January 13, 2021
Rev. Daniel Poon
1. V1-5 The Weaknesses of Leaders
V1-2, God raised up two judges to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, from Othniel (“the lion of God”) chosen at the very beginning to Torah (meaning a “worm”) of the present day, who lived in Shamir, a place of hardships. God raises up a “worm” and made him judge, which was quite different from the standard by which people choose their leaders. Let us be reminded that it is by the grace of God that He has chosen us, and not by our power. Therefore we need to serve God with greater humility and gratitude. In this way, the more I follow the path of God, the lighter I feel, because I put down my mask in front of people and walk as a faithful and good servant, even if when I cannot see the road ahead. Torah led the Israelites for 23 years. The Bible does not record that there is peace in the country, and he died in this situation. Like a worm in the thorns, he was raised up because of God’s mercy, but no testimony could be seen from his life. We see God’s election and mercy, and God gives opportunities, but do we cherish and take the opportunity to make a difference?
V3-5, God gave Jair 22 years, one year less than the previous one. He had 30 sons, who had 30 donkeys, and all of whom were very noble. They all had 30 cities, and their own family became a town. In the 22 years of his reign, his family continued to grow. As a result, the judge focused on his own family and his children, each of whom was rich and honoured, instead of focusing on his leadership given by God.
2. V6-9 The Weaknesses of People
V6, Does God choose us and gives us gifts to build our own towns for our children, or to serve God faithfully? Those judges did not build the lives of the Israelites, instead, they only looked after themselves and the needs of their children. We need to ask God to help us see where our hearts and minds are. Are they in our passions, in our children, or in God’s kingdom?
The Israelites served Baal and Ashtaroth, because they were constantly influenced by the Canaanites, but the Canaanites were not influenced by the Israelites. This is like our situation today. We are willing to humbly follow the leadership of the LORD God, which also means we can easily follow the world. Therefore, we must watch and pray so that we do not seek the world but the kingdom of God. Israel had her own God, and after seeing God constantly protects and leads, not only did she fail to follow Him, but instead abandoned her own God and followed the imaginary gods. This is the same temptation and problem people including Christians are facing in 2021. They are not willing to delight in God alone.
V7-9, Since then, from the time they forsook God, the protection of God also left them. The Israelites suffered for 18 years. They survived for 18 years on their own strength. Do not just preach God’s love and mercy and fail to see God’s righteousness. God will not harm us, will let us go. Without God’s protection, the world will come to annoy us until we are “severely distressed.”
3, V10-18 Return and Seek
V10, the Israelites said that they had forsaken God, sinned against God, and served Baal. After 18 years of suffering, they did not see the problems in their lives to truly confess their sins and repent. Verse 6 tells us that they also worshipped Ashtaroth – an idol representing lust. But in verse 10, they did not confess this sin. Nowadays we do not think it is a sin to indulge in our lust, we still hold on to Ashtaroth, refusing to go through hardship or to be under pressure. However, God never promises us that we will be happy when we serve God. What He has promised us is His peace and presence. in. Are we willing to lay down Ashtaroth? Lay down our desires, align with God and our authority? This time, God did not immediately raise up judges to save them after their confession.
V13, God finally could not tolerate this. The original text of this verse had a very heavy tone, so God was saying that I will no longer save you. It is enough! If we only talk about the mercy of God, Jesus does not need to come again-because upon His second coming He will judge us first, so we need to watch and be alert.
V14, God asked the Israelites to cry out to the gods they had chosen. It is sad to read this verse. The Israelites knew that these gods could not help them. But God also knew that the Israelites had kept Ashtaroth, for God knows everything in our hearts.
V15, The people of Israel only saw the difficulties before them, not their own lives. Today, we Christians allow the teaching of the world to be mixed into the church. Instead of standing in the truth, we only care about people’s needs. After many lessons, the people of Israel still set their mind on their lives. God has always been talking about relationship, but the Israelites only talked about how to solve their problems. They did not say “God, do not leave us”. They did not value the relationship with God. They valued their own desires instead of the relationship between the Father and children. This is also the problem encountered by the church today. We want God to smile at us and solve our problems without valuing our relationship with Him.
V16, God can see our duplicity when our heart and actions do not match with our words. As a loving Father, “His soul could no longer endure” because of the suffering of the Israelites.
V17, we want to use our own methods to make ourselves leaders. Twenty-three years had passed but the twelve tribes did not learn from their lessons, and there was no teaching from the two judges to change their lives. They still focused on personal emotions. Although people are like this, God still does not want to see us fall. People are unfaithful, but God’s love never changes.
We ask God to help us find true love, and the God who loves us, value the relationship with God, and live our life for Him.
Response:
Our lives no longer belong to ourselves, but to God alone. Help us not to value our own matters and not to just enjoy the benefits and entertainment from the world. Let us see that we are still in connection with the false gods of the world. We cannot let go of our desires and needs. We regard ourselves and our family as more important than God’s house, so we ask the Lord for forgiveness. May the light of God continue to shine into our hearts, let us no longer just live in sin and indulge in our lust, let us stand in the word of God, declaring the LORD is the only true God. We take up the sword of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus, cut off our connection with Baals and Ashtaroth, and let God’s love and truth fill us, His true light, true feeling, true relationship will also come! We no longer just follow people behind but will align with the authority and the church. No longer indulge in our problems, but step out of all the impossible, and enter the promised land!
2021年1月13日
士师记 10 – 低处 * 回转
潘锡安牧师
一、V1-5 领袖的软弱
V1-2，神兴起了两个士师，在以色列十二支派做审判。从开始的俄陀聂（“上帝的狮子“）到今天的陀拉（一条”虫”的意思）。陀拉住在在很难居住的地方沙密。上帝兴起一条虫，成为审判官，这与人选择领袖的标准非常不一样。我们要警醒，神能过够拣选我们，是出于神的恩典，不是因为我们的能力。我们要更加谦卑，带着感恩的心去服侍神。这样就越走神的道路，越轻省，因为我在人面前放下自己的面具，做一个忠心良善的仆人，就算前面没有路，仍然要走。陀拉带领以色列人23年，圣经没有说国中太平，他就这样死了。在荆棘中的一条虫，因为神的怜悯他被兴起，但是看不到有任何的见证。我们看到神的拣选和怜悯，神给机会，但是我们是否有珍惜、抓紧机会去改变？
V3-5，神给睚珥的时间是22年，比之前的一条虫少1年。他有30个儿子，每个儿子有30匹驴驹，都是很尊贵的。他们都还有30个城邑，他们自己的家庭已经成为了一个村落。在位22年，他的家不断庞大，结果这位士师将注意力放在了自己的家，他的孩子每个都是尊荣、富有的，却没有专心做领袖的工作。
二、V6-9 人的软弱
V6，今天神拣选我们，给我们恩赐，是为了给自己的儿女建立自己的村落，还是忠心地服侍神？这些审判官没有建造以色列人的生命，他们只顾着自己和儿女的需要。求神帮助我们看到我们的心思意念在哪里，是在我们的情欲里，还是我们的儿女身上？
以色列人侍奉巴力和亚斯她录，以色列人不断被迦南人影响，但是迦南人没有被以色列人影响。这就是今天的我们，我们愿意谦卑跟从耶和华神的带领，但也容易跟随世界的王，所以要警醒祷告，让我们不要寻找世界，而要寻求神的国。一个民族有自己的神，看到这个神不断保守和带领，不但没有跟从，反而离弃自己的神，去跟从想象出来的神。这就是2021年人类面对的试探、问题，也是今天基督徒面临的问题，不愿意单单以神为乐。
V7，从那时起，从他们离弃神的时候，神的保护就离开了他们。以色列人足足受苦了18年。他们靠自己的力量撑了18年。不要只宣讲神的慈爱怜悯，看不到神的公义。神不会加害我们，他只会任凭我们离开，没有神的保护，世界就来了，直到我们“甚觉窘迫”。
三、V10-18 回转寻求
V10，以色列人说，我们离弃了神，得罪了神，去侍奉巴力。18年的苦之后，他们并没有看到自己生命的问题，认罪悔改。第6节讲到了他们也拜亚斯她录，放纵情欲。所以第10节，他们并没有承认自己拜亚斯她录。我们不觉得放纵情欲是罪，还是保留着亚斯她录，不愿意受苦、不愿意有压力，但是神从来没有应许我们服侍神是开心、快乐的，但是神应许我们有平安和有他的同在。我们有没有愿意放下亚斯她录？放下我们的情欲，与神对齐，与权柄对齐？这次，神没有因他们认罪就马上兴起士师拯救他们。
V13，神面对以色列人，终于受不了了，原文是非常重的语气，所以神说我不再救你们了。No more, enough，够了。如果我们只讲神的慈爱，耶稣就不需要再来 – 因为他再来的时候要先审判我们，所以要警醒。
V14，神让以色列人去哀求那些他们选择的神。看到这个经文，我很难过。以色列人知道，这些神无法帮助他们。神也知道以色列人留下了亚斯她录，神什么都知道。
V15, 以色列人只看到他们面前的困难，没有看到自己的生命。今天我们基督徒让世界的教导混进教会，没有在真理中站立，反而体贴人的需要。以色列人经过这么多的教训，他们仍然体贴他们现在的生命。神一路讲的是关系，但是以色列人一路讲的是如何解决问题、“doing”，他们没有讲“神啊，不要离开我们”，他们不看重与神的关系，他们看重自己的情欲，而非看重父与子的关系。这也是今天教会遇到的问题，我们希望神笑脸对着我们，解决我们的问题，而不看重与神的关系。
V16，神看见我们口是心非，说冠冕堂皇的话，表面一套，背后一套，他因以色列人受的苦难，就如慈爱的父亲一样心中担忧。
V17，我们想用自己的方法，自立领袖。23年过去，十二支派没有吸收到教训，没有从两个士师而来的教导来改变他们的生命，还是注重于个人的情绪，虽然人如此，但是神还是没有愿意看见我们堕落，还是为我们担忧，神的爱不改变。人不可靠，但是神的爱永不改变。
求神帮助我们寻找真正的爱，真正爱我们的神，看重与神的关系，为主而活。
回应：
我们的生命不再属于自己，单单属于神，帮助我们看重的不是自己和私事，不要只享受从世界来的好处和娱乐，让我们看到自己还是在跟属世的假神的连结，面对问题舍不下自己的欲望和需要，我们看自己和家人比神的家更重要，求主赦免。神的光继续照亮我们心中，让我们不再只是活在罪中，享受罪中之乐，让我们站立在神的话语中，耶和华是独一真神，拿起圣灵的宝剑，奉耶稣的名，砍断与诸巴力和亚斯她录的连结，看到主的慈爱，寻求神和真理、真光、真感觉、真关系，不再只是跟在人后面，与权柄对齐与教会对齐，不再在问题中打转，踏出一切的不可能，进入到应许之地。