04月10日 一年的第101天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:撒下22-24章
第22章主要在講:「大衛唱詩讚美神」。
當耶和華救大衛脫離一切仇敵之手,他向神唱詩:1.耶和華是我的救主,我求告祂,祂從高天伸手抓住我,救我脫離勁敵和恨我比我強盛人的手(1-18),2.我遭災難,祂引我到寛闊處,按我的公義賞賜我(19-39),3.神以力量束我腰,使我能爭戰,把我舉起,高過一切攻擊我的人,賜極大的恩,給他的受膏者(40-51)
◎心得分享:大衛是「合神心意」的人,雖然他不是「完美無瑕」,有時看他作過的蠢事與惡事,不會輸給一般人,然而在神的眼中,神非常愛他,因為他用赤誠的心,來愛上帝,從他的唱詩讚美,就知道,他是懂得「感恩」,他知道要對上帝獻上他的感謝,他知道這一切都是神的恩典。
第23章主要在講:「大衛末了的話」。
1.大衛用美歌讚美神,2.大衛的勇士:A.軍長的統帥:亞底挪,一時擊殺800人,B.以利亞撒,擊殺非利士人,直到手臂疲乏,手粘住刀把,C.沙瑪一人在紅豆田裡,擊殺非利士人,救謢了田,3.大衛渴了想喝水,三個勇士到伯利恆冒死為大衛去打水,大衛不敢喝,亞比篩作三個勇士的首領,舉槍就殺了300人,只是不及前三個勇士,比拿達在下雪,殺了獅子,只是不及前三個勇士, 4.另外有32個勇士名單,另外加三個勇士,亞比篩,比拿達,共有37個勇士。
◎心得分享:這三個勇士的行動,讓大衛永遠記得,刻骨銘心,雖然其他的勇士,大衛也感激在心,但是大衛真正知道誰最愛他,就是願意為大衛捨命的三勇士,這三勇士在提醒我們,在人最需要的時候,全力以赴的擺上一切,滿足人的需要,是對人最有意義的事,求神也把三勇士的勇氣和心志放在我們身上。
第24章主要在講:「大衛數點人數,耶和華降災」。
1.大衛數點人數,用了9個月21天,以色列勇士八十萬,猶大勇士五十萬,大衛數點後就心中自責,向神禱告,求神除掉罪孽,2.上帝派先知迦得,向大衛說:「有三樣災,隨你選,A.七年饑荒,B.在敵人面前逃跑,被追趕三個月,C.國中有三年的瘟疫」,大衛說:「我願落在耶和華的手裡,因祂有憐憫,不願落在人的手裡」,3.耶和華降瘟疫,死了七萬人,耶和華就後悔,大衛向神認罪禱告,4.迦得對大衛說,你到耶布斯人的禾場,為耶和華築壇,大衛就用五十舍客勒銀子,買了禾場與牛,獻燔祭和平安祭,神垂聽國民所求的,瘟疫就在以色列中停住了。
◎心得分享:「數點人數」是神不喜悅的,因為這很容易使君王,陷入自得其滿,把榮耀歸給自己,當大衛犯罪了,上帝給他三個選擇,他的回答是「我願落在耶和華的手裡,因祂有憐憫,不願落在人的手裡」,他知道上帝會有憐憫,一般人不是不會有憐憫的,必然趕盡殺絕,落井下石,然而正如大衛所說的,神就後悔了,聽大衛的禱告與獻祭,止住了瘟疫。
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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。