04月08日 一年的第099天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒下16-18章
第16章主要在講:「示每咒罵大衛」。
1.大衛過了山頂,米非波設的僕人洗,給大衛預備了食物,2.大衛到了巴示琳,掃羅族示每,一面走,一面咒罵,又拿石頭砍大衛和他的臣僕,說:「你流掃羅全家的血,耶和華將將罪歸在你身上,將這國交你兒子押沙龍」,亞比篩要要殺他,大衛說:「A.他咒罵是因耶和華吩咐他說的,B.我兒子都尋索我的性命,何況這人,由他咒罵,C.或者耶和華見我遭難,為這今日被人咒罵,就施恩給我」,3.戶篩對押沙龍說:「我怎樣服事你父親,也照樣服事你」,4.亞希多弗給押沙龍出的主意,好像是人問上帝的話一樣,他昔日給大衛的主意,今日給押沙龍出的主意都是一樣。
◎心得分享:大衛面對自己的「遭難與別人咒罵」的態度,不是把人罵回去,而是他相信「耶和華見我遭難,為這今日被人咒罵,會可憐他,就施恩憐憫」,他知道這一切的結果,是因為自己的罪,他認為上帝會給他合理的對待,他不理會人對他的傷害,他期待上帝來幫助他解危。
第17章主要在講:「耶和華破壞亞希多弗的計謀」。
1.亞希多弗對押沙龍說:「我選1萬2千人,趁今夜起身追趕大衛,單殺大衛一人」,押沙龍和長老都以這話為美,2.押沙龍就問戶篩,戶篩說:「這定的謀不善,大衛不會和民一同住宿,你要殺他不容易,不如多聚集人來,再率領他們出戰」,眾人說戶篩的計謀比亞希多弗的良謀,這是因耶和華定意破壞亞希多弗的計謀,要降禍給押沙龍,3.戶篩派祭司撒督和亞比亞他,去向大衛報告他們的計謀,並叫他們天亮以前過約旦河,大衛他們就全部過河,4.亞希多弗見他的計謀,不被接受,就回到本城,留下遺言,便吊死了,5.大衛和跟隨他的人過了約旦河,押沙龍就立亞瑪撒作元帥代替約押,大衛到了瑪哈念,巴西萊拿食物,供給大衛和跟隨的人吃。
◎心得分享:當押沙龍一切都很順利的時候,他以為他的成功,是指日可待,但是卻失敗,因為「耶和華定意破壞亞希多弗的計謀,要降禍給押沙龍」,亞希多弗雖然「足智多謀」,但是問題沒有人要聽他話,因為耶和華定意破壞,最後「亞希多弗」自殺上吊了,按著計劃順利的開場,最後卻以悲劇收場,這在提醒我們「足智多謀」,不是按神的心意,最後都是白忙一場。
第18章主要在講:「押沙龍被殺死」。
1.大衛將軍兵分為三隊,並囑咐他們要為寬待押沙龍,就在以法蓮樹林交戰,那日陣亡的甚多,2.押沙龍騎著騾子,他的頭髮把樹技繞住,騾子離他去,他就被掛在橡樹上,有人來報信給約押,約押就三杆短槍,趁押沙龍在樹上,就刺透他的心,並吹角不再追趕以色列人,3.約押派古示人去報押沙龍的的死訊,大衛心裡傷慟,上城門樓去哀哭,說:「我兒押沙龍,我恨不得替你死」。
◎心得分享:約押不聽大衛的命令,用短槍刺死大衛的兒子押沙龍,大衛希望再給他的兒子押沙龍一個機會,但是約押卻不理會大衛的囑咐,殺了押沙龍,約押很了解大衛作事的方式,但卻無法體會大衛作父親憐憫的心,畢竟大衛愛孩子,不是以自己的王位利益為優先,而是以父親的心,來看待許多事。
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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。