旧约 - 撒母耳记上(1 Samuel)第12章

And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.
And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.
When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.
Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.
If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:
But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.
So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;
And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.
撒母耳记上第十二章   第 12 章 

  撒上 12:1> 扫罗王跟身兼士师、祭司与先知的撒母耳在角色上有何不同? 

  12:1 撒母耳继续作以色列人的祭司、先知兼士师,服事百姓,扫罗则对十二个支派不断加强政治和军事上的管治( 7:15 )。 

  撒上 12:1-3> 无愧地交账,撒母耳为我树立了什么榜样? 

  12:1-3 撒母耳在给以色列人的临别赠言中,请他们指出他作士师的时候欺负过谁,为要叫百姓记住,他们可以信靠他所讲的尽皆真话。他也叫他们不要忘记,要求立王是他们的主意,而不是他的意思。他这一篇讲话,记载在第十二章之中,是打雷降雨的神迹之伏笔( 12:16-19 ),这样,神若处罚百姓的自私动机,他们就不能怪责他了。 

  撒上 12:10> 12:10 “巴力与亚斯她录”皆是异教的神。详情请参看 \cs15 7 章 4 节的注释。 

  撒上 12:11> 12:11 基甸拆毁巴力的祭坛,以色列人给他起名“耶路巴力”(参士 6:32 )。 

  撒上 12:12-15> 神是我和全人类的王吗?真肯定是!但──凡事都这样想吗? 

  12:12-15 神虽然应允以色列人立王,但祂的命令与规定仍然没变。祂要作他们真正的君王,扫罗与人民皆应当顺服祂的律法,断没有人可以不受祂律法的管治。人类的行动皆在祂的掌管之下,祂乃是全人类的真正君王。我们必须尊重祂的君王地位,使我们全方位的关系、工作、生活以及家庭都符合祂的法则。 

  撒上 12:17> 神为什么应允撒母耳的祷告,施一个有损庄稼的神迹? 

  12:17 收割小麦是在阳历五、六月之间,接近干旱季节的末尾。因为此期间罕有雨水,所以大雷雨实为神迹。不过,这种神迹并无益处,因为在收割小麦的时候下雨,庄稼会受损,很快霉烂。这种反常的现象,显示神不喜悦以色列人立王的要求。 

  撒上 12:22> 神拣选的用意是什么?那意味着…… 

  12:22 神为什么要使以色列人作“祂的子民”呢?神拣选他们,并不是因为他们配得(参申 7:7-8 ),乃是为了藉他们使天下万族都能因弥赛亚而蒙福(参创 12:1-3 )。因为神拣选以色列人,他们是特别的族类,所以祂绝不会撇弃他们,反而因为他们的不顺服,常常责罚他们,好使他们与祂恢复美好的关系。 

  撒上 12:23> 代祷、传道是信徒的责任,我有没有自觉地去做? 

  12:23 没有为别人祷告是犯罪吗?撒母耳的话似乎说明这是犯罪。他的行动说明神子民有双重责任:( 1 )要恒切地为别人祷告(参弗 6:18 );( 2 )要教导人归向神的善道(参提后 2:2 )。撒母耳尽管不同意百姓立王之想,却向他们保证,他要不住地为他们祷告,并继续教导他们。我们可以跟别人有异议,却不应停止为他们代祷。 

  撒上 12:24> 我应牢记神昨日的恩典,尽心今日的事奉,努力向标竿直跑,一生…… 

  12:24 本节经文是撒母耳在临别赠言之中,第二次提醒人民,叫他们想念神为他们所做的大事( 12:7 )。用点时间回想以往,会使我们全心注目于神的美善,并坚固信心。我们常常雄心万丈地想到未来的发展,以致没有时间追想神已经成就的大事。纪念神已经为你做成的事,能使你以感恩之心向前迈进。