Thursday, 1 April 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-9: The God Who Remembers
V1-2 even though Saul walked in his flesh but God still remembers him. God didn’t forget the purposes, the plans and the calling for Saul. When God puts us in the position, we need to really cherish it and be obedient to our authority and our God. We should not act wilfully in our position.
God never forgets, though the Israelites might have forgotten. In Deuteronomy 25:17-19, when Joshua led the army of Israelites fighting the Amalekites, Moses was praying on the mountain and God brought them victory.
In Exodus 17, Amalekites sinned against the people of God and sinned against God. So God planned to wipe out the name of the Amalekites. But the Israelites forgot about this and they didn’t remember what God said through Moses.
When we have what we want then we choose not to listen to God anymore. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land and received their inheritance, they forgot about God’s instructions of destroying the name of Amalekites.
V3 God is the God who remembers, He remembers the good and bad things. We don’t have to fight for ourselves because God knows everything. God wants to use Saul to destroy everything belonging to the Amalekites. He has given Saul detailed instructions of how they needed to destroy everything.
V4-6 God never forgets but how do the people respond? God did not forget how the Amalekites treated the Israelites wrongly in the past and He did not forget His calling for Saul. But Saul gathered the people, 210,000 were gathered. The number of army of God was reduced from 330,000, because of the life of Saul. But God still remembered Saul.
When God called us to become His children and His army, He will remember us. Saul knew God’s heart but he did not follow God’s instructions completely.
V7-9 Saul attacked the Amalekites but he did not kill Agag king of the Amalekites. Because he wanted what Agag can give to him. Do we still rely on the people to bring good things to us? We’re unwilling to draw a line and destroy completely whatever displeases God. Do we know God will remember us? Can we still have a sense of security even when we don’t rely on the things and people of this world?
Saul was not compassionate because he killed all the Amalekites, men, women, young and old. But Saul and the people did not kill the king and the good livestock. We are afraid of poverty and we did not destroy what displeases God in our lives.
Section Two: V10-33 The God Who Regrets
God will bless us and lead us, but He will also regret, which means He wouldn’t allow it anymore. God is righteous and anything not righteous cannot come close to Him. When Saul turned away from God and not following God, then God regretted. He had lifted up Saul from the smallest tribe of Israel but Saul did not cherish it.
From the beginning God spoke to Saul through Samuel. He never spoke to Saul. Often we see people around us having failed because they displeased God. But do we really know God’s heart? Samuel knew God’s heart, which is merciful and compassionate. He knew God did not want to reject Saul, and he sought God throughout the night.
When we face difficulties do we seek God throughout the night? We tried to solve our own problems by sleeping, drinking, or talking to others, but Samuel chose to cry out to the Lord all night.
The next morning, even though Samuel did not sleep, he still did what God instructed him to do to meet Saul. Samuel knew God rejected Saul but he still respected God and respected the king. What is our attitude? A godly man will be loyal in his position no matter what the environment and the circumstances are.
Samuel wanted to give Saul another chance. When Saul told Samuel he had done everything God commended, Samuel didn’t point out straight away that Saul was lying, instead he asked about the lowing of cattle. Saul said everything he did was for God, then Samuel rebuked him.
Again and again Samuel wanted to give Saul a chance to repent but Saul did not admit his own mistake and he was even finger pointing to the people, who were following him. God gives us position, instructions and authority, but do we really use them properly? Saul wanted to look good in front of the people but in front of God he was full of lies and refused to face the truth.
When we don’t listen we are doing the thing that displeases God and we are sinning against God. Listening to our God and our authority is so important.
V22 even though God already rejected Saul, but Samuel still tried to teach Saul. A lot of time when someone lost their calling, we stop caring for them and teaching them anymore. God loves all His children and He is always waiting for His children to return to Him.
Saul repented his sins but only half. Again he accused the people following him for leading him to sin. He walked in the flesh and not willing to take his responsibilities. When Samuel wanted to leave, Saul caught his robe, not because he wanted to repent but because he wanted Samuel to lift him up in front of people.
When Samuel returned with Saul, he did not try to please Saul but to kill Agag so the Israelites will not sin against God because of Agag. Are we willing to ‘kill’ the things in our lives that displeases God?
Section Three: V34-35 Men’s Choice
In order to know God we need to make a choice. Saul chose to go back to his own place and live a life he thought as a king. And Samuel chose to go back to his place and draw a line with Saul. But he was sad and interceded for Saul.
When we read Samuel 15, we see problems in our lives, we are unwilling to let go of the things we think are important on this earth, and we are unwilling to take responsibility.
*Pursuit and Prayer
Lord, we know we have sinned against You and sinned against people, help us not to rely on this world and help us not to hide anymore, we want to walk in the light and not be afraid of losing the things we treasure in this world. Let us really know You and make the right choice. Amen.
2021年4月1日 星期四
-潘锡安牧师-
撒母耳记上 15
要认识神
一、会记念的神 （v.1-9)
V1 虽然扫罗走在血气，神仍然记念他，提醒他当初拣选他的命定。当神将我们放在一个位分的时候，神都有一个心意，我们要看重这个位分，且要听从神。不要在神所给我们的位分上任意妄为，不要听从自己或别人的话，而是万军之耶和华的话、听从我们权柄的话。
V2-3 这里神所说他没有忘的事的背景在 申命记25:17-19和出埃及记17:8-16有记载。那时亚玛力人趁以色列人疲 乏困倦就击杀他们“尽後边软弱的人”，行恶得罪神所拣选的子民就是得罪神，摩西已经跟以色列提醒将来要如何对待亚玛力人。这些事以色列人都忘了，不记得神借着摩西给他们的提醒。当人得到自己所要的东西之后，很容易就把神的话抛诸脑后，或者怀疑神的命令。我们以为神会忘记，但神不会忘记。那些得罪我们的人，神必报应，我们要相信神会记念。神要扫罗王“灭尽”亚玛力人一切所有的，因他是忌邪的神。人的回应是“忘记”，然后神不会。神是怜悯的，神既没有忘记亚玛力人当初如何对待他的选民以色列人，也没有忘记他所拣选、膏立为王的扫罗。虽然扫罗不听神的话，神仍给他机会回转。
V4 当神说话，以色列人中就有21万人被招聚来跟从扫罗。从一开始的33万精兵到如今的21万，我们可以看到一个领袖的生命因不走在神心意中而带来的后果。有时我们不愿亲近神，因为我们觉得亲近神他就会让我们做很多事，但神记念我们，不忘记对我们的呼召和拣选。
V6 扫罗其实知道神的心意，人若恩待神的选民，神就恩待那人，人若苦待他们，神必报应。
V7-8a 扫罗击打亚玛力人，却生擒他们的王。“亚甲”王的意思是“我会在万人之上”。扫罗贪图这个名字所能带给他的好处。我们是否在倚靠一些不属神国度的人所带我们的好处？是否像扫罗那样留恋这些东西？我们是否相信神，我们的安全感是否单单来自预审，还是害怕贫穷、缺乏和危险？
V8b 扫罗其实并不是怜悯的人，他为自己留后路。我们是否在服事神的时候还在为自己留后路？
V9 上梁不正下梁歪 – 扫罗与这22万精兵都看重手上好的东西。我们是否也是如此，害怕失去这些看得见的好东西？神说要“灭尽”这一切东西。可惜扫罗和百姓不认识神，不知道神会记念。
二、会后悔的神 （v.10-33）
很多基督徒看到的只是神的怜悯慈爱，却不知道也不愿意面对“神会后悔” – 这个“后悔”不是为做错事而后悔，是神决定不要继续做这件事，因我们不珍惜神给我们的机会。
V10 神因着怜悯拣选扫罗，但是扫罗不高举神。他从被呼召到被立为王到最后被废，神都没有亲自跟他说过一句话，都是借着他的撒母耳对他说话。我们是否愿意听我们权柄的话？
V11 撒母耳听到后，心里忧愁。当我们听到别人不好的事时，我们是否也像撒母耳那样有怜悯的心？是否相信神真的是有怜悯的？我们是否能像他那样愿意放下自己的疲倦、情绪，来“终夜哀求神”？我们遇到问题常靠自己的方式来解决，却没有寻求神、没有躲在神的翅膀底下。
V12 撒母耳没有因为自己心情不好而逃跑不做神吩咐他的事。他依旧忠心尽责，并且仍然尊重扫罗的王的位分，清早就去恭敬“迎接”扫罗。“吉甲”就是撒母耳当初膏立扫罗的地方。
V13-14 撒母耳没有直接戳穿扫罗的谎言，他还在给扫罗机会回转。
V15 我们是否也像扫罗一样，看重我们眼中觉得好的东西，还冠冕堂皇地说要献给神，却不愿意看到自己的问题。
V16-21 撒母耳对扫罗说“住口吧”。撒母耳之前一直给扫罗机会，因为神是怜悯的神，要让扫罗能在满满的爱中愿意认罪。然而扫罗冥顽不灵，不肯认错，甚至将责任都推到下面的人身上。我们是否也这样不好好使用神给我们的权柄反而推卸责任？
V19 我们有时觉得不听神的话而做一些其它事就没有什么大错，但是当我们不听神的话的时候，我们是做了神“眼中看为恶的事”。
V22-23 撒母耳仍然在教导扫罗。当别人失去神的呼召时，我们是否去厌恶那个人，还是愿意像神一样怜悯这属神的子民？
V24 扫罗认罪只认了一半，且又再一次将责任推给下面的人。当我们失去一个位分时，我们是否仍然有该有的气质，愿意承担自己的错误？
V26-28 神清楚让扫罗面对自己的生命，但扫罗不愿意悔改。
V30 扫罗并不是真心悔改，而是看重自己的面子，不愿意失去成为王的尊贵，不想失去他在一切罪恶中所得到的好处。我们要求神光照、鉴察我们内心真实的光景。
V33 撒母耳亲自将残害以色列的亚玛力王杀死。我们愿意像撒母耳那样不属神的事情下手吗？求神给我们勇气，完全倚靠他，不倚靠从世界而来的好处。
四、人的选择 （v.34-35)
我们认识神不是只是知道一个知识，而是要做出选择。扫罗被废去自己位分之后与撒母耳划清界限，直到撒母耳死去扫罗都没有看望他，但撒母耳仍然为他守望祷告。
*回应祷告：
谢谢神亲自对我们说话，让我们看见自己的生命，我们不愿意承担，不愿意下手将那些神不喜悦的东西灭绝。求圣灵光照我们。
主耶稣求你怜悯我们，你知道我们软弱、得罪神得罪人。求主帮助我们靠主得胜，不靠世界。让我们愿意承担，走出山洞，不欺骗神也不欺骗自己。求圣灵带我们走在光明中，不害怕贫穷、不怕失去自己在乎的东西。让我们真正的认识主！