04月03日 一年的第094天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒上29-31章
第29章主要在講:「大衛離開非利士人的地」。
非利士人軍旅聚在亞弗,其他的首領,看見大衛在當中,1.首領就向亞吉發怒,對他說:「叫這人回去,不可同我們出戰,恐怕他陣前倒戈作我們的敵人,他以前就是用我們的人頭,跟他的主人復和」,2.亞吉對大衛說:「你是正直的,自從你來到如今,都沒有過失,只是非利士人的首領不喜歡你,所以你和跟隨你的人,明早天亮就回去」,3.大衛和跟隨他的人,就回非利士的地。
◎心得分享:大衛落在很為難的景況,就好像是「電影:無間道」一樣,一方面是大衛落難,伸手幫助他的非利士人,另一方面是他自己的同胞,和跟他立約結拜的約拿單,他到底要幫誰?但是感謝主!上帝為大衛開一條路,讓他順理成章的下台,不會左右為難,是的!上帝總是會為我們開路。
第30章主要在講:「大衛奪回被強奪的東西」。
過了三天,大衛和跟隨他的人,回到「洗革拉」,亞瑪利人已經攻破洗革拉,用火焚燒,擄了城內的婦女小孩,沒有殺一個都帶走,1.大衛和跟隨他的人,就放聲大哭,直哭得沒有氣力,2.大衛甚是焦急,因眾人為自己的兒女苦惱,說要用石頭打死他,大衛卻倚靠耶和華心裡堅固,3.大衛拿以弗得求問耶和華,是否可以追上,耶和華說:「追得上,救得回來」,4.大衛帶六百人要去救他們,到了比梭溪有二百人疲乏,大衛就帶四百個人往前追趕,遇到因生病被亞瑪利人撇下的埃及少年人,大衛就拿餅給他吃,少年人就帶大衛去救人,大衛就擊殺他們,奪回一切,沒有失落一個,擄來的財物甚多,5.他們回到比梭溪留下的二百人那裡,跟隨大衛的人,有人說:「不可以分給他們」,大衛說:「耶和華賜給我們的,不可不分給他們,上陣的得多少,看守器具的也得多少,應當大家平分」,大衛把所奪來的,當作禮物送給他的朋友,曾經去過之處的猶大長老。
◎心得分享:大衛是個勇士,也是事事求問上帝的人,更是對人有憐憫的心,不吝嗇的人,對於軟弱不能全程參與的二百個勇士,他說:「上陣的得多少,看守器具的也得多少,應當大家平分」,甚至當他富足的時候,不忘記送禮物,給曾經幫助他的猶大長老,求神把大衛,憐憫人的心,放在我們心中。
第31章主要在講:「掃羅王與兒子約拿單的死」。
非利士人與以色列人爭戰,1.掃羅的三個兒子,約拿單、亞比拿達、麥基舒亞被殺,2.掃羅被箭射中,要拿兵器的人,拿刀刺死他,拿兵器的不肯,掃羅就自己伏在刀上死了,拿兵器的,也伏在刀上死了,3.掃羅的頭被割下,他的軍裝被在亞斯他錄廟,屍身被釘在城牆上,4.基列雅比的勇士,將掃羅和他兒子的屍身,從牆上取下來,用火燒了,葬在雅比垂絲柳樹下,就禁食7日。
◎心得分享:掃羅的死是自殺的,也是害死他三個兒子的真正兇手,所有以色列的王,沒有一個人是像他死的這麼殘,受到這麼大的羞辱,哎!曾經被神恩膏的人,竟然落到這樣的下場,真是可惜!這也是在提醒我們,要儆醒不懈,服事神的人,千萬不要執迷不悟,落到像掃羅的結局裡,求神幫助我們,作一個合神心意的人。
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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。