撒母耳記上16:1-23

 

16:1 耶和華對撒母耳說：「我既厭棄掃羅作以色列的王，你為他悲傷要到幾時呢？你將膏油盛滿了角，我差遣你往伯利恆人耶西那裡去；因為我在他眾子之內，預定一個作王的。」
16:2 撒母耳說：「我怎能去呢？掃羅若聽見，必要殺我。」耶和華說：「你可以帶一隻牛犢去，就說：『我來是要向耶和華獻祭。』
16:3 你要請耶西來吃祭肉，我就指示你所當行的事。我所指給你的人，你要膏他。」
16:4 撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行。到了伯利恆，那城裡的長老都戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他，問他說：「你是為平安來的嗎？」
16:5 他說：「為平安來的，我是給耶和華獻祭。你們當自潔，來與我同吃祭肉。」撒母耳就使耶西和他眾子自潔，請他們來吃祭肉。
16:6 他們來的時候，撒母耳看見以利押，就心裡說，耶和華的受膏者必定在他面前。
16:7 耶和華卻對撒母耳說：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為，耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。」
16:8 耶西叫亞比拿達從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：「耶和華也不揀選他。」
16:9 耶西又叫沙瑪從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：「耶和華也不揀選他。」
16:10 耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：「這都不是耶和華所揀選的。」
16:11 撒母耳對耶西說：「你的兒子都在這裡嗎？」他回答說：「還有個小的，現在放羊。」撒母耳對耶西說：「你打發人去叫他來；他若不來，我們必不坐席。」
16:12 耶西就打發人去叫了他來。他面色光紅，雙目清秀，容貌俊美。耶和華說：「這就是他，你起來膏他。」
16:13 撒母耳就用角裡的膏油，在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起，耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。
16:14 耶和華的靈離開掃羅，有惡魔從耶和華那裡來擾亂他。
16:15 掃羅的臣僕對他說：「現在有惡魔從上帝那裡來擾亂你。
16:16 我們的主可以吩咐面前的臣僕，找一個善於彈琴的來，等上帝那裡來的惡魔臨到你身上的時候，使他用手彈琴，你就好了。」
16:17 掃羅對臣僕說：「你們可以為我找一個善於彈琴的，帶到我這裡來。」
16:18 其中有一個少年人說：「我曾見伯利恆人耶西的一個兒子善於彈琴，是大有勇敢的戰士，說話合宜，容貌俊美，耶和華也與他同在。」
16:19 於是掃羅差遣使者去見耶西，說：「請你打發你放羊的兒子大衛到我這裡來。」
16:20 耶西就把幾個餅和一皮袋酒，並一隻山羊羔，都馱在驢上，交給他兒子大衛，送與掃羅。
16:21 大衛到了掃羅那裡，就侍立在掃羅面前。掃羅甚喜愛他，他就作了掃羅拿兵器的人。
16:22 掃羅差遣人去見耶西，說：「求你容大衛侍立在我面前，因為他在我眼前蒙了恩。」
16:23 從上帝那裡來的惡魔臨到掃羅身上的時候，大衛就拿琴，用手而彈，掃羅便舒暢爽快，惡魔離了他。

 

 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

² But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵ Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

¹² So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil^[a] spirit from the Lord tormented him.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

 

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    掃羅失敗之後，上帝預備了大衛成為以色列王。或許大家會非常納悶，難道上帝也會選錯人來擔任以色列的國王？或是你會認為大衛是備胎，要等掃羅倒下之後，讓大衛來接續！

 

    其實這都是人的揣摩和推測，因為上帝有絕對主權，上帝的智慧更是人無法測度的，所以不要亂猜。上帝要怎麼做，祂有完全的主權，不適人可以品頭論足的！保羅也說過：「深哉，上帝豐富的智慧和知識！他的判斷何其難測！他的蹤跡何其難尋！誰知道主的心？誰作過他的謀士呢？誰是先給了他，使他後來償還呢？因為萬有都是本於他，倚靠他，歸於他。願榮耀歸給他，直到永遠。阿們！」(羅馬書11:33-36)

 

    上帝可以高舉人，也可以將人從高位拉下，完全隨祂自己的心意而行，表示上帝有完全的主權！所以《使徒信經》一開始說：「我信上帝，全能的父！」

 

    不僅如此，上帝是一切標準的準則，合乎祂的才是善！祂可以判定一切，但是人無法判定祂，正如保羅說：「正如經上所記：雅各是我所愛的；以掃是我所惡的。這樣，我們可說甚麼呢？難道上帝有甚麼不公平嗎？斷乎沒有！因他對摩西說：我要憐憫誰就憐憫誰，要恩待誰就恩待誰。」（羅馬書9:13-15）

 

    為甚麼人會覺得上帝不公平呢？是因為人有悖逆的心，這是罪性進入人生命的表現！也因為這樣，人必須倚靠上帝在基督裡預備的救恩，才能使人從罪的轄制釋放出來，才能有順服上帝的自由！