03月22日 一年的第082天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:士13-16章
第13章主要在講:「士師:參孫生」。
以色列行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,神將他們交在非利士人手中40年,參孫的母親,不能懷孕生育,耶和華的使者向她顯現,說:「1.妳必懷孕生一個兒子,妳要謹慎不可喝酒吃不潔之物,2.妳生的兒子,不可用剃刀剃他的頭,要歸上帝作拿細耳人,3.他必拯救以色列人,脫離非利士人的手」,參孫的父親「瑪挪亞」向上帝祈求,要見神人,知道要如何待將要生的孩子,上帝應允他的禱告,神的使者,向參孫的母親顯現,她就去告訴丈夫,瑪挪亞要用山羊羔,款待耶和華的使者,神的使者叫他獻燔祭,在他獻祭時,有火焰從壇上升,耶和華的使者,就從火焰升上去,瑪挪亞和他的妻子,俯伏於地,後來他的妻子,就生了參孫。
◎心得分享:參孫的父母是敬虔的人,不只知道向上帝祈求,也順服了神吩咐他們的話,神就應允他們夫妻的心願,妻子不能生,就生了,丈夫想遇見神人,神也就成就,這在提醒我們,只要凡事藉著禱告祈求,將我們所要的告訴神,神出乎人意外的平安必然臨到。
第14章主要在講:「士師:參孫娶非利士人為妻」。
1.參孫喜悅非利士人的女子,就要娶她,他的父母跟他去提親,路上有一隻少壯獅子,向他吼叫,神的靈大大感動他,就將獅子撕裂,如同撕裂山羊羔,他的父母不知道,2.過了一段時間,要去娶那女子,轉向道旁,看見死獅子,肚子有一群密蜂和蜂蜜,就用手取蜜吃,也給他父母吃,只是沒告訴他父母這蜜是從死獅子,3.他父親就設擺筵席,眾人請了30個人來陪伴,參孫就出謎語,在筵席7日之內回答,若有人回答出來,就有三十套衣裳,參孫的妻就向他啼哭逼他給謎語的答案,參孫就告訴他妻子,他的妻子,就告訴他本國的人,耶和華的靈就感動他,他就擊殺了30個人,奪了他們的衣裳,給猜出謎語的人,參孫就發怒回父家去,參孫的岳父就把女兒給猜出謎語的人,就是作為陪伴的參孫的朋友。
◎心得分享:參孫在婚宴上,出謎題,結果自己露了口風,又發怒,最後自己妻子,變成別人的妻子,這是他的第一次婚姻失敗,導致他在之後,越來越墮落,這在提醒我們,神所用的人,婚姻是很重要,婚姻失敗,品格接著就失敗,求神幫助我們在婚姻上,能持守上帝給我們的原則,婚姻是神所設立的,人不可以把他分開。
第15章主要在講:「士師:參孫殺1000個非利士人」。
1.過了些日子,參孫帶山羊羔要去見他的妻子,他的岳父不容他去,說:「我猜想你非常恨她,所以我把她,給了你的陪伴,她有妹妹你可以娶來代替他」,參孫說:「這回我加害非利士人不算有罪」,他去捉了300隻狐狸,將一對一對尾巴捆上,將火把點在兩條尾巴中間,放進非利士人的禾稼橄欖園,繞了他們的禾稼,2.非利士就用火燒了參孫的妻子和他岳父,參孫就替他們報仇,大大擊殺非利士人,3.非利士安營要攻打猶大,因為參孫的緣故,猶大人用兩條新繩捆綁參孫,交給非利士人,參孫到了非利士人的營,神的靈感動他,他身上的繩子就像被火燒脫落,他拿未乾的驢腮骨,就用以擊殺1000人,4.他覺得口渴,就求告耶和華,上帝就使水泉湧出來,他喝了就精神復原,參孫作士師二十年。
◎心得分享:神用了犯錯的參孫,用了參孫錯誤的「理由」,卻導出好的結果,讓參孫殺了非利士人,減少了非利士人對以色列人的迫害,有時我們發生的事情,當下我們很難明白,但是萬事互相效力,上帝總是用各種我們不知道的方式,在幫助我們。
第16章主要在講:「士師:參孫的死」。
1.參孫看見一個妓女,就與她親近,當地的人等到天亮要殺他,他睡到半夜起來,將城門的門扇門框門閂拆下,扛在肩上,扛到山頂,2.參孫喜愛一個婦女「大利拉」,非利士人首領,每人結她1千1舍客勒,要她問參孫,把克制參孫的方法,告訴他們,第一次參孫騙她,要用7條未乾的青繩綁他,就可以,第二次參孫騙她,要用沒有用過新繩綁他就可以,第三次參孫騙她,要用將他頭上七條髮綹用線同織,並用釘子釘住就可以,第四次大利拉用話催逼參孫,讓他心裏煩悶要,把心中所藏的告訴她,就是「用剃刀剃頭髮,力量就離開他」,大利拉叫了非利士人的首領,大利拉叫人來,趁他枕著她的膝睡覺,剃他頭上七條髮綹,他從睡中醒來,要像前幾次出去活動身體,他卻不知道耶和華已經離開他,3.非利士將他拿住,剜了他的眼睛,用銅鍊拘索他,要他在監裏推磨,然而他的頭髮被剃之後,就漸漸長起來,4.非利士人的首領聚集,要給他們的神大袞獻大祭,將參孫從監裡提出來,要他在眾人面前戲耍給眾人看,參孫求告上帝,求神賜這一次力量,使他在非利士人報剜雙眼的仇,參孫就抱住兩根柱子,說:「我情願與非利士人,同歸一盡」,就盡力屈身,房子就倒塌,參孫死時所殺的人,比活著所殺的人還多,他的弟兄就把他葬在他父親瑪挪亞的墳,參孫作士師20年。
◎心得分享:參孫沒有從第一次婚姻的失敗「在床上,說漏了話」,學到功課,最後一次失敗也是因為「在床上,說漏了話」,導致他的被抓,眼睛被挖出來,這是非常可惜的,上帝給他這麼好的恩賜,結果只是用神給他的恩賜,在情慾上敗壞自己,求神幫助我們,不要像參孫一樣,要過一個聖潔的主工人,因為神看重工人,比工作更重要。
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"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。