但以理書1:3-5

 

1:3 王吩咐太監長亞施毘拿，從以色列人的宗室和貴冑中帶進幾個人來，

1:4 就是年少沒有殘疾、相貌俊美、通達各樣學問、知識聰明俱備、足能侍立在王宮裡的，要教他們迦勒底的文字言語。

1:5 王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒，每日賜他們一分，養他們三年。滿了三年，好叫他們在王面前侍立。

 

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

 

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    巴比倫不只強奪財物，更是搶奪人才，如同先知以賽亞所預言：「你要聽耶和華的話，日子必到，凡你家裡所有的，並你列祖積蓄到如今的，都要被擄到巴比倫去，不留下一樣。這是耶和華說的。並且從你本身所生的眾子，其中必有被擄去在巴比倫王宮裡當太監的。」(列王紀下20:16-18)

 

    也因為這樣，但以理和他的朋友就被擄到巴比倫的王宮，在內裡受訓，領受國王的食物，將來要成為國王的大臣或國策顧問等等。當然也可能成為太監，「滿了三年，好叫他們在王面前侍立」。

 

    在一般人認為這是多麼好的機會，但是對於有國家意識的人可能覺得這樣不好，更何況猶太人有自己的信仰，對這樣的「優待」是不領情的！

 

    當然今日的基督徒，面對世界的勢力是屈服還是不屈服呢？別忘了保羅說：「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為上帝的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。」(羅馬書12:2)