W3.CSS

撒母耳记上［第8章］
Book of 1 Samuel 8

文章下载 ｜ Article Download

撒母耳记上［第8章］|Book of 1st Samuel 8

【患难中，你愿意让神带领吗？】

主讲: 郑伟健同工

14/07/2023


引言：信心的美

想起以前新郎去接新娘的一个游戏，新郎需要蒙着双眼去认哪一双是新娘的手。当新郎找对了，新娘的脸马上露出非常开心的笑容。我在想，如果是开着眼睛来认出的话，可能没有比蒙着双眼厉害。

今天或许我们看不见神，但是神却是存在。即便你看不见神的实体，你仍然相信吗？ 你会选择让看不见的神带领你吗？

一、人生中总少不了考验 (V1-5)

1. 神人也有考验(V1-3)

以色列过了几年安逸的日子后，撒母耳的年纪也越来越来大了，于是他决定让他的两个儿子起来担任士师。只可惜他的两个儿子并不像爸爸一样爱神、行神的道，反而利用士师的职权来贪污，常常在审判案件的时候收取百姓的贿赂。

2. 有考验有需要 (V4-5)

撒母耳的两个儿子的行为造成百姓们对撒母耳一家越来越不信任，甚至以此为借口要改变整个民族的治理方式。

二、神总是让人自由选择 (V6-9)

1. 神人选择凡事寻求 (V6)

撒母耳的不喜悦并不是因为百姓的不信任，而是因着百姓弃绝神的安排。尽管如此，他并没有马上反对，而是先祷告耶和华，以神的决定为决定。

2. 血气的人选择老我(V7-9)

神让撒母耳听他们的决定，因为他们是厌弃神。以色列民表面说撒母耳老了，两个儿子也不好，其实是不想神透过士师制度在他们当中做王。自从离开埃及到现在，他们素来就是这样离弃神，经过这么多年，他们都是这样。

三、为自己的选择付代价 (V10-18)

过去的以色列在遇到困难的时候，他们的本性似乎就是离弃神。虽然如此，神仍然让撒母耳先警戒他们，要立一个王，是有代价的。立王的结果就是王必定管辖他们，人要纳税，要服事这个王，会被奴役。

四、神任凭人顽固的任性 (V19-22)

虽然听了神透过撒母耳的警戒，但百姓仍然不肯听，坚持要立一个王。因为他们认为自己看见的其他国家有王，所以自以为觉得这是更好的。神并没有拦阻，神两次跟撒母耳说“依从”他们。 总结：选择在我们的手中，未来是在神的手中。 神一直爱以色列，拯救他们、供应他们、保护他们，但是换来的是百姓们仍然坚持要撒母耳为他立一个国王。他们虽然借口说是因为撒母耳的儿子不好，但其实真正的心意只是想和周围其他的国家一样，即便可能被一位奴役百姓的王所统治，也没有关系。

你愿意让神来带领你的一生吗？或是选择这世界中的王？这可能是自己的老我、血气、或是一些掌管我们的生命的不良瘾癖。求主带领我们的一生，让我们的生命都由神来掌权，因为知道神的带领是最好的。

1 Samuel 8: "In trouble times, are you willing to let God lead you?"
GK611 Morning Devotion
14/7/2023
The Morning Devotion Speaker: Co- worker Asher Chang

Introduction: The Beauty of Faith

It reminds me of a game where the groom went to pick up the bride. The groom had to be blindfolded to recognise which pair of hands belongs to the bride. When the groom finds the right one, the bride's face immediately shows a very happy smile. My thought is that if you recognise it with your eyes open, it may not be as great as blindfolded.

We may not be able to see God today, but God exists. Even if you cannot see the physical of God, do you still believe? Will you choose to let the invisible God lead you?

1. Trials are unavoidable in life (V1-5)

(1) God’s men do have trials (V1-3)

After a few years of a comfortable life in Israel, Samuel was getting older, so he decided to raise his two sons to serve as judges. It’s a pity that his two sons didn’t love God and walk the way of God like their father. Instead, they took advantage of their position as judges to embezzle, and often took bribes from the people during trials.

(2) There are trials and needs (V4-5)

The behaviour of Samuel's two sons caused the people to distrust Samuel's family more and more and even used this as an excuse to change the governance of the entire nation.

2. God always allows people to choose freely (V6-9)

(1) God’s men choose to ask in all things (V6)

Samuel’s displeasure was not due to the distrust of the people, but because the people rejected God’s arrangement. Even so, he did not object right away, but prayed to the Lord first, taking God’s decision as his decision.

(2) The natural man chooses the old self (V7-9)

God let Samuel listen to their decision because they rejected God. On the surface, the Israelites said that Samuel was old, and their two sons were not good, but they did not want God to rule among them through the system of judges. From the time they left Egypt to the present, they have always turned away from God in this way. After all these years, they have always been like this.

3. Pay the price for your choice (V10-18)

When Israel in the past encountered difficulties, their nature seemed to be to forsake God. Even so, God still asked Samuel to warn them that there was a price to be paid for establishing a king. The result of establishing a king is that the king must rule them, people must pay taxes, they must serve the king, and they will be enslaved.

4. God gives in to men’s stubborn willfulness (V19-22)

Although they listened to God's warning through Samuel, the people still refused to obey and insisted on having a king. Because they saw other countries have kings, hence they think it is better. God did not stop them. He told Samuel twice to "heed their voice”.

Conclusion: The choice is in our hands; the future is in God’s hands

God has always loved Israel, saved them, provided for them, and protected them, but in return, the people still insisted that Samuel make them a king. Although they made an excuse that it was because Samuel's sons were not good, their real intention was to be like other countries around them, even if they might be ruled by a king who enslaved the people, it didn't matter.

Are you willing to let God lead your life? Or choose the king of this world? It could be our old self, flesh, or some bad addiction that runs our lives. May the Lord lead our life, and let God control our lives, because we know that God's leading is the best.