04月01日 一年的第092天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上21-24章
第21章主要在講:「大衛逃亡,吃陳設餅,在亞吉王面前裝成瘋癲」。
1.大衛獨自逃到祭司亞希米勒那裏,跟他要了五個餅,祭司說:「只有陳聖餅,若少年人沒有親近婦女,才可以吃」,大衛說:「約有三日沒有親近婦人」,祭司就更換新餅,拿撤下來的陳設餅給大衛,因為當時有掃羅的臣子多益在那裡,大衛就問祭司:「有槍有刀沒有」,祭司說:「有你殺歌利亞的刀在這裡」,大衛說:「這刀沒有可比的,求你給我」,2.大衛逃到非利士人迦特王亞吉那裡,他的臣僕認出大衛來,大衛甚懼怕,就改變尋常舉動,在他們手下裝瘋,A.在門扇胡寫亂畫,B.使唾液流在鬍子上,C.亞吉對臣僕說:「這人是瘋子,豈可進我家」。
◎心得分享:看到「大衛裝瘋」,真是有一點替大衛難過,他並沒有犯罪,卻要承受被追殺逃亡的景況,也會替他打抱不平,但是神真的愛大衛,神給他的遭遇不是管教,而是上帝在訓練他、裝備他,讓他成為合神心意的人,求神也幫助我們,在受到試煉的時候,也能學會像大衛一樣順服神。
第22章主要在講:「掃羅殺死,幫大衛的祭司亞希米勒的全家」。
1.大衛離開非利士地,逃到亞杜蘭洞,A.他的全家聽見了,就都下到他那裡,B.凡有受窘迫的、欠債的、心裡苦惱的都聚集到大衛那裡,C.大衛就作他們的頭目,跟隨他的約有四百人,先知迦得對大衛說:「不要住山寨,要住在猶大哈列的樹林」。2.掃羅的大臣多益向掃羅說:「祭司亞希米勒,為大衛求問上帝,給他食物,並給他歌利亞的刀」,王吩咐叫亞希多米勒全家來,吩咐左右侍衛殺祭司,掃羅臣子不肯殺耶和華的祭司,多益就殺了穿細麻衣的祭司85人,3.亞希米勒的兒子,亞比亞他逃到大衛那裡,大衛就知道掃羅殺耶和華祭司的事,大衛對他說:「你不要懼怕,可以住在這裡,尋索你命的,就是尋索你的命」。
◎心得分享:我們看到掃羅的情況,真的是每況愈下,不只是追殺大衛,也殺及無辜的「祭司亞希米勒的全家」,連神的僕人也殺,真是「被鬼迷了心竅」,是非不明,這在提醒我們犯罪不悔改的人,只會越來越嚴重,不可能回頭是岸,求神給我們一顆儆醒的心,不會落到掃羅的光景中。
第23章主要在講:「掃羅追殺大衛,神不將他交在他的手中」。
1.非利士人攻擊基伊拉搶奪禾場,大衛求問神,與非利士人打仗,救了基伊拉的居民,2.掃羅招聚眾民要攻打,基伊拉,大衛用祭司亞比亞他的以弗得求問神:「掃羅會下來嗎?基伊拉人會把他交給掃羅嗎?」,耶和華說:「會」,大衛就住在西弗的曠野,3.約拿單就去見大衛,對他說:「不要懼怕!你必作以色列王,我也作你的宰相」,二人就在神前立約,4.掃羅一直追殺大衛,在瑪雲曠野圍住大衛和跟隨他的人,要拿獲他們,但是剛好非利士人犯境搶掠,於是掃羅不追趕大衛,回去攻打非利士人。
◎心得分享:這一章掃羅追殺大衛,好像在看電影,壞人一直追殺好人,就快追上的時候,壞人在不得不的情況下,突然撤兵,這是因為「上帝不把大衛交在掃羅的手裡」,是的!神若不許可發生,再怎麼危險的情況裡,最後都會「化險為夷」,因為神若幫助我們,沒有人都抵擋我們。
第24章主要在講:「掃羅追殺大衛向大衛承認是他的錯」。
1.掃羅追趕非利士人之後,回來要追殺大衛,帶了三千精兵,到了路旁的羊圈,有個洞,掃羅進去大解,大衛和跟隨他的人在洞的深處,大衛只悄悄割下掃羅的衣襟,也難阻跟隨他的人殺掃羅,2.大衛從洞裏出來,A.臉伏於地向掃羅下拜,B.說:「你為何想害我,今日有人叫我殺你,我卻愛惜你,看你的衣襟在我手中,沒有殺你,由此可知我沒有惡意叛逆你,」,C.願耶和華在你我中間判斷是非,D.你出來要尋找誰呢?不過追趕一條死狗,一個跳蚤就是了,願耶和華施行審判,3.掃羅放聲大哭,對大衛說:「你比我公義,你以善待我,我卻以惡待你,你要起誓不剪除我的後裔,在我父家不滅我的名」,於是大衛向掃羅起誓,之後他們就都回去了。
◎心得分享:這是掃羅第一次承認自己錯了,大衛比他公義,但是又如何,「認錯以後,又繼續犯錯」,大衛的「以德報怨」,讓掃羅的心感動,卻是無法改變,掃羅繼續追殺大衛的行為,大衛不殺上帝所膏的人,提醒我們對屬靈長輩,應該有的尊重,縱使他們真的壞到像掃羅那樣壞,我們不應該,挾怨報復,而是要讓上帝在我們中間判斷是非。
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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。