2020年10月16日 星期五

馬太福音7:11

 


你們雖然不好,尚且知道拿好東西給兒女,何況你們在天上的父,豈不更把好東西給求他的人嗎?

 

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

 

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

 

    主耶穌這段話是運用了反諷的修辭但是這不是討厭聽眾所以用這樣的方式而是為了加強語氣讓聽眾聽了以後記憶深刻久久不會忘記讓所將的內容鮮活在聽眾的心中在聖經中使用這樣的手法有許多地方就像保羅的書信也用很多次

 

    然而這裡所要強調的是:「上帝會把好東西給求祂的人!」

 

    這樣的說法要傳達上帝是慈悲的,是會體貼人的需要,不是要人來滿足祂,而是祂要主動賜福給人,甚至要把「好東西」給人!因為為人父母的都會愛自己的小孩,給小孩「好東西」,更何況上帝呢!

 

    路加福音1113節說:「   你們雖然不好,尚且知道拿好東西給兒女;何況天父,豈不更將聖靈給求他的人嗎?」

 

    這樣比對我們看見,上帝要給人的「好東西」,可不是一般人想的,而是「聖靈」!「聖靈」為什麼是好東西﹖以弗所書113-14節:「你們既聽見真理的道,就是那叫你們得救的福音,也信了基督,既然信他,就受了所應許的聖靈為印記。這聖靈是我們得基業的憑據(原文是質),直等到上帝之民(民:原文是產業)被贖,使他的榮耀得著稱讚。」

 

    所以,得聖靈為印記是保證我們要得上帝的榮耀為基業,這是比一切可想像美好呢!

 

2020年10月15日 星期四

撒母耳記上31章

     撒母耳記上31:1-13  ,

撒母耳記上31:1-13

 


31:1 非利士人與以色列人爭戰。以色列人在非利士人面前逃跑,在基利波有被殺仆倒的。
31:2
非利士人緊追掃羅和他兒子們,就殺了掃羅的兒子約拿單、亞比拿達、麥基舒亞。
31:3
勢派甚大,掃羅被弓箭手追上,射傷甚重,
31:4
就吩咐拿他兵器的人說:「你拔出刀來,將我刺死,免得那些未受割禮的人來刺我,凌辱我。」但拿兵器的人甚懼怕,不肯刺他;掃羅就自己伏在刀上死了。
31:5
拿兵器的人見掃羅已死,也伏在刀上死了。
31:6
這樣,掃羅和他三個兒子,與拿他兵器的人,以及跟隨他的人,都一同死亡。
31:7
住平原那邊並約旦河西的以色列人,見以色列軍兵逃跑,掃羅和他兒子都死了,也就棄城逃跑。非利士人便來住在其中。
31:8
次日,非利士人來剝那被殺之人的衣服,看見掃羅和他三個兒子仆倒在基利波山,
31:9
就割下他的首級,剝了他的軍裝,打發人到(或譯:送到)非利士地的四境,報信與他們廟裡的偶像和眾民;
31:10
又將掃羅的軍裝放在亞斯她錄廟裡,將他的屍身釘在伯珊的城牆上。
31:11
基列雅比的居民聽見非利士人向掃羅所行的事,
31:12
他們中間所有的勇士就起身,走了一夜,將掃羅和他兒子的屍身從伯珊城牆上取下來,送到雅比那裡,用火燒了;
31:13
將他們骸骨葬在雅比的垂絲柳樹下,就禁食七日。

 

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

 

***********

 

    上帝透過非利士人將掃羅一家人的男丁幾乎殺死,不僅如此屍體還被帶到各個神廟去,讓然感覺這是以色列人的羞辱!

 

    還好基列‧雅比的勇士將掃羅漢他的兒子的屍體搶回來葬在以色列,將這樣的恥辱洗清!

 

    掃羅這樣的下場也讓我們看見上帝的正義,他真的要替大衛伸冤,因為上帝不會忘記合祂心意的人!

 

    掃羅敗亡,新的時代帶將要起來了!

 

撒母耳記上30:1-31

 


30:1 第三日,大衛和跟隨他的人到了洗革拉。亞瑪力人已經侵奪南地,攻破洗革拉,用火焚燒,
30:2
擄了城內的婦女和其中的大小人口,卻沒有殺一個,都帶著走了。
30:3
大衛和跟隨他的人到了那城,不料,城已燒毀,他們的妻子兒女都被擄去了。
30:4
大衛和跟隨他的人就放聲大哭,直哭得沒有氣力。
30:5
大衛的兩個妻耶斯列人亞希暖和作過拿八妻的迦密人亞比該,也被擄去了。
30:6
大衛甚是焦急,因眾人為自己的兒女苦惱,說:「要用石頭打死他。」大衛卻倚靠耶和華他的上帝,心裡堅固。
30:7
大衛對亞希米勒的兒子祭司亞比亞他說:「請你將以弗得拿過來。」亞比亞他就將以弗得拿到大衛面前。
30:8
大衛求問耶和華說:「我追趕敵軍,追得上追不上呢?」耶和華說:「你可以追,必追得上,都救得回來。」
30:9
於是,大衛和跟隨他的六百人來到比梭溪;有不能前去的就留在那裡。
30:10
大衛卻帶著四百人往前追趕,有二百人疲乏,不能過比梭溪,所以留在那裡。
30:11
這四百人在田野遇見一個埃及人,就帶他到大衛面前,給他餅吃,給他水喝,
30:12
又給他一塊無花果餅,兩個葡萄餅。他吃了,就精神復原;因為他三日三夜沒有吃餅,沒有喝水。
30:13
大衛問他說:「你是屬誰的?你是哪裡的人?」他回答說:「我是埃及的少年人,是亞瑪力人的奴僕;因我三日前患病,我主人就把我撇棄了。
30:14
我們侵奪了基利提的南方和屬猶大的地,並迦勒地的南方,又用火燒了洗革拉。」
30:15
大衛問他說:「你肯領我們到敵軍那裡不肯?」他回答說:「你要向我指著上帝起誓,不殺我,也不將我交在我主人手裡,我就領你下到敵軍那裡。」
30:16
那人領大衛下去,見他們散在地上,吃喝跳舞,因為從非利士地和猶大地所擄來的財物甚多。
30:17
大衛從黎明直到次日晚上,擊殺他們,除了四百騎駱駝的少年人之外,沒有一個逃脫的。
30:18
亞瑪力人所擄去的財物,大衛全都奪回,並救回他的兩個妻來。
30:19
凡亞瑪力人所擄去的,無論大小、兒女、財物,大衛都奪回來,沒有失落一個。
30:20
大衛所奪來的牛群羊群,跟隨他的人趕在原有的群畜前邊,說:「這是大衛的掠物。」
30:21
大衛到了那疲乏不能跟隨、留在比梭溪的二百人那裡。他們出來迎接大衛並跟隨的人。大衛前來問他們安。
30:22
跟隨大衛人中的惡人和匪類說:「這些人既然沒有和我們同去,我們所奪的財物就不分給他們,只將他們各人的妻子兒女給他們,使他們帶去就是了。」
30:23
大衛說:「弟兄們,耶和華所賜給我們的,不可不分給他們;因為他保佑我們,將那攻擊我們的敵軍交在我們手裡。
30:24
這事誰肯依從你們呢?上陣的得多少,看守器具的也得多少;應當大家平分。」
30:25
大衛定此為以色列的律例典章,從那日直到今日。
30:26
大衛到了洗革拉,從掠物中取些送給他朋友猶大的長老,說:「這是從耶和華仇敵那裡奪來的,送你們為禮物。」
30:27
他送禮物給住伯特利的,南地拉末的,雅提珥的;
30:28
住亞羅珥的,息末的,以實提莫的;
30:29
住拉哈勒的,耶拉篾各城的,基尼各城的;
30:30
住何珥瑪的,歌拉珊的,亞撻的;
30:31
住希伯崙的,並大衛和跟隨他的人素來所到之處的人。

 

David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”

15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”

16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; 28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30 to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31 and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

 

***********

 

    雖然遇到亞瑪力人的攻擊,使得跟隨大衛的這一群的妻子兒女都被擄去,甚至大家著急到要用石頭打死他。大衛卻倚靠耶和華─他的上帝,心裡堅固,不隨著他們慌亂!

 

    跟隨大衛這一群人是烏合之眾,照理來說是非常難治理的!但是上帝給大衛有智慧來治理,正如經文所說:「大衛定此為以色列的律例典章,從那日直到今日。」

 

    因此一位領袖不要害怕自己所帶領的人素質不夠好,而是自己有沒有一套好的管理辦法!這是每一個做治理或管理事務的人,所要思考的。同樣,教會不是一盤散沙,也要有治理,教會的行政也是教會維持一個重要因素,事牧者或長執不能不注意的,畢竟教會也是人的組織,有組織就要有管理!所以,教會一定要有管理的!