2020年9月2日 星期三
詩篇140:1-13
140:1 （大衛的詩，交與伶長。）耶和華啊，求你拯救我脫離凶惡的人，保護我脫離強暴的人！
140:2 他們心中圖謀奸惡，常常聚集要爭戰。
140:3 他們使舌頭尖利如蛇，嘴裡有虺蛇的毒氣。（細拉）
140:4 耶和華啊，求你拯救我脫離惡人的手，保護我脫離強暴的人！他們圖謀推我跌倒。
140:5 驕傲人為我暗設網羅和繩索；他們在路旁鋪下網，設下圈套。（細拉）
140:6 我曾對耶和華說：你是我的上帝。耶和華啊，求你留心聽我懇求的聲音！
140:7 主─耶和華、我救恩的力量啊，在爭戰的日子，你遮蔽了我的頭。
140:8 耶和華啊，求你不要遂惡人的心願；不要成就他們的計謀，恐怕他們自高。（細拉）
140:9 至於那些昂首圍困我的人，願他們嘴唇的奸惡陷害（原文是遮蔽）自己！
140:10 願火炭落在他們身上！願他們被丟在火中，拋在深坑裡，不能再起來。
140:11 說惡言的人在地上必堅立不住；禍患必獵取強暴的人，將他打倒。
140:12 我知道耶和華必為困苦人伸冤，必為窮乏人辨屈。
140:13 義人必要稱讚你的名；正直人必住在你面前。
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue
me, Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
2 who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.[b]
4 Keep
me safe, Lord, from the hands of
the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.
6 I
say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, Lord,
my cry for mercy.
7 Sovereign Lord,
my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those
who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.
12 I
know that the Lord secures justice
for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.
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大衛之所以成為一位上帝所喜悅的君王，成為上帝所要尋找的忠心僕人。是因為他知道上帝給人的標準，更明白上帝讓他成為以色列王的要求，正如他所說的：「我知道耶和華必為困苦人伸冤，必為窮乏人辨屈。」
也因為這樣，上帝讓他經歷許多的苦難，不只是從掃羅王來的，還有非利士人，更包括一些無賴，如同拿八！甚至為了活命還裝瘋，然後逃到亞杜蘭洞，等候時機！這是多麼大的考驗！
其實上帝重用的人都是常經憂患的，正如以賽亞書53章形容主耶穌；「他在耶和華面前生長如嫩芽，像根出於乾地。他無佳形美容；我們看見他的時候，也無美貌使我們羨慕他。他被藐視，被人厭棄；多受痛苦，常經憂患。他被藐視，好像被人掩面不看的一樣；我們也不尊重他。」(2-3節）
保羅也說自己處境：「他們是基督的僕人嗎？（我說句狂話，）我更是。我比他們多受勞苦，多下監牢，受鞭打是過重的，冒死是屢次有的。被猶太人鞭打五次，每次四十減去一下；被棍打了三次；被石頭打了一次；遇著船壞三次，一晝一夜在深海裡。又屢次行遠路，遭江河的危險、盜賊的危險、同族的危險、外邦人的危險、城裡的危險、曠野的危險、海中的危險、假弟兄的危險。」(哥林多後書11:23-26)
因此，我們立志成為上帝所看重的僕人，就要勇敢承受各樣的考驗與傷害，讓我們成為真正謙卑與溫柔的人，才能承受上帝所賜的榮耀冠冕！
約翰福音16:20-22
16:20 我實實在在地告訴你們，你們將要痛哭、哀號，世人倒要喜樂；你們將要憂愁，然而你們的憂愁要變為喜樂。
16:21 婦人生產的時候就憂愁，因為她的時候到了；既生了孩子，就不再記念那苦楚，因為歡喜世上生了一個人。
16:22 你們現在也是憂愁，但我要再見你們，你們的心就喜樂了；這喜樂也沒有人能奪去。
Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
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聖經形容苦難如同生產一般，當下是辛苦與難受的，需要咬緊牙根來渡過，但是經過之後卻讓人帶來喜樂與滿足！
主耶穌要上十字架之前教訓門徒，也使用生產的比喻來說明祂們將要面對的。然而屬於主的這一群人在面對主耶穌的死的時候，更要面對環境帶來的壓力！因為在周圍的人，對主耶穌的死，卻是喜樂、甚至是用慶祝的心情，他們認為上帝為了他們除去心頭大患，藉由耶穌的犧牲，保住了他們的地位和既得利益！
然而主耶穌勉勵門徒要望遠處看，要已永恆的眼光來看上帝的作為，雖然主耶穌離開他們會讓他們帶來憂愁、悲傷，但是主耶穌只是暫時離開！看看後來的事，耶穌基督被釘死在十字架後，第三日從死裡復活，又與門徒相處四十天，然後生天回到上帝的右邊，又要再來！這是不是給門徒更大的喜樂﹖
所以，主耶穌說：「你們現在也是憂愁，但我要再見你們，你們的心就喜樂了；這喜樂也沒有人能奪去。」
同樣，我們今日雖然有許多不如意的事，許多不知如何度過的苦難，許多不知如何面對的考驗，半是我們不要忘記主耶穌的話：「你們現在也是憂愁，但我要再見你們，你們的心就喜樂了；這喜樂也沒有人能奪去。」
2020年9月1日 星期二
撒母耳記上7:1-17
7:1 基列．耶琳人就下來，將耶和華的約櫃接上去，放在山上亞比拿達的家中，分派他兒子以利亞撒看守耶和華的約櫃。
7:2 約櫃在基列．耶琳許久。過了二十年，以色列全家都傾向耶和華。
7:3 撒母耳對以色列全家說：「你們若一心歸順耶和華，就要把外邦的神和亞斯她錄從你們中間除掉，專心歸向耶和華，單單地事奉他。他必救你們脫離非利士人的手。」
7:4 以色列人就除掉諸巴力和亞斯她錄，單單地事奉耶和華。
7:5 撒母耳說：「要使以色列眾人聚集在米斯巴，我好為你們禱告耶和華。」
7:6 他們就聚集在米斯巴，打水澆在耶和華面前，當日禁食，說：「我們得罪了耶和華。」於是撒母耳在米斯巴審判以色列人。
7:7 非利士人聽見以色列人聚集在米斯巴，非利士的首領就上來要攻擊以色列人。以色列人聽見，就懼怕非利士人。
7:8 以色列人對撒母耳說：「願你不住地為我們呼求耶和華─我們的上帝，救我們脫離非利士人的手。」
7:9 撒母耳就把一隻吃奶的羊羔獻與耶和華作全牲的燔祭，為以色列人呼求耶和華；耶和華就應允他。
7:10 撒母耳正獻燔祭的時候，非利士人前來要與以色列人爭戰。當日，耶和華大發雷聲，驚亂非利士人，他們就敗在以色列人面前。
7:11 以色列人從米斯巴出來，追趕非利士人，擊殺他們，直到伯．甲的下邊。
7:12 撒母耳將一塊石頭立在米斯巴和善的中間，給石頭起名叫以便以謝，說：「到如今耶和華都幫助我們。」
7:13 從此，非利士人就被制伏，不敢再入以色列人的境內。撒母耳作士師的時候，耶和華的手攻擊非利士人。
7:14 非利士人所取以色列人的城邑，從以革倫直到迦特，都歸以色列人了。屬這些城的四境，以色列人也從非利士人手下收回。那時以色列人與亞摩利人和好。
7:15 撒母耳平生作以色列的士師。
7:16 他每年巡行到伯特利、吉甲、米斯巴，在這幾處審判以色列人。
7:17 隨後回到拉瑪，因為他的家在那裡；也在那裡審判以色列人，且為耶和華築了一座壇。
1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a] of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[b] saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.
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上帝一步一步的高舉撒母耳，使他不僅是拿細耳人，還成為以色人的士師，成為以色列人的首領。他擔任士師也是非常稱職，要求以色列人離棄偶像，不要再敬拜迦南的神明，要除去一切偶像專一尋求耶和華上帝！
當然，上帝也與他同在，他雖然只是藉由獻祭和禱告，但是上帝親自顯榮要來和以色列人同在，使非利士人懼怕，將以前佔領的城池都歸還給以色列，讓以色列恢復太平的日子！
這也讓我們看見倚靠耶和華上帝的重要，要不是上帝的同在，以色列可能被非利士人所滅了！正如詩篇127篇所說：「若不是耶和華建造房屋，建造的人就枉然勞力；若不是耶和華看守城池，看守的人就枉然警醒。」（1節）
以色列的國運如此，我們屬上帝的子民更是如此，就是因為上帝的保守與看顧，我們才會有今天！也因此我們要如保羅所說：「應當一無掛慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求，和感謝，將你們所要的告訴上帝。上帝所賜、出人意外的平安必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。」（腓立比書4:6-7）