6:33 那時,米甸人、亞瑪力人,和東方人都聚集過河,在耶斯列平原安營。
6:34 耶和華的靈降在基甸身上,他就吹角;亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他。
6:35 他打發人走遍瑪拿西地,瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他;又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人,他們也都出來與他們會合。
6:36 基甸對上帝說:「你若果照著所說的話,藉我手拯救以色列人,
6:37 我就把一團羊毛放在禾場上:若單是羊毛上有露水,別的地方都是乾的,我就知道你必照著所說的話,藉我手拯救以色列人。」
6:38 次日早晨基甸起來,見果然是這樣;將羊毛擠一擠,從羊毛中擰出滿盆的露水來。
6:39 基甸又對上帝說:「求你不要向我發怒,我再說這一次:讓我將羊毛再試一次。但願羊毛是乾的,別的地方都有露水。」
6:40 這夜上帝也如此行:獨羊毛上是乾的,別的地方都有露水。
33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined
forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then
the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to
follow him. 35 He
sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,
Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.
36 Gideon said to God,
“If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a
wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all
the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as
you said.” 38 And
that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece
and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God,
“Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more
test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be
covered with dew.” 40 That
night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
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基甸在個性上是屬於謹慎小心的人,雖然情勢很明顯他是上帝所揀選的士師,正如經文所描述:「耶和華的靈降在基甸身上,他就吹角;亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他。他打發人走遍瑪拿西地,瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他;又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人,他們也都出來與他們會合。」(6:34-35)
他仍向上帝要「憑證」,正如有一些基督徒認為有「憑證」才是上帝的引導。而且他不只要一次,還要了兩次。然而上帝仍然耐心對待他,就給了他兩次的「憑證」。他的做為讓人感覺故意刁難上帝,上帝仍然每次都照他的要求達成,顯明祂堅決的心意。
從基甸這樣的作為,更是提醒我們要勇敢向上帝求,不要擔心上帝會不會生氣,也不要害怕上帝不會答應,我們得責任就是勇敢向上帝求,正如保羅所說:「應當一無掛慮,只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求,和感謝,將你們所要的告訴上帝。」(肥立比書4:6)
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