撒母耳記上15:1-35

 

15:1 撒母耳對掃羅說：「耶和華差遣我膏你為王，治理他的百姓以色列；所以你當聽從耶和華的話。
15:2 萬軍之耶和華如此說：『以色列人出埃及的時候，在路上亞瑪力人怎樣待他們，怎樣抵擋他們，我都沒忘。
15:3 現在你要去擊打亞瑪力人，滅盡他們所有的，不可憐惜他們，將男女、孩童、吃奶的，並牛、羊、駱駝，和驢盡行殺死。』」
15:4 於是掃羅招聚百姓在提拉因，數點他們，共有步兵二十萬，另有猶大人一萬。
15:5 掃羅到了亞瑪力的京城，在谷中設下埋伏。
15:6 掃羅對基尼人說：「你們離開亞瑪力人下去吧，恐怕我將你們和亞瑪力人一同殺滅；因為以色列人出埃及的時候，你們曾恩待他們。」於是基尼人離開亞瑪力人去了。
15:7 掃羅擊打亞瑪力人，從哈腓拉直到埃及前的書珥，
15:8 生擒了亞瑪力王亞甲，用刀殺盡亞瑪力的眾民。
15:9 掃羅和百姓卻憐惜亞甲，也愛惜上好的牛、羊、牛犢、羊羔，並一切美物，不肯滅絕。凡下賤瘦弱的，盡都殺了。
15:10 耶和華的話臨到撒母耳說：
15:11 「我立掃羅為王，我後悔了；因為他轉去不跟從我，不遵守我的命令。」撒母耳便甚憂愁，終夜哀求耶和華。
15:12 撒母耳清早起來，迎接掃羅。有人告訴撒母耳說：「掃羅到了迦密，在那裡立了紀念碑，又轉身下到吉甲。」
15:13 撒母耳到了掃羅那裡，掃羅對他說：「願耶和華賜福與你，耶和華的命令我已遵守了。」
15:14 撒母耳說：「我耳中聽見有羊叫、牛鳴，是從哪裡來的呢？」
15:15 掃羅說：「這是百姓從亞瑪力人那裡帶來的；因為他們愛惜上好的牛羊，要獻與耶和華─你的上帝；其餘的，我們都滅盡了。」
15:16 撒母耳對掃羅說：「你住口吧！等我將耶和華昨夜向我所說的話告訴你。」掃羅說：「請講。」
15:17 撒母耳對掃羅說：「從前你雖然以自己為小，豈不是被立為以色列支派的元首嗎？耶和華膏你作以色列的王。
15:18 耶和華差遣你，吩咐你說，你去擊打那些犯罪的亞瑪力人，將他們滅絕淨盡。
15:19 你為何沒有聽從耶和華的命令，急忙擄掠財物，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事呢？」
15:20 掃羅對撒母耳說：「我實在聽從了耶和華的命令，行了耶和華所差遣我行的路，擒了亞瑪力王亞甲來，滅盡了亞瑪力人。
15:21 百姓卻在所當滅的物中，取了最好的牛羊，要在吉甲獻與耶和華─你的上帝。」
15:22 撒母耳說：耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從他的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。
15:23 悖逆的罪與行邪術的罪相等；頑梗的罪與拜虛神和偶像的罪相同。你既厭棄耶和華的命令，耶和華也厭棄你作王。
15:24 掃羅對撒母耳說：「我有罪了，我因懼怕百姓，聽從他們的話，就違背了耶和華的命令和你的言語。
15:25 現在求你赦免我的罪，同我回去，我好敬拜耶和華。」
15:26 撒母耳對掃羅說：「我不同你回去；因為你厭棄耶和華的命令，耶和華也厭棄你作以色列的王。」
15:27 撒母耳轉身要走，掃羅就扯住他外袍的衣襟，衣襟就撕斷了。
15:28 撒母耳對他說：「如此，今日耶和華使以色列國與你斷絕，將這國賜與比你更好的人。
15:29 以色列的大能者必不致說謊，也不致後悔；因為他迥非世人，決不後悔。」
15:30 掃羅說：「我有罪了，雖然如此，求你在我百姓的長老和以色列人面前抬舉我，同我回去，我好敬拜耶和華─你的上帝。」
15:31 於是撒母耳轉身跟隨掃羅回去，掃羅就敬拜耶和華。
15:32 撒母耳說：「要把亞瑪力王亞甲帶到我這裡來。」亞甲就歡歡喜喜地來到他面前，心裡說，死亡的苦難必定過去了。
15:33 撒母耳說：「你既用刀使婦人喪子，這樣，你母親在婦人中也必喪子。」於是，撒母耳在吉甲耶和華面前將亞甲殺死。
15:34 撒母耳回了拉瑪。掃羅上他所住的基比亞，回自己的家去了。
15:35 撒母耳直到死的日子，再沒有見掃羅；但撒母耳為掃羅悲傷，是因耶和華後悔立他為以色列的王。

 

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. ² This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. ³ Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy^[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴ So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. ⁵ Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. ⁶ Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. ⁸ He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves^[b] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

¹⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: ¹¹ “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

¹³ When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

¹⁵ Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

¹⁶ “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

¹⁷ Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. ¹⁸ And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. ²¹ The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

²² But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. ²⁹ He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him in chains.^[c] And he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

³³ But Samuel said,

“As your sword has made women childless,
    so will your mother be childless among women.”

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

 

***************

 

    掃羅在這裡完完全全顯露出自己的本性，不遵守上帝的命令之外，更是一個虛假推諉的人，根本沒有君王的風範！讓撒母耳非常痛心，竟然讓這樣的人成為以色列的王，真是有辱上帝的名！

 

    上帝命令掃羅說：「現在你要去擊打亞瑪力人，滅盡他們所有的，不可憐惜他們，將男女、孩童、吃奶的，並牛、羊、駱駝，和驢盡行殺死。」

 

    掃羅有遵守嗎？當然沒有！正如聖經說：「掃羅和百姓卻憐惜亞甲，也愛惜上好的牛、羊、牛犢、羊羔，並一切美物，不肯滅絕。凡下賤瘦弱的，盡都殺了。」

 

    掃羅表面上對先知撒母耳說遵守上的的命令，但是撒母耳沒有在場，就說一套、做一套！還好上帝都看見了，就將掃羅的行徑告訴撒母耳：「我立掃羅為王，我後悔了；因為他轉去不跟從我，不遵守我的命令。」

 

    在這事上好像是上帝「做得不好」，很失敗的樣子！其實問題並不是出在上帝，而是人自取其辱，不知珍惜上帝高舉他，反倒自以為是、任意而為！不僅如此，還以獻祭給上帝為理由，好像上帝很好收買一樣！所以，撒母耳對他說：「耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從他的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。悖逆的罪與行邪術的罪相等；頑梗的罪與拜虛神和偶像的罪相同。你既厭棄耶和華的命令，耶和華也厭棄你作王。」

 

    從掃羅的行徑，看到今日基督徒流行的想法，似乎和掃羅很像！以為有多人聚會，辦得很熱鬧、很有氣氛就是復興，其實背後都是人的想法作祟，好大喜功、追求名利、榮耀自己的名、…；一切都不是照著上帝的旨意，都是照人的想法，想假造復興、敬虔、教會增長、…，到頭來都是建造巴別塔！

 

    求主幫助今日基督徒，不要受到今世的風俗的影響，從新回到真正的敬虔，就像宗教改革時代的日內瓦，在有識之士加爾文的領導下成為典範！就像英國的清教徒、蘇格蘭的長老教會、《多特信經》發表之後的荷蘭改革宗教會、或是遵循《海德堡要裡問答》的德國改革宗教會、…，這些都是敬畏上帝典範！

 

    是的！「耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從他的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。悖逆的罪與行邪術的罪相等；頑梗的罪與拜虛神和偶像的罪相同。」

 

 

詩篇147篇

       詩篇147:1-20  ,

       詩篇147:3  ,

       詩篇147:5-6 ,

       詩篇147:7-8 ,

詩篇147:1-20

 

147:1 你們要讚美耶和華！因歌頌我們的上帝為善為美；讚美的話是合宜的。
147:2 耶和華建造耶路撒冷，聚集以色列中被趕散的人。
147:3 他醫好傷心的人，裹好他們的傷處。
147:4 他數點星宿的數目，一一稱他的名。
147:5 我們的主為大，最有能力；他的智慧無法測度。
147:6 耶和華扶持謙卑人，將惡人傾覆於地。
147:7 你們要以感謝向耶和華歌唱，用琴向我們的上帝歌頌。
147:8 他用雲遮天，為地降雨，使草生長在山上。
147:9 他賜食給走獸和啼叫的小烏鴉。
147:10 他不喜悅馬的力大，不喜愛人的腿快。
147:11 耶和華喜愛敬畏他和盼望他慈愛的人。
147:12 耶路撒冷啊，你要頌讚耶和華！錫安哪，你要讚美你的上帝！
147:13 因為他堅固了你的門閂，賜福給你中間的兒女。
147:14 他使你境內平安，用上好的麥子使你滿足。
147:15 他發命在地；他的話頒行最快。
147:16 他降雪如羊毛，撒霜如爐灰。
147:17 他擲下冰雹如碎渣；他發出寒冷，誰能當得起呢？
147:18 他一出令，這些就都消化；他使風颳起，水便流動。
147:19 他將他的道指示雅各，將他的律例典章指示以色列。
147:20 別國他都沒有這樣待過；至於他的典章，他們向來沒有知道。你們要讚美耶和華！

 

¹ Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
    he supplies the earth with rain
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle
    and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

¹² Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;
    praise your God, Zion.

¹³ He strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your people within you.
¹⁴ He grants peace to your borders
    and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

¹⁵ He sends his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
¹⁶ He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
¹⁷ He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
¹⁸ He sends his word and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

¹⁹ He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his laws and decrees to Israel.
²⁰ He has done this for no other nation;
    they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord.

 

**************

 

    詩篇的經文喜歡用漢堡式的呈現，正如主首詩也是上下都用「哈利路亞」！而中間的句子就是在11節：「耶和華喜愛敬畏他和盼望他慈愛的人。」詩人用這樣的筆法來告訴我們，當如何和上帝做生命的交流！

 

    始祖亞當和夏娃本是按照上帝的形像造的，應該和上帝有美好的關係，受到上帝的賜福和扶持，是要彰顯上帝的榮耀在上帝所造的天地之間，在創世記1章28節說到：「上帝就賜福給他們，又對他們說：要生養眾多，遍滿地面，治理這地，也要管理海裡的魚、空中的鳥，和地上各樣行動的活物。」

 

    不僅如此，上帝在造完人之後，聖經說：「上帝看著一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。天地萬物都造齊了。到第七日，上帝造物的工已經完畢，就在第七日歇了他一切的工，安息了。上帝賜福給第七日，定為聖日；因為在這日，上帝歇了他一切創造的工，就安息了。」（創世記1:31-2:3）

 

    可見上帝是多麼滿足於人類的被造，因為這樣所有的創造物都能夠看見上帝的榮耀，並且是有形有體的，大家看見之後，就會歸榮耀給上帝，使祂的名得著稱讚！

 

    可是上帝這樣的計畫似乎被魔鬼所破壞了，因為亞當和夏娃竟然違背上帝的命令，吃了分別善惡樹的果子！人與上帝的關係卻因此被破壞了，人也與上帝越離越遠，落在魔鬼的掌握之下，被罪和死所轄制，上帝所做的全部被魔鬼奪去了，這好像是永恆的大笑話！

 

    然而上帝真的這樣容易就被魔鬼所打敗嗎？當然不是！上帝如何逆轉勝呢？其實祂早知魔鬼所要做的是什麼，在萬物尚未被造以前，上帝早就預備透過祂的獨生子來揀選一群人，就如以弗所書1章4-7節：「就如上帝從創立世界以前，在基督裡揀選了我們，使我們在他面前成為聖潔，無有瑕疵；又因愛我們，就按著自己的意旨所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分，使他榮耀的恩典得著稱讚；這恩典是他在愛子裡所賜給我們的。我們藉這愛子的血得蒙救贖，過犯得以赦免，乃是照他豐富的恩典。」

 

    魔鬼從來不明白上帝的作為，更不知道上帝竟是透過獨生子，取了受造之人的身體，藉由死亡來敗壞魔鬼所掌的死權！將伏在魔鬼權下的人，被拯救出來！使人從悖逆上帝的狀態，轉變成為「敬畏耶和華和盼望祂慈愛的人」，這些人是上帝所喜愛的人！上帝既然花付出如此大的代價，就喜愛這些人直到永遠！一直保守他們，直到上帝永恆的國度實現，上帝永遠掌權，將魔鬼勢力完全敗壞！

 

    感謝上帝，祂的公義和慈愛必定顯明，祂的憐憫和恩典讓我們享受不盡！讓我們將榮耀與頌讚，歸給上帝到永永遠遠，哈利路亞，阿們！

 

 

撒母耳記上14章

        撒母耳記上14:1-52  ,

撒母耳記上14:1-52

14:1 有一日，掃羅的兒子約拿單對拿他兵器的少年人說：「我們不如過到那邊，到非利士人的防營那裡去。」但他沒有告訴父親。
14:2 掃羅在基比亞的儘邊，坐在米磯崙的石榴樹下，跟隨他的約有六百人。
14:3 在那裡有亞希突的兒子亞希亞，穿著以弗得。（亞希突是以迦博的哥哥，非尼哈的兒子，以利的孫子。以利從前在示羅作耶和華的祭司。）約拿單去了，百姓卻不知道。
14:4 約拿單要從隘口過到非利士防營那裡去。這隘口兩邊各有一個山峰：一名播薛，一名西尼；
14:5 一峰向北，與密抹相對，一峰向南，與迦巴相對。
14:6 約拿單對拿兵器的少年人說：「我們不如過到未受割禮人的防營那裡去，或者耶和華為我們施展能力；因為耶和華使人得勝，不在乎人多人少。」
14:7 拿兵器的對他說：「隨你的心意行吧。你可以上去，我必跟隨你，與你同心。」
14:8 約拿單說：「我們要過到那些人那裡去，使他們看見我們。
14:9 他們若對我們說：『你們站住，等我們到你們那裡去』，我們就站住，不上他們那裡去。
14:10 他們若說：『你們上到我們這裡來』，這話就是我們的證據；我們便上去，因為耶和華將他們交在我們手裡了。」
14:11 二人就使非利士的防兵看見。非利士人說：「希伯來人從所藏的洞穴裡出來了！」
14:12 防兵對約拿單和拿兵器的人說：「你們上到這裡來，我們有一件事指示你們。」約拿單就對拿兵器的人說：「你跟隨我上去，因為耶和華將他們交在以色列人手裡了。」
14:13 約拿單就爬上去，拿兵器的人跟隨他。約拿單殺倒非利士人，拿兵器的人也隨著殺他們。
14:14 約拿單和拿兵器的人起頭所殺的約有二十人，都在一畝地的半犁溝之內。
14:15 於是在營中、在田野、在眾民內都有戰兢，防兵和掠兵也都戰兢，地也震動，戰兢之勢甚大。
14:16 在便雅憫的基比亞，掃羅的守望兵看見非利士的軍眾潰散，四圍亂竄。
14:17 掃羅就對跟隨他的民說：「你們查點查點，看從我們這裡出去的是誰？」他們一查點，就知道約拿單和拿兵器的人沒有在這裡。
14:18 那時上帝的約櫃在以色列人那裡。掃羅對亞希亞說：「你將上帝的約櫃運了來。」
14:19 掃羅正與祭司說話的時候，非利士營中的喧嚷越發大了；掃羅就對祭司說：「停手吧！」
14:20 掃羅和跟隨他的人都聚集，來到戰場，看見非利士人用刀互相擊殺，大大惶亂。
14:21 從前由四方來跟隨非利士軍的希伯來人現在也轉過來，幫助跟隨掃羅和約拿單的以色列人了。
14:22 那藏在以法蓮山地的以色列人聽說非利士人逃跑，就出來緊緊地追殺他們。
14:23 那日，耶和華使以色列人得勝，一直戰到伯‧亞文。
14:24 掃羅叫百姓起誓說，凡不等到晚上向敵人報完了仇吃甚麼的，必受咒詛。因此這日百姓沒有吃甚麼，就極其困憊。
14:25 眾民進入樹林，見有蜜在地上。
14:26 他們進了樹林，見有蜜流下來，卻沒有人敢用手取蜜入口，因為他們怕那誓言。
14:27 約拿單沒有聽見他父親叫百姓起誓，所以伸手中的杖，用杖頭蘸在蜂房裡，轉手送入口內，眼睛就明亮了。
14:28 百姓中有一人對他說：「你父親曾叫百姓嚴嚴地起誓說，今日吃甚麼的，必受咒詛；因此百姓就疲乏了。」
14:29 約拿單說：「我父親連累你們了。你看，我嘗了這一點蜜，眼睛就明亮了。
14:30 今日百姓若任意吃了從仇敵所奪的物，擊殺的非利士人豈不更多嗎？」
14:31 這日，以色列人擊殺非利士人，從密抹直到亞雅崙。百姓甚是疲乏，
14:32 就急忙將所奪的牛羊和牛犢宰於地上，肉還帶血就吃了。
14:33 有人告訴掃羅說：「百姓吃帶血的肉，得罪耶和華了。」掃羅說：「你們有罪了，今日要將大石頭滾到我這裡來。」
14:34 掃羅又說：「你們散在百姓中，對他們說，你們各人將牛羊牽到我這裡來宰了吃，不可吃帶血的肉得罪耶和華。」這夜，百姓就把牛羊牽到那裡宰了。
14:35 掃羅為耶和華築了一座壇，這是他初次為耶和華築的壇。
14:36 掃羅說：「我們不如夜裡下去追趕非利士人，搶掠他們，直到天亮，不留他們一人。」眾民說：「你看怎樣好就去行吧！」祭司說：「我們先當親近上帝。」
14:37 掃羅求問上帝說：「我下去追趕非利士人可以不可以？你將他們交在以色列人手裡不交？」這日上帝沒有回答他。
14:38 掃羅說：「你們百姓中的長老都上這裡來，查明今日是誰犯了罪。
14:39 我指著救以色列─永生的耶和華起誓，就是我兒子約拿單犯了罪，他也必死。」但百姓中無一人回答他。
14:40 掃羅就對以色列眾人說：「你們站在一邊，我與我兒子約拿單也站在一邊。」百姓對掃羅說：「你看怎樣好就去行吧！」
14:41 掃羅禱告耶和華─以色列的上帝說：「求你指示實情。」於是掣籤掣出掃羅和約拿單來；百姓盡都無事。
14:42 掃羅說：「你們再掣籤，看是我，是我兒子約拿單」，就掣出約拿單來。
14:43 掃羅對約拿單說：「你告訴我，你做了甚麼事？」約拿單說：「我實在以手裡的杖，用杖頭蘸了一點蜜嘗了一嘗。這樣我就死嗎（或譯：吧！）？」
14:44 掃羅說：「約拿單哪，你定要死！若不然，願上帝重重地降罰與我。」
14:45 百姓對掃羅說：「約拿單在以色列人中這樣大行拯救，豈可使他死呢？斷乎不可！我們指著永生的耶和華起誓，連他的一根頭髮也不可落地，因為他今日與上帝一同做事。」於是百姓救約拿單免了死亡。
14:46 掃羅回去，不追趕非利士人；非利士人也回本地去了。
14:47 掃羅執掌以色列的國權，常常攻擊他四圍的一切仇敵，就是摩押人、亞捫人、以東人，和瑣巴諸王，並非利士人。他無論往何處去，都打敗仇敵。
14:48 掃羅奮勇攻擊亞瑪力人，救了以色列人脫離搶掠他們之人的手。
14:49 掃羅的兒子是約拿單、亦施韋、麥基舒亞。他的兩個女兒：長女名米拉，次女名米甲。
14:50 掃羅的妻名叫亞希暖，是亞希瑪斯的女兒。掃羅的元帥名叫押尼珥，是尼珥的兒子；尼珥是掃羅的叔叔。
14:51 掃羅的父親基士，押尼珥的父親尼珥，都是亞別的兒子。
14:52 掃羅平生常與非利士人大大爭戰。掃羅遇見有能力的人或勇士，都招募了來跟隨他。

 

 ¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

² Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, ³ among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴ On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. ⁵ One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

⁶ Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” ¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

¹⁵ Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.) ¹⁹ While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

²⁰ Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. ²¹ Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. ²³ So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

²⁴ Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

²⁵ The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”

³¹ That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Mikmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. ³² They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. ³³ Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.”

“You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” ³⁴ Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’”

So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.

³⁶ Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.”

“Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied.

But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.”

³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day.

³⁸ Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. ³⁹ As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of them said a word.

⁴⁰ Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.”

“Do what seems best to you,” they replied.

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. ⁴² Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”

So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”

⁴⁴ Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

⁴⁶ Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

⁴⁷ After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. ⁴⁸ He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. ⁵⁰ His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹ Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

⁵² All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

 

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    掃羅雖然貴為以色列的國王，卻展現出他的無知、不敬畏上帝、沒有領導力、處事不當、...等等！雖然最後還是在上帝的保守下打勝仗，但是他的一切缺點全部暴露出來了！

 

    當然，不是要我們批評掃羅，而是要以此為借鏡。因為，我們若不好好讀聖經，我們是無法明白人常常是處於愚蠢和無知的狀態，甚至於常常自以為是、自以為敬虔、自以為有愛心、自以為有才幹、自以為有能力可以領導別人、…許多的自以為，其實常常是利用上帝和別人，最後的結果只是害人與害己，就如同掃羅一樣！

 

    聖經常常如同一面鏡子，藉著所描寫的人物的行徑，讓我們看了也反思自己的狀態，是不是像聖經所描寫的人物，一直活在錯誤之中，卻自我感覺良好，以為自己是很偉大（「掃羅」的字義就是偉大），然而事實並非如此！在這樣的情況下，自己都無法改變自己，只能在上帝面前承認自己的不是，求上帝的大能徹底改變我們，是我們完全更新！

 

    因此，我們需要「重生」！需要透過耶穌基督的拯救，使我們有新的生命，活出上帝真正要我們活的樣式！