Tuesday, 6 April 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
In chapter 17, there are four different groups people: Goliath, David, David’s brothers and Saul.
Section One V1-11: What Goliath Relied On
V1-7 This Philistine, Goliath, he gathered his army to fight with the Israelites. They were gathered from many different places because of Goliath. The name Goliath means ‘noticeable’ because he was very tall and big, he was 2.9m tall and carried 57kg of armour.
V8-10 Goliath was well prepared, and everything he prepared was to give him the best protection. Goliath spoke to the Israelites on behalf of the Philistines, he was strong, he was prepared, and he was cunning. Often we look down on our enemy, just like in the garden of Eden, the devil used the snake to talk to Eve to lower her alertness.
V11 The Israelites were not only afraid of what they heard but also what they saw. The Israel spies went to the Land of Canaan, saw the giants and brought back bad news. They were afraid because of what they saw. We often become fearful of the things we see, instead trusting in the unseen God by faith.
Section Two V12-30: What David Relied On
V12-15 David was Jesse’s youngest son, Jesse was old at the time and his oldest three sons were capable and strong warriors. Saul gathered all the warriors because he relied on them.
On the other hand, David was able to travel back and forth from Saul’s and his hometown. From here we can see that Saul did not treat David as a warrior. He focused on his ‘doing’, those who can help him to ‘do’ something. May God help us to focus on our life instead of what we can do. For Saul, David was only someone, who could help him getting rid of the headache. David did not stay in the life of the palace, he still went back home to tend his father’s sheep.
V16-20 Goliath was shouting against the Israelites army for 40 days, no one was able to stand up and fight against him. Jesse sent David to check on his beloved three sons, to see if they were safe. Jesse’s focus was not on the army of Israel and how they were being attacked by the Philistines, his focus was the safety of his three sons. Before David left, he handed his sheep over to a shepherd, we should be responsible for the sheep we tend.
V21-24 Everyday the army of Israel and the army of Philistine came out face to face, everyday the Israelites heard the shouting of the enemies. Everyday the enemy is also shouting at us, how do we react? If we are afraid and unwilling to walk out, then everyday the enemy will tell us that we cannot overcome.
V25 The Israelites remembered what Saul said and all the good things he promised, but they forgot what God promised them, God’s calling, God’s authority and God’s favour! Saul was afraid of Goliath and he was also afraid that the army of Israel will stop following him. We worry that no one want to follow us and when we’re afraid of how others think we forgot God’s calling for us.
When we face problems we should always come before God, He is our strength and shelter, who shall we fear? David saw Saul, his brothers and the Israel army as the army of the living God, but how did Saul see his own army? In the same way, how do we see our church? We can always identify the many problems in our church but do we see ourselves as the army of the living God?
V26-28 David wanted to encourage the people but the people responded in a negative way. Even his brothers looked down on him because Samuel anointed him as king in front of the family.
V29-30 David knew he came to regain the honour of the Israel army, not only just to greet his brothers. David also relied on his own flesh, his mission was to bring food to his brothers and his brothers’ captain, and to bring back a letter for his father. It was not yet the time but David stood up. Because he came out in his flesh, therefore later on he also suffered from Saul’s pursuit. David relied a lot on what he saw, we need to slow down our pace and see what God is doing in our lives!
Section Three V31-40: David and Saul walked in the Flesh
V31 God called Saul to fight the Philistines and He called David to be the king of Israel. But David did not wait for God’s timing and he was doing Saul’s job. David wanted to build the temple of God but God said he had killed too many people. If Saul was the one, who fought off the Philistines, then David could’ve built the temple of God.
V32 David was not willing to wait, he wanted the prizes from Saul. God protected David that he was only a harpist in Saul’s eyes, but now when David stood out then Saul put his focus on him. David wanted Saul’s attention.
V33 When Saul saw David, he didn’t think David could do it but David reassured him of what he could do. David wanted to show off how capable he was, so Saul would take notice of him. When we prayed for others, do we really pray for them or we just say it for the sake of saying it?
V37 Saul said to David that the Lord would be with him, because he was reminding David that he could go was because God was with him. David even tried on Saul’s armour, if he didn’t think he needed it then why did he try on?
Section Four V41-58: God still Rules and Reigns
V41-54 When David went out, the Philistines looked down on him. David spoke the words to Philistines but it was Saul who should have said these words. David did not wait for his timing and he walked into Saul’s timing. David won the battle, he took the head of Goliath to Saul for the prizes but kept the armour for himself.
David and Saul did not completely obey the calling of God for them, but His Will of defeating the Philistines was fulfilled. Are we willing to wait? Don’t use our eyes to see but to believe God’s guidance and calling. Believe God still rules and reigns, He will help us and kill the enemy before us.
*Prayer and Pursuit
Through I Samuel 17, Lord, You talk to each one of us, You see us walking in our flesh, we are unwilling to wait, we are afraid and using our own ways, we are unwilling to let go, Lord, help us to receive. Help us to be strong and courageous to respond to You, to walk in Your heartbeat and to step out for You. Amen.
2021年4月6日 星期二
-潘锡安牧师-
撒母耳记上 17
神仍然在掌权
一、歌利亚的倚靠（v.1-11）
V1-4 这些非利士人愿意这样一起被招聚来攻击以色列，因为他们当中有一个人叫歌利亚 – 名字意思是“光彩、灿烂”，他一站出来很引人注目，身高2.9米，身上的盔甲重达57公斤，非常厚重，难以攻破，这说明歌利亚不仅高大，且孔武有力。
V5-7 歌利亚身上和前面都有很好保护，说明他是有备而来。
V8 歌利亚非常挑衅地提到扫罗的名字，因为扫罗被呼召出来的任务就是带领以色列打败非利士人。
V9 歌利亚的这段话是他自己说的，并不是非利士人说的。他虽提到“我们”，但如果他被杀死，便死无对证，非利士人也不必遵守他的话。以此可以看出这人不仅外表强壮，而且非常狡猾。这就好像在伊甸园中蛇诱惑夏娃那样。我们应当时刻警醒，因为仇敌是无孔不入的。
V11 以色列人看到的是这个巨人如铜墙铁壁，看自己则如一只蚱蜢，好像他们的祖宗当初看到迦南美地的巨人而惊慌害怕那样。以色列人的害怕并非因为听见歌利亚的话，而是因为自己所看见的。我们是否也会因为自己所看见而“惊惶，极其害怕”呢？
二、大卫的倚靠（v.12-30）
V15 大卫是耶西最小的儿子。耶西的三个大儿子都是外表出众、大有能力的人，所以被扫罗招聚来。之前当扫罗被恶魔侵扰的时候，大卫会来为他弹琴，所以他才“离开扫罗回伯利恒，放他父亲的羊”。扫罗没有看重甚至不认识大卫，却看重能够帮助他打仗的那些有能力做事(doing)的人。让我们能够注重我们的生命，看重那些能帮助我们生命成长的人，而不是我们能做什么事或别人能为我们做的事。
V16 整整“四十日” 这两边的人都没有打仗。以色列人没有看到自己是神的军队的呼召，因着害怕，没有一个人出来应战。
V17-18 耶西想要大卫去看看他最爱的3个儿子是否安全，给他报信。
V20 我们应当学习大卫，有牧者的心肠，认真负责，不随意丢下神所托付我们的羊。
很多时候我们注重自己能够得到的好处，却没有记念神的国所发生的事，求神帮助我们不要像耶西那样不关注神家中的事。
V24 仇敌每一天都在张牙舞爪、偷窃毁坏，而我们被神呼召出来在南奥克兰，是否愿意为神走出自己的舒适区，勇敢传福音, 还是害怕人，反而失去自己的呼召？
V25 以色列人记得扫罗跟他们讲的关于奖赏的话，却忘了神借着扫罗给他们的呼召，连扫罗都忘了自己本来也是高大威猛的人。在军队中未战先逃是死罪，但扫罗怕下面的人，所以连军纪都不敢持守。我们作为权柄，是否也因为害怕我们下面牧养的人不喜欢我们而不敢行当行的事？扫罗倚靠的是人，求神帮助我们，当我们遇到又大又难的事时，我们要单单来寻求神。
V26 大卫看扫罗和他的哥哥是“永生神的军队”，扫罗看他们却只是蚱蜢。我们是如何看待自己的教会呢？我们是有永生神来带领的！
V27-28 百姓回复大卫的只是王的赏赐，而他的哥哥则发怒责备他，因为大卫在什么都不是的时候就在众人面前被撒母耳膏抹，这成为他哥哥心里的痛。
V29 大卫觉得自己在这个时刻来，不仅是看望他的哥哥，也要将以色列所受的羞辱拿回来。
V30 大卫没有遵守父亲的吩咐，而是离开哥哥去周围询问。他身为以色列未来的君王，如此义愤填膺，本身没有错，但他此刻的行动其实也是在倚靠自己的血气。当年耶稣12岁时，留在圣殿享受与神同在，但当他地上的父母来找他的时候，他还是顺服地跟他们回去，在神和人的喜爱中长大，直到30岁才出来服事。大卫因为这样不愿意等候他的时刻，看自己想要看的东西，致使他在后来的生命陷入试探，甚至经历家破人亡。我们是否也是这样没有看到神对我们当下的带领，反而导致更惨重的后果？
三、大卫与扫罗都走在血气里（v.31-40)
神呼召扫罗将非利士人赶走，呼召大卫成为以色列人的王。但大卫没有愿意等候神给他的时刻，反而踏入扫罗的命定。神一开始是让大卫做放羊、弹琴这一些安全的事，他膏立大卫本意也并非去打打杀杀，那是扫罗的工作。然而因为这个事件，扫罗时常派大卫出征，大卫也因此能得到人的肯定。如果他愿意等，大卫或许之后就可以为神建殿了。
V34-36 大卫一直在扫罗面前表明自己有多厉害，希望凭着自己的话得到扫罗的赏识。我们有时说会为人祷告或感谢神，是否是发自内心呢？
V38-40 大卫所倚靠的其实只有耶和华，并不是这些外在的东西。
四、神仍然在掌权（v.41-58）
当大卫出来应战的时候，非利士人就藐视他年纪轻。大卫不愿意在神的保护中等待，在还未预备好的时候就走出来。
V45-47 大卫的这一大段话本来应该是扫罗讲的。扫罗从农夫的身份被神拣选出来，为要带领以色列人驱赶非利士人，可是大卫却走进扫罗的时刻。
V54 这场战役一直持续，大卫成为军人，所以有了自己的帐篷。他到耶路撒冷是要拿奖赏。
神的心意是要将非利士人驱赶，虽然扫罗和大卫都没有走在自己的命定和时间里，但神一直在掌权。扫罗不愿意去做神呼召他做的事，神会另外选人来做；大卫不愿意等，神就让他经历逃亡，学习等候。我们不要看环境，而是单单相信神。
*回应祷告：
圣灵借着撒母耳记上第17章对神所爱的儿女们说话。神让我们看到，我们走在血气里，不愿意等候，或者惊慌害怕，或者尝试操控。求神帮助我们愿意放下，跟从他，不看环境，而是刚强壮胆走在神的命定。
我们跟从的是耶稣为我们树立的榜样 – 安静等候30年。让我们走在主你的心跳里，走在你给我们的道路，刚强壮胆跨出去！