英雄難過美人關(上)

士師記 13章24節   後來婦人生了一個兒子,給他起名叫參孫。孩子漸漸長大,耶和華賜福給他。

和亞比米勒,耶弗他不同,參孫出生在一個非常愛他的家庭裡,他的父母都非常敬虔。參孫的出生是出於神的使者之預告,參孫的成長更充滿了神的祝福。按人的眼光來看,這樣的孩子是含著金湯匙出生的,前途無可限量。

神要求參孫做拿細耳人,也就是母親懷胎時,胎兒就歸於神了。所以參孫的母親在懷胎時,葡萄樹所結的不可吃,清酒烈酒都不可喝,任何不潔之物都不可吃。而參孫從出生到死也都要守這些例,也不可用剃刀剃頭,不可接觸死物。因為神要使用他拯救以色列人。

從人的眼光來看,這是何等榮耀的揀選;從參孫的眼光來看,這實在是很痛苦的生涯。因為從一出生,他的命運就己經被註定了。有很多人不想信耶穌,就是因為害怕被束縛,不可以做這,不可以做那,雖然明白這都是為了自己的好處,但有的人還是想穿破那一層束縛的感覺,去為心所欲。所以在參孫的一生裡,他破壞了所有拿細耳人當守的規矩。我相信他不是故意的,而只是不願被束縛,不願成為條例下的被迫者。就好像疫情當中,很多人不肯戴口罩,鬧出很多抗議遊行,甚至打人殺人事件,因為他們就是不要戴口罩,覺得扼殺了他們的人權。

但是不管參孫怎樣違背拿細耳人的條例,神還是按著祂的計劃,使用他去拯救以色列人。神的計劃,人很難明白。那時以色列人被非利士人轄制,參孫偏偏喜歡上一個非利士女子。作者說,這事出於神。

When There’s a Fork in Your Road

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 21:18-32.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 21:18-20 (NIV) 
18  The word of the LORD came to me: 
19  “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. 
20  Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem.
 
On verses 18-20:  According to scholars, when Jerusalem (led by King Zedekiah) rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 588 B.C., there were two other cities, also under Babylonian rule, that were rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar at the same time.  Those other two cities were Rabbah (the capital of Ammon) and Tyre.  Tyre was the most difficult of the three cities to attack, so King Nebuchadnezzar narrowed it down to two options: attack Jerusalem or attack Rabbah.  Which one would he choose? 
 

兩個被父家拒絕的男人

士師記 11章1節   基列人耶弗他是個大能的勇士,是妓女的兒子。基列生了耶弗他。

有許多男人不知道自己為父的重要性,到處留種,結果種下了好多禍根。因為有了孩子而不教養,以致於自己的家都破碎了。基甸就是一個這樣的例子,神雖然呼召他,他打了個勝仗後就到處風流。不僅有了七十個親生的兒子,在示劍也有個不帶回家的妾,給他生了兒子亞比米勒。亞比米勒在基甸死後,就殺掉了69個兄弟,只有一個約坦逃出去。他自立為王三年,卻不算是以色列人的士師,後來也被自己人殺死。

大約過了六十幾年後,有一個名叫基列的基列人,己有妻子兒子,又和一個妓女生下一個兒子耶弗他。基列的兒子們長大後就把耶弗他趕出門,免得他也要繼承產業。耶弗他便出去和一些無賴混在一起。

但是耶弗他可能很有智慧和能力,所以當亞捫人轄制以色列人時,基列人在沒有選擇的餘地下,只好去請耶弗他回來幫助他們。耶弗他懂得敬畏神,一接下任務,便到米斯巴將他一切的事陳述在耶和華面前。

耶弗他的智慧表現在敬畏神和論事的智慧上,他一開始想以德服人,跟亞捫人據理力爭,表現出他對以色列人的歷史十分清楚,不是只有猛力。當亞捫人不講理時,他就與他們爭戰。耶和華的靈在他身上,但是出征前他還是有太多擔心。他擔心什麼呢?

他害怕戰事失利,好不容易重新被接納,何等擔心因為失敗又被踢出去! 他相信耶和華神,但是他覺得若許個願會更可靠。你有沒有這樣的想法?在民間信仰裡,那些人去拜託偶像幫忙時都會許願,要為偶像修金身或送台戲,反正就覺得有許願,邪靈會比較肯幫忙。信徒也經常也有這樣的想法,有的人患了癌症求神醫治,便許願病好了去讀神學;有的人有難關求神幫忙,許願難關一過便奉獻多少錢給教會,有的人更許願去全世界傳福音,誇下很難做到的宏願。

Let It Run Through You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 21:1-17.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 21:1-7 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to me: 
2  “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 
3  and say to her: ‘This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 
4  Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 
5  Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.’ 
6  “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 
7  And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.’ It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
 
On verses 1-7:  In case the Israelites did not understand the message Ezekiel was sharing in Ezekiel 20:45-48, God gives Ezekiel an even clearer and more direct message to give the Israelites about the destruction that was coming to Jerusalem and Judah (the kingdom in which Jerusalem was situated).