04月06日 一年的第097天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒下09-12章
第09章主要在講:「大衛善待約拿單的兒子米非波設」。
1.大衛要善待掃羅家的,就問掃羅家的僕人洗巴,從他口中得知,約拿單的兒子瘸腿的米非波設,就接他到家中,常與他一同吃飯,2.大衛把屬掃羅的家產,給了米非波設,米非波設常與大衛同席吃飯,他的兩腿都是瘸的。
◎心得分享:大衛善待約拿單的兒子瘸腿的米非波設,有人說:「人在人情在,人亡人情亡」,但是對大衛來說,卻不是這樣,他是一位信守承諾的人,他不看輕瘸腿的米非波設,把屬於掃羅家的家產給他,求神也幫助我們,能像大衛一樣,成為知恩圖報的人。
第10章主要在講:「打敗亞蘭人與亞捫人」。
1.大衛要厚待亞捫人的王拿轄的兒子的哈嫩,派人去安慰他喪父,要建立友好的關係,亞捫人的首領說:「大衛差人來,是窺探之地,要傾覆這地」,哈嫩把大衛的臣僕鬍鬚剃去一半,把他們的褲子割斷一半,露出下體,他們回來大衛去迎接,叫他們先住耶利哥,2.亞捫人知道大衛憎惡他們,就去找亞蘭人聯合來攻打大衛,大衛派約押攻打亞蘭人,亞比篩攻打亞捫人,大衛殺敗亞蘭將軍,他們就與以色列和好歸服他們,亞蘭人不敢再幫助亞捫人。
◎心得分享:「好心卻沒有好報」,這是大衛的心聲,好意要建立好關係,別人卻把大衛羞辱了一番,讓大衛很難堪,雖然是這樣,大衛仍然不怕亞捫人與亞蘭人的聯軍,最後把亞蘭殺敗了,他們就與以色列和好歸服他們,亞蘭人不敢再幫助亞捫人,求神幫助我們,不要一時受辱,就灰心喪志,一次的善意受辱,就可能會有一次旗開得勝。
第11章主要在講:「大衛犯罪」。
1.過了一年,大衛派約押打敗亞捫人,大衛仍住在耶路撒冷,一日太陽平西,大衛從牀上起來,在王宮的平頂遊行,看見一個婦人沐治,容貌甚美,2.大衛差人打聽,知道是烏利亞的妻拔示巴,3.大衛就差人將婦人接來,與他同房,於是他就懷孕,打發人去告訴大衛,4.大衛叫烏利亞來,叫他回去陪他的妻子,但是烏利亞沒有回家裡,5.大衛寫信給約押,派烏利亞到陣勢極險之處,你們就後退使他被殺,烏利亞與大衛的幾個僕人被殺,烏利亞的妻子為丈夫哀哭,之後大衛就把她接宮裏,她就作了大衛的妻子,他為大衛生了一個兒子,耶和華甚不喜悅。
◎心得分享:大衛的犯罪,是一步步的,越陷越深,對於他的忠臣,他卻作了不能原諒的事,他以為沒有人知道,也沒有人拿他有辦法,因為他是國王,但是「耶和華甚不喜悅」,「要小心自己的獨處」,求神使我們不要像大衛,而是要像約瑟,遇到引誘要逃開,不要給魔鬼留地步。
第12章主要在講:「先知拿單責備大衛」。
1.耶和華派拿單去對大衛說:「城裡有個富戶有許多牛羊,他有客人來,捨不得用自己的,就取了僅有一隻小母羊羔的竅人」,大衛就惱怒那人,拿單對大衛說:「你就是那人,上帝賜你加倍的家業,你為什麼藐視神的命令,行他眼中看為惡的事,借亞捫人的刀殺鳥利亞,又娶了他的妻,所以刀劍必永不離開你的家,我必從你家興起禍患攻擊你,你在暗中行的事,我要眾人面前,日光之下報應你,大衛說我得罪了神,拿單說:「神已除掉你的罪,你必不至死,你所得的孩子定要死,2.耶和華擊打拔示巴,他生的兒子就生了重病死了,大衛安慰拔示巴,與他同寢,他就生了所羅門,耶和華喜愛這孩子,3.約押攻取亞捫人的城,奪了亞捫人王所戴的金冠冕,給大衛戴在頭上。
◎心得分享:上帝對大衛說:「你在暗中行的事,我要眾人面前,日光之下報應你」,這是很可怕的,犯罪就要受到刀劍禍患的攻擊,許多台面上的事實,都是因為台面下所引起的結果,大衛覺得那個富人可惡,其實他比富人更可惡,我們很容易看見別人的罪,卻看不見自己的罪。
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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。