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II Samuel 3 – Let God Be God 撒母耳記下 3 – 讓神為神

Thursday, 7th September 2023

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon 潘錫安牧師

We must let God be God, He gives us peace and He takes away our burdens. But how do we make God be God in our lives? This is a journey and a life we must deal with. When we let God be God then He can help us to complete the impossible mission. In the Bible we really see the great works of God.

我們必須讓神成為神，祂能給我們平安，拿走我們的重擔。但我們怎樣才能讓神成為我們生活中的神呢？這是一段旅程，也是我們必需面對的人生。當我們讓神成為神時，祂能幫助我們完成不可能的任務。在經文中我們確實看到了神的偉大作為。

V1 ‘Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.’ There is only one tribe of Judah in the House of David whereas there are eleven tribes in the House of Saul, why was the House of David so strong, even stronger than the eleven tribes? God has His best timing, there were times when David was in the hiding, he was not always this prosperous, he only waited for God’s timing. Even though the House of David was getting stronger, it also created a gap in the spiritual realm, which allowed sins to come in. In the previous chapter, the young people from the House of David and the House of Saul were competing, they showed their desires to win and to be recognised. Their competition resulted in many deaths in both houses, they thought they could be God, but they ended up fighting each other for the rest of their lives. David tried all his life, trying to make peace with Saul and to honour Saul, David knew his enemy was not the House of Saul, but his followers did not follow David’s actions, and caused hatred between the two houses.

V1 ‘掃羅家和大衛家爭戰許久，大衛家日見強盛，掃羅家日見衰弱。’ 大衛家只有一個猶大支派，而掃羅家有十一個支派，為什麼大衛家那麼強大，甚至比十一個支派還要強大呢？神有祂最好的時機，大衛有躲藏起來的時候，他並不總是那麼興盛，他只是等待神的時機。大衛家雖然日漸強大，但也造成了破口，讓罪惡得以侵入。在上一章中，大衛家的年輕人和掃羅家的年輕人在競爭，他們渴望獲勝並被認可。但他們的競爭導致雙方死傷無數，他們以為自己可以成為神，結果卻讓掃羅家和大衛家互相爭鬥了一輩子。大衛一生都在努力，試圖與掃羅講和，並榮耀掃羅，大衛知道他的敵人不是掃羅家，但他的追隨者並不跟隨大衛的行為，並引起了兩個家族之間的仇恨。

V2-5 ‘Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.’ We know David was transformed, but did he really ask God in everything he did? When he became the king, did he really follow the Will of God? When he entered Hebron, he only had two wives, but when he became the king, his had more wives and kept on having children. David not only didn’t stop the fight between the House of Saul and the House of David, but also He began to surrender to his lustful desires.

V2-5 ‘大衛在希伯崙得了幾個兒子：長子暗嫩，是耶斯列人亞希暖所生的；次子基利押，是做過迦密人拿八的妻亞比該所生的；三子押沙龍，是基述王達買的女兒瑪迦所生的；四子亞多尼雅，是哈及所生的；五子示法提雅，是亞比她所生的；六子以特念，是大衛的妻以格拉所生的。大衛這六個兒子都是在希伯崙生的。’ 我們知道大衛轉化了，但他所做的每一件事是否真的求問神呢？當他成為王時，他真的遵循了神的旨意嗎？當他進入希伯崙時，他只有兩個妻子，但當他成為王時，他有了更多的妻子，並且不斷生孩子。大衛不僅沒有停止掃羅家和大衛家之間的爭鬥，而且還屈服於自己的情慾。

V38-39 ‘ Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”’ When David was weak, he didn’t see it was God who led him this far, it’s never his own strength or the strength of his followers. He called the sons of Zeruiah being greater and being stronger, but where was God in David’s life at the time? He didn’t let God be his God. David allowed his followers to seek their worldly desires, and he also followed his own desires.

V38-39 ‘王對臣僕說：你們豈不知今日以色列人中死了一個做元帥的大丈夫嗎？我雖然受膏為王，今日還是軟弱，這洗魯雅的兩個兒子比我剛強。願耶和華照著惡人所行的惡報應他！’ 當大衛軟弱的時候，他沒有看到是神帶領他走到了這一步，這從來不是他自己的力量，也不是他追隨者的力量。他稱洗魯雅的兒子為剛強，但當時大衛的生命中神在哪裡呢？他沒有以神為神。大衛允許他的追隨者追求他們世俗的慾望，他也追隨自己的慾望。

V6-11 ‘Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul. And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him— to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.’ It was never God who chose Ishbosheth to be the king. And therefore the House of Saul was growing weaker. Ishbosheth was afraid of Abner, he didn’t seek God, but somehow Abner became his god. Furthermore, even though Abner was not the king, he thought everything was about him, he took over all authority, and he controlled everything. He could only see himself, and he made himself god. Stop focusing in ourselves, stop being offended easily, when we easily lose peace and when we easily to feel being mistreated, then we are not letting God be our God.

V6-11 ‘掃羅家和大衛家爭戰的時候，押尼珥在掃羅家大有權勢。掃羅有一妃嬪，名叫利斯巴，是愛亞的女兒。一日，伊施波設對押尼珥說：「你為什麼與我父的妃嬪同房呢？」押尼珥因伊施波設的話就甚發怒，說：「我豈是猶大的狗頭呢？我恩待你父掃羅的家和他的弟兄、朋友，不將你交在大衛手裡，今日你竟為這婦人責備我嗎？我若不照著耶和華起誓應許大衛的話行，廢去掃羅的位，建立大衛的位，使他治理以色列和猶大，從但直到別是巴，願神重重地降罰於我！」伊施波設懼怕押尼珥，不敢回答一句。’ 神從來都沒有選擇伊施波設為王。因此，掃羅家族日漸衰弱。伊施波設害怕押尼珥，他不尋求神，但讓押尼珥成了他的神。而且，押尼珥雖然不是王，但他認為一切都是他的，他接管了所有的權力，他控制了一切。他只能看到自己，他把自己當作神。我們要停止關注自己，停止輕易被冒犯；當我們很容易失去平安，當我們很容易感到被錯誤對待時，那麼我們就沒有讓神成為我們的神。

V12-16 ‘Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.” And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.’ David didn’t seek God in this matter, he agreed with Abner’s suggestion straight away. Furthermore, he still remembered his wife Michal, even though she was already remarried to another man. We know well the story of David and Bathsheba, and we can see that David’s habit of taking someone else’s wife started from Michal.

V12-16 ‘押尼珥打發人去見大衛，替他說：「這國歸誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約，我必幫助你，使以色列人都歸服你。」大衛說：「好！我與你立約。但有一件，你來見我面的時候，若不將掃羅的女兒米甲帶來，必不得見我的面。」大衛就打發人去見掃羅的兒子伊施波設，說：「你要將我的妻米甲歸還我，她是我從前用一百非利士人的陽皮所聘定的。」伊施波設就打發人去，將米甲從拉億的兒子，她丈夫帕鐵那裡接回來。米甲的丈夫跟著她，一面走一面哭，直跟到巴戶琳。押尼珥說：「你回去吧！」帕鐵就回去了。’ 大衛沒有在這件事上尋求神，他立刻同意了押尼珥的建議。此外，他仍然記得他的妻子米哈爾，儘管她已經改嫁了另一個男人。我們熟知大衛和拔示巴的故事，我們可以看出，大衛娶別人妻子的習慣是從米甲開始的。

V26-27 ‘And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.’ Abner thought he could control everything, he thought he could let David accept him, but he ended up giving himself no way out. God didn’t give up on Abner, it was Abner who left God, he chose to let his sins separate himself from God. David didn’t know anything when Joab killed Abner, because he focused too much about getting his wife back. What is our focus? Do we know that without God we are nothing? Do we let God take over our work and our family? Or do we make ourselves god of ourselves and others? Jesus taught us to love God with our heart, our mind, and our soul. Let God be our God!

V26-27 ‘約押從大衛那裡出來，就打發人去追趕押尼珥，在西拉井追上他，將他帶回來，大衛卻不知道。押尼珥回到希伯崙，約押領他到城門的甕洞，假作要與他說機密話，就在那裡刺透他的肚腹，他便死了。這是報殺他兄弟亞撒黑的仇。’ 押尼珥以為自己可以掌控一切，以為自己可以讓大衛接受自己，結果卻讓自己沒有退路。神並沒有放棄押尼珥，是押尼珥離開了神，他選擇讓自己的罪與神隔絕。當約押殺死押尼珥時，大衛一無所知，因為他太專注於要回自己的妻子了。我們的重點是什麼？我們知道沒有神我們就什麼都不是嗎？我們會讓神接管我們的工作和家庭嗎？還是我們把自己當作自己和他人的神？耶穌教導我們要盡心、盡意、盡性地愛神，讓神成為我們的神！