.
We are forgiven not because we can repay the full debt of our sin, but because Christ paid the price we could never pay.
Yet a person who has truly received grace will also be willing to face the hurt he or she has caused others.
So when we return to God each day, the first question is not:
“God, what will You give me today?”
The first question may be:
“Is there anything in my life that I first need to deal with before You?”
Is there something I said yesterday that was wrong?
Is there someone I have been avoiding?
Is there something I know is wrong, but I still refuse to admit?
Many times, when we wake up, we immediately begin dealing with work, messages, schedules, responsibilities, and problems.
But Leviticus 6 reminds us:
Deal with what is inside before you become consumed by what is outside.
An unresolved sin or an unrepaired relationship can slowly affect our whole spiritual life.
Returning to God means allowing Him to search us first.
- Return to the altar, clear yesterday’s ashes, and guard today’s fire
Scripture: Leviticus 6:10–13
“And the priest shall put on his linen garment… and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar… Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.”
“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning.”
There is a very powerful picture here.
Every morning, the priest had two important responsibilities:
Remove the ashes and add wood.
The ashes were what remained from yesterday’s burning.
The wood was what had to be added for today.
The text does not say that ashes themselves represent sin, nor does it say that ashes automatically extinguish the fire.
But the daily rhythm of clearing the ashes and adding fresh wood gives us a powerful spiritual picture:
Yesterday’s fire does not remove the need to return to God today.
The ashes proved that there had been a fire.
They proved that an offering had been made.
They proved that something real had happened.
But the priest could not simply stand beside yesterday’s ashes and say,
“It burned yesterday, so there is nothing more to do today.”
He had to return again.
This is where our spiritual lives can easily become stuck.
We can remain in yesterday.
Yesterday’s failure.
Yesterday’s hurt.
Yesterday’s exhaustion.
Yesterday’s guilt.
But sometimes it can also be yesterday’s success.
Yesterday’s powerful worship.
Yesterday’s spiritual experience.
Yesterday’s breakthrough.
All of these may have been real.
But whether yesterday was good or bad,
yesterday cannot replace today.
Yesterday’s failure must not become today’s condemnation.
Yesterday’s hurt must not become today’s bitterness.
Yesterday’s success must not become today’s pride.
Yesterday’s spiritual experience must not become an excuse for no longer seeking God today.
After removing the ashes, the priest had to add wood.
God said:
“The priest shall burn wood on it every morning.”
This is a very strong reminder to me.
Later, in Leviticus 9, we will see fire coming from before the LORD and consuming the offering.
So the fire on the altar is connected with the fire that comes from God Himself.
Yet God gave the priests a responsibility:
The fire must not go out.
This reveals an important spiritual principle:
The source of the fire is God, but the priest must keep adding wood.
The same is true in our spiritual lives.
We do not create spiritual life through our own religious enthusiasm.
Life comes from God.
Jesus Christ has opened the way for us to come to the Father, and the Holy Spirit works within us, giving us hunger, conviction, desire, and strength to respond to God.
But we are still responsible to respond.
We still need to come to Him.
We still need to add wood.
So when we say,
“I feel spiritually cold lately.”
“I do not love God the way I used to.”
“My prayer life feels dry.”
We may also need to ask:
“Am I still adding wood?”
Am I still reading the Word?
Am I still praying?
Am I still becoming quiet before God?
Am I still obeying what He has already spoken?
Am I still dealing with sin?
What receives the first attention of my heart each day?
Many times, it is not that God has stopped working.
It is that our attention has gradually been filled with work, people, phones, pressure, plans, and the concerns of this world.
The wood is no longer being added.
And the fire becomes weaker.
So returning to God every day means:
Give yesterday’s ashes to God, and add today’s wood again.
- Return to the altar, offer yourself again, and walk in holiness
Scripture: Leviticus 6:19–23, 25–29
“This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the LORD… the grain offering shall be wholly burned.”
“This is the law of the sin offering… It is most holy.”
In the second half of Leviticus 6, God speaks more directly to the priests.
The priests were not only people who helped others bring offerings.
They themselves also had to offer.
Especially at the time of anointing, the priest’s own grain offering was to be completely offered to the Lord.
This gives us a very important reminder:
The one who serves at the altar must also place himself on the altar.
We can easily think of ministry like this:
Someone is struggling, so I pray for them.
Someone is weak, so I help them.
Someone needs guidance, so I teach them.
Someone needs to grow, so I prepare a message for them.
But God reminds the priest:
You also must be offered.
You cannot only help other people come before God.
You must come yourself.
This is especially important for pastors, leaders, and those who serve.
We can spend every day preparing for other people’s spiritual needs while neglecting our own hearts.
We can prepare a strong message but never allow the Word to search us.
We can lead others in prayer but hardly pray ourselves.
We can encourage others to love God while our own hearts slowly drift away.
So the altar is not first the place where we work for God.
The altar is first the place where we offer ourselves to God.
In the New Testament, this life of offering has not disappeared.
We no longer offer animals for atonement.
Paul says:
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.”
Because Christ has already offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, our offering today is not an attempt to pay for our own sins.
It is our response to the salvation He has already accomplished.
We give our whole lives back to Him.
And in the law of the sin offering, God repeatedly emphasizes:
“It is most holy.”
How the offering was handled mattered.
Who could eat it mattered.
Where it could be eaten mattered.
How the vessels were treated mattered.
Why?
Because God was teaching His people:
He is holy.
When we come before God, we do not only need passion.
We also need reverence.
We do not only need emotion.
We also need consecration.
We do not only need fire.
We also need holiness.
Today, we can come boldly into God’s presence, not because God has lowered His standard of holiness, but because Christ has borne the cost of our sin and opened a new and living way for us.
Grace never teaches us to treat holiness lightly.
True grace makes us want to belong completely to God.
So real spiritual life does not only ask:
“Do I still have fire?”
It also asks:
“Is my life still set apart for God?”
Does my speech belong to Him?
Does my money belong to Him?
Do my relationships belong to Him?
Do my thoughts belong to Him?
Is my ministry truly for Him?
Does my private life agree with my public worship?
Returning to God each day is not only asking Him to ignite us again.
It is also saying:
“Lord, I offer myself to You again.”
Conclusion
When we read the whole of Leviticus 6 together, we see a complete picture of spiritual life.
Returning to the altar is not about only one thing.
It is allowing God to reorder our whole life again.
If there is unresolved sin or a broken relationship, deal with it.
If there are ashes from yesterday, clear them away.
If God has kindled the fire, keep adding wood.
If there is a life to offer, offer it again.
If God is holy, return to reverence and holiness.
But today, we can return to God like this not because we must repeatedly offer sacrifices for our own atonement.
Jesus Christ has already offered Himself once for all.
He has dealt with the greatest barrier between us and God.
He has opened the way for us to come to the Father.
So today, the altar is not a place where we try to pay for our sin again.
It becomes a picture that reminds us:
Every day, through Christ, return to God.
Let Him search me.
Let Him cleanse me.
Let Him reorder me.
Let Him receive me again.
We often begin the day thinking about:
What work do I need to finish?
What meetings do I have?
What responsibilities are waiting?
What problems do I need to solve?
Who do I need to deal with?
But Leviticus 6 causes me to ask a different question:
Before I deal with everything else today, have I first returned to God?
Every morning, the priest had to return to the altar.
This does not mean that every believer today must follow the exact daily schedule of an Old Testament priest.
But the picture gives us a spiritual principle:
Before the world takes hold of our attention, let God have us first.
Before the voices of people fill our minds,
listen first to the voice of God.
Before work begins,
allow God to search and reorder the heart.
Before serving others,
offer yourself again to Him.
A healthy spiritual life is not built on yesterday.
It is not built on position.
It is not built only on past spiritual experiences.
It is built on returning to God again and again through Christ.
So today, we are not only beginning a new day.
We first return to the altar.
Return to God’s altar every day.
Reflection
This morning, I can quietly ask myself:
- Is there any sin, wrong, or relationship in my life that I have not honestly dealt with?
- Am I still living in yesterday’s failure, hurt, success, or spiritual experience instead of returning to God today?
- The fire God once kindled within me—am I still adding wood today?
- Have I been serving others while failing to offer myself to God again?
- Because Christ has opened the way for me to come to God, am I still coming with gratitude, reverence, and a life set apart for Him?
May we wake each day not only thinking about how to complete everything before us,
but first return to God through Christ.
Let Him search us,
cleanse us,
renew us,
rekindle us,
and receive us again.
Because the person who returns to God every day is the person who learns to live every day in His presence.
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
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