哥林多前書5:12

 

因為審判教外的人與我何干？教內的人豈不是你們審判的嗎？

 

 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

 

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

 

    在教會內常常會引用《馬太福音》7章1-6節來教導弟兄姊妹不要論斷人，已至於許多弟兄姊妹對教會內的罪惡視而不見，也不說出來，因為想避免被人指摘為「假冒為善」或「法利賽人」。

 

    但是保羅卻在這裡提醒哥林多教會的人，不要縱容教會中的惡事，讓教會和外面的社會沒有兩樣，讓教會墮落、世俗化！這會不會讓我們覺得好像與《馬太福音》7章1-6節的原則相違背呢﹖

 

    其實我們看看《使徒行傳》5章關於亞拿尼亞的記載，讓我們感受到聖靈動工潔淨是何等的劇烈，我們豈能不注意呢﹖豈能不警戒呢﹖因為上帝是忌邪的上帝，是恨惡罪惡的上帝，豈可輕忽呢﹖

 

    保羅這樣的提醒，是要教會的每一分子注重教會中罪惡的問題，因為罪惡就是違背上帝的律法，與上帝為敵。也因此我們不可看罪惡為平常，要彼此勸勉，其實《馬太福音》18章15-17節處理教會弟兄姊妹的彼此關係都如此了，更何況是人與上帝的關係呢﹖

 

    也因此要挽回弟兄姊妹從罪惡中出來，彼此的勸戒是不可免的，甚至要動用到「教會的懲戒」，使弟兄姊妹離開罪惡、歸向上帝，好得回弟兄姊妹！

 

 

以斯帖記2:19-23

 

2:19 第二次招聚處女的時候，末底改坐在朝門。
2:20 以斯帖照著末底改所囑咐的，還沒有將籍貫宗族告訴人；因為以斯帖遵末底改的命，如撫養她的時候一樣。
2:21 當那時候，末底改坐在朝門，王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，惱恨亞哈隨魯王，想要下手害他。
2:22 末底改知道了，就告訴王后以斯帖。以斯帖奉末底改的名，報告於王；
2:23 究察這事，果然是實，就把二人掛在木頭上，將這事在王面前寫於歷史上。

 

¹⁹ When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. ²⁰ But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

²¹ During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana^[b] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. ²² But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. ²³ And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

 

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

 

    以斯帖和末底改所預見的事好像是上帝的安排，正如王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，惱恨亞哈隨魯王，想要下手害王。而這樣的謀劃竟然被末底改知道，利用以斯帖為王后的管道，也讓王知道知道這是，在還沒有發生事情的時候，趕快制止！

 

    而這樣的功勞竟然被記錄在國王的記事簿之中，成為歷史書的內容！成為後來拯救猶太人免受仇敵計謀殺害的依據，可見得上帝記念這事！這也是聖經文學性很強的地方，讓人在字裡行間看見上帝的作為。

 

    在我們的生命經歷也是如此，上帝透過各樣的事件，讓我們在人的面前蒙喜愛，也讓我們成為帶給人福分的人！願我們也可以在上帝保守下，使多人因我們蒙福！

 

 

以斯帖記2章

    以斯帖記2:1-18  ,

    以斯帖記2:19-23  ,

以斯帖記2:1-18

 

2:1 這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦實提和她所行的，並怎樣降旨辦她。
2:2 於是王的侍臣對王說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。
2:3 王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城（或譯：宮）的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給她們當用的香品。
2:4 王所喜愛的女子可以立為王后，代替瓦實提。」王以這事為美，就如此行。
2:5 書珊城有一個猶大人，名叫末底改，是便雅憫人基士的曾孫，示每的孫子，睚珥的兒子。
2:6 從前巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒將猶大王耶哥尼雅（又名約雅斤）和百姓從耶路撒冷擄去，末底改也在其內。
2:7 末底改撫養他叔叔的女兒哈大沙（後名以斯帖），因為她沒有父母。這女子又容貌俊美；她父母死了，末底改就收她為自己的女兒。
2:8 王的諭旨傳出，就招聚許多女子到書珊城，交給掌管女子的希該；以斯帖也送入王宮，交付希該。
2:9 希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙給她需用的香品和她所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事她，使她和她的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。
2:10 以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐她不可叫人知道。
2:11 末底改天天在女院前邊行走，要知道以斯帖平安不平安，並後事如何。
2:12 眾女子照例先潔淨身體十二個月：六個月用沒藥油，六個月用香料和潔身之物。滿了日期，然後挨次進去見亞哈隨魯王。
2:13 女子進去見王是這樣：從女院到王宮的時候，凡她所要的都必給她。
2:14 晚上進去，次日回到女子第二院，交給掌管妃嬪的太監沙甲；除非王喜愛她，再提名召她，就不再進去見王。
2:15 末底改叔叔亞比孩的女兒，就是末底改收為自己女兒的以斯帖，按次序當進去見王的時候，除了掌管女子的太監希該所派定給她的，她別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她。
2:16 亞哈隨魯王第七年十月，就是提別月，以斯帖被引入宮見王。
2:17 王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。
2:18 王因以斯帖的緣故給眾首領和臣僕設擺大筵席，又豁免各省的租稅，並照王的厚意大頒賞賜。

 

Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. ² Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. ³ Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. ⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

⁵ Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, ⁶ who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin^[a] king of Judah. ⁷ Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

⁸ When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. ⁹ She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

¹⁰ Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. ¹¹ Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹² Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. ¹³ And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. ¹⁶ She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

 

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

 

    事件越發展下去越有意思，就是王怒氣消除之後，就想念瓦實提和她所行的，和自己怎樣把她廢掉，似乎有些後悔。然而身邊侍奉他的大臣，竟然提議說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城（或譯：宮）的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給她們當用的香品。王所喜愛的女子可以立為王后，代替瓦實提。」

 

    也因為這樣，就讓以斯帖可以進了王宮，經過一連串的過程之後，竟然被王看上眼了，甚至被王深深喜愛！正如經文所說：「王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。」

 

    不僅如此，「王因以斯帖的緣故給眾首領和臣僕設擺大筵席，又豁免各省的租稅，並照王的厚意大頒賞賜。」

 

    這也告訴我們，上帝也會透過世上的機會，讓我們享受到一些尊榮！若是有這樣的事情發生，我們也當感謝上帝！但是這樣的事臨到時不可以驕傲，要記念這是上帝的恩典，不是我們有甚麼資格，要將榮耀歸給上帝！

 

    正如保羅所說：「使你與人不同的是誰呢？你有甚麼不是領受的呢？若是領受的，為何自誇，彷彿不是領受的呢？」（哥林多前書4:7）