《撒母耳的多重角色》Day 05
先知撒母耳 — 聽命勝於獻祭
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。(撒母耳記上三19-21)
22 撒母耳說：耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從祂的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。23 悖逆的罪與行邪術的罪相等；頑梗的罪與拜虛神和偶像的罪相同。你既厭棄耶和華的命令，耶和華也厭棄你作王。(撒母耳記上十五22-23)
22 只是你們要行道，不要單單聽道，自己欺哄自己。23 因為聽道而不行道的，就像人對著鏡子看自己本來的面目，24 看見，走後，隨即忘了他的相貌如何。25 惟有詳細察看那全備、使人自由之律法的，並且時常如此，這人既不是聽了就忘，乃是實在行出來，就在他所行的事上必然得福。(雅各書一22-25)
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 3:19-21)
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)
分享：先知的職責是傳講上帝的信息，扮演著教導和啟示的角色。事實上，聖經中對撒母耳的描述，也離不開先知的職責。終其一生，他也向以色列人指教善道正路，引導他們敬畏神和盡心事奉祂 (參撒上十二23-24)。
撒母耳其中一段發人心省的教導便記載在《撒母耳記上》十五章。掃羅沒有按神的吩咐滅盡亞瑪力人及他們所有的，反而留下殘忍好殺的亞瑪力王及上好的牲畜，還稱這是用作獻予耶和華。先知撒母耳無懼掃羅王的身份，也不墨守於自己也有的祭司職份，放膽地說：「耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從祂的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。」(撒上十五22) 正如這星期所讀的那樣，撒母耳生命的每一個角色也是順服神和聽命於神的呼召，他也將這教導傳遞予神的子民。這不單顛覆當時以色列人的理解，也提醒了我們聽從神教導的重要。
所謂「聽命」並不只是聽，而是服從、遵行，是真正將神的教導行出來，這自然比獻祭更重要。十九世紀著名佈道家司布真 (Charles Spurgeon)曾說：「對於基督徒來說，知道自己的責任，良心受到啟發，但卻忽視了它，這並不是甚麼新鮮事！」神留下來的話語並不只是讓我們受到感動和啟發，而是真的將教導活出來。聖經中也明確劃分聽道與行道的不同，其中最生動的比喻可見「只是你們要行道，不要單單聽道，自己欺哄自己。因為聽道而不行道的，就像人對著鏡子看自己本來的面目，看見，走後，隨即忘了他的相貌如何。」(雅各書一22-24)
你有否以積極參與教會、遵守十一奉獻等來討神喜悅？是的，你做的不錯，但你能做得更好，就是對神的教導全然順服。別忘記，撒母耳留給我們其中一項最重要的教導是「聽命勝於獻祭」。
反思：在神的教導中，有哪些總是讓我不敢正視？這是否因為我不想聽命而行呢？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過撒母耳留下「聽命勝於獻祭」的教導。就讓我重新檢視自己的生命，不要再自己欺哄自己，順服在祢腳前，全然聽命。奉主名求，阿們。
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