旧约 - 撒母耳记上(1 Samuel)第11章

Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, "Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you."
But Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel."
The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you."
When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, "What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?" Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.
He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel." Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.
When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
They told the messengers who had come, "Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.'" When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.
They said to the Ammonites, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you."
The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The people then said to Samuel, "Who was it that asked, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring these men to us and we will put them to death."
But Saul said, "No one shall be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel."
Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship."
So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
撒母耳记上第十一章   第 11 章 

  撒上 11:1-13> 扫罗带领以色列人战胜亚扪人,靠什么? 

  11:1-13 以色列人此时易受其他部族的侵略和劫掠,住在约旦河以东的亚扪人就上来攻击他们。扫罗领导人民,与这好战的部族争战,有助于他统一全族,亦证明他有军事领导的才能。他救人民免受亚扪人的羞辱以后,他的王位得以巩固,他也没有计较曾讥诮他的人。 

  撒上 11:3> 亚扪人凶残傲慢霸道,难道忽发慈悲? 

  11:3 亚扪王拿辖为什么给基列雅比人七天宽限,让他们去搬救兵?因为以色列人仍然是一盘散沙,他深信不会有人上来援助这城。他想兵不血刃,不战而夺城。也许他还未完成备战攻城,因为围城可能需时甚长。 

  撒上 11:6> 对罪满怀义怒,还是麻木不仁?怎样化义怒为扞卫公义的动力? 

  11:6 烈怒难收常常使人以言语或暴行伤害别人,但是因抗拒罪行和受到苦待而发怒,并不为错。扫罗因亚扪人恫吓凌辱同胞而发怒,圣灵使用扫罗的义怒,使同胞获得自由与公平。你若被不公平的事或是罪恶激怒,应当求神,使你把烈怒用有益的方式发泄出来,才会达致正面的结果。 

  撒上 11:8> 为何要单独强调犹大呢? 

  11:8 犹大是以色列族的十二支派之一,圣经很多时都把它与其余十一个支派分开来提,有几个原因。犹大是最大的支派(参民 1:20-46 ),以色列的君王大多数皆出于这个支派(参创 49:8-12 )。后来全族被充满敌意的外族掳去一世纪以后,犹大是归回神、能回到圣地的少数支派之一。弥赛亚也要从这个支派而出(参弥 5:2 )。 

  撒上 11:14> 领袖受拥护、得爱戴的秘诀是什么? 

  11:14 扫罗在拉玛已经受撒母耳膏立( 10:1 ),以后在米斯巴被公开拣选( 10:17-27 )。他打败亚扪人之后,民心归向他,确定了他的王位,全体百姓此时都承认他的统治。 

  扫罗打败亚扪人 

  撒上 11:15> 以色列人和神的关系常反覆,我是否也这样?怎样永远忠于神呢? 

  11:15 以色列人立扫罗作第一任的王,向神献平安祭。利未记第三章有关于献这些祭的规定。献平安祭是表示感恩戴德,象征认识神并遵照祂命令生活之人得到平安。神虽然不愿意祂的子民立人作王,他们却藉着献祭表明神仍是他们真正的王。可惜,正如神所预言的( 8:7-19 ),百姓这种诚心并未维持多久。──《灵修版圣经注释》