歷代志上10:1-14

 

10:1 非利士人與以色列人爭戰，以色列人在非利士人面前逃跑，在基利波山有被殺仆倒的。
10:2 非利士人緊追掃羅和他兒子們，就殺了掃羅的兒子約拿單、亞比拿達、麥基舒亞。
10:3 勢派甚大，掃羅被弓箭手追上，射傷甚重，
10:4 就吩咐拿他兵器的人說：「你拔出刀來，將我刺死，免得那些未受割禮的人來凌辱我。」但拿兵器的人甚懼怕，不肯刺他；
10:5 掃羅就自己伏在刀上死了。拿兵器的人見掃羅已死，也伏在刀上死了。
10:6 這樣，掃羅和他三個兒子，並他的全家都一同死亡。
10:7 住平原的以色列眾人見以色列軍兵逃跑，掃羅和他兒子都死了，也就棄城逃跑，非利士人便來住在其中。
10:8 次日，非利士人來剝那被殺之人的衣服，看見掃羅和他兒子仆倒在基利波山，
10:9 就剝了他的軍裝，割下他的首級，打發人到（到：或譯送到）非利士地的四境報信與他們的偶像和眾民，
10:10 又將掃羅的軍裝放在他們神的廟裡，將他的首級釘在大袞廟中。
10:11 基列‧雅比人聽見非利士人向掃羅所行的一切事，
10:12 他們中間所有的勇士就起身前去，將掃羅和他兒子的屍身送到雅比，將他們的屍骨葬在雅比的橡樹下，就禁食七日。
10:13 這樣，掃羅死了。因為他干犯耶和華，沒有遵守耶和華的命；又因他求問交鬼的婦人，
10:14 沒有求問耶和華，所以耶和華使他被殺，把國歸於耶西的兒子大衛。

 

 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. ³ The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.

⁷ When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.

¹¹ When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

¹³ Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, ¹⁴ and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

 

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    作者敘述關於掃羅和大衛之間政權轉移的過程。而之所以發生這樣的事情，作者也敘述原因：「這樣，掃羅死了。因為他干犯耶和華，沒有遵守耶和華的命；又因他求問交鬼的婦人，沒有求問耶和華，所以耶和華使他被殺，把國歸於耶西的兒子大衛。」

 

    作者這樣書寫，是為了教化的目的，要讓讀者清楚：最上帝為大是很重要，如何實踐呢？就是「遵守耶和華的命令」！不僅如此，也不可以像掃羅「求問交鬼的婦人，沒有求問耶和華」。

 

    在今日，我們也是要這樣實踐：既然我們是上帝的兒女，就要好好研讀聖經好明白上帝的命令和心意；遇到生活上的問題，要尋求教會的協助，不要隨意聽從教會外人士的引導，尤其要小心所謂中立觀點的心理諮商師，尤其是談積極思想和正面思考的，他們使用了許多「靈媒」的說詞和看法，要小心分辨！

 

    總之，教會要尋回過去信仰的精髓，不要受到許多「現代化」或「後現代化」的思潮影響，以至於用人為中心來處理事情。教會的諮商與輔導，要以上帝的啟示為中心來引導弟兄姊妹。讓聖靈參與在其中，以免迷失而離開上帝！