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撒母耳记生命读经 · 第11篇

撒母耳的历史（四）扫罗在征服亚玛力人之事上的不顺从

The History Concerning Saul (4) Saul’s Disobedience In His Conquest Of The Amalekites
1读经：撒母耳记上十五章。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 15
2撒上十五章记载扫罗在征服亚玛力人之事上的不顺从。扫罗虽然征服了仇敌，但他完全不顺从神。扫罗在这里完全、彻底的被暴露，因而被神和撒母耳所放弃。本章包含我们今天该学的一个重要的功课。
2First Samuel 15 is a record of Saul’s disobedience in his conquest of the Amalekites. He conquered the enemy, yet he was altogether disobedient to God. Here Saul was absolutely, thoroughly exposed, and then he was given up by God and also by Samuel. This chapter contains an important lesson for us today
壹 、按豫表，亚玛力人表征肉体－堕落的人
I. In Typology The Amalekites Signifying The Flesh—The Fallen Man
3按豫表，亚玛力人表征肉体－堕落的人。（出十七8～16，创六3上，罗三20上。）圣经神圣的启示给我们看见，神没有创造肉体，神乃是创造了人。但人堕落了，至终成为肉体。创世记六章三节指明，因著人成为肉体，神就不能在人身上作甚么。罗马三章二十节上半说，『凡属肉体的人，都不能本于行律法在神面前得称义。』所有的人都成了肉体。我们这些在基督里的信徒虽然已经得救了，但我们大部分的人仍然活在肉体里。
3In typology the Amalekites signify the flesh—the fallen man (Exo. 17:8-16; Gen. 6:3a; Rom. 3:20a). The divine revelation in the Bible shows us that God did not create the flesh. God created a man. However, man became fallen and eventually became flesh. Genesis 6:3 indicates that because man had become flesh, God could not do anything with him. Romans 3:20a says, “Out of the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him.” Here “no flesh” means no fleshly man. All men have become flesh. We, the believers in Christ, have been saved, but most of us are still living in the flesh
4在整个宇宙中，神真正的仇敌不是撒但，乃是我们。只要我们留在肉体里，我们就是神的仇敌。（罗八。）我们的肉体完全与撒但是一。若没有肉体，撒但就无法与神争战。在召会生活中，一切的难处都是来自肉体；神最难对付的就是肉体。在我们日常的生活中，我们不是在灵里，就是在肉体里。当我们操练灵，异象就很清楚；但我们若留在肉体里，异象就变得糢糊。当我们在灵里的时候，我们会认为召会、长老、和恢复都很美好；但是当我们在肉体里时，可能就批评某些长老；或者我们的肉体大受搅扰，我们甚至就想离开恢复。肉体乃是神的仇敌，也是召会生活中难处的根源；每当我们看见自己在肉体里，就需要祷告，求主赦免我们。
4In the entire universe, God’s real enemy is not Satan but us. As long as we remain in the status of the flesh, we are an enemy to God (Rom. 8:7). Our flesh is altogether one with Satan. Without the flesh, Satan 7 would have no way to fight against God. In the church life all the troubles come from the flesh. The hardest thing for God to deal with is the flesh. In our daily life we may be either in the spirit or in the flesh. When we exercise our spirit, the vision is clear. But if we remain in the flesh, the vision will become dim. When we are in our spirit, we may regard the church, the elders, and the recovery as wonderful. However, when we are in the flesh, we may be critical of certain elders, or our flesh may be so bothered that we may even consider leaving the recovery. Whenever we realize that we are in the flesh, the enemy of God and the source of troubles in the church life, we need to pray and ask the Lord to forgive us.
贰 、以色列人出埃及之后，亚玛力人抵挡以色列人，得罪了神
II. The Amalekites’ Offense Toward God Against Israel, After Israel Came Up Out Of Egypt
5在撒上十五章二节耶和华说，『以色列人出埃及的时候，在路上亚玛力人怎样待他们，怎样抵挡他们，我都要监惩。』在出埃及十七章八至十六节描述，以色列人与亚玛力人争战，摩西手里拿著神的杖站在山顶上，约书亚与选出来的人与亚玛力人争战。约书亚争战时，摩西就祷告。约书亚击败亚玛力人后，神宣告要『世世代代与亚玛力人争战。』（16。）这显示神将亚玛力人所引起的拦阻看得多么严重。在撒上十五章二节的时候，神宣告说，因著亚玛力人那样待以色列人，祂必要监惩亚玛力人。
5In 1 Samuel 15:2 Jehovah said, “I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they set themselves against them in the way as they came up out of Egypt.” In the war with Amalek described in Exodus 17:8-16, Moses stood on the top of a hill with the rod of God in his hand, and Joshua went out with chosen men to fight against, and to defeat, Amalek. While Joshua was fighting, Moses was praying. After Joshua defeated Amalek, God declared that He would “have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (v. 16). This shows how seriously God regarded the frustration caused by the Amalekites. At the time of 1 Samuel 15:2, He declared that He would punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel
参 、耶和华对扫罗的吩咐
III. Jehovah’s Command To Saul
6扫罗受膏作神选民的首领之后，击败了亚扪人和非利士人。后来亚玛力人起来拦阻神国的建立，扫罗受嘱咐去毁灭他们。在三节耶和华对扫罗说，『现在你要去击打亚玛力人，灭绝他们所有的，不可怜惜他们，将男女，孩童与吃奶的，并牛、羊、骆驼、和驴杀尽。』神吩咐扫罗要把所有的亚玛力人（豫表神独特的仇敌－肉体）灭尽，神是很有智慧的把扫罗摆在一个地方，为要试验他。
6After Saul was anointed to be the leader of God’sp eople, he defeated the Ammonites and the Philistines. Eventually, the Amalekites rose up to frustrate the establishing of God’skin gdom, and Saul was charged to destroy them. In verse 3 Jehovah said to him, “Go now and strike the Amalekites; and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, oxen and sheep, camel and donkey.” In charging Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, which typify the flesh as God’s unique enemy, God wisely put Saul on the spot in order to test him
肆 、扫罗攻击亚玛力人
IV. Saul’s Attacking Of The Amalekites
7四至九节描述扫罗攻击亚玛力人。扫罗招聚数点百姓，有步兵二十万，另有犹大人一万。（4。）接著扫罗到了亚玛力的京城，在河谷中设下埋伏。（5。）在攻击亚玛力人之前，扫罗打发基尼人离开，免得他们与亚玛力人一同毁灭；因为以色列人出埃及的时候，他们曾恩待以色列人。（6。）扫罗击打亚玛力人，生擒了亚玛力王亚甲。（7～8上。）扫罗灭绝了亚玛力的众民，却『怜惜亚甲，和上好的牛、羊、肥美的羊羔、并一切美物，不肯灭绝。凡下贱瘦弱的，尽都灭绝了。』（8下～9。）对扫罗而言，这是一次致富的机会；他要在神的国里建立自己的王国。
7Verses 4 through 9 describe Saul’s attacking of the Amalekites. Saul summoned the people and mustered them, 200,000 footmen and 10,000 men of Judah (v. 4). Saul then came to the city of the Amalekites and set an ambush in the river valley (v. 5). Before striking the Amalekites, Saul sent the Kenites away from the destruction of the Amalekites, for they showed kindness to the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt (v. 6). Then Saul struck the Amalekites and captured Agag their king (vv. 7-8a). Saul utterly destroyed all their people, but he “spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was despised and worthless, this they utterly destroyed” (vv. 8b - 9). For Saul, this was an opportunity to make himself rich. He was trying to build up his own monarchy within God’skin gdom.
伍 、扫罗的不顺从
V. Saul’s Disobedience
8十至三十一节说到扫罗的不顺从。
8Verses 10 through 31 are concerned with the matter of Saul’s disobedience
一 、因扫罗的不顺从，耶和华后悔立扫罗为王，撒母耳便忧怒
A. Jehovah Repenting of Saul’s Kingship because of His Disobedience, and Samuel Being Angry
9耶和华对撒母耳说，祂后悔立扫罗为王，因为他不遵守祂的命令。撒母耳便忧怒，终夜哀求耶和华。（10～11。）
9Jehovah told Samuel that He repented of appointing Saul as king, for he did not fulfill His words. Samuel became angry and cried to Jehovah all night long (vv. 10-11
二 、撒母耳对付扫罗
B. Samuel’s Dealing with Saul
10十二至三十一节给我们看见，撒母耳对付扫罗。１、清早起来要见扫罗撒母耳清早起来要见扫罗。有人告诉撒母耳说，扫罗到了迦密，为自己立了记念碑。（12。）扫罗立这记念碑，不是为著神的国，乃是为著记念胜利，使他和他的王国致富。这很强的指明，扫罗的目的乃是在建立自己的王国。２、撒母耳来到扫罗那里之后，
10In verses 12 through 31 we see Samuel’s dealing with Saul. 1. Coming to Meet Saul Early in the Morning Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. It was told Samuel that Saul had gone to Carmel and had set up a monument for himself (v. 12). Saul built this monument not for the kingdom of God but for the remembrance of himself because of the victory that made both him and his monarchy rich. This was a strong indication that Saul’sin tent i on was to build up his monarchy. 2. The Conversation between Samuel and Saul
他们二人之间的谈话
after Samuel Came to Saul
11十三至二十三节记载撒母耳来到扫罗那里之后，他们二人之间的谈话。当扫罗宣告他已遵守耶和华的话时，撒母耳问他：『我耳中听见有羊叫，牛鸣，是从那里来的呢？』（13～。）扫罗解释说，这是百姓从亚玛力人那里带来的，因为他们爱惜上好的牛羊，要献与耶和华；其余的他们尽都灭绝了。撒母耳叫扫罗住口，等他将耶和华前一夜向他所说的话告诉扫罗。撒母耳接著说，『从前你虽然以自己为小，岂不是被立为以色列支派的元首么？耶和华膏了你作以色列的王。耶和华差遣你上路，吩咐你说，你去灭绝那些犯罪的亚玛力人，攻打他们，直到他们灭尽。你为何没有听从耶和华的命令，急忙掳掠财物，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事？』（17～19。）扫罗回答说，他实在听从了耶和华的话；百姓却从掠物中取了牛羊，要献与耶和华。（20～21。）
11Verses 13 through 23 are a record of the conversation between Samuel and Saul after Samuel came to Saul. When Saul declared that he had fulfilled the word of Jehovah, Samuel asked, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of oxen that I hear?” (vv. 13-14). Saul explained that they had been 14 brought from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Jehovah and destroyed the rest. Samuel then told Saul to stop and he would tell him what Jehovah had spoken to him the night before. Then he went on to say, “Though you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah has anointed you as king over Israel. And Jehovah sent you on a journey and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. Why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah, but flew upon the spoil and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah?” (vv. 17-19). Saul responded by claiming that he did obey the voice of Jehovah, but that the people took sheep and oxen of the spoil to sacrifice to Jehovah (vv. 20-21).
12在二十二至二十三节，撒母耳对扫罗说了一段很重的话：『耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂如喜悦人听从祂的话？看哪，听命胜于献祭，顺从胜于公羊的脂油。悖逆与行邪术的罪相同，不服与拜偶像和家神一样。』这里撒母耳似乎说，『扫罗，你说你怜惜上好的牛羊，为要献与耶和华我的神；但神宁愿你听从祂的话。祂告诉你要灭尽亚玛力人，并一切他们所有的。但你没有遵守这命令，却为自己保留一些牛羊。今天早晨你为自己立了记念碑。你没有为神立任何东西。看哪，听命胜于献祭，顺从、顾到神的说话，胜于公羊的脂油。扫罗，你悖逆了神，悖逆与行邪术、巫术的罪相同。你所作的，一点不差就是接触邪灵，为要完成邪灵的目的，而不是神的目的。你没有顺服神作你的头，反而照著你的方式，凭著你的意愿擅作主张。现在你作王的职分已经结束。因著你厌弃耶和华的话，祂也厌弃你作王。』这样，扫罗就被暴露是一个背叛神的人，并且是神的仇敌。
12In verses 22 and 23 Samuel continued by speaking a very strong word to Saul: “Does Jehovah delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices/As much as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? /Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,/And to heed, than the fat of rams./For rebellion is like the sin of divination,/And insubordination is like idolatry and teraphim.” Here Samuel seemed to be saying, “Saul, you say that you spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Jehovah, my God. But God prefers that you obey His word. He told you to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all that they have. Instead of obeying this word, you kept some of the sheep and oxen for yourself. This morning you raised up a monument for yourself. You did not raise up anything for God. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed, to take care of, God’s speaking is better than the fat of rams. Saul, you have rebelled against God, and rebellion is like the sin of divination, like the sin of witchcraft. What you did was just as evil as contacting an evil spirit for the purpose of carrying out the intention of that spirit, not God’sin tent i on. You did not subordinate yourself to God as your Head but acted presumptuously, according to your ways and by your will. Now your kingship is over. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, He has rejected you from being king.” Saul was thus exposed as being a rebel against God and an enemy of God
三 、扫罗的认罪和恳求
C. Saul’s Confession and Begging
１ .扫罗承认他的罪，
1. Saul Confessing His Sin
13却推诿于惧怕百姓扫罗对撒母耳承认他的罪，却推诿说，他『因惧怕百姓，听从他们的话』，就违背了耶和华的命令，和撒母耳的言语。（24。）
13with an Excuse of His Being Afraid of the People Saul confessed his sin to Samuel with the excuse that he had transgressed the commandment of Jehovah and Samuel’swords because he “feared the people and obeyed their voice” (v. 24
２ .扫罗恳求撒母耳赦免他的罪，同他回去
2. Saul Begging Samuel to Pardon His Sin and Return with Him
14扫罗恳求撒母耳赦免他的罪，同他回去，但为撒母耳所拒绝，因为扫罗厌弃了耶和华的话，耶和华也厌弃了扫罗作王。（25～26。）３.撒母耳对扫罗说，耶和华使以色
14Saul begged Samuel to pardon his sin and return with him, but Samuel refused to do so because of Saul’s rejection of Jehovah’sword and Jehovah’s rejection of Saul’s kingship (vv. 25-26). 3. Samuel’sWord to Saul concerning Jehovah’s
列国与他断绝
Tearing Away the Kingdom of Israel from Him
15撒母耳转身要走，扫罗就扯住他外袍的衣襟，衣襟就撕断了。撒母耳对扫罗说，从那日耶和华使以色列国与他断绝，将这国赐与一个与他相近，比他更好的人。这个与他相近的人乃是大卫。撒母耳接著说，『以色列的尊高者，必不至说谎，也不至后悔；因为祂迥非世人，决不后悔。』（27～29。）
15When Samuel turned around to go, Saul seized the corner of his cloak, and it tore. Then Samuel told him that Jehovah had torn the kingdom of Israel away from him that day and had given it to an associate of his, who was better than he. This associate was David. Samuel went on to say, “Moreover the Eminence of Israel does not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that He should repent” (vv. 27-29).
４ .扫罗恳求撒母耳在他百姓的长老和以色列人面前抬举他
4. Saul Begging Samuel to Honor Him before the Elders of His People and before Israel
16扫罗对撒母耳说，『我有罪了。虽然如此，求你在我百姓的长老，和以色列人面前抬举我，同我回去，我好敬拜耶和华你的神。』（30。）于是撒母耳就跟随扫罗回去，扫罗就敬拜耶和华。（31。）
16Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. Honor me now, I beg you, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I may worship Jehovah your God” (v. 30). Then Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul worshipped Jehovah (v. 31
陆 、撒母耳处决亚甲
VI. Samuel’s Execution Of Agag
17撒母耳叫人把亚玛力王亚甲带到他那里。亚甲就欢欢喜喜的来，心里说，『死亡的苦难必定过去了。』（32。）撒母耳对亚甲说，『你怎样用刀使妇人丧子，你母亲也必照样在妇人中丧子。』于是撒母耳在耶和华面前，将亚甲砍死。（33。）
17Samuel asked that Agag the king of the Amalekites be brought near to him. Agag came to him cheerfully, saying, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned” (v. 32). Samuel said to Agag, “Just as your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women,” and then he hewed Agag to pieces before Jehovah (v. 33
柒 、撒母耳离开扫罗
VII. Samuel’s Departure From Saul
18十五章结束于撒母耳离开扫罗。（34～35。）撒母耳回了拉玛；扫罗上基比亚自己的家去了。撒母耳直到死的日子再没有见扫罗，但撒母耳为扫罗悲伤，因为耶和华后悔立扫罗为以色列的王。
18Chapter fifteen concludes with Samuel’s departure from Saul (vv. 34-35). Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah. Samuel never again saw Saul unto the day of his death, though Samuel mourned for Saul, because Jehovah repented that He had made Saul king over Israel
19我们该从扫罗不顺从的故事得著警告：在神的国里，不要凭肉体作任何事。我们必须敬畏神，并且记得我们就是肉体。但神的儿子已经将肉体钉在十字架上；祂又进入我们里面，重生了我们的灵。现今祂活在我们灵里，行动、作事，并且带领、引导我们到生命线上，为要建造祂的生机体，就是基督的身体。这就是神的国，神永远的国，要终极完成于将来新天新地里的新耶路撒冷。这该是我们的目标。我们不该试图在神的国里建立自己的小王国。这是我们从研读旧约这部分的历史中，所该学习的功课。
19We should be warned by this account of Saul’s disobedience not to do anything in the kingdom of God by our flesh. We need to fear God and remember that we are flesh. But the Son of God has crucified the flesh and He has come into us to regenerate our spirit. Now He is living in our spirit, moving, acting, and taking the lead to guide us into the line of life for the building up of His organism, the Body of Christ. This is the kingdom of God, God’s eternal kingdom, which will consummate in the upcoming New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. This should be our goal. We should not try to build a monarchy for ourselves in God’skin gdom. This is the lesson that we need to learn from our study of this portion of the history in the Old Testament
20我们感谢主，在祂的怜悯之下，主已将祂话语中内在的秘密向我们开启，给我们看见真实的功课。我们必须学十字架的功课，把肉体连肉体的邪情私欲，都钉十字架，并且一直在凡事上把肉体留在十字架上。（加五24。）我们该忠信的运用我们的灵跟随主，就是那住在我们灵里，与我们是一之赐生命、终极完成的灵。这样，神的国，就是召会－基督内在的身体，就要得著建立。
20We thank the Lord that, under His mercy, He has opened up the intrinsic secrets in the Word to show us the real lessons. We have to learn the lesson of the cross and crucify our flesh with its passions and its lusts and leave it on the cross always and in everything Gal. 5:24). We should faithfully exercise our spirit to follow the Lord, who is the life-giving, consummated Spirit indwelling our spirit and who is one with us. Then the kingdom of God, the church as the intrinsic Body of Christ, will be built up