Tuesday, 24th August 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-10 The Foolishness of Adonijah
David was old, so the servants sent a young girl Abishag to serve and care for him. David was a king, who fell in his lustful desires in the past, but this time he did not come close to her. David learnt his lesson at his old age.
Adonijah was David’s fourth son. His name means ‘my God is the Lord’, he was loved and blessed at his birth. But he was never rebuked and he became wilful. A lot of worldly teaching tells us to give children freedom and let them explore their potentials, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t rebuke them or disciple them. We must let children know when they have done something wrong, because if we don’t then we are not helping them to walk in the right path. Adonijah thought he would be the king, not only he was never rebuked by his parents, the people around him also didn’t help him to walk in the right path. Joab, the leader of the army, and Abiathar the priest both supported Adonijah to be the king, they didn’t help him to see God’s Will for Israel.
Section Two V11-27 The Wisdom of Nathan the Priest
Nathan knew God established Solomon as the king of Israel. He also knew David already promised Bathsheba. As the servant of the Lord, he chose to step out when things didn’t go right. He was wise and willing to follow God. What is wisdom? The fear of the Lord is wisdom. Nathan knew what Adonijah did was not right so he went to Bathsheba and arranged for her to see David. Bathsheba also chose to believe in him. In I Kings 1, God did not say anything, but Nathan knew God’s heart and Bathsheba believed Nathan.
Wisdom is to tell the truth, Nathan taught Bathsheba to tell the truth to David, not focus on accusing people but focus on what happened. They also let David knew how important this matter was, because if he didn’t do anything, then Solomon and Bathsheba will become offenders. Nathan did not talk to David himself but he let Bathsheba speak, because David made the promise to her. Nathan was wise, he didn’t act on his emotions, but chose the appropriate way to pass the message to David. We need to learn to control our temper, do not act in our emotions because it may destroy our relationship with others. Instead seek wisdom from God to pass on the message in calm and appropriate manner.
Section Three V28-53 The Waiting of Solomon
Solomon’s brother died as an infant, so after Solomon was born David loved him very much. But he was not like Adonijah, who had a big ceremony with lots of people and appointed himself to be the king. Solomon was waiting for his time appointed by his father and his authority David. He was waiting for David to anoint him and for the people of Israel to acknowledge him. He was willing to wait for God’s timing, so were Nathan, Zadok and Benaiah. They were willing to follow God, follow David and follow Solomon. When we wait for God’s timing we will have peace inside us.
Adonijah heard about David anointed Solomon to be the king then he was afraid. A foolish person will easily be afraid. But Solomon did not kill Adonijah at the time. Instead Solomon gave Adonijah an opportunity and said if anyone proved himself worthy then they will live.
Solomon was willing to wait and to believe God’s promise for him, he was not worried and he was not afraid. We must trust in God, to wait for His timing, to walk in His Way, and to know His Rhema for us today.
How do we follow God? Through I Kings 1, let us examine ourselves, how are we living our lives right now? The Holy Spirit is with us, let Him shine on us so we can see if our lives are walking in the Path of the Lord!
2021年8月24日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
我们能有恩典成为基督徒，所走的是专心跟从主的道路。面对未来的不确定性，我们倚靠的不是自己的知识，而是圣灵的带领。今天的经文有三个人的经历帮助我们学习如何走在主的道路上。
一、亚多尼雅的愚昧（v.1-10)
亚多尼雅是大卫王的第四个儿子，妈妈叫“哈及”。大卫“年纪老迈”，晚上睡觉时及时盖着被子也不够暖。按照当时的习俗，他们要选一个处女使他抱着睡觉，可得温暖。被选上的亚比煞的工作是“伺候王，奉养王”，但是大卫没有与她发生关系，因为大卫已经看到自己过去因着在情欲上跌倒而引起家族的自相残杀，所以学到教训，不再沉迷在情欲中。
V6 亚多尼雅的名字意思是“我主是耶和华”，一个一出生就被分别为圣的人。然而，他父亲从小“没有使他忧闷”，对他百依百顺。儿女是需要管教的，而真正的管教是陪伴以预备人走将来的道路，不是什么顺着人的意愿而行。作为父母、师长，面对儿女做错事，不能溺爱，要及时管教，使其知错能改，不然孩子长大后就像亚多尼雅一样。
V7 亚多尼雅自以为父亲一定让自己称王，因为从小没有得到父亲的管教，甚至连身为军队领袖的约押和有教导身份的祭司亚比亚他也没有真正地帮助他，反与他合谋，所以亚多尼雅越来越愚昧。当我们看到周围的人、特别是我们下面所牧养的人犯错时，不要因为惧怕人不喜欢我们而任凭他们一错再错，我们有责任帮助和教导他们离开自己的愚昧，不靠自己的小聪明，重新回到真理当中。
二、先知拿单的智慧（v.11-27）
先知拿单知道神对以色列的心意，也知道大卫曾经起誓要立所罗门为王。身为先知，当看见环境朝着不合神心意的方向发展时，拿单选择站出来，不跟随亚多尼雅，而是跟随神。敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端，所以拿单有从神而来的智慧。他知道亚多尼雅的做法是不对的，于是他给所罗门的妈妈拔示巴出主意。在本章经文中，神并没有亲自说话，但先知拿单明白神的心意，拔示巴也相信神透过先知说话，于是听从拿单的安排行事。
V17-18，21 一个跟从神的人会直接将事情讲明，不会拐弯抹角。拔示巴按着拿单的指示将事件真相告知大卫，让大卫明白事情的严重性。所罗门王是神所拣选的，也是大卫亲口答应要立为新王的人，如今面临要被“算为罪人”的险境，但大卫却不知道。拔示巴用大卫曾经应许过她的话来提醒大卫（v.17），有智慧而不是凭情绪。我们有时面对别人的错误，会一时冲动，与人对峙，追求对错却破坏了关系。求神帮助我们懂得如何在团队中面对不公仍能控制情绪，有智慧对人说合宜的话，让人看出我们是在就事论事，而非人身攻击。
三、所罗门的等候（v.28-53)
V30,36-37 所罗门的哥哥在小时候就死去，而自己出生后就得到神和父亲大卫王的喜爱，但是他没有像哥哥亚多尼雅或押沙龙一样扩张自己的势力。他一路在默默等候，陪伴自己的父亲。所罗门等候大卫亲自对众人宣布自己登基为王，而不是私下搞小动作。当一个人愿意等候神的时间，他下面的人也愿意等候，因此他下面的将领比拿雅才会对王说“耶和华怎样与我主我王同在，愿他照样与所罗门同在”。
V49-53 亚多尼雅用自己的小聪明来行事，结果陷在自己的愚昧和恶果中，反而“惧怕”自己的弟弟所罗门，跑去“抓住祭坛的角”。所罗门王知道在登基的时候要施行恩典，便给亚多尼雅机会，虽没有当下处死他，却也很有智慧地告诉他不杀的条件。
当我们走在神的道路上时，是否愿意相信神给我们的应许，等候他而不会私下做愚昧的小动作？每一天的晨祷就是帮助我们有从神而来的智慧和平安，知道如何做正确的决定而不是跟随别人走。
*追求回应：
今天我们是怎样跟从神？求神帮助我们借着列王纪上第一章好好反省，圣灵光照我们，让我们看到我们的生命如何，当我们看见在跟从主的道路有不对的地方，就要向神认罪悔改。