Rev. Daniel Poon
1. V1-9 To Listen
When we say we need to align with God and align with our authority, we need to love and trust them, and to love and trust the brothers and sisters that God brings to us. Only when you are aligned with God can you love the unlovable, otherwise we will not be able to gain strength from God’s rivers of living water and have love that can stand the test. Deborah and Barak did not kill Sisera, but Jael killed him. They were willing to thank God because the enemy was dead and did not regret that they had not killed the enemy with their own hands. They were willing to delight in God alone, not in what they could do themselves. Sometimes when we cannot do things that others do, we stop praising and thanking God, and feel that we are incapable, but only when we are aligned with God can we see God’s deeds. Although we are not the one carrying out the work, we will still be glad and rejoice. Deborah and Barak were willing to align with God. They saw that God’s will was fulfilled and Sisera was destroyed, so they sang songs to worship.
V2, “leaders”, which are also judges. It is not good enough to only have a leader raised up by God, the people also need to “willingly offer themselves”. We often think that we can do whatever we want to follow the path of God, but God keeps teaching us to sacrifice ourselves on earth. If we do everything for our own benefit, we cannot align with God and our authority. Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves?
Deborah was a married lady. She had a husband, but she was willing to accompany Barak to attack Sisera, for he had said in the beginning that he would not go unless Deborah did. A person raised up by God will be willing to sacrifice himself, and Deborah is willing to sacrifice her family and husband to accompany Barak to follow what God had destined for him. Victory is not spoken by the mouth, and not about sitting and watching, but victory is to be walked out. We align with God not through our “doing” mode but our action to willingly offer ourselves.
When our leaders are willing to arise and the people are willing to sacrifice themselves, they can be aligned with God. At first Barak was not fully prepared to respond to God, so Barak did not see God and only saw Deborah. Therefore, when Deborah told him that God had asked him to kill Sisera, he asked Deborah to go with him. A leader should be able to sympathise with the weaknesses of the people under him and accompany them for a while. When the leader was with him, Barak was different, and he gave all glory and praise to God. Leaders must learn to give and be willing to sacrifice.
V4, how do we overcome when we face our weaknesses? We have our own plans and ideas, but how can we lay them aside for God and for our authority? It is to recall how God and our authority led us through mountains and valleys, and how our authority guided us in the past. We need to find gold in the waste (i.e. see things from a positive point of view), and believe that all that God has given us is good.
V6, the situation of Israel at that time.
V7-8, “Village life ceased…”, no one was willing to come out and lead because the Israelites
“chose new gods” in the land of Canaan. The LORD God is the God of their nation of Israel, but they believed what the Canaanites said and had family and personal gods – Baal and Asherah. Are we the same? In the new year, we need to repent and confess our sins and see our weakness and that we are not capable of doing everything, so that we can align with God and our authority, otherwise we will feel that our own way is better than God’s way. Then there is no gratitude, only complaining, and we will not see God’s blessings and our authority’s love for us, and keep on doing what we want to do, which is a great hindrance for ur. Only when we believe in the truth can we arise.
V9, Do we have the “heart” to be “with” the authority God has given us? Do you really believe that our authority loves us? Do you see their sacrifice? Are we willing to listen and believe? When we listen and believe, we will feel loved. Otherwise, we will always feel unloved and unaccepted. This is an important reason that prevents us from arising.
2, V10-18 To Respond
V10, whether you are noble or poor, you need to respond to what verse 9 says, “My heart is with the rulers of Israel，who offered themselves willingly with the people”. When we are in front of people we proclaim how our authority love us，and do not poison other people’s mind by saying that the leaders oppress us, they don’t understand us, or they make us suffer. What we say is praise, and we want people to see the gold in the waste. Only in this way can people be willing to follow our leaders. We must be willing to share the things we are blessed with, and witness how our leaders love us and sacrifice themselves, otherwise people will only enjoy themselves. Do not expect to get love from others, for only when we align with God can we have love to give. When we are willing to respond to God’s calling in Matthew 28, God will provide for us and we will lack nothing. The “sacrifice” that God wants from us is not for us to endure hardship, but to sacrifice our desires from the earth, believing that the Bible is the truth that God has told us.
We often turn what people say (like the principles of psychology) into truth, but the truth is only in the Bible, and it is the light given to us by God. When we search for the light of God’s righteousness and preach about it, people chosen by God will come to us. It is not that we go to find people, but people will come. When we love, trust, and align first, we will be able to arise.
V12, Judges were chosen by God to judge and lead. Deborah was raised up to praise God. Barak was the one raised up by Deborah, so he could “Arise… and lead your captives away.” Therefore, Pastor and Shimu (Pastor’s wife)’s job is to pray and worship before God, preach and praise God’s great deeds in our lives in front of people. And our job is to go out to fight, to take possession of the land, and believe that God has given us the ability and authority to be like fishers of men. Only by willing to sacrifice ourselves can we win the victory.
V13-15, when we arise, God will lead capable people to us. Even Issachar (v15), these servants of God came with Deborah. So those who serve God will respond to the leaders raised by God. We must arise to lead the captives, align with God, the church, and our authority, with love and trust.
V16-17, these were some tribes who had their thinking different from Deborah and Barak. Some living their own lives, doing their own things, staying in their own land, and not responding to God. Reflect upon ourselves today, are we just planning for ourselves, busy with our own affairs, and feeling that what we do is the best?
V18, there were not many people from Zebulun and Naphtali, but they are not afraid of death. Although living in heights was very safe, they were still willing to come down to fight, ” jeopardized their lives to the point of death”. Are we willing to come out of our comfort zone, align with our authority, and sacrifice ourselves?
3. V19-31 To Rise and Fight
V19-24, the battle was difficult, even the kings of Canaan came to fight. God says that we should ” march on in strength!”
V23, Meroz was a refuge. Many Israelites were hiding there and did not want to fight, but God said to curse its inhabitants. 2021 is a time to arise and cross over. We must rise “to the help of the LORD”. God does not need our help, it is our authority that needs help, so we are to help them fulfill the vision and mission given by God, get up to fight, and be willing to sacrifice ourselves.
Although Jael was a Canaanite, she was willing to kill Sisera on the charge of betrayal. Are we really willing not to follow the world and our own desires, but sacrifice our own desires to follow God, and rise to fight, so that the land can have “rest for forty years”?
What God gives us is the blessing and the anointing of the land for inheritance. Shall we get up and fight? Or did we listen to the response, or do our own things and live the lifestyle we want?
Response Prayer:
What God gives us is a rich blessing. It is the beautiful land of Canaan, which makes us fishers of men. We pray that God will help us to listen to and trust in our authority and respond to God’s calling. Our authority is not to hurt us but to love us. The mission given by God is not to make us fail, but to make us trust in God more and not be afraid to be with God. When the people responded to the leadership of Deborah and Barak, sacrificing their desires and easy life, the victory came, and the land had rest for 40 years. In the same way we want to see God’s victory in our lives and respond to God’s calling to us in His kingdom!
2021年1月5日
士师记 5 – 兴起 奋兴
潘锡安牧师
一、V1-9 要听
我们要与神对齐与权柄对齐，就是对他们有爱、有信任，也要爱和信任神带到我们身边的弟兄姐妹。与神对齐的时候才能爱不可爱的人。若没有对齐，就无法从活水江河中获得力量，拥有经得起考验的爱。底波拉和巴拉没有杀死西西拉，西西拉是雅亿杀死的。他们因为敌人死了愿意感谢神，没有因为不是自己亲手杀死仇敌而悔恨。不是因为他们做的，而是他们愿意以神为乐。有时我们做不到的事情别人做了，我们就没法赞美神、感恩神，觉得自己没有能力，但唯有与神对齐的时候，我们才能看到神的作为，虽然不是我们做的，但是仍然会欢喜快乐。底波拉和巴拉愿意与神对齐，他们看见神的心意成就，西西拉灭亡，所以他们做歌。
V2, 军长，原文是leader，只有神兴起的领袖不够，百姓也要甘心牺牲自己。我们常常认为走神的路是可以为所欲为的，但是神不断教导我们在地上要不断牺牲自己。如果我们做每件事情都为了自己的益处的话，我们无法与神和权柄对齐。我们是否有愿意牺牲自己的心？
底波拉是已婚女士，她有丈夫，但是她愿意陪着胆小的巴拉去攻打西西拉。巴拉说，你不去我就不去。一个被神兴起的人，是 愿意牺牲自己的，底波拉愿意牺牲自己的家庭和丈夫陪着巴拉去走神要巴拉走的命定。得胜不是用嘴巴说的，不是坐在一边看，得胜是走出来的。我们借着行动，不是doing，而是愿意牺牲自己的行动来与神对齐。
我们的领袖愿意起来，百姓也愿意牺牲自己的时候，就能与神对齐。起初巴拉还没有完全预备好回应神，所以 巴拉没有看到神，他看到的是底波拉。所以当底波拉跟他说神让他杀死西西拉的时候，他要底波拉与他同去。做领袖的人，要体恤下面的人的软弱，陪他走一段路，当领袖陪着的时候，巴拉就不一样了，他将荣耀颂赞归于神。领袖一定要付出、愿意牺牲。
V4，当我们面对自己的软弱时，如何战胜？我们有自己的计划、想法，但是如何能够为神放下？为权柄放下？就是回想神和权柄如何带我们走过高山低谷，要回想起自己的权柄如何带领着自己。要从大便中找到黄金，相信神给我们的是好的。
V6，当时以色列的光景。
V7-8，“官长停职”，没有人愿意出来带领，因为以色列人相信迦南人的神。耶和华神是以色列人国家的神，但是他们听信迦南人，也需要家庭和个人的神——巴力和亚舍拉。我们是否也是这样？在新的一年，我们需要悔改认罪，看到自己的软弱和不能，才能与神和权柄对齐，否则我们会觉得自己的道路比神的道路更好。没有感恩，只有抱怨，看不到神的祝福和权柄对我们的爱，只是做自己想做的事情，这是很大的拦阻。唯有我们相信真理，才能兴起来。
V9，我们真的愿意将心“倾向”于神给我们的权柄吗？真的相信权柄爱我们吗？是否看到他们的牺牲？我们是否愿意听而相信？当我们听而相信，我们就会觉得被爱，否则，永远觉得自己不被爱、不被接纳，这是拦阻我们被兴起的重要原因。
二、V10-18要回应
V10，无论你是尊贵的、贫困的，都要回应第九节说的，我们的心要倾向以色列的首领，他们都是在我们当中牺牲自己。我们在人面前宣扬权柄是爱我们的。不要在人面前放毒，说领袖欺压我们、不明白我们、让我们吃苦。我们说出来的是赞美，要人看见粪堆里的黄金，唯有如此，人才愿意跟从我们的领袖。我们要愿意分享我们被祝福的事情，见证我们的领袖是如何爱我们、牺牲自己，不然人只会享乐。不要期待从他人身上得到爱，我们与神对齐，就有爱给出来。当我们愿意回应神在马太福音28章的呼召，神会供应我们，让我们一无所缺。神要我们牺牲不是要我们吃苦，牺牲自己的意思是牺牲我们从地上来的欲望，相信圣经是神跟我们说的真理。真理的牺牲不是doing，而是牺牲在地上的欲望。
我们往往会将人讲的东西、心理学的道理变成真理，但真理唯独在圣经中，是神给我们的亮光。当我们搜寻神公义的亮光，当我们去讲的时候，神所拣选的人会来到我们这里。不是我们去找人，而是人是会来。唯有爱、信任、对齐，兴起奋兴才属于我们。
V12，士师，是神拣选做审判和带领的。底波拉被兴起是要赞美神。巴拉是底波拉兴起的人，所以应当去“奋兴，掳掠你的敌人”。因此牧师师母要做的是在神面前祷告敬拜，在人前宣讲、赞美神在我们生命的大作为。而我们要出去争战，得地为业，相信神已经给我们能力和权柄去得人如鱼，唯有愿意牺牲自己，才能得胜。
V13-15，我们奋兴的时候，神会带领有能力的人来到我们当中。甚至V15以萨迦，这些服侍神的人都与底波拉同来。所以服侍神的人都会回应神兴起的领袖。我们要奋兴掳掠仇敌，与神、教会和权柄对齐，有爱和信任。
V16-17，有一批人在溪水旁，他们是吕便人，他们的想法与底波拉、巴拉不一样。还有但人、基利人和亚设人，在过自己的生活，做自己的事情，安居在自己的地上，没有回应神。今天我们是不是在为自己谋算，忙自己的事情，觉得自己要做的才是最好的？
V18，西布伦人、拿弗他利人不多，但是他们不怕死。虽然住在高处很安稳，但愿意下来争战，“拼命敢死”。我们是否愿意从自己的舒适圈里出来，与权柄对齐，牺牲自己？
三、V19-31 要起来争战
V19-24，争战很难，连迦南的君王都来争战。神说我们“应当努力前行”。
V23，米罗斯是避难所，当时很多以色列人躲在那里，不想争战，但是神说要咒诅他们。2021年是兴起跨越的时候，我们要起来帮助耶和华。其实耶和华不需要帮助，是我们的权柄需要帮助，帮助他完成神给的异象使命，起来争战，愿意牺牲自己。
虽然雅亿是迦南人，但是她愿意背着背叛的罪名，杀死西西拉。我们是否真的愿意不跟从世界和自己的欲望，牺牲自己的欲望跟从神，起来争战，这样就使“国中太平四十年“。
神给我们的是祝福和得地为业的恩膏。我们要不要起来争战？还是听了回应了，还是做我们自己的事情，过自己要的生活方式？
回应：
神给我们的是丰盛的祝福，是迦南美地、得人如得鱼。求神让我们能听和信任权柄，回应神给我们的呼召。权柄不是伤害我们，是爱我们。使命不是为了打到我们，而是让我们更加信靠神，与神同在就不害怕。当百姓回应底波拉和巴拉的带领，放下自己的与欲望和安逸时，得胜就来到，国中太平40年。我们要看到神在我们生命的得胜，回应神在神国给我们的呼召。