旧约 - 撒母耳记上(1 Samuel)第8章

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.
But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.
He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us.
Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town."
撒母耳记上第八章   第 8 章 

  撒上 8:1-3> 教子不易,撒母耳不成功,我们不少人也失败,但…… 

  8:1-3 撒母耳年纪老了,立儿子作士师代替他,但他们和以利的儿子不相伯仲( 2:12 ),一样地贪污受贿。我们不知道撒母耳的儿子为什么堕落,只知道以利儿子的败坏以利也有责任( 2:29-34 )。 

  我们不知道撒母耳是否教子无方,无论如何,他的儿子已大,可以自行其事了。我们不必为成年儿女的罪自责;但另一方面,作父母的也有独特的责任──在儿女未成年时塑造他们的品格,这是最重要的事。 

  如果你的儿女长大成人后不信从神的话,你要知道,你已不再能约束他们了,别因为发生了一些由不得你的事而自怨自艾。不过如果你的儿女仍然年幼,你的言行教导必会深深地影响他们的一生。 

  撒上 8:4-9> 神给人选择的自由,但后果……我的教训是…… 

  8:4-9 以色列人要求立王,有以下几个原因:( 1 )撒母耳的两个儿子不适于领导他们;( 2 )以色列人的十二个支派在一起相处时,不断发生问题,因为各支派均有自己的首领和地业。他们盼望有君王能将十二个支派统一起来,组成一支军队;( 3 )百姓想跟列国看齐。这正是神所不愿见的事。立王之后,人就容易忘记神才是他们真正的君王。以色列人要求立王并不是错,神在申命记之中就曾经提到这种可能性(参申 17:14-20 )。但是人民实际上是不要神作他们的王和领袖。他们要建立法律、军队,并选立一位王来代替神。他们想藉着人的力量管理全族,而实际上只有神的大能,才能使他们在充满敌意的迦南地兴旺。 

  撒上 8:5-6> 今日社会以人为本,神是否只是一种精神寄托?为何? 

  8:5-6 百姓坚持要立王,以为有了新政体,就会使国家完善。但是由于基本问题乃是人不顺服神,所以其他的问题在这新政府之下仍会照样发生。他们所需要的乃是同心信靠神,而不是一个统一的政体。 

  假使以色列人顺服神领导的话,他们的国势必会非常兴旺,超过所求所想的(参申 28:1 )。如果我们求神引领我们的家庭或个人的生活,却继续按照世人的标准和价值观去行,顺服神就变得有名无实。我们必须脚踏实地,在生活中的各方面信靠祂。 

  撒上 8:19-20> 随潮流,从人意,神的心意被置何方?为何人要一意孤行? 

  8:19-20 撒母耳向人民仔细解释,立王必有诸般不良后果,但他们不肯听。在你要作重要抉择的时候,要仔细衡量正反两面,也要想到你的抉择会带来的各种影响。当你心急如焚地想做某事,就不容易看出隐忧,不过你不要小看这些问题,除非你已有详尽的考虑,否则日后必然为你带来极大的困扰。 

  撒上 8:19-20> 以色列人要求立王错在哪?我们从中得的教训是什么? 

  8:19-20 以色列人被称为圣洁的族类,与万民有别,也是在万国中单单属于神的民族(参利 20:26 )。他们要求立王的动机,却像列国一样,这与神最先的计划完全背道而驰。求立王并不是错,错在立王的动机和原因。 

  我们常常让别人的价值观支配自己的态度与行为。你有否因为想与他人看齐,而作了错误的抉择?你要小心,不要让朋友或是你所崇拜的“英雄们”的价值观,牵着你的鼻子走,使你偏离神的正道。神的子民若想与不信神的人一样,必遭遇属灵的灾祸。──《灵修版圣经注释》