旧约 - 撒母耳记上(1 Samuel)第4章

And Samuel's word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.
The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD'S covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."
So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
When the ark of the LORD'S covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, "What's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were afraid. "A god has come into the camp," they said. "We're in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before.
Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.
Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!"
So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head.
When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
Eli heard the outcry and asked, "What is the meaning of this uproar?" The man hurried over to Eli,
who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see.
He told Eli, "I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day." Eli asked, "What happened, my son?"
The man who brought the news replied, "Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.
His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains.
As she was dying, the women attending her said, "Don't despair; you have given birth to a son." But she did not respond or pay any attention.
She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"--because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.
She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."
撒母耳记上第四章   第 4 章 

  撒上 4:1> 非利士人的祖先是谁?与以色列人的关系如何? 

  4:1 非利士人是挪亚的儿子含的后裔,居住在地中海的东南岸,埃及与迦萨地带中间。他们原来是“海上的居民”,从希腊和克里特岛乘船来到中东。到撒母耳的时代,这个好战的民族已在迦南地西南,迦萨地带的五个城市定居立国,不断入侵以色列内地。在那个时代,他们是以色列人的头号敌人。 

  撒上 4:3> 将约柜如护身符般看待?太迷信了吧──我们也会如他们般看我们的信仰?…… 

  4:3 约柜之中有神赐给摩西的两块法版,刻有十条诫命。它应当放在至圣所,就是会幕最神圣之处,只有大祭司能一年进去一次。何弗尼与非尼哈擅自闯入搬运约柜,自然亵渎了至圣所。 

  以色列人虽然深晓约柜极其圣洁,不过又以为约柜本身──包金的木匣子,是他们能力的泉源,开始以它作为幸运的符箓,指望能保护他们脱离仇敌。神的象征物并不保证神的同在、必定会发出大能。他们对约柜的态度与敬拜偶像相似,十分可悲。约柜被非利士人掳去,他们就以为以色列的荣耀已经失去( 4:19-22 ),神也离弃了他们( 7:1-2 )。神能按祂的智慧与旨意来显明祂的大能,祂只向那些忠心寻求祂的人显现。 

  以色列人与非利士人的争战 

  撒上 4:4> 以列色人把约柜运来是为了── 

  4:4 “坐在二基路伯上万军之耶和华”,意思是说神居住在约柜上盖的两个金基路伯中间。何弗尼与非尼哈将约柜运到战场,以色列人就相信它会带来胜利。 

  撒上 4:5-8> 神过去的保守已成历史,怎样保持不败和更新呢? 

  4:5-8 非利士人因为听说过以色列人出埃及的时候,神如何伸手帮助他们,所以一听到祂的约柜到了就十分惧怕。但是以色列人已经偏离了神,所靠的仅仅是敬虔的外貌,所抓着的不过是从前得胜的象征。 

  有些人和教会常想靠追念神的赐福度日。以色列人误以为神过去曾经使他们得胜,现在虽然已经偏离祂,祂仍会再次使他们胜利。现在和圣经时代一样,属灵的胜利乃是藉着人与神的关系不断地更新而来。不要倚靠过去,要使你与神的关系保持甜美新鲜,并且不断更新。 

  撒上 4:11> 恶人必遭报应,你信吗? 

  4:11 这件事应验了 2 章 34 节的预言:以利的两个儿子何弗尼与非尼哈必“同一日死亡”。 

  以利 

  撒上 4:12> 示罗在以色列历史上曾经是── 

  4:12 示罗是昔日以色列人的宗教中心(参书 18:1 ;撒上 4:3 ),神的会幕长久设立在那里。因为以色列人没有政治上的首都,从战场传噩耗之人,就自然而然地来到示罗。许多圣经学者相信,示罗城就是在这一场战役时被毁(参耶 7:12 ; 26:2-6 ;及 7:1 的注释)。 

  撒上 4:18> 领袖的德行,反映他的王国甚至时代盛衰…… 

  4:18 以利身兼以色列的士师和大祭司。他的死亡标志着以色列士师的黑暗时代的终结,那期间大多数人民不理会神。不过,撒母耳也是士师,他的一生看到以色列人由士师秉政过渡到王朝时代,开始了以色列人在下一个世纪所经历的大复兴。圣经没有说谁接续以利作大祭司(因为撒母耳并不是亚伦的子孙,所以他不适合作大祭司),但是撒母耳在以色列全地为他们举行重要的献祭,实际上代行了大祭司的职务。 

  撒上 4:19-22> 婴儿以迦博的名字象征了── 

  4:19-22 这件事说明以色列人的属灵光景已黑暗衰退。男婴以迦博长大以后,本来应当继承父亲非尼哈作祭司,但他父亲却因亵渎会幕在战场被杀。神离开祂的子民带来的恐惧阴影,掩盖了孩子出生的喜乐。罪恶若在我们生命中作王,就连神所赐的欢喜快乐也尽属虚空。──《灵修版圣经注释》