《士師vs自私》Day 13
據理力爭的參孫
1 過了些日子，到割麥子的時候，參孫帶着一隻山羊羔去看他的妻，說：「我要進內室見我的妻。」他岳父不容他進去， 2 說：「我估定你是極其恨她，因此我將她給了你的陪伴。她的妹子不是比她還美麗嗎？你可以娶來代替她吧！」 3 參孫說：「這回我加害於非利士人不算有罪。」 4 於是參孫去捉了三百隻狐狸，將狐狸尾巴一對一對地捆上，將火把捆在兩條尾巴中間， 5 點着火把，就放狐狸進入非利士人站着的禾稼，將堆集的禾捆和未割的禾稼，並橄欖園盡都燒了。 6 非利士人說：「這事是誰做的呢？」有人說：「是亭拿人的女婿參孫，因為他岳父將他的妻給了他的陪伴。」於是非利士人上去，用火燒了婦人和她的父親。 7 參孫對非利士人說：「你們既然這樣行，我必向你們報仇才肯罷休。」 8 參孫就大大擊殺他們，連腿帶腰都砍斷了。他便下去，住在以坦磐的穴內。
9 非利士人上去安營在猶大，布散在利希。 10 猶大人說：「你們為何上來攻擊我們呢？」他們說：「我們上來是要捆綁參孫；他向我們怎樣行，我們也要向他怎樣行。」 11 於是有三千猶大人下到以坦磐的穴內，對參孫說：「非利士人轄制我們，你不知道嗎？你向我們行的是甚麼事呢？」他回答說：「他們向我怎樣行，我也要向他們怎樣行。」 12 猶大人對他說：「我們下來是要捆綁你，將你交在非利士人手中。」參孫說：「你們要向我起誓，應承你們自己不害死我。」 13 他們說：「我們斷不殺你，只要將你捆綁交在非利士人手中。」於是用兩條新繩捆綁參孫，將他從以坦磐帶上去。 14 參孫到了利希，非利士人都迎着喧嚷。耶和華的靈大大感動參孫，他臂上的繩就像火燒的麻一樣，他的綁繩都從他手上脫落下來。 15 他見一塊未乾的驢腮骨，就伸手拾起來，用以擊殺一千人。 16 參孫說：我用驢腮骨殺人成堆，用驢腮骨殺了一千人。17 說完這話，就把那腮骨從手裏拋出去了。那地便叫拉末利希。18 參孫甚覺口渴，就求告耶和華說：「祢既藉僕人的手施行這麼大的拯救，豈可任我渴死、落在未受割禮的人手中呢？」 19 上帝就使利希的窪處裂開，有水從其中湧出來。參孫喝了，精神復原；因此那泉名叫隱‧哈歌利，那泉直到今日還在利希。 20 當非利士人轄制以色列人的時候，參孫作以色列的士師二十年。(士師記十五1-20)
1 Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, “I’m going to my wife’s room.” But her father would not let him go in. 2 “I was so sure you hated her,” he said, “that I gave her to your companion. Isn’t her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead.” 3 Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” 4 So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, 5 lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. 6 When the Philistines asked, “Who did this?” they were told, “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. 7 Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.” 8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.
9 The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. 10 The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?” “We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.” 11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?” He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.” 12 They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.” 13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. 14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. 16 Then Samson said, “With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.” 17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi. 18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. 20 Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. (Judges 15:1-20)
9 The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. 10 The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?” “We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.” 11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?” He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.” 12 They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.” 13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. 14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. 16 Then Samson said, “With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.” 17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi. 18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. 20 Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. (Judges 15:1-20)
敵人：非利士人
士師：參孫 (Samson)
被欺壓時間：40年
國中太平時間：不詳
分享：昨天提到參孫因為謎語被揭穿，就濫殺無辜，更一怒之下離開了剛娶的妻，回到父家去了。然後，他岳父將其妻子許配他人。因此，參孫再次「合理地」把其他非利士人的橄欖園盡都燒了(參v.4-5)。然後，這一舉動升溫至國家層面，非利士人要求猶大人交出參孫，引發出另一個「看似合理」的舉動，就是猶太人在不加害參孫的情況下把他交給非利士人。當參孫用驢腮骨擊殺一千非利士人後，第三個「看似合理」的要求出現了，是參孫的禱告：「祢既藉僕人的手施行這麼大的拯救，豈可任我渴死、落在未受割禮的人手中呢？」(參v.18)
各位，如果這段記載讓你看得有點頭昏腦脹的話，大概是正常的事，因為這段記載的確讓人摸不着頭腦。一個接一個「看似合理」的舉動，實際上卻是毫無道理。這樣的記載給予我們兩個提醒：一，人總是按自己的想法行事。參孫岳父的一廂情願、參孫的無理取鬧、猶太人的獨善其身、參孫的討價還價⋯⋯ 一切都只是按自己的想法而行，其實一切並不合理。
二，這些「合理」使人驕傲。參孫竟然「合理」地說「這回我加害於非利士人不算有罪。」(參v.3)，又以輕慢的態度向上帝討價還價(參v.18)，一切也是源於他認為自己合理。
在當今的社會裡，「合理」這個詞常常被用來為個人的行為辯護。但聖經教導我們的是追求「真理」。耶穌說：「我就是道路、真理、生命」(參約翰福音十四6)，這提醒我們「真理」並不隨個人或時代的看法而改變，而是根植於上帝的旨意和權能裡。作為基督徒，我們需要小心，不要被「合理」的標準所左右，而是要以「真理」作為行動的依據。我們要在真理的基礎上據理力爭，堅持上帝的標準，而不是隨波逐流地追求個人的利益或世俗的價值觀。
基督徒的據理力爭應該是：根據「真理」竭力與魔鬼爭戰！
反思與實踐：在日常生活中，你是否常常以「合理」為行事標準？試著將自己的行為與聖經的教導相對照，看看哪些地方需要調整。
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢今天提醒我們要謹慎行事，不被世俗的「合理」所迷惑，而是追求祢的真理。求祢賜給我們謙卑的心，讓我們在面對各種挑戰時，堅持以祢的話語為我們的指引。以上禱告，奉主耶穌得勝的名求，阿們。
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