Wednesday, 24th March 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
I Samuel 10 – Saul’s Unbelief (Ignorance) and God’s Faithfulness
Section One: V1-13 God’s Preparation
V1 God will prepare His chosen people. The word ‘anoint’ appears in the Old Testimony 65 times. It means we need to set apart ourselves, then God will accept us, just like how Samuel kissed Saul, he accepted Saul. Then Saul gave many confirmations to prepare Saul to be the king.
V6 how do we respond to God’s calling? We need to change ourselves into a new person, God will not force us but we need to be willing to set apart ourselves, to demolish our own flesh (strongholds). When we are touched by the Spirit of God, we should not just stay in the ‘feelings’ but we need to act out the Word of God. When God gives us a supernatural experience, He will also instruct us through His Word and give us the strength we need. If we are willing to change ourselves, God will support us to the end.
A lot of times, when we need to wait and quiet down, we are not willing. We do not let God prepare the way but we prepare the way ourselves. We are unwilling to wait and stay quiet. May God help us to learn to wait on Him. A lot of times, we would keep on working and keep on doing nonstop, but bears no fruits. We did not believe God will prepare for us. We need to let people see, it is God doing the work, not us.
God has done a lot of preparation to help the king of Israel. God prepares fully and He will not just leave us by ourselves. But Saul was only thinking about worrying his father, he did not humbly listen to Samuel’s instructions. However, before Saul responded to God, God gave him a new heart.
V10 God allowed His Spirit to come upon Saul, and he was able to speak the things he normally would not speak. When God’s presence is with us, we will also be touched by His Spirit. We should come together as a group and fight the battle for God together, that’s why it says in the Bible, we cannot stop gathering. Christians cannot be by oneself, just like how Jesus wanted disciples to come together as one body.
God is a Trinity God, the Father works together with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we also need to let go of our unwillingness and come together in unity. Inside of us there is so much unbelief, rebellions, and selfishness, but God already told us the way to a blessed life, so we should follow simply, and come together as the Body of Christ.
V13 Samuel was a prophet, a judge, and a High Priest. Saul encountered such an important person in Israel, and was revealed with such an important matter, but he did not follow what Samuel had instructed (v.8) and did not tell his uncle what Samuel said to him about the kingship (v.16). He did not believe what Samuel said and still thought he was on the right track.
Section Two: V14-24 Saul’s Unbelief
When Samuel gathered all the Israelites, he told them God would still give them a chance to turn back. It was God, who led the Israelites out of Egypt, into the land of Canaan, but at the end, they still did not see it, instead they still wanted a king for themselves.
V19 the Israelites stood before God with a prideful heart, at the end God allowed them. Because He will never force us to do things we don’t want to, but at the end of day, when we stood before God’s throne, how should we respond?
V21 Saul was hiding because of his unbelief. This was a key moment, he was chosen in front of all the Israelites by casting lot, furthermore, Samuel already prepared Saul and prophesied to him beforehand, but Saul still did not believe. When God called us so clearly, but we still hid inside our own cave. How can we come out? We should be willing to let change ourselves from inside out and live only for God.
When people saw Saul, they shouted “long live the king!” Saul was a farmer, he was not even a hunter. But when God chose him, he stood before the people, people could see and follow. Only by the presence of God, we can make changes. We need to accept God’s anointing and let go of our ‘doing’.
Section Three: V25-27 God’s Principles and People’s Weakness
Samuel explained the rules to the Israelites, how they would interact with the king. Samuel has given clear instructions by speaking in front of people and by writing down in front of God, he wanted to ensure the people understand and God approves.
Those who gathered in Mispah were leaders and elders, and they needed to go back and let their own tribes know about what God said. Teamwork is very important, we need to be a team player, to live in a community, to partnership with one another, in order to carry out God’s Work.
V27 there were some rebels, who did not believe in God and did not believe in Saul. As a leader, when there are problems in our lives, people following us will also have cancer. When we accept the calling with an unbelieving heart, then people following us will also have an unbelieving heart. The flow is from above, and how we want the people to follow us is determined by how we follow God.
God prepared Saul but he did not believe in it. God has His principles but people are weak, rebellious, stubborn, and unwilling. When God calls us, may He help us to listen, to follow, to get rid of our fleshly desires and to win the battle for Him!
Pursuit & Respond
Dear Holy Spirit, come and fill every one of us now, in Bread of Life Christian Church in South Auckland, because we are all Your chosen ones, Your anointed ones, and we thank You that we can stand before You. Shine Your light in us, show us our hearts and our attitude. Without Your salvation and Your mercy, we will never be able to turn back to You. All the hurt and fear stopped us to come out from the cave, we wanted to hide away but Your Word enlightened us for us to see the unbelief inside of us.
Help us to demolish our flesh, change us so we don’t just stay in the good feelings, but really act out Your Word. We no long want to hide with our rebellions, but we want to partnership with Your Holy Spirit. You are faithful, You never change, and in the Name of Jesus we declare You will prepare for us. So we will no longer hide away but can come out boldly to respond to Your calling. Amen.
2021年3月24日 星期三
-潘锡安牧师-
撒母耳记上 10
不信的扫罗 信实的耶和华
一、神的预备（v.1-13)
V1 虽然扫罗说自己家是至小的(9:21), 但神的话不会落空，他拣选人就必预备。撒母耳用膏油将扫罗分别为圣。当我们被拣选，就不要停留在自己的卑贱、罪污当中，而要被神分别为圣出来。膏油的涂抹是从头开始，然后到手和脚。我们要先从头脑里面一切的心思意念分别为圣，然后清洁自己的手和脚所做的事。
接下来撒母耳说的“亲嘴”的意思是“接纳”。“这不是耶和华膏你做他产业的君吗”- “膏”这个字在圣经中出现65次，主要是指去膏立君王，就是神所拣选的职位。我们每一个人都是圣洁的国度，被神拣选、分别为圣、被神接纳的君尊的祭司。
V2-5 撒母耳对扫罗详细告知他接下来要发生的事情，说明他所讲的话不是虚无的，是真实可经历、验证的。
V6-7 撒母耳告诉扫罗，当你去到神的山，你就会被圣灵触摸，会受感说话。当我们被神的灵感动、经历圣灵同在的时候，我们不是坐在那里享受，而是要“变为新人”- 就是要借着神的同在改变自己 ，翻转、拆毁自己，成为一个新人，听道而行道。当这一切“兆头临到”，我们就可以“趁时而做”，只要我们愿意将自己里面拦阻我们的都拆毁，忘记过去，努力面前。
V8 “吉甲”是先知献祭的地方。当我们变为新人后，不要走在神前面，而是要懂得安静等候神，等到神指示我们“当行的事”。很多人无法停下来，只能用自己的力量不断地做事，不相信神能够为我们预备。我们口里说相信神，生命却行不出来，不能像马利亚安静在面前前那样，不相信先寻求神的国和神的义，神就加给我们一切所需的。愿神帮助我们选择那最美好的，让人看见不是我们在做事而是神在动工。
V9 神的预备是充满的，他不会丢下我们不管。但是扫罗当时听了撒母耳的话之后心里想着都是回家，都是“doing”，所以“转身离别”，并没有感恩。然而神还是“赐他一个新心”，预备他将来成王。
V10 “受感说话”不只是说预言，也代表扫罗说出平时他无法说出的话。在一群有恩膏的先知中，人也会被感动。我们不要孤身一人，而是一起行动。圣经说的“不要停止聚会”，不仅是主日聚会，也包括我们平时跟弟兄姐妹的合一祷告。我们要看重肢体的生活，神也喜悦看到我们在一起。当我们两三个人一起奉他的名聚集的时候，他就与我们同在。
V13撒母耳是一位士师、大祭司、先知，在神的国度里大有能力，然而扫罗听了撒母耳的话却不相信，口里也不承认，只想着自己所挂念的事家事。撒母耳已经吩咐扫罗在吉甲等候（v.8）, 但他不愿意等, 结果神的同在离开他，他的后半生只有羞愧和失败。
二、扫罗的不信（v.14-24)
V14-16 扫罗一开始不信撒母耳说的话，不将他“所说的国事”告知叔叔。
V17-19 虽然如此，神仍然给人机会。神借撒母耳再次提醒以色列人，他才是拯救以色列的神，然而他们要另立新王来治理自己。他们按支派来站立在神面前，表示他们真的有这个决心去做这件事。其实我们在神面前是站立不住的。我们若站在神面前，我们带着什么态度呢？以色列人在神面前骄傲，神容许以色列人。
V20-22 撒母耳是用抽签的方式而不是自己讲的方式抽出扫罗，印证预言。但扫罗不听、不信，所以在这个关键时刻躲起来。我们面对神, 是要继续躲在自己的山洞里，在过去的伤害中，还是愿意改变自己，靠神而活？我们跟从神的时候，是否因为没有一些实在的东西可以抓住，而觉得惧怕担忧？神拣选我们，我们愿意回应呼召吗？
V23-24 一个曾经默默无闻的农夫，当他被神拣选、有神同在的时候，“众民就大声欢呼”拥护他。我们不是靠自己的能力来吸引人，而是因为有神的同在。
三、神的法则 人的软弱（v.25-27）
撒母耳不仅膏立新王，也将国法清楚向百姓阐明，也“记在书上，放在耶和华面前。”在神与人面前都有陈明。来到米斯巴聚集的人是以色列中有头有脸的领袖，所以需要“各回各家”向他们所带领的人群讲明此事。
V26“扫罗往基比亚回家去，有神感动的一群人跟随他。”神拣选的，神必预备。团队是很重要的，我们要求神帮助我们成为 team player， 能谦卑与人同工, 而不是特立独行。
“匪徒”是不相信神借着撒母耳所讲的话的人。作为一个领袖，当我们自己生命有问题的时候，我们下面的人也一样会遇到同样的问题。我们要从自己所带领的团队中反思自己的生命。
神的法则是有根有基，但人的软弱就是叛逆。我们要愿意改变、拆毁自己，不要继续不信、叛逆、躲藏，而是在圣灵充满的时候，靠主得胜。
*追求：
亲爱的圣灵，求你大大充满我们，我们南奥克兰灵粮堂的每一个弟兄姐妹都是你拣选、膏立的。我们来到你面前，求你光照我们的心，看到我们里面的态度、我们是如何来到你的面前。
主啊，若不是你的怜悯、拯救，我们无法站在你的面前。当你的光照进来，里面许多的罪和伤痛就跑出来，我们好想躲起来。但主你是说有就有命立就立的神，你为我们预备。让我们谦卑自己，承认自己不听、不信，圣灵帮助我们，拆毁、改变我们，不只停留在感觉当中，而能成为一个听道而行道的人。我们不再向我们的软弱和罪躲藏起来。正如撒母耳说的，“你们看耶和华所拣选的人，众民中有可比他的吗？”我们都是神亲手拣选出来的精兵，当趁着神同在的时候快来回应神。神也感动一群人来跟随扫罗。当我们回转的时候，一群人要来跟随我们。求主改变我们，使我们能在你面前站立得住。圣灵求你来，做成你的工作! 奉主的名宣告, 主你必为我们预备! 让我们勇敢回应！