《士師vs自私》Day 02
左手便利的以笏
12 以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，耶和華就使摩押王伊磯倫強盛，攻擊以色列人。 13 伊磯倫招聚亞捫人和亞瑪力人，去攻打以色列人，佔據棕樹城。 14 於是以色列人服事摩押王伊磯倫十八年。15 以色列人呼求耶和華的時候，耶和華就為他們興起一位拯救者，就是便雅憫人基拉的兒子以笏；他是左手便利的。以色列人託他送禮物給摩押王伊磯倫。 16以笏打了一把兩刃的劍，長一肘，帶在右腿上衣服裏面。 17 他將禮物獻給摩押王伊磯倫（原來伊磯倫極其肥胖）； 18 以笏獻完禮物，便將擡禮物的人打發走了， 19 自己卻從靠近吉甲鑿石之地回來，說：「王啊，我有一件機密事奏告你。」王說：「迴避吧！」於是左右侍立的人都退去了。 20 以笏來到王面前；王獨自一人坐在涼樓上。以笏說：「我奉上帝的命報告你一件事。」王就從座位上站起來。 21 以笏便伸左手，從右腿上拔出劍來，刺入王的肚腹， 22 連劍把都刺進去了。劍被肥肉夾住，他沒有從王的肚腹拔出來，且穿通了後身。 23 以笏就出到遊廊，將樓門盡都關鎖。24 以笏出來之後，王的僕人到了，看見樓門關鎖，就說：「他必是在樓上大解。」 25 他們等煩了，見仍不開樓門，就拿鑰匙開了，不料，他們的主人已死，倒在地上。26 他們躭延的時候，以笏就逃跑了，經過鑿石之地，逃到西伊拉； 27 到了，就在以法蓮山地吹角。以色列人隨着他下了山地，他在前頭引路， 28 對他們說：「你們隨我來，因為耶和華已經把你們的仇敵摩押人交在你們手中。」於是他們跟着他下去，把守約旦河的渡口，不容摩押一人過去。 29 那時擊殺了摩押人約有一萬，都是強壯的勇士，沒有一人逃脫。 30 這樣，摩押就被以色列人制伏了。國中太平八十年。(士師記三12-30)
12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. 20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. 24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead. 26While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 28 “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. (Judges 3:12-30)
敵人：摩押王伊磯倫
士師：以笏 (Ehud)
被欺壓時間：18年
國中太平時間：80年
分享：今天要分享第二位士師是以笏 (Ehud)，他的故事有點像中國荊軻刺秦王的故事。當以色列人行惡離棄上帝，經歷了摩押王以磯倫的壓迫十八年後，最終他們呼求上帝的拯救。於是，上帝興起了以笏作士師拯救他們。
正所謂「擒賊先擒王」，以笏計劃了一個刺殺摩押王的計劃，假借送禮及稟告機密事為由，來到王面前刺殺他。這計劃其中一個重要因素是他的左撇子特質，讓人防不勝防。然後，以笏帶領以色到人在約旦河的渡口制服了摩押人。他清楚地指出一個事實：「因耶和華已經把你們的仇敵摩押人交在你們手中。」(參士師記三28)上帝使用了以笏的左撇子特質，幫助他完成對以磯倫的刺殺計劃，並帶領以色列人脫離摩押的壓迫。同時，以笏亦清楚知道，是上帝將仇敵交在他們手中，沒有什麼可誇。
各位，上帝可以使用我們的任何特質來完成祂的計劃，即使是我們認為不尋常或微不足道的能力，也可能在關鍵時刻成為上帝拯救的工具。關於左撇子，人也有不同的理解。有人認為左撇子是不平常的事，因為右撇子才是「常態」；但也有人認為左撇子與眾不同，更有研究指出左撇子更聰明。然而，從聖經提醒我們：「我們原是祂的工作，在基督耶穌裏造成的，為要叫我們行善，就是上帝所預備叫我們行的。」(以弗所書二10) 我們都是上帝造成的，是左撇子或是右撇子也好，有什麼特質也好，都是祂為我們預備，要叫我們行善。
很多人會透過以下三方面界定自己的高低：潮流的趨勢、別人的意見，或是上帝的真理。上帝今天透過左撇子以笏提醒我們：「神生我才必有用」。你願意順服上帝的創造，被上帝大大使用，然後高舉祂的名嗎？
反思與實踐：你今天有什麼與別不同之特質？為什麼上帝要給你這些特質？請在教會中發揮你獨得的恩賜，榮神益人吧！
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過以笏的故事教導我們寶貴的功課。求祢幫助我們認清並培養我們的特質，在日常生活中使用這些特質來榮神益人。當我們面對困難和挑戰時，求祢賜給我們勇氣和智慧，讓我們能夠依靠祢所給予的特質得勝。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
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