士師記1:22-36

 

1:22 約瑟家也上去攻打伯特利；耶和華與他們同在。
1:23 約瑟家打發人去窺探伯特利（那城起先名叫路斯）。
1:24 窺探的人看見一個人從城裡出來，就對他說：「求你將進城的路指示我們，我們必恩待你。」
1:25 那人將進城的路指示他們，他們就用刀擊殺了城中的居民，但將那人和他全家放去。
1:26 那人往赫人之地去，築了一座城，起名叫路斯。那城到如今還叫這名。
1:27 瑪拿西沒有趕出伯‧善和屬伯‧善鄉村的居民，他納和屬他納鄉村的居民，多珥和屬多珥鄉村的居民，以伯蓮和屬以伯蓮鄉村的居民，米吉多和屬米吉多鄉村的居民；迦南人卻執意住在那些地方。
1:28 及至以色列強盛了，就使迦南人做苦工，沒有把他們全然趕出。
1:29 以法蓮沒有趕出住基色的迦南人。於是迦南人仍住在基色，在以法蓮中間。
1:30 西布倫沒有趕出基倫的居民和拿哈拉的居民。於是迦南人仍住在西布倫中間，成了服苦的人。
1:31 亞設沒有趕出亞柯和西頓的居民，亞黑拉和亞革悉的居民，黑巴、亞弗革與利合的居民。
1:32 於是，亞設因為沒有趕出那地的迦南人，就住在他們中間。
1:33 拿弗他利沒有趕出伯‧示麥和伯‧亞納的居民，於是拿弗他利就住在那地的迦南人中間；然而伯‧示麥和伯‧亞納的居民成了服苦的人。
1:34 亞摩利人強逼但人住在山地，不容他們下到平原；
1:35 亞摩利人卻執意住在希烈山和亞雅倫並沙賓。然而約瑟家勝了他們，使他們成了服苦的人。
1:36 亞摩利人的境界，是從亞克拉濱坡，從西拉而上。

 

²² Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. ²³ When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), ²⁴ the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” ²⁵ So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. ²⁶ He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

²⁷ But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. ²⁸ When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. ²⁹ Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. ³⁰ Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. ³¹ Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. ³² The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. ³³ Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. ³⁴ The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. ³⁵ And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. ³⁶ The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

 

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    從這段記載中看到：以色列的其他支派執行上帝命令得程度，和猶太支派比較起來更是不佳，竟然只貪一時的便利，竟然沒有將迦南人全然滅絕，還讓他們存在，就成了後的憂患，甚至受他們的影響，失去對耶和華上帝的信心。

 

    以色列這段歷史也給我們很大的警戒，我們除惡務盡，若是不能將造成生命重大的牽絆，使我們與上帝之間會有一些阻礙，不能不謹慎！

 

    然而，理想歸理想，我們的軟弱也大大使我們執行力變弱，造成像以色列人人無法除盡迦南人的狀況，導致罪惡的網羅絆在前頭，進而一再的犯罪、一再的跌倒，受上帝的管教，讓我們只好求主的寶血來遮蓋！

 

士師記1:16-21

 

1:16 摩西的內兄（或譯：岳父）是基尼人，他的子孫與猶大人一同離了棕樹城，往亞拉得以南的猶大曠野去，就住在民中。
1:17 猶大和他哥哥西緬同去，擊殺了住洗法的迦南人，將城盡行毀滅，那城的名便叫何珥瑪。
1:18 猶大又取了迦薩和迦薩的四境，亞實基倫和亞實基倫的四境，以革倫和以革倫的四境。
1:19 耶和華與猶大同在，猶大就趕出山地的居民，只是不能趕出平原的居民，因為他們有鐵車。
1:20 以色列人照摩西所說的，將希伯崙給了迦勒；迦勒就從那裡趕出亞衲族的三個族長。
1:21 便雅憫人沒有趕出住耶路撒冷的耶布斯人。耶布斯人仍在耶路撒冷與便雅憫人同住，直到今日。

 

¹⁶ The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms^[b] with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.

¹⁷ Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed^[c] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.^{[d] 18} Judah also took^[e] Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory.

¹⁹ The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. ²⁰ As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. ²¹ The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

 

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    這裡說到猶大的戰功，但是在這些表面上的勝利也引長著一些危機，如19節說：「耶和華與猶大同在，猶大就趕出山地的居民，只是不能趕出平原的居民，因為他們有鐵車。」21節說：「便雅憫人沒有趕出住耶路撒冷的耶布斯人。耶布斯人仍在耶路撒冷與便雅憫人同住，直到今日。」

 

    這也是我們信仰上發生的事情，正如我們信主之後，並沒有完全更新，仍然受到世界的影響，仍然有肉體的需要與軟弱，使我們仍受到牽絆，以致成為我們尋求主的絆腳石，讓我們無法完全！

 

    也因為這樣，我們不要受一些似是而非的理念所影響，我們仍然要接受我們是軟弱無能與有罪的人，需要主的恩手來扶助，一步一步來走天路。不要自以為剛強，或是自以為完全，輕視弟兄姊妹的軟弱！

 

    我們需要靠主以謙卑的心與弟兄姊妹同行，鼓勵軟弱的肢體來仰望主耶穌、依靠主耶穌向前行！

 

 

 

士師記1:9-15

 

1:9 後來猶大人下去，與住山地、南地，和高原的迦南人爭戰。
1:10 猶大人去攻擊住希伯崙的迦南人，殺了示篩、亞希幔、撻買。希伯崙從前名叫基列‧亞巴。
1:11 他們從那裡去攻擊底壁的居民；底壁從前名叫基列‧西弗。
1:12 迦勒說：「誰能攻打基列‧西弗，將城奪取，我就把我女兒押撒給他為妻。」
1:13 迦勒兄弟基納斯的兒子俄陀聶奪取了那城，迦勒就把女兒押撒給他為妻。
1:14 押撒過門的時候，勸丈夫向她父親求一塊田。押撒一下驢，迦勒問她說：「你要甚麼？」
1:15 她說：「求你賜福給我，你既將我安置在南地，求你也給我水泉。」迦勒就把上泉下泉賜給她。

⁹ After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. ¹⁰ They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. ¹¹ From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

¹² And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁴ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁵ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

 

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    摩西差派的探子中，約書亞和迦勒是報好信息給以色列的，雖然約書亞後來成為以色列的領袖，迦勒沒有，卻是在約書亞去世之後發揮祂的領袖長才，帶領猶大支派攻打下希伯崙。

 

    雖然有人用這段來說明要勇敢禱告向上帝求，就會得「上泉下泉」。這種說法太牽強了，還是不要這樣解！

 

    不過迦勒的做法讓我們看見「激勵」或「獎賞」的重要性，做領袖的人運用得當的話，可以產生好的效果，使彼此都得利益，使士氣得提升，這是非常重要的！讓我們也常常這樣，讓恩澤可以臨到願意付出努力的人，引導人到正確的方向。

士師記1:1-8

 

1:1 約書亞死後，以色列人求問耶和華說：「我們中間誰當首先上去攻擊迦南人，與他們爭戰？」
1:2 耶和華說：「猶大當先上去，我已將那地交在他手中。」
1:3 猶大對他哥哥西緬說：「請你同我到拈鬮所得之地去，好與迦南人爭戰；以後我也同你到你拈鬮所得之地去。」於是西緬與他同去。
1:4 猶大就上去；耶和華將迦南人和比利洗人交在他們手中。他們在比色擊殺了一萬人，
1:5 又在那裡遇見亞多尼‧比色，與他爭戰，殺敗迦南人和比利洗人。
1:6 亞多尼‧比色逃跑；他們追趕，拿住他，砍斷他手腳的大拇指。
1:7 亞多尼‧比色說：「從前有七十個王，手腳的大拇指都被我砍斷，在我桌子底下拾取零碎食物。現在上帝按著我所行的報應我了。」於是他們將亞多尼‧比色帶到耶路撒冷，他就死在那裡。
1:8 猶大人攻打耶路撒冷，將城攻取，用刀殺了城內的人，並且放火燒城。

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”

² The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.”

³ The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.

⁴ When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. ⁵ It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. ⁶ Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

⁷ Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

⁸ The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

 

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    《士師記》一開始就彰顯猶大的戰功，引導讀者注意到上帝預備的基督將由猶大支派產生，讓人看見歷史的轉向，不再是以約瑟為中心。也因為這樣，我們可以尋找到救恩的脈絡。

 

    從這樣的敘述，我們再次認識到上帝的主權，雖然在人的狀況是越來越混亂與軟弱，但是上帝不混亂與軟弱，祂的做為是一直在進行中，讓我們憑著上帝所賜的信心，前途是越來越光明！

 

    求主幫助我們常常仰望祂，思念祂永恆的計畫，不要被地上的紛紛擾擾使我們失去方向，要堅信上帝的應許必定成就！

 

 

 

 

羅馬書12:6-8

 

12:6 按我們所得的恩賜，各有不同；或說預言，就當照著信心的程度說預言；

12:7 或作執事，就當專一執事；或作教導的，就當專一教導；

12:8 或作勸化的，就當專一勸化；施捨的，就當誠實；治理的，就當殷勤；憐憫人的，就當甘心。

 

⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

 

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    保羅在此論述他的「恩賜觀」，當然這不是他自創的，是自聖靈領受來的。

 

    在這裡說道的恩賜有：說預言、作執事、作教導、作勸化、施捨的、治理的、憐憫人的、…。

 

    不管我們得到的是甚麼恩賜，就是要發揮其功能來成全教會，這就是上帝給人恩賜的目的。因此，恩賜不是拿來炫耀的，也沒有高低的差別！

 

    因此，我們參加教會有一個重大的任務，就是要操練與發揮上帝給我們的恩賜，一同來成全上帝的心意。