為誰戰爭? (張仕儒牧師)

21 Nov

為誰戰爭? (張仕儒牧師)

今天要看的經文是在撒母耳記上4:1-11,這段經文的故事是教我們從失敗當中去學習。一開始就講到非利士和以色列人在打仗,雙方的前一次爭戰是在20到50年之前,原先非利士人是個非常強大的國家,經常欺侮以色列人,但在經過參孫的事件後(士師記16:28-30),非利士已經無法跟以色列人爭戰。在這次的打仗中,以色列人選擇倚靠「屬靈」的往事而敗給了非利士人。我們在屬靈生活上也會有同樣的情形,如果過度倚靠過去所經歷的事情及過去得救的見證,這可能會有問題,因為你的信仰會成為「過去」的信仰,就像今天經文中所描述的以色列人一樣。



以色人知道神是關鍵,但是他們沒有停下來去尋求神,我們都知道要讓教會復興,要讓個人的生命復興,但是我們往往尋求人的幫助,而不是神的幫助,如果掌握成敗的是耶和華,你應該要找誰幫助你呢?



 撒母耳記上4:1-11 (和合本)

  1. 以色列人出去與非利士人打仗,安營在以便以謝;非利士人安營在亞弗。
  2. 非利士人向以色列人擺陣。兩軍交戰的時候,以色列人敗在非利士人面前;非利士人在戰場上殺了他們的軍兵約有四千人。
  3. 百姓回到營裡,以色列的長老說:耶和華今日為何使我們敗在非利士人面前呢?我們不如將耶和華的約櫃從示羅抬到我們這裡來,好在我們中間救我們脫離敵人的手。
  4. 於是百姓打發人到示羅,從那裡將坐在二基路伯上萬軍之耶和華的約櫃抬來。以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈與神的約櫃同來。
  5. 耶和華的約櫃到了營中,以色列眾人就大聲歡呼,地便震動。
  6. 非利士人聽見歡呼的聲音,就說:在希伯來人營裡大聲歡呼,是甚麼緣故呢?隨後就知道耶和華的約櫃到了營中。
  7. 非利士人就懼怕起來,說:有神到了他們營中;又說:我們有禍了!向來不曾有這樣的事。
  8. 我們有禍了!誰能救我們脫離這些大能之神的手呢?從前在曠野用各樣災殃擊打埃及人的,就是這些神。
  9. 非利士人哪,你們要剛強,要作大丈夫,免得作希伯來人的奴僕,如同他們作你們的奴僕一樣。你們要作大丈夫,與他們爭戰。
  10. 非利士人和以色列人打仗,以色列人敗了,各向各家奔逃,被殺的人甚多,以色列的步兵仆倒了三萬。
  11. 神的約櫃被擄去,以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈也都被殺了。
1 Samuel 4:1-11 (NIV)

  1. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.
  2. The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.
  3. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
  4. So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
  5. When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
  6. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,
  7. the Philistines were afraid. “A god has[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.
  8. We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
  9. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
  10. So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
  11. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.