有所克制
在申命记的这段经文中,我们发现神给祂的子民提出了有关打仗的指引。我们可能会想,为什么神允许他的子民去打仗呢?这是一个具有挑战性和令人不安的问题,但这段经文的主要观点是,如果神的子民必须去打仗,他们就要克制,不要破坏他们所遇到的一切。
这是一个革命性的观念,不幸的是,今天我们仍然经常看到,凡是发生战争的地方,几乎所有的东西都会被摧毁。所以上帝制定了新的做事方法,为受造物带来公义,包括树木。
人们常常推理说,如果要引入一种新的秩序,从某些方面来说,彻底整顿或推倒一切,比保留原有旧秩序的某些元素要容易得多。但根据申命记的准则,这样做只会造成不应有的伤害和不必要的损失。例如,如果以色列人把一座城市围困起来,毁掉它所有的果树,那么无论是城中的人还是前进的军队,都不能从果实中获益。
这里所概述的伦理道德,与怜悯和同情、智慧和克制有关。当我们从耶稣基督的角度来看这段经文时,我们认识到,耶稣也呼吁我们要有一种表现出克制、怜悯和同情的生活方式。
造物主神,我们看到你关心你所造的一切。请帮助我们欣赏你传递给你的百姓的护理伦理,使我们能够以耶稣的方式明智地生活。阿们。
申命记 20
1“你出去与仇敌争战的时候,看见马匹、车辆,并有比你多的人民,不要怕他们,因为领你出埃及地的耶和华你神与你同在。
2你们将要上阵的时候,祭司要到百姓面前宣告,
3说:‘以色列人哪,你们当听!你们今日将要与仇敌争战,不要胆怯,不要惧怕战兢,也不要因他们惊恐。
4因为耶和华你们的神与你们同去,要为你们与仇敌争战,拯救你们。’
5官长也要对百姓宣告说:‘谁建造房屋,尚未奉献,他可以回家去,恐怕他阵亡,别人去奉献。
6谁种葡萄园,尚未用所结的果子,他可以回家去,恐怕他阵亡,别人去用。
7谁聘定了妻,尚未迎娶,他可以回家去,恐怕他阵亡,别人去娶。’
8官长又要对百姓宣告说:‘谁惧怕胆怯,他可以回家去,恐怕他弟兄的心消化,和他一样。’
9官长对百姓宣告完了,就当派军长率领他们。
10“你临近一座城,要攻打的时候,先要对城里的民宣告和睦的话。
11他们若以和睦的话回答你,给你开了城,城里所有的人都要给你效劳,服侍你。
12若不肯与你和好,反要与你打仗,你就要围困那城。
13耶和华你的神把城交付你手,你就要用刀杀尽这城的男丁。
14唯有妇女、孩子、牲畜和城内一切的财物,你可以取为自己的掠物。耶和华你神把你仇敌的财物赐给你,你可以吃用。
15离你甚远的各城,不是这些国民的城,你都要这样待他。
16但这些国民的城,耶和华你神既赐你为业,其中凡有气息的,一个不可存留,
17只要照耶和华你神所吩咐的,将这赫人、亚摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人都灭绝净尽,
18免得他们教导你们学习一切可憎恶的事,就是他们向自己神所行的,以致你们得罪耶和华你们的神。
19“你若许久围困,攻打所要取的一座城,就不可举斧子砍坏树木。因为你可以吃那树上的果子,不可砍伐。田间的树木岂是人,叫你糟蹋吗?
20唯独你所知道不是结果子的树木,可以毁坏、砍伐,用以修筑营垒,攻击那与你打仗的城,直到攻塌了。
Restraint
"Do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit." – Deuteronomy 20:19
In this passage in Deuteronomy we find the Lord giving his people guidelines about going to war. We might wonder why God allowed his people to go to war at all. That is a challenging and unsettling question, but the main point of this passage is that if God's people had to go to war, they were to use restraint and not destroy everything in their path.
This was a revolutionary idea, and unfortunately still today we often see that wherever war takes place, nearly everything in the area is destroyed. So God instituted new ways of doing things that introduced justice for created things, including trees.
People have often reasoned that if they are going to introduce a new order, it's easier in some ways to totally overhaul or bulldoze everything rather than to preserve some elements of the old existing order. But doing that, according to the guidelines in Deuteronomy, would only cause undue harm and unnecessary damage. If the Israelites put a city under siege and destroyed all its fruit trees, for example, then no one, either in the city or in the advancing army, could benefit from the fruit.
The ethic being outlined here has to do with mercy and compassion, wisdom and restraint. As we view this passage through the lens of Jesus Christ, we recognize that Jesus also calls us to a way of life that shows restraint, mercy, and compassion.
Creator God, we can see that you care for everything you have made. Help us to appreciate the ethic of care you instilled in your people, and enable us to live wisely in the way of Jesus. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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