03月28日 一年的第088天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上08-10章
第08章主要在講:「以色列人,求立國王」。
1.撒母耳年紀老邁,就立他兒子為士師,他兒子不行他的道、貪圖財利、收受賄賂、屈枉正直,2.以色列長老聚集,要求立王治理國家,撒母耳向神禱告,神說:「你只管依從,他們不是厭棄你,乃是厭棄我」,3.撒母耳將有王的壞處告訴他們,百姓不肯聽撒母耳的話,定要一位王治理他們,神對撒母耳說:「你只管依從,為他們立王」,撒母耳對以色列人說,他們就各歸各城去。
◎心得分享:「撒母耳」忠心服事,到了年老,兒子不長進,當以色列人「要求立王」,這對撒母耳來說,是何等大的打擊,有深深的「被拒絕感」,他一定非常難過,有王有其好處,但是也有壞處,他知道根本的問題不是「立王」,而是神的百姓個人對神的完全信靠順服,才是關鍵,其實百姓不順服上帝,誰當王其結果,都是一樣的結果,但是神也安慰他,對他說:「百姓不是厭棄你,是厭棄我」,在神的眼中,神的僕人,就是神的代表,「厭棄神的僕人,就等於是厭棄神」,一個背逆的世代,只強調「組織、管理」,只會讓人離神更遠。
第09章主要在講:「撒母耳遇見掃羅情形」。
便雅憫人掃羅,是健壯俊美,他的身體比眾民高過一個頭,1.掃羅的父親丟了幾頭驢,找不到,就去問神人,2.掃羅未到的前一日,耶和華已經指示撒母耳,掃羅就是以色列的君,要救以色列民脫離非利士人,3.撒母耳對掃羅說:「A.我就是先見,B.你前三日所丟的驢,不必掛念,已經找著,C.以色列眾人仰慕你和你父家」,掃羅說我:「我是便雅憫人,是支派中至小的家」,4.撒母耳與掃羅同席,給掃羅在客中坐首位,次日清晨吩咐掃羅的僕人先走,他要將上帝的話,說給掃羅聽。
◎心得分享:撒母耳帶著「被拒絕、被厭棄受傷的心靈」,順服神的話,去膏掃羅,掃羅開始時,也是很謙卑,知道他所屬「便雅憫」支派,是所有支派,人最少的,士師記中說到他們因為要袒護「基比亞」的匪徒,當時的便雅憫支派只剩600個人,雖然是這樣,神揀選人不是看背景,而是按著神自己的旨意。
第10章主要在講:「撒母耳膏掃羅為國王」。
1.撒母耳拿瓶膏油,倒在掃羅頭上,對他說:2.你回去你父親的驢已經找到,3.你往前走必遇見三個往伯特利拜上帝的人,一個帶著三隻山羊羔、一個帶著三個餅、一個帶一皮袋的酒,他們會問你安,給你兩個餅,4.你要到上帝的山,必遇見班先知,你就與他們一同受感說話,你要等候7日,等我到指示你當行的,神賜給掃羅一個新心,當日一切兆頭都應驗,上帝的靈大大感動他,他就在先知中,受感說話,掃羅沒有將撒母耳所說的,告訴他的叔叔,5.撒母耳招聚百姓到米斯巴,按著支派製籤選出王,就抽出是掃羅,眾人找不到掃羅,他藏在器具中,眾人把他領出來,大聲歡呼說:「願王萬歲」,有上帝感動的一群人,就跟隨他。
◎心得分享:掃羅作王是很容易,一兩個禮拜,從受膏到作王,好像是平步青雲,掃羅作王四十年,反觀大衛從掃羅被神厭棄,撒母耳膏大衛到大衛作王,推算一下,差不多有30多年的時間,大衛是在「被追殺」的日子中渡過,因為神所愛的,祂必管教,掃羅開始時,雖然謙卑,但是他的問題,就是「看重他的王位,過於看重神」。
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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。