旧约 - 士师记(Judges)第1章

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?"
The LORD answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands."
Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, "Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours." So the Simeonites went with them.
When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites.
Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills.
They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.
From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).
And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher."
Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?"
She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." Then Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.
Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.
The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron--each city with its territory.
The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.
As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.
The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.
Now the house of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz),
the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, "Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well."
So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family.
He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.
Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.
Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor.
Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob,
and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land.
Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them.
The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.
And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor.
The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.
士师记第一章   第 1 章 

  士 1:1> 以色列进入了士师时代…… 

  1:1 以色列人终于进入美地,占领了神应许他们列祖之地(参创 12:7 ;出 3:16-17 )。约书亚记讲到以色列人攻占迦南地,士师记是它的续集。以色列人靠神的大能,征服了许多仇敌,也胜过许多困难,但是任务并未完成。他们虽然英勇地战胜政治上和军事上的许多挑战,但是灵性上的挑战却最难应付。迦南人的生活极荒淫,却有诱惑力,对以色列人来说这比军事力量还危险。神的百姓屈服于这种引诱,放弃坚持自己的宗教信仰。如果我们想单单以人的力量来面对人生的种种挑战,就会发现四周的压力与诱惑力太大,令自己无法抗拒。 

  士 1:1> 约书亚去世,对以色列人有哪些影响? 

  1:1 约书亚死后不久,以色列人就开始失去对迦南地的控制权。约书亚虽然是伟大的军事家,但他的属灵领导对百姓的重要性更甚于军事技巧;他曾使百姓专心一意地仰望神和祂的旨意,而不是高举自己。在新旧领导人青黄不接的时候,以色列人理应明白,不管领导人是谁,真正的领导者乃是神。我们常常把盼望与信心放在有影响力的领导人身上,却不知道实际上乃是神在发号施令。要承认神是你的总司令,免得受试探,过分倚靠领袖,不管他们有怎样的属灵智慧,都无法跟神相比。 

  士 1:1> 迦南人是些什么人?他们有些什么特点? 

  1:1 迦南人是住在迦南地(应许之地)的所有民族。他们皆住在以城为邦之地,各城有自己的政府、军队与法律。迦南地不易征服的原因之一,就是必须逐个将各个城市攻下,没有一个王能够一下子将所有城镇交在以色列人手中。 

  迦南对以色列人最大的威胁,并不是他们的军队,而是宗教。迦南人的宗教显明许多罪性,包括残酷的战争、不道德的性生活、自私贪婪和注重物质。那是凡事“以我为首,其他皆为次”的社会。显然,以色列人的宗教不能与之共存。 

  1:2 约书亚记讲到以色列人迅速而彻底地打败迦南军队、攻占他们的城市;而从士师记看,似乎他们用了较长的时间,逐步征服那地。以色列人刚进入应许之地(参书 1-12 )的时候,他们联合一致,打败当地居民,使敌人无力还击。以后,他们将那地分给十二个支派(参书 13-24 ),由各支派赶出自己境内的余民。士师记中讲述他们未能克尽全功。 

  有些支派比较成功。在约书亚率领之下,开始时人人坚强,但是大多数人很快因为惧怕、厌倦、缺少纪律或追逐本身的利益而偏离正轨,结果是“各人任意而行”( 17:6 )。要使我们的信仰坚立,就必须天天操练,落实到生活的各方面。当心虎头蛇尾,开始时坚强,以后却偏离信仰真正的目的──爱神并为祂而活。 

  士 1:6> 砍断亚多尼比色手脚的大拇指,是否他罪有应得? 

  1:6 以色列人砍掉亚多尼比色手脚的大拇指,羞辱他并使他不能作战。但是按照神的吩咐,对于这种攻击应许之地的仇敌,应当将之处死。 

  以色列的士师 

  士 1:12-15> 迦勒的品质当中有哪些是你欣赏的? 

  1:12-15 约书亚记 15 章 16 至 19 节也记载了这事件。迦勒是最初派去窥察迦南地的十二个探子之一(参民 13-14 ),他与约书亚回来报好信息,劝百姓去占领那地。因着他的忠心,他得到自己所选之地。 

  犹大人攻占地土 

  士 1:17> 神为什么吩咐将迦南人逐出他们的土地? 

  1:17 神的命令似乎残忍,不过以色列人只是奉神之命,对这些恶人执行惩罚而已。神要惩罚外族人的罪,正如祂曾惩罚以色列人之罪,叫他们在旷野飘流四十年后才准进入应许之地一样。早在七百多年以前,神就告诉亚伯拉罕,迦南地的居民恶贯满盈,必受刑罚,以色列人要进入那应许之地(参创 15:16 )。不过神并不偏袒以色列人,当他们也堕落,变得跟他们所要赶出之民一样邪恶时,他们也受到严厉的处罚(参王下 17 ; 25 ;耶 6:18 ; 19 ;结 8 )。神并不偏待人,世上万族都领受祂的赦免,正如也受祂公义的审判一样。 

  士 1:19> 当时的铁车好比今日的坦克…… 

  1:19 迦南人用马拉的铁车,是当时最先进的武器。以这种疾驶的铁车向以色列的步兵冲来,他们就招架不住,所以他们喜欢在山地作战,因为铁车不能在那里驰骋。 

  士 1:21-36> 胜利在望时要一鼓作气去夺取。以色列人的教训有哪些? 

  1:21-36 以色列中好几个支派都未能把邪恶的迦南人从所得之地赶走。他们为什么没有贯彻执行神的命令呢?( 1 )战事已久,心中厌战。胜利虽已在望,但他们缺少纪律与活力,故未能达成目标。( 2 )惧怕强敌,看铁车是令人生畏的无敌武器。( 3 )约书亚死后,权力由中央分散到各支派的首领身上,各支派不再紧密团结,同心同德。( 4 )灵命衰退,从内部腐蚀他们。他们以为自己能应付试探诱惑,再者与迦南人通商可以致富。 

  我们也是一样,常常未能将生命中的罪除掉。知道当做的事,却未能做彻底,结果使我们与神的关系逐渐疏远。我们面对争战常感精疲力尽,想休战,此时我们需要从神支取力量,一鼓作气取得胜利。祂对我们各人的一生都有个计划,只要照着祂的旨意生活,就能得胜。──《灵修版圣经注释》