士師記3:1-6

 

3:1 耶和華留下這幾族，為要試驗那不曾知道與迦南爭戰之事的以色列人，
3:2 好叫以色列的後代又知道又學習未曾曉得的戰事。
3:3 所留下的就是非利士的五個首領和一切迦南人、西頓人，並住黎巴嫩山的希未人，從巴力‧黑們山直到哈馬口。
3:4 留下這幾族，為要試驗以色列人，知道他們肯聽從耶和華藉摩西吩咐他們列祖的誡命不肯。
3:5 以色列人竟住在迦南人、赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人中間，
3:6 娶他們的女兒為妻，將自己的女兒嫁給他們的兒子，並事奉他們的神。

These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan ² (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): ³ the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. ⁴ They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

⁵ The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁶ They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

 

***********

 

    《士師記》在此讓我們看見與不信者有婚姻關係的下場就是失去信仰，尤其是沒有真正信心的「信徒」更是這樣。正如這些不信的以色列人，與外族通婚之後，就更加的不信，連敬拜耶和華的外表儀禮都失去！

 

    雖然《士師記》作者說：「耶和華留下這幾族，為要試驗那不曾知道與迦南爭戰之事的以色列人，好叫以色列的後代又知道又學習未曾曉得的戰事。…留下這幾族，為要試驗以色列人，知道他們肯聽從耶和華藉摩西吩咐他們列祖的誡命不肯。」

 

    當然我們盼望教會的信徒都是從內心來信靠主耶穌，但是也有一些靠外表的儀禮被稱為基督徒的，希望他們有一天悔改為真基督徒，我們必須要讓他們維持外在的樣式，才有機會真正信主。因此，身為牧者的我們要為他們預設一個保護牆，讓他們被圈在教會內，也因為這樣禁戒不要與不信者結婚是必要的！

 

士師記2:20-23

 

2:20 於是耶和華的怒氣向以色列人發作。他說：「因這民違背我吩咐他們列祖所守的約，不聽從我的話，
2:21 所以約書亞死的時候所剩下的各族，我必不再從他們面前趕出，
2:22 為要藉此試驗以色列人，看他們肯照他們列祖謹守遵行我的道不肯。」
2:23 這樣耶和華留下各族，不將他們速速趕出，也沒有交付約書亞的手。

 

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” ²³ The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

 

***********

 

    從《士師記》作者所的的啟示：「因這民違背我吩咐他們列祖所守的約，不聽從我的話，所以約書亞死的時候所剩下的各族，我必不再從他們面前趕出，為要藉此試驗以色列人，看他們肯照他們列祖謹守遵行我的道不肯。」

 

    來驗證現實狀態是上帝的作為，「樣耶和華留下各族，不將他們速速趕出，也沒有交付約書亞的手。」

 

    這也就是說現實中在迦南地有許多民族留下成為以色列的絆腳石或試金石，是出於上帝的心意。正如我們得救之後仍然軟弱會有時犯罪，也是上帝的心意。這些都是上帝要使人認識到：不可以倚靠自己，要依靠上帝，尤其是基督要在我們心中做王，讓聖靈來實踐救恩！

 

    我們若沒有這樣的認識，在信仰的路上會走得很辛苦且不得安慰呢！

 

 

士師記2:16-19

 

2:16 耶和華興起士師，士師就拯救他們脫離搶奪他們人的手。
2:17 他們卻不聽從士師，竟隨從叩拜別神，行了邪淫，速速地偏離他們列祖所行的道，不如他們列祖順從耶和華的命令。
2:18 耶和華為他們興起士師，就與那士師同在。士師在世的一切日子，耶和華拯救他們脫離仇敵的手。他們因受欺壓擾害，就哀聲歎氣，所以耶和華後悔了。
2:19 及至士師死後，他們就轉去行惡，比他們列祖更甚，去事奉叩拜別神，總不斷絕頑梗的惡行。

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges,^[c] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. ¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

 

***********

 

    雖然上帝對以色列人發怒，但是上帝仍是憐憫的上帝！正如《士師記》作者所說：「他們因受欺壓擾害，就哀聲歎氣，所以耶和華後悔了。」

 

    當然上帝不是「後悔」自己做錯事，而是出於憐憫而有所作為，在審判之後彰顯恩典，為他們興起「士師」來拯救。「士師」通常是有戰鬥力，可以用武力拯救又可以教導人民敬畏上帝。但是，他們並非先知與祭司無法維持信仰的純正，所以他們去世以後，以色列民又離開上帝。

 

    從他們的經歷讓我們在一次認識到聖靈在信仰的建立是很重要的，人無法靠自己的堅持來維持信仰，不管靠自己或別人。這也是為什麼需要基督完成救恩，聖靈實踐救恩，來完成上帝所設立的救恩，因為人無法一信耶穌就成為義，就如同上帝完全！

 

士師記2:10-15

 

2:10 那世代的人也都歸了自己的列祖。後來有別的世代興起，不知道耶和華，也不知道耶和華為以色列人所行的事。
2:11 以色列人行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，去事奉諸巴力，
2:12 離棄了領他們出埃及地的耶和華─他們列祖的上帝，去叩拜別神，就是四圍列國的神，惹耶和華發怒；
2:13 並離棄耶和華，去事奉巴力和亞斯她錄。
2:14 耶和華的怒氣向以色列人發作，就把他們交在搶奪他們的人手中，又將他們付與四圍仇敵的手中，甚至他們在仇敵面前再不能站立得住。
2:15 他們無論往何處去，耶和華都以災禍攻擊他們，正如耶和華所說的話，又如耶和華向他們所起的誓；他們便極其困苦。

¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. ¹² They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger ¹³ because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. ¹⁴ In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. ¹⁵ Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

 

***********

 

    《士師記》非常公正的將上帝的作為與人的敗壞表明清楚，也讓我們看見「信仰上帝」不是靠遺傳，即使有敬虔的祖先，不見得有敬虔的後代！尤其是舊約的時代，人只有外表的儀式，沒有內在的更新，更是如此。

 

    也因為這樣，在新約時代強調「聖靈的工作」，要在聖靈的引導下才會有敬虔的人！在舊約時代基督尚未降臨，用外表的儀禮來維持信仰，終究會失去信仰，落入沒有信仰的狀態，正如《士師記》作者的描述。

 

    在這裡《士師記》作者也述說了沒有上帝保護的慘狀：「耶和華的怒氣向以色列人發作，就把他們交在搶奪他們的人手中，又將他們付與四圍仇敵的手中，甚至他們在仇敵面前再不能站立得住。他們無論往何處去，耶和華都以災禍攻擊他們，正如耶和華所說的話，又如耶和華向他們所起的誓；他們便極其困苦。他他們，正如耶和華所說的話，又如耶和華向他們所起的誓；他們便極其困苦。」

 

    今日我們更當將這話為誡，彼此提醒，讓我們不要犯罪惹上帝的怒氣，維持教會的聖潔！