旧约 - 撒母耳记下(2 Samuel)第24章

And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
撒母耳记下第廿四章   第 24 章 

  撒下 24:1> 既然神在背后掌管一切,人犯罪也是…… 

  24:1 我们时常会问:是否神令大卫犯罪?神当然不会使人犯罪,但是祂许可罪人以自己的行为显明内心的罪性。另一方面,大卫犯罪也是神对以色列人的审判。历代志上 21 章 1 节说,是撒但激动大卫这样做的。以色列人认为,神是一切的掌权者,撒但的作为最终也是要向神负责的。可以说撒但是大卫犯罪的直接推动者,但神允许撒但这样做,对以色列人来讲,神是最终要负责的那一位。 

  撒下 24:1-3> 数点百姓有什么不对? 

  24:1-3 数点百姓有什么不对?在民数记之中记载,神吩咐摩西数点以色列百姓,好准备征服迦南地(参民 1:2 ; 26:2 )。数点百姓一般看作战时征兵入伍的前奏,现在全境太平了,已不再需要招兵买马。以色列的疆界已经扩展,成为当时的强国;大卫所犯的罪是居功自傲,数点民数,好使他以国土广大兵力雄厚夸耀。他这样行,就把信心寄托在兵员的众多上。神保护的能力并不在于兵员的多寡,就连约押也看出数点百姓是错的,但是大卫不听劝谏。我们若倚靠金钱、财产,或者是军力,也会犯同样的罪。 

  撒下 24:12-14> 三种处罚任选,真难决定,孰重孰轻…… 

  24:12-14 大卫与以色列百姓都犯了罪( 24:1 ),大卫骄傲,但圣经没有说神向以色列人发怒的原因。也许因为他们支持押沙龙( 15-18 )与示巴的叛变( 20 ),或者他们也像大卫,把国家的安全寄于军事力量和经济富庶上而不倚靠神。祂藉着大卫对他们全族施行惩罚,而大卫乃是全族犯了骄傲之罪的代表。 

  神给大卫的三样选择皆是处罚。祂早已告诉以色列百姓,假使不遵守祂的律法,就会有惩罚临到──疾病(参申 28:20-22 )、饥荒(参申 28:23-24 )、战争(参申 28:25-26 )。大卫明智地选择直接从神而来的处罚。他知道在战争之中,敌人凶暴残忍,而神却是大有悯怜的。在你犯了大罪的时候,要归向神并受祂的处罚,这远胜过落在人的手中。 

  撒下 24:18> 大卫建坛之处,拥有深远的历史及属灵意义…… 

  24:18 许多人相信,大卫从亚劳拿手中所买的禾场,并在其上建造祭坛的地方,就是昔日亚伯拉罕几乎杀以撒献祭之处( 22:1-18 )。大卫死后,所罗门在这里建造圣殿。大约在一千年以后,主耶稣在这里传道并教导百姓。 

  撒下 24:25> 读完大卫的一生,你有何感想?你如何评价他? 

  24:25 撒母耳记下讲述大卫的王朝。自从约书亚率领以色列人进入应许之地以后,他们曾努力地想统一国家、赶出当地邪恶的百姓。经过四百多年以后,他们终于达成了这个目标。在大卫以前的首领,无论是士师或君王,他们所未能完成的事业,大卫都完成了。他施政的原则,是以神旨意与百姓的幸福为依归,不过他也犯了罪。尽管他罪孽深重,但是圣经称他为合乎神心意的人(参撒上 13:14 ;徒 13:22 ),因为他犯罪以后,既认自己的罪又向神求饶恕。他将自己的一生交托给神,并且对祂终生忠诚、矢志不渝。在诗篇中,我们能更深地体会大卫的境况,明白他是如何地热爱神。──《灵修版圣经注释》