03月21日 一年的第081天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:士09-12章
第09章主要在講:「士師:亞比米勒」。
基甸(耶路巴力)的兒子亞比米勒,回到自己的家鄉「示劍」,就請他的眾母舅幫忙,示劍人就歸向亞比米勒,並從廟中取了70舍客勒銀子給他,他用銀子雇了匪徒跟隨,殺了基甸眾子70人,也是他同父異母的兄弟,自立為王管理以色列人3年,,其中小兒子約坦躲藏沒死,就咒詛亞比米勒,神使惡魔降在他與示劍人中間,示劍人就背叛他跟隨迦勒,亞比米勒就擊敗迦勒與示劍人,他們就逃到示劍樓頂,亞比米勒放火燒,死了有1000人,亞比米勒到「提備斯」要攻城,樓頂有一個婦人從樓上把磨石拋在巴比米勒腦骨,巴比米勒請少年人拿刀殺他,他就死了,上帝報應亞比米勒的殺他兄弟的惡,也報應示劍人的惡。
◎心得分享:示劍人首先背叛以色列人,歸向「亞比米勒」,後又背叛亞比米勒,歸向迦勒,造成1000人的死傷,無論背叛人的亞比米勒這個人或是示劍人,都在提醒我們,背叛者的下場,人恆背叛之,而且下場都是非常悽慘。
第10章主要在講:「士師:陀拉、睚珥」。
1.陀拉興起拯求以色列人,作士師23年,就死了葬在沙密,2.睚珥興起,作以色列人士師22年,有30個兒子,騎著30匹驢駒,有30座城,死了就葬在加們,3.以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,去事奉外邦的神,神的怒氣就向以色人發作,將他們交在外邦人的手,他們就受擾害18年,4.以色列哀求耶和華,神說:「你們離棄我,我不再救你們了,你們去哀求所選擇的神救你們罷!」,以色列人就除掉他們中間外邦神,事奉耶和華。
◎心得分享:在平靜的45年中,因為有兩位好的士師,以色列人沒有離棄神,平安也在他們當中,但是士師死了,他們的老毛病又犯了,去行惡事,他們哀求神救他們,上帝也耍脾氣,不幫他們,叫他們去哀求他們自己所選擇「神明」幫助,這在提醒我們,雖然上帝是慈愛,也是公義的,上帝有祂自己的原則,背逆神的人的禱告,有時神也會不離我們。
第11章主要在講:「士師:耶弗他」。
基列人耶弗他是個大能勇士,是妓女的兒子,他兄弟趕逐他,他就逃走,跟匪徒在一起,亞捫人攻打以色列人,基列人就叫他回去,作領袖元帥,耶弗他打發人去問亞捫人為何攻打,他們回答:「你們佔聚我們的地,要歸還地」,耶弗他引用歷史反駁:「這地是神賜給他們,以色列人住這地,已經300年,願神在中間,判斷是非」,亞捫人不肯聽,耶和華的靈降在耶弗他身上,他就許願說:「神若交亞捫人交在我手中,我回來後,先來迎接我的人,必將他獻上為燔祭」,他就大大殺敗亞捫人,攻取了二十座城,回來之後,他的女兒先來接他,在知道他父親許願後,請求兩個月與同伴在山上,哀哭終身為處女,他的父親答應,兩個月滿,他回到他父親那裡,終身沒有親近男子,此後以色列人有規矩,每年以色列女子,要為耶弗他女兒哀哭四天。
◎心得分享:耶弗他的母親雖然是妓女,也被他兄弟趕逐,但是當他家族有難,他就饒恕他的兄弟,幫助他們,拯救他們脫離仇敵亞捫人的手,而且他對聖經的歷史很熟,神的靈降在他身上,他就打敗敵人,這在提醒我們,無論我們背景是什麼?我們願意饒恕人,神的靈才能降在我們身上。
第12章主要在講:「士師:以比讚、以倫、押頓」。
1.以法蓮來攻打耶弗他,抱怨他攻打亞捫人,沒有招他們,並揚言要放火燒耶弗他的房子,耶弗他說:「我跟亞捫爭戰,招你們來,你們不來救我,我就拼命攻擊亞捫人,耶和華將他們交在我的手中,你們為什麼上來攻擊我」,耶弗他與以法蓮爭戰,殺了他們四萬二千人,耶弗他作以色列的士師六年,死了葬在基列的城,2.以比讚作以色列士師,有三十個兒子,三十個女兒,女兒都嫁出去,眾子從外鄉娶三十個媳婦,作士師7年,死了葬在伯利恆,3.以倫作以色列的士師10年,死了葬在西布倫的亞雅崙,4.押頓作以色列士師,有四十個兒子,三十個孫子,騎著70匹驢駒,作士師8年,死了葬在比拉頓,亞瑪力人的山地。
◎心得分享:以法蓮支派,是一個很奇怪的支派,付代價不願易,強功勞是跑第一,在基甸當士師的時候就發生了,這個時候同樣來責怪別人的錯,導致以法蓮死了四萬二千人,這在提醒我們,最可怕的不是仇敵的殺戮,而是「兄弟的相殘」,死的人數是最多,從教會的歷史,也會發現同樣的問題,基督徒死在基督徒的手裡,比死在外邦人手裡更多,求神幫助我們,能使人和睦,在憎恨之處,撒下愛。
今天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
昨天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
總計: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。