03月30日 一年的第090天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上14-16章
第14章主要在講:「約拿單擊敗非利士人」。
1.掃羅的兒子約拿單對拿兵器的少年人說;「我們到未受割禮的防營,也許耶和華為我們施展能力,因為耶和華使人得勝,不在乎人多人少」,少年人願意同心跟隨,2.約拿單說:「我們若去,他們若對我們說你們站住,我們就站住,不上那裏,他們若說你們上到我們這裡來,這就是耶和華將他們交在我們手裡的證據」,3.防兵對他們說:「你們上來,我有事指示你」,約拿單和拿兵器的人就上去,殺了二十人,當時地震動,非利士人的軍眾潰散,掃羅看見了就帶兵攻入,並且叫百姓起誓,不等向敵人報完仇就喫的,必受咒詛,約拿單沒聽見他父親的起誓,就吃了蜜,眼睛明亮,以色列人擊殺非利士人甚是疲乏,就將所奪的牛羊,宰於地,肉還帶血就吃了,掃羅求問上帝,上帝沒回答他,就掣籤要找出誰犯罪,就抽是約拿單,百姓就替約拿單求情免死,掃羅回去不追趕非利士人,掃羅掌權,常常攻擊四圍的一切仇敵,掃羅遇見有能力的人或勇士都招募來跟隨他。
◎心得分享:約拿單是位勇士,是位勇於嚐試,到成功的殺退敵人,可以成為我們的榜樣,1.他尋找同伴,拿兵器的少年人,2.他知道又不是依靠人多來作戰,而是靠上帝的能力,3.他用「敵人的反應」的證據,來尋求神的旨意,4.他勇往直前,殺了敵人二十個人,結果整個敵軍就自相殘殺,順利殺退了非利士人,求神把約拿單的信心和勇氣賞賜給我們。
第15章主要在講:「掃羅違命,留下亞瑪力王」。
撒母耳吩咐羅,去擊打亞瑪力人,滅盡他們所有的,不可憐惜,掃羅和百姓卻憐惜亞瑪力王亞甲,也愛惜那上好的牛羊美物,不肯滅絕,凡下賤瘦弱盡都殺了,上帝對撒母耳說:「我立掃羅為王,我後悔了」,撒母耳就去責備掃羅:「聽命勝於獻祭,耶和華厭棄你作王」,撒母耳要離開,掃羅就承認有罪,請求赦免,撒母耳就轉身跟隨掃羅,敬拜耶和華,之後撒母耳就叫人把亞瑪力王亞甲帶來,他就在耶和華面前,將亞甲殺死,之後他就回自己的家,撒母耳直到死的日子,再沒有見掃羅,撒母耳為掃羅悲傷。
◎心得分享:掃羅第一次犯錯是「急躁的越權獻祭」,這一次是第二次犯錯,是「貪戀世俗的美物」,神叫他要把「當滅的物滅」,他卻「捨不得,不忍心」,偷偷藏起來,並且給自己一個理由,是要將這美物獻給神,這就好像是我們花很多錢買的食物,已經壞掉了,但是我們「捨不得」丟掉,於是就吃了,結果住院了,算一算花的錢比那個食物還多,真划不來,求神幫助我們,不要貪愛美物,勇敢的把神要我們丟掉的東西丟掉。
第16章主要在講:「撒母耳膏大衛」。
1.神對撒母耳說:「我厭棄掃羅作王,你為他悲傷要到幾時呢?你帶膏油,往伯利恆人耶西那裡,膏其中一個兒子作王,撒母耳說:「掃羅若聽見必要殺我」,神說:「你可以帶一隻牛犢去,說是向耶和華獻祭的,你要請耶西來吃祭司,我必指示你所要膏的人」,撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行 和耶西並他7個兒子同喫祭肉,上帝說這些人都不是受膏者,人看人是看外表,神是看內心,撒母耳問耶西:「你兒子都在這裡嗎?」,他回答說:「還有個最小在放羊」,他就去叫他小兒子大衛來,撒母耳就用油膏了他,耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛,撒母耳就回去,2.耶和華的靈離開掃羅,有惡魔的靈附在掃羅身上,他的僕人就請大衛彈琴來驅邪,大衛彈琴,惡魔就離開了掃羅。
◎心得分享:掃羅被鬼附,是因為他不聽神的話,雖然他曾經是被聖靈充滿的人,但是他任憑自己「苦毒受傷」的感受,一直存在心中,一方面害怕失去王位,另一方面無力改變,卻不願意真正悔改順服神,而是在嘴巴一直不斷「我錯了」,卻不願意真心面對求神幫忙改變,於是他有了「破口」,給魔鬼有機會來改擊他,這在提醒我們,神揀選我們,如果我們不願意放棄「貪愛世俗美物、王位」,最後就「被鬼附」,求神幫助我們不要像掃羅,而是緊緊抓住神,放下世俗的誘惑,單單來愛上帝。
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。