当答案是否定时

作者:每日箴言   来源:普世佳音

“扫罗求问耶和华,耶和华却不 … 回答他。” - 撒上 28:6

扫罗又要与以色列民的敌人非利士人再次打仗了。见到敌方的军队时,“扫罗 … 就惧怕,心中发颤。”他想求问耶和华应该怎样做,可是耶和华没有回答他。扫罗需要有人的指点,但先知撒母耳已年老去世了,扫罗于是决定使用一个交鬼的灵媒,来尝试召回已故的撒母耳来与他沟通。

扫罗说服隐多珥的交鬼妇人,为他念咒召唤撒母耳上来。尽管神已吩咐百姓不可以这样做(利未记 19:31; 20:6),但扫罗还是做了。

年纪老迈的撒母耳告诉扫罗,耶和华已从他手里夺去国权,并把它赐与大卫了。非利士人要击败以色列,扫罗和他的众子也要阵亡。扫罗听了便仆倒在地上,他“因撒母耳的话甚是惧怕。”

神对扫罗说“不”,是期待唤醒他和阻止他按照他自己的意愿行事,但是扫罗肯听吗?

我们很多时也是这样,神对我们说“不”,或许是衪要获得我们的注意力的方式、叫我们放下有害的选择并另辟一条路。我们需要有什么事情发生,才会信靠和服从神呢?

祷告

主啊,我不喜欢听到我自己的计划失败的消息。我力求通过自己的行事方式来取得成功,求你赦免。又求你帮助我,接受你所说的“不”和顺服你的计划,因为你的计划会带给我的目标和前途能够尊你为大。阿们。

撒母耳记上 28:3-20

3那时撒母耳已经死了,以色列众人为他哀哭,葬他在拉玛,就是在他本城里。扫罗曾在国内不容有交鬼的和行巫术的人。
4非利士人聚集,来到书念安营,扫罗聚集以色列众人在基利波安营。
5扫罗看见非利士的军旅就惧怕,心中发颤。
6扫罗求问耶和华,耶和华却不藉梦,或乌陵,或先知回答他。
7扫罗吩咐臣仆说:“当为我找一个交鬼的妇人,我好去问她。”臣仆说:“在隐多珥有一个交鬼的妇人。”
8于是扫罗改了装,穿上别的衣服,带着两个人,夜里去见那妇人。扫罗说:“求你用交鬼的法术,将我所告诉你的死人,为我招上来。”
9妇人对他说:“你知道扫罗从国中剪除交鬼的和行巫术的,你为何陷害我的性命,使我死呢?”
10扫罗向妇人指着耶和华起誓说:“我指着永生的耶和华起誓:你必不因这事受刑。”
11妇人说:“我为你招谁上来呢?”回答说:“为我招撒母耳上来。”
12妇人看见撒母耳,就大声呼叫,对扫罗说:“你是扫罗,为什么欺哄我呢?”
13王对妇人说:“不要惧怕,你看见了什么呢?”妇人对扫罗说:“我看见有神从地里上来。”
14扫罗说:“他是怎样的形状?”妇人说:“有一个老人上来,身穿长衣。”扫罗知道是撒母耳,就屈身,脸伏于地下拜。
15撒母耳对扫罗说:“你为什么搅扰我,招我上来呢?”扫罗回答说:“我甚窘急。因为非利士人攻击我,神也离开我,不再藉先知或梦回答我。因此请你上来,好指示我应当怎样行。”
16撒母耳说:“耶和华已经离开你,且与你为敌,你何必问我呢?
17耶和华照他藉我说的话,已经从你手里夺去国权,赐予别人,就是大卫。
18因你没有听从耶和华的命令,他恼怒亚玛力人,你没有灭绝他们,所以今日耶和华向你这样行。
19并且耶和华必将你和以色列人交在非利士人的手里,明日你和你众子必与我在一处了。耶和华必将以色列的军兵交在非利士人手里。”
20扫罗猛然仆倒,挺身在地,因撒母耳的话甚是惧怕。那一昼一夜没有吃什么,就毫无气力。

When The Answer Is No

"[Saul] inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him. . . ." - 1 Samuel 28:6

英语音频 English Audio

Saul had to fight with Israel’s enemy the Philistines again. And when he saw the opposing army, “he was afraid; terror filled his heart.” He wanted to ask the Lord about what he should do, but the Lord did not respond to him. Saul needed advice, but old Samuel the prophet was dead. So Saul decided to use a medium, a spiritist, to try to communicate with the spirit of Samuel from the dead.

Saul persuaded a medium at Endor into conjuring up the spirit of Samuel for him. Though God had told his people not to do this (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6), Saul did it anyway.

Old Samuel told Saul that the Lord had torn the kingdom from him and given it to David. The Philistines would crush Israel, and Saul and his sons would die. When Saul heard this, he fell to the ground, “filled with fear because of Samuel’s words.”

God’s no to Saul was an attempt to wake him up and turn him away from trying to get his own way. But would Saul listen?

Oftentimes for us too, the Lord’s no might be his way of trying to get our attention to repent from destructive choices and choose a different path. What will it take for us to trust and obey God?

Prayer

Lord, I don’t like to hear that my plans won’t work out. Forgive me for pushing for my own way. Help me to receive your no as a yes to your plans that will give me a purpose and a future that honors you. Amen.

诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳


发布日期:2021-11-17