骇人的称赞
因仇敌衰败欢喜快乐,不是明智之举,因为“恐怕耶和华看见就不喜悦,将怒气从仇敌身上转过来”(箴言 24:17-18)。可是,当底波拉和巴拉用骇人的话称赞雅亿时,他们做的正是这样的事:“〔她〕击打… 〔她〕打伤… 〔她〕打破…。”他们也以同样的方式来形容他们的仇敌:“〔他〕曲身… 〔他〕仆倒… 〔他〕倒卧… 死亡。”雅亿更被形容为“比众妇人多得福气。”
然而,底波拉和巴拉也呼吁各地的君王(5:3),要畏惧这位全地的伟大君王。他们的诗歌所夸耀的,不是以色列的胜利,乃是耶和华的胜利,祂安排了不寻常的拯救者取得胜利:“耶和华啊,愿你的仇敌都这样灭亡!”神子民的仇敌向来都不单是属血气的,他们的仇敌一向是和仍然是恶魔的势力、权能、和属灵的力量(以弗所书 6:12),这些仇敌拒绝服从耶和华和祂的受膏者耶稣基督(诗篇 2:1-3)。
脱离逼害神子民的权势是很棘手的,因为自古以来的仇敌“如同吼叫的狮子,遍地游行,寻找可吞吃的人”(彼得前书 5:8)。底波拉、巴拉、和启示录18章的天使,因神战胜仇敌而欢喜快乐,就是这个原因。
消灭属血气(我们犯罪的本性)的行为 —— 污秽、仇恨、忌恨 —— 既棘手又是我们不可能做得到的,然而圣灵却会击打、打伤、和打破它们(加拉太书 5:16-25),而它们也将会像在雅亿帐棚中的西西拉那样无力反抗。
主啊,我因你的救恩赞美你;求你藉着你的灵,帮助我死在我犯罪的本性和行为中。阿们。
士师记5:24-31; 启示录18:1-8
24愿基尼人希百的妻雅亿比众妇人多得福气,比住帐篷的妇人更蒙福祉!
25西西拉求水,雅亿给他奶子,用宝贵的盘子给他奶油。
26雅亿左手拿着帐篷的橛子,右手拿着匠人的锤子,击打西西拉,打伤他的头,把他的鬓角打破穿通。
27西西拉在她脚前曲身仆倒,在她脚前曲身倒卧;在哪里曲身,就在哪里死亡。
28“西西拉的母亲从窗户里往外观看,从窗棂中呼叫说:‘他的战车为何耽延不来呢?他的车轮为何行得慢呢?’
29聪明的宫女安慰她,她也自言自语地说:
30‘他们莫非得财而分?每人得了一两个女子。西西拉得了彩衣为掳物,得绣花的彩衣为掠物。这彩衣两面绣花,乃是披在被掳之人颈项上的。’
31耶和华啊,愿你的仇敌都这样灭亡!愿爱你的人如日头出现,光辉烈烈!”这样,国中太平四十年。1此后,我看见另有一位有大权柄的天使从天降下,地就因他的荣耀发光。
2他大声喊着说:“巴比伦大城倾倒了!倾倒了!成了鬼魔的住处和各样污秽之灵的巢穴,并各样污秽可憎之雀鸟的巢穴。
3因为列国都被她邪淫大怒的酒倾倒了,地上的君王与她行淫,地上的客商因她奢华太过就发了财。”
4我又听见从天上有声音说:“我的民哪,你们要从那城出来,免得与她一同有罪,受她所受的灾殃。
5因她的罪恶滔天,她的不义,神已经想起来了。
6她怎样待人,也要怎样待她,按她所行的加倍地报应她,用她调酒的杯加倍地调给她喝。
7她怎样荣耀自己,怎样奢华,也当叫她照样痛苦悲哀;因她心里说:‘我坐了皇后的位,并不是寡妇,决不至于悲哀。’
8所以在一天之内,她的灾殃要一齐来到,就是死亡、悲哀、饥荒。她又要被火烧尽了,因为审判她的主神大有能力。
Terrible Praise
“Most blessed of women be Jael... ” - Judges 5:24
It is not wise to rejoice at the downfall of enemies, “or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them” (Proverbs 24:17-18). But Deborah and Barak do exactly that with their terrible praise of Jael: “She struck... she crushed... she shattered... ” Likewise, they speak of their enemy: “he sank, he fell... he lay... dead.” Jael is described as the “most blessed of women.”
But Deborah and Barak also call on the kings of the earth (5:3) to fear the great King of all the earth. Their song boasts not of Israel’s victories but the Lord’s, by his strangely designed saviors: “So may all your enemies perish, LORD!” The enemies of God’s people were never merely flesh and blood. They always were and continue to be powers and authorities and spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12) that refuse to submit to the Lord and his anointed one, Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-3).
Deliverance from the powers that persecute God’s people is messy because the ancient adversary “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). That’s why Deborah, Barak, and the angel in Revelation 18 rejoice in God’s victories over the adversary.
Killing the works of the flesh (our sinful nature)—impurity, hatred, jealousy—is messy and impossible for us to do, but the Holy Spirit will strike, crush, and shatter them (Galatians 5:16-25). And they will be as powerless as Sisera in Jael’s tent.
I praise you, Lord, for salvation; by your Spirit help me die to the works of my sinful nature. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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