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II Samuel 4 撒母耳記下 4

Friday, 8th September 2023

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon

V1-3 ‘When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was part of Benjamin, because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)’ In the twelve tribes, there were two kings, David was anointed and appointed by prophet Samuel, whereas Ishbosheth was appointed by Abner. One is from God and one is from man, even though we know David had his weaknesses, he failed in his own lustful desires in women, but God still used him. David didn’t do much in Hebron, he didn’t even stop Joab killing people. But God still used David, because David was willing to wait. Abner couldn’t wait, he appointed his own king and tried to build his own kingdom. People don’t like to wait, it’s difficult to wait, and it’s easier to just take actions on our own.

V1-3 ‘掃羅的兒子伊施波設聽見押尼珥死在希伯崙，手就發軟，以色列眾人也都驚惶。 掃羅的兒子伊施波設有兩個軍長，一名巴拿，一名利甲，是便雅憫支派比錄人臨門的兒子；比錄也屬便雅憫。 比錄人早先逃到基他音，在那裡寄居，直到今日。’ 十二個支派中有兩個王，大衛是由先知撒母耳膏立和任命的，而伊施波設是由押尼珥任命的。一是從神來的，一是從人來的，雖然我們知道大衛有他的軟弱，他在自己對女人的情欲上犯罪了，但神仍然使用他。大衛在希伯崙沒有做太多事，他甚至沒有阻止約押殺人。但神仍然使用大衛，因為大衛願意等待。押尼珥迫不及待，他自己立王，並試圖建立自己的王國。人們不喜歡等待，等待很困難，而我們自己採取行動好像更容易。

V5-8 ‘Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”’ We want to find ways to help ourselves and to find a way out. We thought we can rely on ourselves to create our own kingdom. God’s kingdom is not like this, Moses wanted to use his own way to help the Israelites when he was young, but he didn’t success instead he spent 40 years in the wilderness. Are we willing to wait? Or are we using our own ways to reach the promises God gave to us? Abner was seeking his own benefit, but his followers also had their own agenda. Rechab and Baanah thought they were safe when they came to David with the head of Ishbosheth. When people don’t follow God’s way, they would only walk to their own death.

V5-8 ‘一日，比錄人臨門的兩個兒子利甲和巴拿出去，約在午熱的時候到了伊施波設的家，伊施波設正睡午覺。 他們進了房子，假作要取麥子，就刺透伊施波設的肚腹，逃跑了。 他們進房子的時候，伊施波設正在臥房裡躺在床上，他們將他殺死，割了他的首級，拿著首級在亞拉巴走了一夜， 將伊施波設的首級拿到希伯崙見大衛王，說：「王的仇敵掃羅曾尋索王的性命。看哪，這是他兒子伊施波設的首級，耶和華今日為我主我王在掃羅和他後裔的身上報了仇。」’ 我們想要找到幫助自己的方法，找到出路。我們以為我們可以依靠自己來創造我們自己的王國。神的國不是這樣的，摩西年輕時就想用自己的方式幫助以色列人，但沒有成功，反而在曠野度過了四十年。我們願意等待嗎？還是我們用自己的方式來實現神給我們的應許？押尼珥尋求自己的利益，但他的下屬也有自己的想法。當利甲和巴拿帶著伊施波設的頭來到大衛面前時，他們以為自己安全了。人若不遵行神的道，就只能走向死亡。

V9-11 ‘But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?”’ Same thing happened in the past when the Amalekite young man went to David with the news of the death of Saul. Everyone knew about this, how could the two men not know? They were walking in this own way, their own thinking, and they didn’t want to wait.

V9-11 ‘大衛對比錄人臨門的兒子利甲和他兄弟巴拿說：我指著救我性命脫離一切苦難，永生的耶和華起誓，從前有人報告我說掃羅死了，他自以為報好消息，我就拿住他，將他殺在洗革拉，這就做了他報消息的賞賜。何況惡人將義人殺在他的床上，我豈不向你們討流他血的罪，從世上除滅你們呢？’ 同樣的事情也發生在過去，當亞瑪力少年人去見大衛，報告掃羅死訊的時候。這件事大家都知道，這兩個人怎麼會不知道呢？他們以自己的方式、自己的想法走自己的路，他們不想等待。

V12 ‘So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.’ These are the people who were not willing to wait. What are we facing right now? Is this a season of waiting? We believe God say one man is saved, all families will be saved; God told us that we will arise and shine, and all nations will come to our light. But nothing seems to be happening right now, are we willing to wait? Transformations start from waiting. Why do we transform? Because it’s God’s doing not man’s doing. We must be willing to wait, be willing to believe, and transformation will start in the spiritual realm. Are we will to offer to God ourselves, wait upon God and believe that He will do great things for us.

V12 ‘於是大衛吩咐少年人將他們殺了，砍斷他們的手腳，掛在希伯崙的池旁，卻將伊施波設的首級葬在希伯崙押尼珥的墳墓裡。’ 我們現在面臨著什麼？這是一個等待的季節嗎？我們相信神說一人得救，全家都得救；神告訴我們，我們會興起發光，萬國都會來就我們的光。但現在似乎什麼都沒有發生，我們願意等待嗎？轉化從等待開始。我們為什麼要轉化？因為這是神要做的事，不是人做的。我們必須願意等待，願意相信，轉化就會從靈界開始。我們是否願意將自己奉獻給神，等候神，相信神會為我們成就大事？