《士師vs自私》Day 09
多此一舉的耶弗他
29 耶和華的靈降在耶弗他身上，他就經過基列和瑪拿西，來到基列的米斯巴，又從米斯巴來到亞捫人那裏。30 耶弗他就向耶和華許願，說：「你若將亞捫人交在我手中，31 我從亞捫人那裏平平安安回來的時候，無論甚麼人，先從我家門出來迎接我，就必歸你，我也必將他獻上為燔祭。」32 於是耶弗他往亞捫人那裏去，與他們爭戰；耶和華將他們交在他手中，33 他就大大殺敗他們，從亞羅珥到米匿，直到亞備勒‧基拉明，攻取了二十座城。這樣亞捫人就被以色列人制伏了。
34 耶弗他回米斯巴到了自己的家，不料，他女兒拿著鼓跳舞出來迎接他，是他獨生的，此外無兒無女。35 耶弗他看見她，就撕裂衣服，說：「哀哉！我的女兒啊，你使我甚是愁苦，叫我作難了；因為我已經向耶和華開口許願，不能挽回。」36 他女兒回答說：「父啊，你既向耶和華開口，就當照你口中所說的向我行，因耶和華已經在仇敵亞捫人身上為你報仇」；37 又對父親說：「有一件事求你允准：容我去兩個月，與同伴在山上，好哀哭我終為處女。」38 耶弗他說：「你去吧！」就容她去兩個月。她便和同伴去了，在山上為她終為處女哀哭。39 兩月已滿，她回到父親那裏，父親就照所許的願向她行了。女兒終身沒有親近男子。40 此後以色列中有個規矩，每年以色列的女子去為基列人耶弗他的女兒哀哭四天。(士師記十一29-40)
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” 32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. 33He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” 36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” 38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite tradition 40that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. (Judges 11:29-40)
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.” 36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” 38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite tradition 40that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. (Judges 11:29-40)
敵人：非利士人和亞捫人
士師：耶弗他 (Jephthah)
被欺壓時間：18年
國中太平時間：不詳
分享：在耶弗他 (Jephthah) 拯救以色列人的過程中發生了一件小插曲，就是他向上帝的許願。聖經明明記載了「耶和華的靈降在耶弗他身上」，但他仍然要向上帝許願，許願內容大概是只要上帝「真的」將敵人交在他手中，他就會將先從家門出來迎接他的人獻於主。(參v.29-31)
「耶和華的靈降在某人身上」是打勝仗的保證。耶弗他卻仍向上帝許願，帶來了悲慘的結果。這樣的許願行徑，至少犯了三個嚴重問題。第一，耶弗他只是透過許願作為交換，這顯示他信心不足。第二，禱告的內容「我也必將他獻上為燔祭」，這並不合乎上帝的心意。第三，他又豈會想不到第一個出來迎接他的一定是他的家人？而當回家見到第一個迎接者是他女兒時，他彷彿要將責任歸咎於女兒 (或者只是純粹發晦氣)，這都顯示了耶弗他的莽撞和缺乏深思熟慮。
各位，其實這一段「許願插曲」對整件戰事毫無幫助。相反，只是徒然地增加了耶弗他一家的悲傷。歸根究底，這都是信心的問題，信心不足就很容易畫蛇添足，在上帝完美的計劃裡，耶弗他真是多此一舉， 這也是任意妄為的寫照。
曾有一位肢體，他不斷祈求上帝給他考試成功，經歷了一段時間的禱告後，他更作出交換的禱告：「如果我考試成功，我定必會參與更多事奉。例如⋯⋯」本身以事奉作為交換條件，已經是很大的問題 (注意：這跟為了回應上帝的愛而事奉不一樣，這完全是出於條件交換。)。再加上考試成功後的他，又嫌自己的「許願內容」太重，他不想 (不能) 承擔更多⋯⋯ 請緊記，上帝的保守是出於祂的憐憫和愛，而並不需要人作出任何不必要的行動。
各位，讓我們同來操練信心的功課，不要畫蛇添足。
反思：你今天的信心如何？你曾否做了一些多此一舉的事？
禱告：親愛的天父，求祢幫助我們更加信靠祢，在信靠裡不需要做一些多此一舉的事。要學習全心地相信祢，否則浪費時間、甚至後悔的，一定會是我們自己。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
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