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撒母耳记上［第31章］
Book of 1 Samuel 31

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撒母耳记上［第31章］|Book of 1st Samuel 31

【彻底除旧为迎新】

主讲: 陈炎明牧师

25/08/2023


引言：旧的不去，新的不来！改朝换代也是这样！

一、一代王朝过去了（31:1-6）

1.神本为以色列军队之元帅（V1）

这一场战役让以色列人落荒而逃，甚至一一遭到追杀仆倒！以色列民怎么忘记了，万军之耶和华是以色列的元帅，以色列民从出埃及开始就被称为‘耶和华的军队’（出6:26），神的军队怎么会战败呢？无非单凭势力、单靠才能，唯独没有依靠耶和华的灵，结果当然是一败涂地。想想我们自己又如何呢？

2.无奈因扫罗之罪祸及全家（V2-6）

扫罗身为一国之君、一家之主，他的软弱犯罪离弃神而遭受祸患咒诅；可是正因为他是举国上下的领袖，因此这祸害也殃及全国百姓，也祸害自己的家族孩子。

违背真理的人不要说：‘一人做事一人当’！因为自己所招惹的祸患咒诅很显然会殃及子子孙孙。作领袖的千万要注意，不要因为自己的软弱而造成众人和家人的灾殃。

二、看似黑暗在掌权（31:7-13）

1.上梁不正下梁歪—都倒了（V7）

以色列的领袖倒了，国家垮了，百姓要活命就得弃城逃命。因为上梁不正，结果害到所有百姓子民，这是很无奈的事实。根源是领袖的罪、领袖的错。今天凡是作领袖、作小组长、作牧者的，我们更要分外留心，因为我们的问题足以殃及我们的家人、儿女啊！

我们既然拥有真理，就要活出真理。我们要学习‘整合生命’，既然要爱人就不要害人！即使上一代歪了，我们可以靠主走回正路。也靠主帮上一代扶正吧！

2.死后还要受羞辱—真可悲（V8-10）

人死了不就完了吗？原来还有更糟的事，被剥光衣服、被砍头、军装被带到偶像的庙里、尸首还被钉在城墙上。这是不是更大的羞辱呢？这让我想到没有基督救恩的罪人会面对永死，而永死并非死了就完了。地狱的火湖有不灭的火，不死的虫，没有止息的痛苦，这是何等的可悲不是吗？我们若有差错之处，要快快归正啊！

3.同胞出手作安葬—了后事（V11-13）

虽然当时是个兵荒马乱的局势，但是同胞之中仍然有勇士愿意起来，见义勇为去把扫罗的遗体从墙上取下来，然后给他火化安葬了。这一个举动也算是了结了这一代皇朝，算是为扫罗的年代画上句号。

愿意包底而冒险去处理扫罗的后事，这何尝不是一件很宝贵的事吗？现实中确实有些大家都不想干的事，你是那个能够主动站出来的吗？感谢主，今天也还是有这样的人。

总结：你期望哪一种结局？

有错改过、有罪认罪、歪了归正、偏离了就要回到正轨！你如今的决定就是将来的结局。

你做了什么选择呢？不能弃权！因为弃权即等于没选择归正，结局也就是很可怕的！

1 SAMUEL 31 REMOVE THE OLD THOROUGHLY TO WELCOME THE NEW
GK611 MORNING DEVOTION
25/8/2023
THE MORNING DEVOTION SPEAKER: REV DAVID TAN

INTRODUCTION: IF THE OLD ONES DON'T GO, THE NEW ONES WON'T COME! THE SAME GOES FOR CHANGING DYNASTIES!

I. A DYNASTY PASSES AWAY (31:1-6)

1. GOD WAS ORIGINALLY THE COMMANDER OF THE ISRAELI ARMY (V1)

THIS BATTLE CAUSED THE ISRAELITES TO FLEE, AND THEY WERE EVEN HUNTED DOWN ONE BY ONE! HOW COULD THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FORGET THAT THE LORD IS THE COMMANDER OF ISRAEL, AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAVE BEEN CALLED "THE ARMY OF THE LORD" SINCE THEY LEFT EGYPT (EXODUS 6:26). HOW COULD GOD'S ARMY BE DEFEATED? IT IS NOTHING BUT RELYING ON POWER AND ABILITY ALONE, AND NOT RELYING ON THE SPIRIT OF JEHOVAH. OF COURSE, THE RESULT IS COMPLETE FAILURE. WHAT ABOUT OURSELVES?

2. BECAUSE OF SAUL'S SIN, DISASTER UPON THE WHOLE FAMILY (V2-6)

AS THE KING OF A COUNTRY AND THE HEAD OF A FAMILY, SAUL SUFFERED DISASTERS AND CURSES BECAUSE OF HIS WEAKNESS, SIN AND ABANDONMENT OF GOD; BUT BECAUSE HE WAS THE LEADER OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY, THE DISASTERS ALSO AFFECTED THE PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS HIS OWN FAMILY AND CHILDREN.

THOSE WHO GO AGAINST THE TRUTH SHOULD NOT SAY: ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OWN MISTAKES! BECAUSE THE CURSES ONE HAS INCURRED WILL OBVIOUSLY AFFECT THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. AS A LEADER, YOU MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO CAUSE DISASTERS TO EVERYONE AND YOUR FAMILY BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN WEAKNESS.

2. DARKNESS SEEMS TO BE IN POWER (31:7-13)

(1) WHEN THE UPPER BEAM IS NOT STRAIGHT, THE LOWER BEAM WILL BE CROOKED—ALL COLLAPSED (V7)

THE LEADER OF ISRAEL FELL, THE COUNTRY COLLAPSED, AND THE PEOPLE HAD TO ABANDON THE CITY AND FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES IF THEY WANTED TO SURVIVE. IT IS A HELPLESS FACT THAT ALL THE COMMON PEOPLE WERE HARMED BECAUSE THE UPPER BEAM WAS NOT STRAIGHT. THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE LEADER'S SIN, THE LEADER'S FAULT. TODAY, THOSE WHO ARE CHURCH LEADERS, CELL LEADERS, AND SHEPHERDS, WE MUST BE MORE CAREFUL, BECAUSE OUR PROBLEMS WILL AFFECT OUR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN!

SINCE WE HAVE THE TRUTH, WE MUST LIVE THE TRUTH. WE MUST LEARN 'LIFE INTEGRATION, SINCE WE WANT TO LOVE OTHERS, WE SHOULD NOT HARM OTHERS! EVEN IF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION WENT WRONG, WE CAN RELY ON THE LORD TO GET BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK. ALSO RELY ON THE LORD TO HELP THE PREVIOUS GENERATION TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION!

(2) TO BE HUMILIATED AFTER DEATH—SO MISERABLE (V8-10)

ISN'T IT OVER WHEN A PERSON DIES? IT TURNED OUT THAT THERE WERE WORSE THINGS. THEY WERE STRIPPED NAKED, THEIR HEADS WERE BEHEADED, THEIR MILITARY UNIFORMS WERE TAKEN TO THE IDOL'S TEMPLE, AND THEIR BODIES WERE NAILED TO THE CITY WALL. ISN’T THIS A GREATER HUMILIATION? THIS REMINDS US THAT SINNERS WITHOUT THE SALVATION OF CHRIST WILL FACE ETERNAL DEATH, AND ETERNAL DEATH IS NOT JUST DEATH. THE LAKE OF FIRE IN HELL HAS UNQUENCHABLE FIRE, IMMORTAL WORMS, AND ENDLESS PAIN, ISN’T THIS MISERABLE? IF WE HAVE ERRED, LET US QUICKLY CORRECT IT!

(3) COMPATRIOTS PERFORMED BURIAL—SETTLED THE FUNERAL (V11-13)

ALTHOUGH IT WAS A CHAOTIC SITUATION AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE STILL SOME WARRIORS AMONG THE COMPATRIOTS WHO WERE WILLING TO RISE AND ACT BRAVELY TO REMOVE SAUL'S BODY FROM THE WALL, AND THEN CREMATED HIM FOR BURIAL. THIS MOVE CAN BE REGARDED AS THE END OF THIS GENERATION OF DYNASTY, AND IT CAN BE REGARDED AS THE END OF THE ERA OF SAUL.

WOULDN'T IT BE A PRECIOUS THING TO BE WILLING TO SETTLE THE REMAINING AND TAKE RISKS TO DEAL WITH SAUL'S FUNERAL? IN REALITY, THERE ARE INDEED SOME THINGS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO DO. ARE YOU THE ONE WHO CAN TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO STAND UP? THANK THE LORD, THERE ARE STILL SUCH PEOPLE TODAY.

CONCLUSION: WHICH ENDING DO YOU EXPECT?

CORRECT YOUR MISTAKES, CONFESS YOUR GUILT, RETURN TO THE RIGHT PATH, AND GET BACK ON TRACK IF YOU DEVIATE!YOUR DECISIONS TODAY ARE THE OUTCOME OF YOUR FUTURE.

WHAT CHOICE DID YOU MAKE? DO NOT GIVE UP! BECAUSE GIVING UP MEANS NOT CHOOSING TO RETURN TO THE RIGHT PATH, AND THE ENDING IS TERRIBLE!