Books
撒母耳记生命读经 · 第7篇

撒母耳－一个照著神的人

Samuel—A Man According to God
1读经：撒母耳记上1:11,20;2:35;8:1-22;9:15-17在本篇信息中，我要进一步说到撒母耳和他的职事。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 1:11, 20; 2:35; 8:1-22; 9:15-17 9:15-17 In this message I would like to give a further word on Samuel and his ministry.
神的代表
GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE
2在撒母耳职事的末了，扫罗被兴起作以色列王时，（九3～十27，）撒母耳达到了最高的地位。可以说，在全宇宙中只有神在他之上。甚至可以说，作为神的代表，撒母耳乃是行动的神。神要行动、作事，但祂需要一个代表。因此，撒母耳就成为一位申言者、祭司和士师。祂是神的出口，也是神的行政。他乃是在地上行动的神。
2At the end of his ministry, by the time that Saul was raised up to be the king in Israel (9:3—10:27), Samuel had reached the highest position. We may say that in the whole universe, there was only one who was above him, and that one was God. We may even say that, as God’s representative, Samuel was the acting God. God intended to move, to act, yet He needed a representative. Samuel thus became a prophet, a priest, and a judge. He was God’s oracle and God’sad ministration. As such, he was the acting God on earth
神的心意是要得著一个国度
GOD’SIN TENT I ON TO HAVE A KINGDOM
3虽然撒母耳是神的代表，但神没有意思使他成为一个国度。圣经启示，神的心意是要兴起大卫，藉著他建立一个国度。当神拣选亚伯拉罕时，祂的目的不是要得著单个的人，甚至不是要得著一班追求祂的人；神的目的乃是要得著一个国度。圣经启示的终结就是一个国度。启示录十一章十五节说，『世上的国，成了我主和祂基督的国。』在新天新地同新耶路撒冷里，将有神永远的国。
3Although Samuel was God’s representative, God did not have any intention to make him a kingdom. Rather, according to the Bible, God determined to raise up a man named David, through whom He intended to build up a kingdom. When God chose Abraham, it was not His intention to gain a single person or even a group of people who would seek after Him. God’sin tent i on has been to have a kingdom. The consummation of the revelation in the Bible is a kingdom. Revelation 11:15 says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” In the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem, there will be the eternal kingdom of God
4在马太十六章有一段话论到国度和召会。当彼得领受基督是神儿子的启示时，（16～17，）耶稣对他说，『你是彼得，我要把我的召会建造在这磐石上。』（18。）接著祂题到诸天的国。（19。）在这几节里，『诸天的国』与『召会』二辞是交互使用的。这给我们看见，神所要得著的，不仅是一个召会，更是一个国度召会。在罗马十四章十七节保罗也指明，实际的召会生活乃是国度：『因为神的国不在于吃喝，乃在于公义、和平、并圣灵中的喜乐。』
4In Matthew 16 there is a word concerning both the kingdom and the church. When Peter received the revelation of Christ as the Son of the living God (vv. 16-17), Jesus said to him, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church” (v. 18), and then He went on to speak of the kingdom of the heavens (v. 19). In these verses the phrase “the kingdom of the heavens” is used interchangeably with the word “church.” This shows that God does not want just a church but a kingdom - church. In Romans 14:17 Paul also indicated that the practical church life is the kingdom: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
5即使撒母耳至终达到了最高的地位，神还没有达到祂的目标。撒母耳是一个合乎神心的人，他知道在神的心中有一个愿望，要得著国度。神要藉著大卫，而不是藉著撒母耳，带进国度。神的心复制在撒母耳里面一个人达到高位时，肯不肯让别人与他同等或在他之上？这总是个问题。你若是撒母耳，你会容让任何人与你同等或在你之上么？撒母耳是纯洁单一的。照著他母亲所许的愿，他是个拿细耳人；他完全不为自己寻求甚么。他从不寻求自己的利益，他的心只为著神和神的选民，此外别无所顾。神爱以色列人，神这样的心复制在撒母耳里面。因著神的心复制在撒母耳里面，撒母耳就不顾自己的利益或得著。末了撒母耳一无所得，只有埋葬的坟墓。因著当时的情形，撒母耳虽然立自己的儿子作士师，但他无意为他们建立国度，这是与扫罗相反的。撒母耳的儿子不行他的道，贪图不义的财利，收受贿赂，屈枉正直。（撒上八1～3。）当百姓要求撒母耳立王时，撒母耳被冒犯了，但不是因著他儿子的缘故，而是因著百姓想要顶替神。（4～7。）因著撒母耳无意为他的子孙建立国度，所以他所关心的，不是自己的儿女，乃是神的百姓。在这样的情形中，神就很容易把国度带进来。
5Even though Samuel eventually attained the highest position, God still had not reached His goal. As a man who was according to God’she art, Samuel knew that within God’she art there was a desire for a kingdom. God wanted the kingdom to be brought in not through Samuel but through David. GOD’SHE ART BEING DUPLICATED IN SAMUEL When someone attains a high position, there is always a question as to whether he will allow someone else to come in to match him or to be above him. If you had been Samuel, would you have given any ground for someone to match you or be above you? Samuel was pure and single. He was a Nazarite according to his mother’s vow and was altogether not self-seeking. He never sought to gain anything for himself. He had no heart for anything besides God and God’select. God loved Israel, and His heart was duplicated in Samuel. Because God’s he art was duplicated in Samuel, Samuel did not care for his own interest or gain. At the end, Samuel gained nothing but a tomb to be buried in. Due to the situation at the time, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges, but, contrary to Saul, he had no intention to build up a kingdom for them. His sons did not follow in his ways but went after unjust gain, took bribes, and perverted justice (1 Sam. 8:1-3). When the people asked Samuel to appoint a king, he was not offended by anything related to his sons; on the contrary, he was offended by their desire to replace God (vv. 4-7). Because he had no intention to build up a kingdom for his descendants, Samuel’s concern was not for his children but for God’sp eople. In such a situation it was easy for God to bring in the kingdom.
一个只关心神，
A PERSON WHO CARED ONLY FOR GOD
关心神的权益和利益的人
AND FOR GOD’SIN TE REST AND PROFIT
6撒母耳若是一个寻救自己利益的人，他就绝不会与神合作。在下篇信息我们会看见，扫罗来见撒母耳的前一日，神向撒母耳启示祂要撒母耳作的事。神对他说，『明日大约这时候，我必使一个人从便雅悯地到你这里来，你要膏他作我民以色列的君。』（九16上。）当扫罗和他的仆人到撒母耳那里去的时候，撒母耳就完全照著神的指示去行。他不在意为自己或儿女得著甚么。
6Samuel would never have cooperated with God if he had been a self-seeking person. As we will see in the next message, the day before Saul came to Samuel, God revealed to Samuel what He wanted him to do. God said to him, “At about this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as the leader over My people Israel” (9:16). When Saul and his servant came to Samuel, Samuel did exactly as God had instructed. He did not care to gain anything for himself or for his children
7现在我们能看见，为甚么撒母耳在神的手中如此有用。他不为自己寻求或得著甚么。他是一个拿细耳人，不用剃头刀剃他的头，也不喝任何酒；他完完全全是为著神。神要他去那里，要他作甚么事，他都乐意去行。他是一个照著神，就是合乎神心的人。因此，他能为神所使用，以完成神的经纶。
7Now we can see why Samuel was so useful in the hand of God. He had no self - seeking nor any thought of self-gain. Instead, as a Nazarite, who allowed no razor to come upon his head and who did not drink any wine, he was absolutely for God. He was happy to go wherever God wanted him to go and to do whatever God wanted him to do. He was a man according to God, a man according to God’she art. Therefore, he was a man whom God could use to carry out His economy.
8我们不该以为撒母耳没有一点人的观念。有一天耶和华对他说，『你将膏油盛满了角，我差遣你往伯利恒人耶西那里去，因为我在他儿子当中，为自己选定了一个作王的。』（十六1下。）撒母耳听见这话，就说，『我怎能去？扫罗若听见，必要杀我。』（2上。）这指明撒母耳相当属人，有人的观念。然而，他不是一个为自己寻求甚么的人，他一切的寻求都是为著神和神的选民。他只关心神、神的权益和利益，并且他为神的百姓祷告。撒母耳和参孙的对比有些圣经学者指出，撒母耳是一个品格高尚的人。然而，品格问题并非撒母耳这人最重要的点。许多人有高尚的品格，但他们只是为著他们自己、他们的事业和他们的天下；他们不是为著神的国。撒母耳不只品格高尚，他的高乃在于他拿细耳人的愿。我们很值得将撒母耳和另一个拿细耳人－参孙－作比较。参孙也是因著母亲的愿而成为拿细耳人，但他与撒母耳大不相同。圣经说到参孙和其他士师时，常说到神的灵剧烈的临到他们；（士十四6，19；）但圣经说到撒母耳时没有这样的话。拿细耳人不需要剧烈的能力；拿细耳人需要有一颗心，作神心的反照。撒母耳不像参孙，杀了许多人，大大的得胜；撒母耳是一个为著神权益的拿细耳人。撒母耳在他那特别的环境中，并不容易为神站住；但他顾到神的权益，并且转移了时代。照著旧约，撒母耳在为著神和神权益的事上，是与摩西并列的。（耶十五1。）
8We should not think that Samuel did not have any kind of human concept. One day Jehovah said to him, “Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons” (16:1b). When Samuel heard this, he said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me” (v. 2a). This indicates that Samuel was very human and had human concepts. Nevertheless, he was not a self-seeking person. All of his seeking was for God and for God’select. He cared for God and for His interest and profit, and He prayed for God’sp eople. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SAMUEL AND SAMSON Some Bible students have pointed out that Samuel was a person of high character. The matter of character, however, is not the crucial point regarding Samuel. Many people have a high character, but they are just for themselves, their enterprise, and their kingdom. They are not for God’skin gdom. Samuel was not only high in character; he was high in the Nazarite vow. It is worthwhile to compare Samuel with another Nazarite—Samson. Samson also was a Nazarite by his mother’s vow, but he was very different from Samuel. When the Bible speaks of Samson and the other judges, it often says that the Spirit of God rushed upon them (Judg. 14:6, 19). But there is no such word about Samuel. A Nazarite does not need rushing power; rather, a Nazarite needs a heart that is a reflection of God’she art. Unlike Samson, Samuel did not gain a mighty victory by slaughtering a great number of others. On the contrary, Samuel was a Nazarite for God’sin te rest. Although it was not easy for Samuel to stand for God in his particular environment, he cared for God’sin te rest and he turned the age. According to the Old Testament, Samuel is ranked with Moses in being for God and for God’sin te rest (Jer. 15:1
神使用一个消极的王
GOD USING A NEGATIVE KING
来管教以色列人
TO DISCIPLINE ISRAEL
9撒母耳记上的历史乃是神所支配的。神没有直接去找大卫，因为大卫还年轻，并且神所极爱的以色列人仍然需要一些训练。他们需要神用一个消极的王来管教，使他们看见，以王来顶替神不是一件蒙福的事。神是一位有耐心的神。虽然以利不是太积极，神还容许他作士师四十年。我们很难断定撒母耳的士师职分持续了多久，但在扫罗进来消极的作以色列的王之前，至少已有三十年。再者，神容忍扫罗作王四十年，然后才将大卫带进来。
9The history in 1 Samuel was directed by God. God did not go directly to David because David was still young and because Israel, whom God loved to the uttermost, needed some training. They needed to be disciplined by God with a negative king so that they would realize that replacing God with a king was not a matter of blessing. God is a God of patience. Even though Eli was not so positive, God allowed him to be the judge for forty years. It is difficult to determine the length of Samuel’s judgeship, which must have lasted at least thirty years before Saul came in to reign over Israel negatively. Next, God tolerated the reign of Saul for forty years, and then He brought in David.
神的目的是要基督
GOD’SIN TENT I ON THAT CHRIST
生为大卫的后裔
WOULD BE BORN IN THE LINEAGE OF DAVID
10若没有撒母耳，神就很难完成祂的经纶。神的目的是要基督生为大卫的后裔，而只有撒母耳能带进大卫。没有大卫，就没有基督的谱系。为使神能成为肉体，需要有一些豫备，撒母耳就是那个豫备的一部分。神兴起撒母耳，豫备他为神使用，作所需的一切，好藉著大卫得著基督的正确谱系。神的国开始于大卫神用撒母耳首先膏扫罗，然后膏大卫。当我们看扫罗的历史时，我们将会看见，扫罗只有自己的王国。当神的宝座在耶路撒冷建立时，神的国才在大卫之下被带进来。在马太二十一章四十三节，主耶稣告诉犹太首领说，神的国必要从他们夺去；这指明神的国开始于旧约。神的国不是开始于亚伯拉罕或摩西，乃是开始于大卫。因此，我们在大卫身上所看见的，不是任何一种王国，乃是神的国。
10Without Samuel it would have been very hard for God to carry out His economy. God had the intention that Christ would be born in the lineage of David, and only Samuel could bring in David. Without a David there would not have been the lineage of Christ’s genealogy. In order for God to reach the time of incarnation, there had to be some preparation, and Samuel was a part of that preparation. God raised up Samuel and prepared him for God’su set o do whatever was necessary to gain, through David, the proper lineage of the genealogy of Christ. THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEGINNING WITH DAVID God used Samuel to anoint first Saul and then David. As we will see when we consider the history concerning Saul, Saul only had a monarchy. The kingdom of God came first under David, when God’s throne was established in Jerusalem. In Matthew 21:43 the Lord Jesus told the Jewish leaders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them. This indicates that the kingdom of God began in the Old Testament. It did not begin with Abraham or with Moses but with David. Therefore, what we see with David is not any kind of monarchy but the kingdom of God