03月27日 一年的第087天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上04-07章
第04章主要在講:「以色列戰敗,約櫃被擄」。
1.以色列人與非利士人打仗,以色列人戰敗,有四千軍兵被殺,2.以色列人叫以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈抬約櫃到營裡,以色列人大聲歡呼,地便震動,非利士人就從懼怕轉到剛強要與以色列人打仗,3.以色列人被殺甚多,步兵有三萬人,以利兩個兒子被殺,約櫃被擄去,4. 以利98歲,眼目不能看見,有一個便雅雅憫人從陣上逃跑,告訴以利他的兒子死了,約櫃被擄,他一聽就從位子上往後跌倒,折斷頸項而死,以利的兒婦生了男孩,給他起名叫以迦博,說:「榮耀離開以色列」。
◎心得分享:「約櫃被擄」這是很諷刺的,原因在於以色列人相信神的同在,但不相信上帝是「公義」,對於服事神的人背逆作惡會審判。以利的兩個兒子的惡行,就在再說明,上帝看重「服事的人」,過於「事工的果效」,上帝寧願看見「祂的事工」被人嘲笑,約櫃被擄,也不願看到,以利的兩個兒子作惡亂搞,。
第05章主要在講:「神攻擊擄走約櫃的非利士人」。
1.非利士人把約櫃被抬進亞實突的大袞廟,放在大袞的旁邊,次日大袞仆倒在約櫃前,臉伏於地,他們就把大袞立在原處,又次日大袞的頭和兩手在門檻上折斷,只剩殘體,之後大袞祭司都不再踏入大袞廟,2.亞實突當地人就生痔瘡,他們就把約櫃運到迦特,耶和華的手就攻那城,他們就要把約櫃送到以革倫,但是以革倫人就說:「把約櫃送回原處,免得害我們」,城中的人不是因驚慌而死的,就生了痔瘡。
◎心得分享:上帝實在是很幽默,約櫃被擄,按人看來,上帝失敗了,事實上不然,最大的失敗是上帝的百姓,上帝決不失敗,「上帝總是在看起來是失敗的事上,轉敗為勝」,「大袞廟」的事件,在告訴我們,神的同在的地方,絕對不容許偶像的存在,結果「大袞廟」,要變為「大滾廟」。
第06章主要在講:「送約櫃回來,獻陪罪祭」。
約櫃在非利士地7個月非利士人請他們的祭司和占卜的要如何把約櫃送回原處,他們就說:「要照首領的數目,用五個金痔瘡、五個金老鼠,作為賠罪禮」,1.非利士人就用兩隻有乳的母牛,套在車上,將約櫃和裝金老鼠、金痔瘡的匣子,都放在車上,送到伯示麥人約書亞的田間,他們就把車劈了,兩隻母牛獻給耶和華為燔祭和平安祭,非利士人五個首領就回去了,2.伯示麥人擅觀約櫃,耶和華就擊殺他們70個人,那時有五萬人在那裡,百姓因耶和華大大擊殺他們就哀哭。
◎心得分享:「伯示麥」70個人,因為擅自觀看約櫃,被神擊殺,最大的原因是「好奇心、眼目的情慾」,到底「約櫃」是什麼?為什麼會發生約櫃被擄,又回來?..等等,許多的問號?但是問題是,這些人不是祭司,他們根本就沒有資格,也不能看,「好奇心」可以幫助人,探索未知的領域,也可能導致「身敗名裂」,不可收拾的地步,在「好奇心」的前提下,更要緊的是要問,「這是不是上帝許可我行的?是上帝要給我的嗎?」,如果不是的話,千萬要趕快停止「好奇心」的探索。
第07章主要在講:「撒母耳祈禱,戰勝敵人」。
基列耶琳人,就把約櫃接上去,放在亞比拿達的家中,分派他兒子以利亞撒看守約櫃,約櫃在基列耶琳有二十年之久,以色列人全家都傾向耶和華,1.撒母耳對以色列全家說:「你們若一家歸順耶和華,就要把外邦的神從你們中間掉,專之歸向神,單單事奉祂」,2.要使以色列眾人聚集在米斯巴,我好為你們禱告耶和華,他們就聚集禁食,3.非利士人聽見他們聚集,就上來要攻擊以色列人,以色列人就懼怕,對撒母耳說:「願你不住的為我們呼求耶和華,救我們脫離非利士人的手」,4.撒母耳獻燔祭,呼求神,神就應允,大發雷聲,驚亂非利士人,他們就敗在以色列人,以色列人追趕擊殺他們,被制服不敢再入以色列人的境內,5.撒母耳立一塊石頭,在米斯巴和善中間,給石頭起名叫「以便以謝」,說到如今耶和華都幫助我們,撒母耳做以色列人的士師,審判以色列人。
◎心得分享:這是撒母耳第一次,用禱告帶領以色列與非利士人爭戰,整個過程是透過,1.悔改,2.禁食禱告,3.獻祭呼求神,以色列人再一次體驗,「到如今耶和華都幫助我們」,上帝的幫助,不是只在以前,現在上帝也是一樣的可以行大事在我們中間,神沒有改變,昨日、今日直到永遠是不改變,當人順服神,神就作祂的大事,求神幫助我們按著神的心意來行。
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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。