04月09日 一年的第100天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒下19-21章
第19章主要在講:「大衛返回耶路撒冷」。
1.大衛為押沙龍悲哀,眾民得勝歡樂卻變成悲哀,約押見大衛說:「你使一切僕人臉面慚愧,他們救了你們全家的性命,你卻愛那恨你的人,恨那愛你的人,你不以將帥僕人為念,我今日看明,若押沙龍活著,我們都死了,你就喜悅,你若不出去安慰你僕人的心,你必遭更嚴重的禍患」,以色列人已經逃跑回家,2.大衛差祭司去挽回猶大眾人的心,立亞瑪撒為元帥(他是以前押沙龍的元帥17:25),代替約押,3.大衛要過約旦河時,曾經咒罵大衛的示每,來迎接大衛,請求原諒,大衛饒恕他,4.米非波設也來迎接大衛,大衛問他為什麼沒有與他同去,他說被僕人騙,大衛要他與洗巴均分地土,5.八十歲年紀老邁的巴西萊,要送大衛過河,大衛為他祝福,眾民就過河,到了吉甲,以色列支派因為猶大支派,送大衛全家過約旦河,沒找他們商量一起過河,就向猶大人發怒,猶大人說:「他們是王的親屬」,猶大人比以色列人的話更硬。
◎心得分享:大衛的「婦人之仁」,導致這些跟在他旁邊人,一個一個內心受傷離開,自覺得受到不平等的等待,愛子心切是心之常情,但是大衛只太注重自己的感受,而忽略了周遭跟隨他的人的感受也是不對,因為這樣也導致後來匪徒示巴的叛亂,這在提醒我們要更用心關心周遭人受傷的心靈,把冷漠變成愛,。
第20章主要在講:「匪徒示巴的叛亂」。
1.有一個匪徒示巴,說:「大衛與我們沒有關係,你們各回家去」,於是以色列人跟隨示巴,大衛進宮把守宮的十個妃嬪禁閉到死,2.王派亞瑪撒三日之內,招聚猶大人回到這裡,但是過了期限未回來,大衛擔心造反,就亞比篩去追趕,3.約押穿著戰衣,腰束佩刀,裝作要與亞瑪謝親嘴,就拿刀刺死他,4.示巴逃到亞比拉城,約押就攻城,有一婦人來對約押說:「他要勸民把示巴交出來,不要攻城」,約押答應了,他們就把示巴的頭丟給約押,約押就回去,5.約押作以色列全軍的元帥。
◎心得分享:在前一章,大衛為了討好那些被打敗的以色列人,就立亞瑪撒為元帥,試圖拉近猶大與以色列中間的情結,但是以色列人為了沒接大衛過約旦河,而向猶大人發怒,讓彼此的關係更緊張,所以給匪徒示巴機會,分裂國家,叫人離開大衛,而大衛雖然接納亞瑪撒,事實上他心裡還是對他心存戒心怪他叛變,也因為這樣,約押就趁機,暗殺了亞瑪撒,到底亞瑪撒有沒有叛變呢?應該是沒有,不然他一定不會不防著約押,事後大衛也很後悔這事,這在提醒我們,「用人勿疑,疑人勿用」。
第21章主要在講:「大衛處理過去殺人流血罪的問題」。
1.大衛年間有饑荒,連續三年,大衛就求問神,神說:「這饑荒是因掃羅,為以色列人和猶大人大發熱心,殺死殺基遍人,以色列人曾起誓不殺他們」,大衛就問基遍人:「要怎麼作?」,他們要大衛把掃羅的子孫7人交出來,大衛沒交出米非波設,把掃羅子孫其餘的7個人交給基遍人,2個是掃羅的兒子,5個是孫子,他們把他們掛在山上,這七人就一同死亡,掃羅的妾利斯巴用麻布,在磐石上搭棚,不容雀鳥落在屍身上,也不讓走獸來蹧踐屍體,2.大衛知道掃羅的妾利斯巴所行的,就叫人去把掃羅和約拿單的骸骨搬來,也將被懸掛7個掃羅子孫的骸骨,一同葬在掃羅父親的墳墓裡,此後神垂聽國民所求的,3.非利士人與以色列人打戰,派巨人以實比諾要來殺大衛,大衛疲乏,A.亞比篩幫助大衛,將他殺死,他告訴大衛以後,不可一同出戰,B.亞比該殺了巨人撒弗,C.伊勒哈難殺了巨人歌利亞,他手腳都是六指,共有24個指頭,C.大衛哥哥的兒子約拿單,殺了另一個巨人,迦特偉人四個兒子,都死在大衛和他僕人的手下。
◎心得分享:這「殺人流血的罪」,干大衛什麼事,為什麼要讓大衛當王有三年的饑荒呢?在人看來是無干的事,但事實上,上帝可不這麼認為,上帝要人去面對處理,過去別人犯錯,所留到當時的問題,當大衛處理了,也把屍體埋了,聖經說:「上帝就垂聽國民所求的」,這在提醒我們有些屬靈的事,是不能小看的,是要處理的。
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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。