Tuesday, 17th January 2023
Rev Daniel Poon
Section One V1 In the Darkness
V1 ‘Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.’ The Israelites had gone back to do their evil things. They were the chosen people, the ones being called, but they continued to walk in darkness and wicked ways. They knew they had to follow God, but they went back to do evil things in the eyes of God. He continues to lead us out of darkness and into the light, to get out of the lies of this world and into the truth. But again, and again we fall back, and we forgot about His teaching.
Furthermore, a lot of times, when we walk away from God, we still think we are walking in God’s Way. Our eyes are blind, and our lives are still in the darkness. Do not think that we are spiritual, but to see the problems in our lives. Are we carrying out the wicked ways of the world? Are we worshipping the idols of the world and make ourselves the king? When the Israelites went back to their evil ways, God put them in the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
Section Two V2-23 To Be Alert
V2 ‘Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.’ Samson was born in the small tribe of Dan, from a family without children. But God used his life to talk to us today. God loves us even when we walk away from Him and stop listening to us, He still saves us even before we call out to Him. He is our loving Father, and He doesn’t give up on us.
V4 ‘Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.’ Manoah was Samson’s father, and the name Manoah means ‘rest’. The name of Samson’s mother was not mentioned, but here it says that God told Samson’s mother to be alert and to look into her life. She was ashamed because she had no child, but God wanted to use her and wanted her life to be right before He gave her a son. The wine and unclean things represent the things of the world.
When we complain about God not giving us a marriage or giving us children, we must look into our lives first, are there things that are unclean? Are there things God wants to deal with in our lives? God told us to be alert, to see into our lives, so we can receive the blessings God wants to give to us.
V9 ‘And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.’ God heard the prayer of Manoah, but when God came to him, he was not there. Are we where we should be? God wants to talk to us and give us answers to our prayers, but we are not there to receive the Word of God. God wants to give us rest, but not to take a rest from God!
V13-14 ‘So the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”’ From Manoah’s answer, it seems that he disrespected his wife. When we don’t have a connection with God, we look down on ourselves and others. Manoah did not hear the Word of God then he responded blindly, even though his name means ‘rest’, he lived in the blindness.
When the head of the house was not being alert, his wife and his son also went astray, and we come to know later that the life of Samson was full of trials, ups and downs. Do we know that we have sinned against God? Do we know that we are walking in the wicked ways in God’s eyes?
Section Three V24-25 God Blesses
V24 ‘So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.’ God blessed Samson when he grew up, he wanted to bless him in the tribe of Dan, the place God has chosen him. V25 ‘And the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.’ God puts us in the Zion Bread of Life Church today, He wants to bless us here and let us shine for Him here. God’s Spirit began to move in Samson and made him uneasy, just like how God’s Spirit also made Pharoah felt uneasy during Moses’ time. God did not want Samson to live in the life of enjoyment, but to be the vessel of God.
God wants to stir us up, to fly high like an eagle for Him, He is making our spirit uneasy, so we will not stay in our comfort zone, but to be used by Him. Let us me alert and hear the Word of God for us today.
士师记 13 – 耶和华拯救
2023年1月17日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
士师记最后记载的士师参孙是出自一个被人看不起的、最小的“但”支派，这几章的经文也不断述说参孙的生命。这对我们来说有很重要的属灵意义。神从十二支派中拣选最微不足道的但支派，借着一个原本“生不出来”的家庭对我们的教会说“耶和华拯救”。
一、v.1 在黑暗中
我们很容易会觉得神的拯救是在我们的祷告中发生，其实耶和华的拯救也在黑暗中。
本节的“又”字说明以色列人之前已经回转跟从神，只是他们“又”犯罪离开神。神已经带我们走出我们的迷茫、黑暗，但我们停留在光明中有多久呢？我们愿意谦卑行在神的带领下多久呢？我们还以为自己走在神的话语中，却不知道其实我们“又行耶和华眼中看为恶的事”。在以赛亚书60章一开始神已经提醒，我们都在黑暗中。我们被拣选不是因为自己特别好，所以我们要看到自己生命的问题，看到我们在行拜偶像、自立为王这些恶事。
“四十年”有很重要的属灵意义，摩西在旷野的四十年被神模塑，以色列人在旷野四十年被神训练，求神帮助我们不要用那么久的时间才预备好回到神面前。
二、v.2-24 当谨慎
我们不要以为神会因为我们做了什么而施行拯救。我们都在迷茫、谎言中，但神是慈爱的阿爸父，他会拯救我们。当他在黑暗中为我们出手的时候，我们就要谨慎。
V2 “玛挪亚”意思是是“安息”，他的妻子有不孕不育的症状，活在羞愧中，被当时的人看不起。
V3-5 神知道我们的真实生命，我们不要试图躲避，而要“谨慎”。“清酒浓酒”代表世界的享乐，“用剃头刀剃他的头”表示一个人要成为世界的祭司，神明确跟参孙的母亲说，虽然你生不出孩子，被别人被自己看不起，却仍要谨慎，让自己的生命与这个世界分开，因为神拣选成你的儿子为拯救以色列人脱离非利士人的士师。虽然我们就是那不怀孕不生育的妇人，没有带领门徒、没有在属灵的国度生养众多，但神现在没有责怪或处理我们过去的生命，而是提醒我们要谨慎，因为我们要开始生育，并且这个“儿子”不是让我们扬眉吐气，而是成为拯救。我们是否将神的祝福据为己有？还是能跟着神的带领、谨慎行事？
V6-9 神已经清楚指示玛挪亚的妻子，但玛挪亚还是让神跟他再说一次。神听到玛挪亚的祷告后就派使者去了“田间”，可惜，一个男人本该出现、工作的地方，玛挪亚却不在那里。求神帮助我们知道自己应该在哪里。我们的祷告是真心的吗，还是满足自己的欲望？当神回应我们祷告、临到我们的时候，我们是否在那里等候？不要像玛挪亚那样成为一个缺席的丈夫。
V11 玛挪亚提到自己妻子的时候只说“这妇人”，说明他打从心里就看不起自己的妻子，让她独自在田间干活。然而，无论我们的生命有多黑暗，神都会显明自己给我们看，亲自说“是我”。我们是否愿意去听他、跟从他?
V12 玛挪亚没有听到使者具体讲过什么，却直接说“愿你的话应验”，说明他活在蒙蔽当中。他重复问使者已经指示过的事，说明他是一个缺席的丈夫、父亲，活在自己的蒙蔽当中。虽然他的名字一直被提及，但他并不是真正的“安息”，没有与神建立真正的关系。
V16 神的使者不接受玛挪亚所讲的那一套，因为山羊羔是只有献给神的，而玛挪亚如此说，显然他不认识神。
V17 直到如今，玛挪亚仍然不信使者说的话。虽然参孙在神的怜悯中被拣选，但他之后的生命一塌糊涂，这与他的父亲有很大的关系。让我们不要成为缺席的父亲，而要与神连接，让我们的儿女在耶和华的拯救中得到祝福。
V18 “奇妙”就是无法了解的意思，因为玛挪亚眼中无神，他只有世界，所行的是耶和华眼中看为恶的事，就无法了解神。
V21 这事之后玛挪亚才确定那真是神的使者，他也知道自己之前所行的是神眼中的恶事，所以说自己“必要死”。
V23 我们确实得罪了神，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，然而，我们是否鉴察自己的生命，并保持谦卑、警醒？
三、v.24-25 神赐福
耶和华的拯救不是控诉或压制我们，而是让我们在他所拣选的地方蒙祝福。
V24 参孙名字的意思是太阳，他不是小小的光，而是如太阳般的光辉。耶和华神来了，就像太阳一样发光照耀我们。
V25 耶和华是在“玛哈尼但”赐福给参孙，就是在神为参孙所拣选的支派中间，神的灵才感动他。感动的原文是“驱使”，我们被神“驱使”的时候，会感到“不安”（参：创世纪41:8讲到法老“不安”- 这个词与本节的“驱使”相同)。耶和华的灵驱使参孙，因为神不要参孙活在享乐里以致失去神的命定。神要我们生养众多，他给我们这些产业不是让我们享受在我们的情欲、舒适当中,而是搅动我们，让我们能如鹰展翅上腾。神要使用我们的教会，我们如何面对神的呼召？