詩篇135:1-21

135:1 你們要讚美耶和華！你們要讚美耶和華的名！耶和華的僕人站在耶和華殿中；站在我們上帝殿院中的，你們要讚美他！
135:2 【併於上節】
135:3 你們要讚美耶和華！耶和華本為善；要歌頌他的名，因為這是美好的。
135:4 耶和華揀選雅各歸自己，揀選以色列特作自己的子民。
135:5 原來我知道耶和華為大，也知道我們的主超乎萬神之上。
135:6 耶和華在天上，在地下，在海中，在一切的深處，都隨自己的意旨而行。
135:7 他使雲霧從地極上騰，造電隨雨而閃，從府庫中帶出風來。
135:8 他將埃及頭生的，連人帶牲畜都擊殺了。
135:9 埃及啊，他施行神蹟奇事，在你當中，在法老和他一切臣僕身上。
135:10 他擊殺許多的民，又殺戮大能的王，
135:11 就是亞摩利王西宏和巴珊王噩，並迦南一切的國王，
135:12 將他們的地賞賜他的百姓以色列為業。
135:13 耶和華啊，你的名存到永遠！耶和華啊，你可記念的名存到萬代！
135:14 耶和華要為他的百姓伸冤，為他的僕人後悔。
135:15 外邦的偶像是金的，銀的，是人手所造的；
135:16 有口卻不能言，有眼卻不能看，
135:17 有耳卻不能聽，口中也沒有氣息。
135:18 造他的要和他一樣，凡靠他的也要如此。
135:19 以色列家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！亞倫家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！
135:20 利未家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！你們敬畏耶和華的，要稱頌耶和華！
135:21 住在耶路撒冷的耶和華該從錫安受稱頌。你們要讚美耶和華！

 

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants of the Lord,
² you who minister in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵ I know that the Lord is great,
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.
⁶ The Lord does whatever pleases him,
    in the heavens and on the earth,
    in the seas and all their depths.
⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰ He struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings—
¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites,
    Og king of Bashan,
    and all the kings of Canaan—
¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance,
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, Lord, through all generations.
¹⁴ For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath in their mouths.
¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹ All you Israelites, praise the Lord;
    house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
²⁰ house of Levi, praise the Lord;
    you who fear him, praise the Lord.
²¹ Praise be to the Lord from Zion,
    to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

 

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    在詩歌的開頭與結尾，都是「哈利路亞」（你們要讚美耶和華）！

 

    而這首詩敘述了上帝拯救以色列人出埃及，又帶領以色列人勝過在曠野地的亞摩利王西宏和巴珊王噩，不只如此還帶領以色列人進入迦南地，勝過迦南一切的國王，將他們的地賞賜給以色列人，祂的百姓為業。

 

    詩人回想到這一切之後，就開始將榮耀歸給上帝；「耶和華啊，你的名存到永遠！耶和華啊，你可記念的名存到萬代！」因為耶和華上帝真的為祂的百姓申冤，讓他們不再受到欺壓；不僅如此，上帝還讓最深的憐憫臨到自己的僕人們！也就是說上帝真的眷顧以色列人，滿足他們的需要！

 

    詩人這樣說，更是要凸顯上帝是勝過迦南人所拜的神明，因為這些神明「是人手所造的；有口卻不能言，有眼卻不能看，有耳卻不能聽，口中也沒有氣息」。然而這些造神明的和拜這些神明的，最後的下場也和這些神明一樣，只有外表的形體，沒有真正的生命，下場就是滅亡！但是，被上帝拯救的人不是如此，上帝會賜下永生，保守直到永遠！正如今日，上帝拯救我們歸入主耶穌的名下，就和主耶穌一樣領受上帝兒女的名分，並且在將來上帝國完全實現的時候，與主耶穌一同做王到永遠！

 

    詩人最後吩咐：「以色列家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！亞倫家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！利未家啊，你們要稱頌耶和華！你們敬畏耶和華的，要稱頌耶和華！住在耶路撒冷的耶和華該從錫安受稱頌。你們要讚美耶和華！」

 

    而我們在基督裡被揀選與拯救的，也要像這樣讚美上帝，歡呼：「哈利路亞！」

 

撒母耳記上4:12-22

 

4:12 當日，有一個便雅憫人從陣上逃跑，衣服撕裂，頭蒙灰塵，來到示羅。
4:13 到了的時候，以利正在道旁坐在自己的位上觀望，為上帝的約櫃心裡擔憂。那人進城報信，合城的人就都呼喊起來。
4:14 以利聽見呼喊的聲音就問說：「這喧嚷是甚麼緣故呢？」那人急忙來報信給以利。
4:15 那時以利九十八歲了，眼目發直，不能看見。
4:16 那人對以利說：「我是從陣上來的，今日我從陣上逃回。」以利說：「我兒，事情怎樣？」
4:17 報信的回答說：「以色列人在非利士人面前逃跑，民中被殺的甚多！你的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈也都死了，並且上帝的約櫃被擄去。」
4:18 他一提上帝的約櫃，以利就從他的位上往後跌倒，在門旁折斷頸項而死；因為他年紀老邁，身體沉重。以利作以色列的士師四十年。
4:19 以利的兒婦、非尼哈的妻懷孕將到產期，她聽見上帝的約櫃被擄去，公公和丈夫都死了，就猛然疼痛，曲身生產；
4:20 將要死的時候，旁邊站著的婦人們對她說：「不要怕！你生了男孩子了。」她卻不回答，也不放在心上。
4:21 她給孩子起名叫以迦博，說：「榮耀離開以色列了！」這是因上帝的約櫃被擄去，又因她公公和丈夫都死了。
4:22 她又說：「榮耀離開以色列，因為上帝的約櫃被擄去了。」

¹² That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

¹⁴ Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, ¹⁵ who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. ¹⁶ He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷ The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led^[b] Israel forty years.

¹⁹ His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. ²⁰ As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

²¹ She named the boy Ichabod,^[c] saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. ²² She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

 

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    以利的媳婦感嘆說：「榮耀離開以色列，因為上帝的約櫃被擄去了。」

 

    這是真的嗎？我們當然說這不是真的！因為約櫃不是上帝，沒有約櫃仍然可以敬拜上帝，祭司死了依然可以獻祭！所以說，上帝並沒有離開以色列，上帝仍然與以色列同在！不是因為約櫃被擄，上帝的榮耀就離開以色列！

 

    所以，我們在講台傳信息要很小心，不要將人的榮辱或成敗當成是上帝的榮辱和成敗！上帝是永不失敗的，上帝是永遠榮耀的！失敗和羞辱是因為人自己犯罪，偏行己路，不遵守上的的誡命所導致，與上帝的榮辱和成敗是不相干的！

 

    反倒是人在面對羞辱與失敗之時，若願意認罪悔改來歸向上帝，上帝的慈愛永不改變，繼續扶持和引導，使我們得著永遠的福樂！這時反而要求主保守，使我們堅定倚賴上帝，相信上帝恆保守，如此我們才會有真正的平安！

 

 

 

撒母耳記上4章

      撒母耳記上4:1-11 ,

      撒母耳記上4:12-22 ,

撒母耳記上4:1-11

 

4:1 以色列人出去與非利士人打仗，安營在以便以謝；非利士人安營在亞弗。
4:2 非利士人向以色列人擺陣。兩軍交戰的時候，以色列人敗在非利士人面前；非利士人在戰場上殺了他們的軍兵約有四千人。
4:3 百姓回到營裡，以色列的長老說：「耶和華今日為何使我們敗在非利士人面前呢？我們不如將耶和華的約櫃從示羅抬到我們這裡來，好在我們中間救我們脫離敵人的手。」
4:4 於是百姓打發人到示羅，從那裡將坐在二基路伯上萬軍之耶和華的約櫃抬來。以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈與上帝的約櫃同來。
4:5 耶和華的約櫃到了營中，以色列眾人就大聲歡呼，地便震動。
4:6 非利士人聽見歡呼的聲音，就說：「在希伯來人營裡大聲歡呼，是甚麼緣故呢？」隨後就知道耶和華的約櫃到了營中。
4:7 非利士人就懼怕起來，說：「有神到了他們營中」；又說：「我們有禍了！向來不曾有這樣的事。
4:8 我們有禍了！誰能救我們脫離這些大能之神的手呢？從前在曠野用各樣災殃擊打埃及人的，就是這些神。
4:9 非利士人哪，你們要剛強，要作大丈夫，免得作希伯來人的奴僕，如同他們作你們的奴僕一樣。你們要作大丈夫，與他們爭戰。」
4:10 非利士人和以色列人打仗，以色列人敗了，各向各家奔逃，被殺的人甚多，以色列的步兵仆倒了三萬。
4:11 上帝的約櫃被擄去，以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈也都被殺了。

 

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. ² The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. ³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. ⁶ Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid. “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

 

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    真是不可思議，上帝竟然讓他的約櫃被非力士人擄走！在一般人看來，這樣的上帝太沒有面子了！但是對上帝而言，並沒有什麼損失和影響！因為約櫃並不是上帝，約櫃不是廟裡的神像，只是一個象徵物，因為以色列人不是拜約櫃，是敬拜在施恩座上的上帝！正如基督徒不是拜聖經，也不是拜十字架！有沒有這些物品是沒有關係的，因為這些不是上帝！

 

    但是對於不同信仰的人，因為偶像拜習慣，或是依靠一些象徵物習慣，甚至倚靠人習慣，沒有這些人和象徵物就受不了！因為他們沒有安全感，無所倚靠的感覺！然而這時候的以色列人，也受到這些不信上帝的人影響，把約歸當作是上帝的同在，而且敬拜上帝一定要有祭司！所以才會產生這樣荒謬的事情，約櫃被擄、祭司被殺！而且這樣正應驗撒母耳所傳的預言，以利的兩個兒子同一天死亡！

 

    其實今日有些基督徒也和當時的以色列人一般，一定要有「十字架」、「聖經」，才覺得有信心！要有傳道人來幫忙禱告，自己不敢禱告！這些都和「改教運動」的精意不同，也不合乎聖經的教導！主耶穌告訴他的門徒，只要奉祂的名就可以向上帝禱告了，不一定要有傳道人在場！因為每一位上帝的兒女，都是有君尊的祭司！

 

    也因此，即使發生再大災難，我們也要確信上帝的應許永不改變，如此心中才會有真正的平安！而這個確信是來自在基督裡，聖靈將上帝的大愛澆灌在我們心中！