《士師vs自私》Day 14

重複犯錯的參孫

1  參孫到了迦薩,在那裏看見一個妓女,就與她親近。 2 有人告訴迦薩人說:「參孫到這裏來了!」他們就把他團團圍住,終夜在城門悄悄埋伏,說:「等到天亮我們便殺他。」 3 參孫睡到半夜,起來,將城門的門扇、門框、門閂,一齊拆下來,扛在肩上,扛到希伯崙前的山頂上。

4 後來,參孫在梭烈谷喜愛一個婦人,名叫大利拉。 5 非利士人的首領上去見那婦人,對她說:「求你誆哄參孫,探探他因何有這麼大的力氣,我們用何法能勝他,捆綁剋制他。我們就每人給你一千一百舍客勒銀子。」 6 大利拉對參孫說:「求你告訴我,你因何有這麼大的力氣,當用何法捆綁剋制你。」 7 參孫回答說:「人若用七條未乾的青繩子捆綁我,我就軟弱像別人一樣。」 8 於是非利士人的首領拿了七條未乾的青繩子來,交給婦人,她就用繩子捆綁參孫。 9 有人預先埋伏在婦人的內室裏。婦人說:「參孫哪,非利士人拿你來了!」參孫就掙斷繩子,如掙斷經火的麻線一般。這樣,他力氣的根由人還是不知道。 10 大利拉對參孫說:「你欺哄我,向我說謊言。現在求你告訴我當用何法捆綁你。」
11 參孫回答說:「人若用沒有使過的新繩捆綁我,我就軟弱像別人一樣。」 12 大利拉就用新繩捆綁他,對他說:「參孫哪,非利士人拿你來了!」有人預先埋伏在內室裏。參孫將臂上的繩掙斷了,如掙斷一條線一樣。 13  大利拉對參孫說:「你到如今還是欺哄我,向我說謊言。求你告訴我,當用何法捆綁你。」參孫回答說:「你若將我頭上的七條髮綹,與緯線同織就可以了。」 14 於是大利拉將他的髮綹與緯線同織,用橛子釘住,對他說:「參孫哪,非利士人拿你來了!」參孫從睡中醒來,將機上的橛子和緯線一齊都拔出來了。15 大利拉對參孫說:「你既不與我同心,怎麼說你愛我呢?你這三次欺哄我,沒有告訴我,你因何有這麼大的力氣。」 16 大利拉天天用話催逼他,甚至他心裏煩悶要死。 17 參孫就把心中所藏的都告訴了她,對她說:「向來人沒有用剃頭刀剃我的頭,因為我自出母胎就歸上帝作拿細耳人;若剃了我的頭髮,我的力氣就離開我,我便軟弱像別人一樣。」 18 大利拉見他把心中所藏的都告訴了她,就打發人到非利士人的首領那裏,對他們說:「他已經把心中所藏的都告訴了我,請你們再上來一次。」於是非利士人的首領手裏拿着銀子,上到婦人那裏。 19 大利拉使參孫枕着她的膝睡覺,叫了一個人來剃除他頭上的七條髮綹。於是大利拉剋制他,他的力氣就離開他了。 20 大利拉說:「參孫哪,非利士人拿你來了!」參孫從睡中醒來,心裏說:「我要像前幾次出去活動身體」;他卻不知道耶和華已經離開他了。 21 非利士人將他拿住,剜了他的眼睛,帶他下到迦薩,用銅鍊拘索他;他就在監裏推磨。 22 然而他的頭髮被剃之後,又漸漸長起來了。(士師記十六1-22)

1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.” 3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” 7 Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” 8 Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. 9With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. 10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.” 11 He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. 13 Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric 14and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. 15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” 16With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. 17 So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. 20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. (Judges 16:1-22)

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:在聖經中,記載了參孫的三段情,分別是亭拿女子、迦薩妓女及梭烈谷大利拉。其中關於亭拿女子(參士師記十四1-19)及梭烈谷大利拉 (參士師記十六4-22) 的記載較長,也有其相似之處。對比兩處記載,讓我們看到參孫重複犯上同一錯誤 *。首先,參孫都深愛他們;然後,兩位女子也被非利士人要求去誆哄參孫;繼而,兩位女子都是以愛作威迫的藉口;最後,參孫最後都就範了。

經歷是相似的,但結局卻是截然不同。亭拿女子那次,參孫說出了謎底之後,輸的是三十件裏衣,三十套衣裳;但大利拉那次,參孫說出了自己力量的秘密之後,輸的是一雙眼睛,更被收在監裡。看著這兩次事件,有人會這樣形容:「參孫在重複犯錯,他並沒有從教訓中成長。」筆者認為參孫的問題不單是重複犯錯,更是毫不在乎重複犯錯。第一次輸了,他運用上帝給他的武力輕易地解決問題。因此,來到第二次經歷,縱使明知大利拉是要誆哄他的力量秘密,他也不介意就範,大概參孫認為自己可以像以往一樣,以武力解決一切。

可惜,今天的犯錯並非像他的想像一樣,可以用自身的能力解決,因為「耶和華已經離開他了」,他唯有束手就擒。這次犯錯不單止讓參孫失去一雙眼睛,更重要是失去上帝的同在。上帝一次又一次加力量給參孫,希望他拯救以色列人,但參孫一直都只是使用力量滿足自己 (濫殺無辜及報復等)。最後,在他不知道的情況下,「耶和華已經離開他了」!

作為基督徒,我們應該從參孫的故事中學習,避免重蹈覆轍。上帝賜給我們才能、恩賜和力量,目的不是讓我們滿足自己的私慾,而是為了榮耀祂,造福他人。我們要謹慎,不要輕看每一次犯錯,我們犯錯不致滅亡,全是出於上帝的恩典,祂仍在給我們機會。但煩請不要濫用上帝的恩典,否則上帝可能會靜悄悄的離去。

各位請小心:不要重複犯錯,更不要不介意重複犯錯。

* 參孫重複犯錯比較表

反思與實踐:上帝給你什麼恩賜?你有否善用這恩賜來榮神益人?

禱告:親愛的天父,感謝祢通過參孫的故事提醒我們,謙卑順服在祢的引導下。求祢幫助我們認識自己的軟弱,賜我們力量不再重複犯錯,並在試探中選擇順服祢。願我們的生命能夠榮耀祢,並在祢的愛中不斷成長。以上禱告,奉主耶穌得勝的名求,阿們。

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