03月31日 一年的第091天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上17-20章
第17章主要在講:「大衛殺死巨人歌利亞」。
1.非利土人要來與以色列人爭戰,來討戰的人,是歌利亞,身高約287公分,頭戴銅盔,身穿56.7公斤鎧甲,腿上有銅護膝,兩肩背負銅鎧,手拿著槍粗如織布機軸,槍頭重6.9公斤,有一個拿盾牌的人,在他前面走,對著以色列人出來叫陣,以色列眾人驚惶,極其害怕,從早到晚,如此有四十日,2.大衛的父親叫他帶餅和食物送到營裡,給他三個當兵的哥哥,大衛到了營區的時候,剛好哥利亞來叫陣討戰,以色列人說:「若有人能殺他,王必賞賜他大財,將自己女兒給他為妻,免去他父家納糧當差」,大衛說:「這非利士人,竟敢向永生上帝的軍隊叫陣」,他的哥哥發怒責備他驕傲、心裏有惡意,要來看爭戰,3.掃羅就叫了大衛來,把自己的戰衣、銅盔、鎧甲給他穿上,但是穿戴後,不能走路,就把它摘脫掉,之後到溪中挑選五塊光滑石子,放在袋裡,拿著甩石機弦,就去迎哥利亞,亞利亞說:「我要將你的肉給空中的鳥田野走獸吃」,大衛說:「你來是靠著刀槍,我攻擊你是萬軍耶和華,今日耶和華必將你交在我手裡,我必殺你斬你的頭,將你們的屍首給空中的飛鳥、地上野獸吃,使眾人知道使人得勝,不是用刀用槍,勝敗全在乎耶和華」,哥利亞跑向大衛,大衛掏出一塊石頭,用機弦甩石,殺死了哥利亞,他手中沒有刀,就拔出哥利亞的刀,割下他的頭,以色列人就吶喊,非利士人逃跑,他們就奪了他們的營,4.掃羅就召見大衛,問他的背景,大衛就告訴他。
◎心得分享:歌利亞是全副武裝,而且前面有一個人拿盾牌,這樣的人,用「亂槍打鳥」的方式來打,也是很難打到,因為幾乎是「無懈可擊」,可能的機率是百分之一,也許更少,但是大衛在機率等於零的情況下,打敗了巨人歌利亞,因為他信靠神,靠神得勝,求神把大衛的信心與勇氣賜給我們。
第18章主要在講:「掃羅嫉妒要殺大衛」。
大衛對掃羅說完了話,1.約拿單的心與大衛的心,深相契合,約拿單愛大衛,從身上脫下外袍、戰衣、刀、弓、腰帶都給大衛,掃羅就立大衛為「戰士長」,眾百姓都喜悅大衛,2.他們回到城裡,婦女們舞蹈說:「掃羅殺死千千、大衛殺死萬萬」,掃羅就發怒,怒視大衛,次日惡魔的靈,就大大降在掃羅身上,大衛照常在掃羅面前彈琴,掃羅拿槍一射,要刺透大衛,大衛躲避他兩次,掃羅使大衛離開自己,立他為千夫長,3.掃羅到了要把大女兒米拉給大衛為妻時,卻把她嫁給別人,掃羅的第二個女兒米甲愛大衛,掃羅對大衛說:「你可以第二次作我的女婿,娉禮是一百個非利士人的陽皮,(意思是要使大衛喪在非利士人手裡)」,大衛殺了二百個非利士人,將陽皮給掃羅,就娶米甲為妻,掃羅常作大衛的仇敵。
◎心得分享:這是掃羅第二次被鬼附,這一次的原因,是嫉妒大衛,因為「掃羅殺死千千、大衛殺死萬萬」,多麼刺傷他,好像是掃羅以前的努力,都是失敗的,嫉妒使掃羅再一次被鬼附,換一個積極的角度來看,其實大衛的成功,應該也是掃羅成功,因為「部屬的成功,就是領袖的成功」,但是掃羅卻從負面的角度來看,認定大衛會奪了他的王位,當他一直用「負面來想」,神就按著他的「信心」成就,最後他的王位失去了。
第19章主要在講:「掃羅受神的靈感動說話」。
1.掃羅要殺大衛,約拿單叫大衛躲藏,在他父親面前替大衛說好話,掃羅就起誓:「必不殺大衛」,大衛就侍立在掃羅面前,與非利士人打仗,大大殺敗他們,2.有惡魔降在掃羅身上,大衛用手彈琴,掃羅用槍要刺他,大衛躲開,槍刺入牆內,大衛就逃走,他的妻子米甲,叫他今夜逃命,將他從窗戶縋下去,大衛就逃走,3.大衛去找撒母耳,掃羅三次派人去捉拿大衛,撒母耳站在受感先知中間,監管他們,被打發去的人,都受上帝的靈感動說話,第四次掃羅自己去,也受感說話,一晝一夜,露體躺臥。
◎心得分享:這是掃羅第三次被鬼附,他第二次用槍刺大衛,大衛就逃走,很好笑的是,他三次派人去抓大衛,去的人人都受聖靈感動說話,第四次他自己去,他也受感說話,這實在有許多矛盾,一個受聖靈感動的人,竟然又會被鬼附,其實掃羅是想愛上帝,又想世界的人,最後的結果就是這樣,他這個人成為戰埸,這就好像耶穌講:「撒種比喻中的落在荊棘裡的種子」,人聽了道,因為不肯放世上思慮錢財,結果就是用許多愁苦把自己的心刺透。
第20章主要在講:「大衛與約拿單立約」。
1.大衛向約拿單問掃羅要殺他的原因,約拿單愛大衛,如同愛自己的性命,就起誓與大衛結盟,叫他先藏起來,2.約拿單就問他父親為什麼要殺大衛,掃羅拿槍要剌約拿單,約拿單就知道他父親決意要殺大衛,3.次日早晨約拿單出到田野,與大衛約會的時候,就把他父親決意要殺大衛的心告訴大衛,二人就親嘴,彼此哭泣,大衛就起身走了,約拿單也回到城裡。
◎心得分享:「英雄惜英雄、好漢惜好漢」,是這一章最好的寫照,人生何其短,若能找到相知相惜的好朋友,也不枉此生,求神把真正好的屬靈同伴賜給我們,叫我們能快快樂樂的同走天路。
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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。