《士師vs自私》Day 03
對正焦點的底波拉
1 以笏死後，以色列人又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事， 2 耶和華就把他們付與在夏瑣作王的迦南王耶賓手中；他的將軍是西西拉，住在外邦人的夏羅設。 3 耶賓王有鐵車九百輛。他大大欺壓以色列人二十年，以色列人就呼求耶和華。
4 有一位女先知名叫底波拉，是拉比多的妻，當時作以色列的士師。 5 她住在以法蓮山地拉瑪和伯特利中間，在底波拉的棕樹下。以色列人都上她那裏去聽判斷。 6 她打發人從拿弗他利的基低斯將亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉召了來，對他說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝吩咐你說：『你率領一萬拿弗他利和西布倫人上他泊山去。 7 我必使耶賓的將軍西西拉率領他的車輛和全軍往基順河，到你那裏去；我必將他交在你手中。』」 8 巴拉說：「你若同我去，我就去；你若不同我去，我就不去。」 9 底波拉說：「我必與你同去，只是你在所行的路上得不着榮耀，因為耶和華要將西西拉交在一個婦人手裏。」於是底波拉起來，與巴拉一同往基低斯去了。 10 巴拉就招聚西布倫人和拿弗他利人到基低斯，跟他上去的有一萬人。底波拉也同他上去。
11 摩西岳父何巴的後裔，基尼人希百曾離開基尼族，到靠近基低斯、撒拿音的橡樹旁支搭帳棚。12 有人告訴西西拉說：「亞比挪菴的兒子巴拉已經上他泊山了。」 13 西西拉就聚集所有的鐵車九百輛和跟隨他的全軍，從外邦人的夏羅設出來，到了基順河。 14 底波拉對巴拉說：「你起來，今日就是耶和華將西西拉交在你手的日子。耶和華豈不在你前頭行嗎？」於是巴拉下了他泊山，跟隨他有一萬人。 15 耶和華使西西拉和他一切車輛全軍潰亂，在巴拉面前被刀殺敗；西西拉下車步行逃跑。 16 巴拉追趕車輛、軍隊，直到外邦人的夏羅設。西西拉的全軍都倒在刀下，沒有留下一人。(士師記四1-16)
1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.
4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. 12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. (Judges 4:1-16)
4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. 12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. (Judges 4:1-16)
敵人：迦南王耶賓
士師：底波拉 (Deborah)
被欺壓時間：20年
國中太平時間：40年
分享：今天要分享第三位士師是底波拉 (Deborah)。同樣的士師循環 *：以色列人因再次行惡被上帝交在迦南王耶賓手中，被壓迫了二十年，然後呼求上帝的拯救，於是上帝興起底波拉成為士師。底波拉是聖經中唯一的女士師。放眼現今男女平等的世代裡，女性領袖並沒有什麼特別，但對於當時社會來說，這卻是非常難得的。
底波拉既是一位士師，也是一位先知。她召集巴拉並將上帝的命令告訴他：「率領一萬人上他泊山，上帝會將西西拉交在你中。」巴拉卻要求底波拉與他同去，否則他不會獨自出去。底波拉答應了，並且預言西西拉最終會被一個女人所擊敗。(參士師記四6-9) 這裡是一個顛覆世界概念的記載。當時男女並不平等，本應是驍勇善戰的男性 (巴拉) 沒有膽量出戰，相反要女性 (底波拉) 同行；而女性卻是毫無懼色地接受出戰的邀請，成為了發號施令的統帥，並大勝軍備強大 (鐵車九百輛) 的另一男性 (西西拉)。
《士師記四》刻意地營造出幾個對比：底波拉雖然是拉比多的妻，卻全心全意為以色列人判斷是非 (參v.4-5)；底波拉雖然是女性，卻比男性勇敢 (參v.6-9) ，更在戰爭中發號施令 (參v.14) ；有人認為，底波拉的事蹟正是為女性發聲，男女平等是必須的。在此，筆者無意深究男女平等的議題，卻希望帶出一個鐵一般的事實：底波拉知道依靠上帝便無所懼怕。她只是全心全意地依靠上帝而拯救以色列人，其他的議題對她來說並不重要，因為她的焦點只有一個：跟隨上帝！這也是底波拉最值得被記念的特質。
執筆之時，正值奧運進行中。我常常思想：究竟一個運動員的焦點是什麼呢？應該是努力不懈為冠軍而付出，而不應該被獎金獎品、政治立場、平權運動等議題分散焦點。原來在今天的世代裡，要抓緊焦點、不被分心、努力前行，絕不容易呢！
反思與實踐：今天我們的信心如何？事奉主的焦點正確嗎？請專注於耶穌所頒布的大使命，努力不懈地Save One More，不要被其他事情、議題分散了我們傳福音的焦點！
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過底波拉的見證，讓我們明白到專心跟隨祢的重要性！求祢讓我們在事奉的路上忠心跟隨祢，不被其他的議題分心，只管向着標桿直跑，為要得着祢的喜悅。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
* 士師循環包括：犯罪 ＞ 懲罰 ＞ 呼求 ＞ 拯救 ＞ 太平
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