06月15日 一年的第167天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:王上01-04章
第01章主要在講:「亞多尼雅竊位失敗」。
一.大衛王年紀老邁,處女美貌童女亞比煞伺候他,王卻沒有與她親近。
二.俊美的亞多尼雅聯合元帥約押和祭司亞比亞他,自立為王,宰了牛羊、肥犢請王的眾子。
三.先知拿單知道之後,對皇后拔示巴建議說,去向大衛提立「所羅門」接續他作王,大衛就起誓立所羅門作王,又吩咐祭司撒督和先知拿單要膏所羅門作以色列的王。
四.他們就去,眾民跟隨吹笛,大大歡呼,聲音震地。亞多尼雅的眾客聽見這話就都驚懼四散,亞多尼雅懼怕所羅門殺他,就起來去抓住祭壇的角,所羅門王沒殺他,叫他回家。
◎心得分享:有人說:「江山易改,本性難移」,對一個曾經是犯淫亂的人,更是難上加難,但是對神的僕人大衛來說,這個定律卻完全被推翻,他到老的時候,卻能自我控制,不親美貌處女,這在提醒人是可以被神改變。另一方面有人說:「先下手為強,慢下手受遭殃」,而事實上卻不是這樣,這一章「亞多尼雅」在提醒我們,不是神要給我們,「先下手反而會受遭殃」。
第02章主要在講:「亞多尼雅與約押被殺,所羅門作王」。
一.大衛的死期臨近了,就囑吩所羅門:「當剛強,作大丈夫,遵守神所吩咐的,約押殺了以色列的兩個元帥:押尼珥和亞瑪撒。在太平之時流這二人的血,所以你要照你的智慧行,不容他白頭安然下陰間,要恩待巴西萊的眾子,示每用狠毒的言語咒罵我,現在你不要以他為無罪。你必知道怎樣待他,使他白頭見殺,流血下到陰間。」大衛與他列祖同睡。
二.亞多尼雅去見所羅門的母親拔示巴,求將所羅門王將書念的女子亞比煞給他為妻,所羅門王差遣比拿雅,將亞多尼雅殺死,並革除亞比亞他,不許他作耶和華的祭司。
三.約押逃到耶和華的帳幕,抓住祭壇的角,所羅門差遣比拿雅,將他殺死。所羅門王立比拿雅作元帥,
四.所羅門王叫示每召來,限制他只能在耶路撒冷建造房屋居住,不可出來往別處去。過了三年,他的兩個僕人逃出耶路撒冷,他就去追他們,回來後所羅門王吩咐比拿雅,去殺死示每。這樣,便堅定了所羅門的國位。
◎心得分享:有人說:「君子報仇三年不晚」,對大衛來說,他在活著的時候,並沒有對深深傷害的人報仇,在他將要離世的時候,他關心他兒子所羅門作王的問題,他知道若所羅門要作王,卻沒有把他以前的仇敵問題解決,這些人在他死後,可能會造反,這樣所羅門王位很難持續,所羅門遵照他父親的吩咐去行,結果我們發現,他父親的問題,就不再成為他的問題。
第03章主要在講:「所羅門王向神求智慧」。
一.所羅門娶了法老的女兒為妻,接她進入大衛城,直等到造完了宮和耶和華的殿並城牆。
二.所羅門王上基遍去獻祭。夜間夢中,耶和華向所羅門顯現,他向神求賜我智慧,可以判斷民,辨別是非,所羅門因為求這事,就蒙主喜悅。所羅門醒了,不料是個夢。就回到耶路撒冷,站在耶和華的約櫃前,獻燔祭和平安祭,又為他眾臣僕設擺筵席。
三.一日有兩個妓女來,站在王面前。她們同住一房,各生生了一個男孩,夜間,有一婦人睡著的時候,壓死了她的孩子。在半夜起來,趁另一個睡著,將自己的孩子跟另一個孩子對換,兩個婦人都說那活著是她們的兒子,當時沒有其他的人,她們在王面前如此爭論。
所羅門王就吩咐說:「拿刀來!將活孩子劈成兩半,一半給那婦人,一半給這婦人。」活孩子的母親心裏急痛,說「萬不可殺他!」,死孩子的母親說:「把他劈了吧!」,王說:「將活孩子給這說萬不可殺的婦人,這婦人實在是他的母親。」,以色列眾人聽見王這樣判斷,就都敬畏他;因為見他心裏有 神的智慧,能以斷案。
◎心得分享:在這一章所羅門,他向上帝求智慧,神也應允了他,上帝對所羅門王求智慧說:「你所求的難得」,他所求的也蒙上帝悅納,他用神給他的智慧,處理一件很難處理的案件,以色列眾人就都敬畏他,求神幫助我們,賜給我們智慧,去處理我們生活遇到的難處。
第04章主要在講:「所羅門的富強與智慧」。
一.所羅門作以色列眾人的王。在以色列全地立了十二個官吏,使他們供給王和王家的食物,每年各人供給一月,他們的食物一無所缺。
二.所羅門統管諸國,從大河到非利士地,直到埃及的邊界。所羅門在世的日子,這些國都進貢服事他。所羅門每日所用的食物:細麵三十歌珥,粗麵六十歌珥,肥牛十隻,草場的牛二十隻,羊一百隻,還有鹿、羚羊、麃子,並肥禽。所羅門管理諸王,四境盡都平安。
三.所羅門有套車的馬四萬,還有馬兵一萬二千。
四.所羅門的智慧超過東方人和埃及人的一切智慧。他作箴言三千句,詩歌一千零五首。他講論草木,自黎巴嫩的香柏樹直到牆上長的牛膝草,又講論飛禽走獸、昆蟲水族。天下列王聽見所羅門的智慧,就都差人來聽他的智慧話。
◎心得分享:這一章是所羅門王集榮華富貴於一身,食物一無所缺,國家四境平安,又有許多人來向他學習,要聽他智慧的話,他不只受到他百姓的敬畏,他更是受到天下列王的佩服,可以說是在金字塔最頂端的人,但是卻是最孤單的人,不往上爬就沒有進步,要在往上爬,除非離開金字塔,套句所羅門自己說的話:「多有智慧,就多有愁煩」,不是在頂端就會快樂,而是知足加上敬虔,求神幫助我們,無論我們在任何景況中,都以神為樂。
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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。