《撒母耳的多重角色》Day 01
童子撒母耳 — 讓神的話不落空
1 童子撒母耳在以利面前事奉耶和華。當那些日子，耶和華的言語稀少，不常有默示。2 一日，以利睡臥在自己的地方；他眼目昏花，看不分明。3 神的燈在神耶和華殿內約櫃那裏，還沒有熄滅，撒母耳已經睡了。4 耶和華呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳說：「我在這裏！」5 就跑到以利那裏，說：「你呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利回答說：「我沒有呼喚你，你去睡吧。」他就去睡了。6 耶和華又呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來，到以利那裏，說：「你呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利回答說：「我的兒，我沒有呼喚你，你去睡吧。」7 那時撒母耳還未認識耶和華，也未得耶和華的默示。8 耶和華第三次呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來，到以利那裏，說：「你又呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利才明白是耶和華呼喚童子。9 因此以利對撒母耳說：「你仍去睡吧；若再呼喚你，你就說：『耶和華啊，請說，僕人敬聽！』」撒母耳就去，仍睡在原處。
10 耶和華又來站著，像前三次呼喚說：「撒母耳啊！撒母耳啊！」撒母耳回答說：「請說，僕人敬聽！」11 耶和華對撒母耳說：「我在以色列中必行一件事，叫聽見的人都必耳鳴。12 我指著以利家所說的話，到了時候，我必始終應驗在以利身上。13 我曾告訴他必永遠降罰與他的家，因他知道兒子作孽，自招咒詛，卻不禁止他們。14 所以我向以利家起誓說：『以利家的罪孽，雖獻祭奉禮物，永不能得贖去。』」
15 撒母耳睡到天亮，就開了耶和華的殿門，不敢將默示告訴以利。16 以利呼喚撒母耳說：「我兒撒母耳啊！」撒母耳回答說：「我在這裏！」17 以利說：「耶和華對你說甚麼，你不要向我隱瞞；你若將神對你所說的隱瞞一句，願祂重重地降罰與你。」18 撒母耳就把一切話都告訴了以利，並沒有隱瞞。以利說：「這是出於耶和華，願祂憑自己的意旨而行。」19 撒母耳長大了，耶和華與他同在，使他所說的話一句都不落空。20 從但到別是巴所有的以色列人都知道耶和華立撒母耳為先知。21 耶和華又在示羅顯現；因為耶和華將自己的話默示撒母耳，撒母耳就把這話傳遍以色列地。(撒母耳記上三1-21)
神是個靈，所以拜祂的必須用心靈和誠實拜祂。(約翰福音四24)
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it He said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in his eyes.” 19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through his word. And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. (1 Samuel 3:1-21)
God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
分享：出生於各人任意而行的士師時代晚期，童子撒母耳在《撒母耳記上》中所記的數個片段卻好像與外面敗壞、混亂的世界毫不相干，充滿了和平和真摯。「孩子撒母耳漸漸長大，耶和華與人越發喜愛他」(撒上二26)，這究竟是怎樣的一回事呢？
大家還記得撒母耳的母親哈拿在神前許願說若神賜她一個兒子，她必讓兒子終身歸與神嗎？然而，當時的聖殿卻不是適合小孩子健康成長的環境：祭司以利兩個兒子藐視神的祭物，與會幕門前伺候的婦人苟合，又有神人預言以利家中必永遠沒有老年人。(參撒上二)
想來小撒母耳都將這些惡劣的境況看在眼裡，但童子卻仍在聖殿中長成神和人喜愛的樣子。孩童撒母耳雖然不認識神，但他在祭司的指示下，以「僕人敬聽」回應神的呼召。就是用這種單純真摯的態度聆聽神的聲音，孩童撒母耳的成長得到神的同在。
「使他所說的話一句都不落空」(撒上三19) 表面上是說撒母耳所說的話，但實際上，這反映了撒母耳恭敬地將神的說話都聽進去了，又如實地分享出來，讓神的話不致落空。 正如經文所記「耶和華將自己的話默示撒母耳，撒母耳就把這話傳遍以色列地。」(撒上三21)
哈拿最初的還願是讓兒子歸與神，讓他在聖殿裡敬拜耶和華，而小撒母耳因著單純的聆聽和回應神的呼喚，早已完成了母親的誓願。「神是個靈，所以拜祂的必須用心靈和誠實拜祂。」(約翰福音四24) 原文是指「在神的靈和真理中敬拜」，即人倚靠著神的帶領和呼召，按神的真理去敬拜神。這也是撒母耳與祭司以利兩個兒子的最大分別。
今天我們何嘗不是處於道德敗壞、背離神道的世代呢？讓我們學習撒母耳單純地敬聽神的話，如實地將神的道分享出來，讓神的說話不致落空。
反思：我聽到神對我的呼喚嗎？就讓我以「僕人敬聽」作回應。
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過孩童撒母耳敬拜祢、認識祢的故事，讓我重新看到依靠著祢的帶領和真理去敬拜的重要性。就讓我以「僕人敬聽」的態度謙卑聆聽，又如實將祢的道分享和行出來，讓祢的話永不落空。奉主名求，阿們。
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