申命記20:1-20

20:1 「你出去與仇敵爭戰的時候，看見馬匹、車輛，並有比你多的人民，不要怕他們，因為領你出埃及地的耶和華─你上帝與你同在。
20:2 你們將要上陣的時候，祭司要到百姓面前宣告
20:3 說：『以色列人哪，你們當聽，你們今日將要與仇敵爭戰，不要膽怯，不要懼怕戰兢，也不要因他們驚恐；
20:4 因為耶和華─你們的上帝與你們同去，要為你們與仇敵爭戰，拯救你們。』
20:5 官長也要對百姓宣告說：『誰建造房屋，尚未奉獻，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去奉獻。
20:6 誰種葡萄園，尚未用所結的果子，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去用。
20:7 誰聘定了妻，尚未迎娶，他可以回家去，恐怕他陣亡，別人去娶。』
20:8 官長又要對百姓宣告說：『誰懼怕膽怯，他可以回家去，恐怕他弟兄的心消化，和他一樣。』
20:9 官長對百姓宣告完了，就當派軍長率領他們。
20:10 「你臨近一座城、要攻打的時候，先要對城裡的民宣告和睦的話。
20:11 他們若以和睦的話回答你，給你開了城，城裡所有的人都要給你效勞，服事你；
20:12 若不肯與你和好，反要與你打仗，你就要圍困那城。
20:13 耶和華─你的上帝把城交付你手，你就要用刀殺盡這城的男丁。
20:14 惟有婦女、孩子、牲畜，和城內一切的財物，你可以取為自己的掠物。耶和華─你上帝把你仇敵的財物賜給你，你可以吃用。
20:15 離你甚遠的各城，不是這些國民的城，你都要這樣待他。
20:16 但這些國民的城，耶和華─你上帝既賜你為業，其中凡有氣息的，一個不可存留；
20:17 只要照耶和華─你上帝所吩咐的將這赫人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人都滅絕淨盡，
20:18 免得他們教導你們學習一切可憎惡的事，就是他們向自己神所行的，以致你們得罪耶和華─你們的上帝。
20:19 「你若許久圍困、攻打所要取的一座城，就不可舉斧子砍壞樹木；因為你可以吃那樹上的果子，不可砍伐。田間的樹木豈是人，叫你糟蹋嗎？
20:20 惟獨你所知道不是結果子的樹木可以毀壞、砍伐，用以修築營壘，攻擊那與你打仗的城，直到攻塌了。」

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. ² When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. ³ He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. ⁴ For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

⁵ The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. ⁶ Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. ⁷ Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” ⁸ Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” ⁹ When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.

¹⁰ When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. ¹¹ If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. ¹² If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. ¹³ When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. ¹⁴ As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. ¹⁵ This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

¹⁶ However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. ¹⁷ Completely destroy^[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹⁸ Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.

¹⁹ When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?^{[b] 20} However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

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    有許多人自稱是和平主義者，反對戰爭！他們也認為上帝看重和平，也必定反對戰爭。然而這些和平主義者，並不是真正看重和平，而是害怕戰爭的殘忍，認為戰爭必定有人尚失性命。

    然而上帝在這裡似乎不吝惜生命，命令以色列人：「但這些國民的城，耶和華─你上帝既賜你為業，其中凡有氣息的，一個不可存留；只要照耶和華─你上帝所吩咐的將這赫人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人都滅絕淨盡，免得他們教導你們學習一切可憎惡的事，就是他們向自己神所行的，以致你們得罪耶和華─你們的上帝。」

    也就是說，以色列人進入迦南地，必須將當地的迦南人全部除滅！目的就是要以色列人不受這些人影響，而去崇拜偶像，導致以色列遠離上帝。也因此，在聖經中上帝不斷宣告要除去邱壇，因為邱壇是敬拜偶像的地方。上帝命令以色列人進迦南地之後，遵行祂藉著摩西頒布的律法，活出聖潔子民的樣式！

    所以，以色列人在迦南地征戰的目的，不僅要得地為業，更是要為上帝的聖潔彰顯而戰！然而今天耶穌基督已經來到世界，基督徒參與戰爭的目的也是為了聖潔而戰，只是今日的聖潔是和平和公義，戰爭的目的是要讓破壞和平和公義者獲得制裁，讓上帝的和平和公義被高舉！

詩篇67篇

      詩篇67:1-7  ,

詩篇67:1-7

67:1 （一篇詩歌，交與伶長。用絲弦的樂器。）願上帝憐憫我們，賜福與我們，用臉光照我們，（細拉）
67:2 好叫世界得知你的道路，萬國得知你的救恩。
67:3 上帝啊，願列邦稱讚你！願萬民都稱讚你！
67:4 願萬國都快樂歡呼；因為你必按公正審判萬民，引導世上的萬國。（細拉）
67:5 上帝啊，願列邦稱讚你！願萬民都稱讚你！
67:6 地已經出了土產；上帝─就是我們的上帝要賜福與我們。
67:7 上帝要賜福與我們；地的四極都要敬畏他！

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us—^[b]
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ The land yields its harvest;
    God, our God, blesses us.
⁷ May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

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    上帝的賜福當然包括了物質方面，尤其是經濟的來源！如同詩人在這裡所說：「地已經出了土產；上帝─就是我們的上帝要賜福與我們。上帝要賜福與我們；地的四極都要敬畏他！」

    然而對教會而言，上帝賜給我們的「土產」就是教勢的發展，我們希望奉獻與人數充足，好使教會對世界更有影響力，使教會可以順利推動更多的事工與活動，這樣才是上帝的賜福。

    但是事實上並非如此，教會常常是非常弱小，尤其是在草創之初，要人沒人，要錢沒有錢，只能維持禮拜進行或一次的週間聚會。會友因為人數少救覺得來聚會有甚麼意義，抑制越來越消沉，最後乾脆停止了！

    感謝上帝！因為牧過這樣的教會，在剛開始覺得挫折與艱難，現在回想起來卻是覺得與主耶穌最親近的時候，也體會到要教會能維持需要讓牧者先沒有經濟上的掛慮，才能在最終有「土產」可收！

    請各位弟兄姊妹，千萬要記住，開拓教會要先保證牧者的收入，讓牧者可以全心為教會的拓展努力，到教會成熟時，才會真正有「土產」，不要讓牧者在經濟上拮据，就會失去動力的！

申命記19章

        申命記19:1-21  ,

申命記19:1-21

19:1 「耶和華─你上帝將列國之民剪除的時候，耶和華─你上帝也將他們的地賜給你，你接著住他們的城邑並他們的房屋，
19:2 就要在耶和華─你上帝所賜你為業的地上分定三座城。
19:3 要將耶和華─你上帝使你承受為業的地分為三段；又要預備道路，使誤殺人的，都可以逃到那裡去。
19:4 「誤殺人的逃到那裡可以存活，定例乃是這樣：凡素無仇恨，無心殺了人的，
19:5 就如人與鄰舍同入樹林砍伐樹木，手拿斧子一砍，本想砍下樹木，不料，斧頭脫了把，飛落在鄰舍身上，以致於死，這人逃到那些城的一座城，就可以存活，
19:6 免得報血仇的，心中火熱追趕他，因路遠就追上，將他殺死；其實他不該死，因為他與被殺的素無仇恨。
19:7 所以我吩咐你說，要分定三座城。
19:8 耶和華─你上帝若照他向你列祖所起的誓擴張你的境界，將所應許賜你列祖的地全然給你，
19:9 你若謹守遵行我今日所吩咐的這一切誡命，愛耶和華─你的上帝，常常遵行他的道，就要在這三座城之外，再添三座城，
19:10 免得無辜之人的血流在耶和華─你上帝所賜你為業的地上，流血的罪就歸於你。
19:11 「若有人恨他的鄰舍，埋伏著起來擊殺他，以致於死，便逃到這些城的一座城，
19:12 本城的長老就要打發人去，從那裡帶出他來，交在報血仇的手中，將他治死。
19:13 你眼不可顧惜他，卻要從以色列中除掉流無辜血的罪，使你可以得福。」
19:14 「在耶和華─你上帝所賜你承受為業之地，不可挪移你鄰舍的地界，那是先人所定的。」
19:15 「人無論犯甚麼罪，作甚麼惡，不可憑一個人的口作見證，總要憑兩三個人的口作見證才可定案。
19:16 若有凶惡的見證人起來，見證某人作惡，
19:17 這兩個爭訟的人就要站在耶和華面前，和當時的祭司，並審判官面前，
19:18 審判官要細細地查究，若見證人果然是作假見證的，以假見證陷害弟兄，
19:19 你們就要待他如同他想要待的弟兄。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。
19:20 別人聽見都要害怕，就不敢在你們中間再行這樣的惡了。
19:21 你眼不可顧惜，要以命償命，以眼還眼，以牙還牙，以手還手，以腳還腳。」

When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, ² then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. ³ Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

⁴ This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. ⁵ For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. ⁶ Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. ⁷ This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

⁸ If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, ⁹ because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities. ¹⁰ Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

¹¹ But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities, ¹² the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. ¹³ Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.

¹⁴ Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

¹⁵ One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

¹⁶ If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, ¹⁷ the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. ¹⁸ The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, ¹⁹ then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you. ²⁰ The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. ²¹ Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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    法律的目的是要維持社會的正義，聖經本身也看重正義的維持，所以在生命的保護上是十分用心，在摩西的時代就想到設立逃城，就好像是「庇護城」一般要保護那些不是故意要殺害人的人。

    當然聖經也提到摩西為了遏止作假見證害人的，設定底下的條例：「人無論犯甚麼罪，作甚麼惡，不可憑一個人的口作見證，總要憑兩三個人的口作見證才可定案。若有凶惡的見證人起來，見證某人作惡，這兩個爭訟的人就要站在耶和華面前，和當時的祭司，並審判官面前，審判官要細細地查究，若見證人果然是作假見證的，以假見證陷害弟兄，你們就要待他如同他想要待的弟兄。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。別人聽見都要害怕，就不敢在你們中間再行這樣的惡了。你眼不可顧惜，要以命償命，以眼還眼，以牙還牙，以手還手，以腳還腳。」

    在今日講求廢除死刑的風氣，聖經這段話讓我們感受到，廢死刑並無法滿足正義的要求，更是無法保護人的生命！這也是我們要深思的課題，不可以為廢死刑是先進、滿足人道要求，其實也有其該思考的反效果！我們若希望保護生命，需要回到聖經的原則：「別人聽見都要害怕，就不敢在你們中間再行這樣的惡了。你眼不可顧惜，要以命償命，以眼還眼，以牙還牙，以手還手，以腳還腳。」