6. Manna issue 89 - David Defeated the Amalekites_Lessons for Life and Ministry 大衛打敗亞瑪力人：生命與事奉的課程
Michael Hsu—Edinburgh, UK 英國艾丁堡 Michael Hsu
Editor's note:
The sixteenth Africa Ministry Training Course (AMTC)
was held in London, UK, in January 2019.
The annual AMTC is organized
by the Western Hemisphere Department of World Mission of the International Assembly,
with the help of the UK General Assembly and the Africa Ministry Committee.
Though the gospel has reached many countries in Africa,
much assistance is still needed in training local church workers,
establishing the religious education system, and constructing church buildings.
The objective of the AMTC is to provide opportunities for members
with a calling in evangelism to participate in this missionary work.
This article is based on a lecture delivered during this event.
編者註：
第十六屆非洲事工訓練班（AMTC）
於 2019 年 1 月在英國倫敦舉行。
一年一度的非洲事工訓練班 AMTC，
由聯總世界宣道西半球部舉辨，
以及英國總會和非洲事工委員會的協助。
雖然福音已經傳到非洲的許多國家，
在訓練當地教會的工人方面，仍然需要很多幫助，
建立宗教教育系統，建設教堂。
非洲事工訓練班 AMTC 的目標是，為信徒提供機會，
呼籲大家傳福音，來參與這項宣道事工。
本文取自於這次活動時的講道。
In 1 Samuel 29, we read of the Philistines
and the Israelites preparing to do battle.
To escape from King Saul, David had earlier defected to the side of Achish, king of Gath
(a Philistine city).
But, worried about David's potential betrayal,
the Philistine military leaders refused
to let David and his followers join them in the battle against the Israelites.
David had no choice but to leave the Philistine forces
and return to his city of Ziklag.
On arrival, David and his men found to their horror
that the Amalekites had burned and plundered the city,
taking the women and the city's inhabitants captive
(1 Sam 30).
Furious and grieved, David's men blamed him for this attack,
and even considered stoning him
在撒母耳記上 29 章，我們讀到非利士人和以色列人準備打仗。
為了逃避掃羅王的追殺，大衛早先就叛逃到迦特王亞吉王身邊
（非利士人的城市）。
但是，由於擔心大衛可能會背叛，
非利士人的軍事領袖拒絕，
讓大衛和他的追隨者加入非利士人與以色列人的戰鬥中。
大衛只好離開非利士人的軍隊，
並返回他的城市洗革拉。
回去之後，大衛和他的部下驚恐地發現，
亞瑪力人焚燒掠奪了這座城市，
俘虜了城裡的婦女和居民
（撒上 30）。
憤怒悲傷的大衛手下，指責他受到這次襲擊，
甚至考慮用石頭砸他。
David's response to this shocking event has many valuable lessons for our faith and ministry.
大衛對這一令人震驚事件的回應, 對我們的信仰和事工有許多寶貴的教訓。
Principle 1: Neither Blame Others nor Exalt Ourselves 原則一：不可責怪別人，亦不可抬高別人的身價
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and his daughters.
But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
(1 Sam 30:6)
6大衛甚是焦急，因眾人為自己的兒女苦惱，說：要用石頭打死他。大衛卻倚靠耶和華─他的神，心裡堅固。
(撒上 30：6)
There is a natural human tendency to look for a scapegoat when things go wrong.
The Book of Genesis describes how
—after their disobedience and sin had been exposed
—Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.
All three parties were eventually punished for their actions
(Gen 3:12–24).
Generations later, when the prophet Samuel
highlighted Saul's error of sparing his enemies and their livestock,
Saul was unwilling to face facts.
Instead, he defended his actions by blaming the people,
claiming that they were the ones who had wanted to keep the booty
(1 Sam 15:1–21).
God was displeased with such disobedience and refusal to accept responsibility,
and rejected the first king of Israel
(1 Sam 15:23).
當事情出錯時，人類有一種自然的傾向，想要尋找替死鬼。
創世記描述了事情是如何發展的
—他們的不順服和罪惡，被揭露之後
—亞當責怪夏娃，夏娃責怪蛇。
三方最終都因他們的行為受到懲罰
（創 3：12-24）。
經過幾代之後，那時撒母耳先知，
指出了掃羅的錯誤，因他饒恕了敵人和放過他們的牲畜，
掃羅不願面對事實。
相反地，他通過指責百姓，來為自己的行為辯護，
宣稱他們才是想要保留戰利品的人
（撒上 15：1-21）。
神對這種不服從，拒絕承擔責任，感到不高興，
並拒絕了這位以色列的第一個國王
（撒上 15:23）。
David—the second king of Israel
—was a stark contrast to his predecessor.
He came back to a destroyed city and was being blamed for this state of affairs.
He did not justify himself by blaming others or the circumstances.
Instead, he "strengthened himself in the LORD his God"
(1 Sam 30:6b).
大衛——以色列的第二任君王，
—與他之前國王對比，形成了鮮明的差異。
他回到了一座被毀壞的城市，被指責要為這種情況負責。
他沒有去指責別人，或怪罪當時的環境，來為自己辯護。
反過來，他“卻倚靠耶和華─他的神，心裡堅固”
（撒上 30:6b）。
As we journey through life,
we will encounter problems and troubles along the way.
Ministry life will also have its fair share of difficulties and hardships.
It is tempting, and often easy,
to find someone or something to blame for our misfortunes.
But David has shown us an important principle.
Do not assign blame when things go wrong.
Start by reflecting on whether we have done our best.
Honestly examine whether we were at fault in any way.
And most importantly, turn to God.
當我們走在人生旅途中，
一路上我們都會遇到問題和困難的事。
事奉生活也會有相當多的困難和艱辛。
這很是誘惑人，而且事情往往變得很容易，
去我們的不幸，怪罪別人或責怪事情不順。
但是大衛向我們展示了一項重要的原則。
問題出錯時，不要去指責。
要開始反省，自已是否已經盡力了。
誠實地檢查，我們是否有任何方面的過錯。
而最重要的是，要轉向神。
On the other hand, when things turn out very well,
there is typically a rush to claim credit.
This is a pitfall to avoid in our service to the Lord.
Never think that our ministry was a success because we are so gifted;
or that God has worked with us because we are so exemplary.
In Haggai 2:4, God encouraged the people to be strong and work,
because He was with them.
This qualifying phrase is crucial.
When we do the work of God, our strength and ability come from Him.
Whatever has been accomplished is due to God and God alone
(see 1 Cor 3:6–9).
另一方面，當事情進展非常順利時，
通常會急於給自已邀功。
這是我們事奉主時，要避免的陷阱。
永遠不要認為，自已的事工可以成功，是因為我們很有恩賜；
或者神與我們同工，是因為我們的行為堪為典範。
哈該書2章4節中，神鼓勵人們要堅強努力作聖工，
因為祂會同在。
這項條件說明的敘述至關重要。
做神聖工作的時候，我們的力量和能力都來自於祂。
無論成就了什麼任務，一切榮耀都只歸於神
（林前 3：6-9）。
Principle 2: Inquire of God, Trust and Obey 原則二：求問神，信靠順服
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son,
"Please bring the ephod here to me."
And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
So David inquired of the LORD, saying,
"Shall I pursue this troop?
Shall I overtake them?"
And He answered him,
"Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
(1 Sam 30:7–8)
7大衛對亞希米勒的兒子祭司亞比亞他說：請你將以弗得拿過來。亞比亞他就將以弗得拿到大衛面前。
8大衛求問耶和華說：我追趕敵軍，追得上追不上呢？耶和華說：你可以追，必追得上，都救得回來。
(撒上 30：7-8)
Another common reaction to crisis or calamity is to rush into action.
The initial shock may paralyze us.
But when we come to our senses,
we itch to do something to assuage our anxiety and grief.
In David's situation,
we would not want to lose any time in rescuing our kidnapped loved ones,
as well as redeeming ourselves in the eyes of our followers.
另一種對危機或災難的常見反應，是倉促採取行動。
最初的驚嚇，可能會使我們呆住。
但當我們回過神來的時候，
我們會渴望做點什麼，來平息自已的焦慮和悲傷。
若身在大衛的情況之下，
我們就不會想浪費任何時間，來營救我們被綁架的至親，
以及在我們的追隨者眼中，挽回自已的面子。
But David did not succumb to a kneejerk reaction.
He waited.
And importantly, he inquired of God
(1 Sam 30:7–8).
His humble inquiry ensured that he knew what to do next.
His supplication also enabled him to find strength from the Lord,
not just to defeat his enemies
but, more importantly, the inner strength to trust the Lord's directions.
但大衛並沒有順從直覺反應。
他等待。
重要的是，他求問神
（撒上 30：7-8）。
他謙卑的求問神，確保他知道下一步該怎麼走。
他的祈求也使他能夠從主那裡得到力量，
不僅僅是為了打敗他的敵人，
但更重要的是，內心有力量信靠主的帶領。
In the Ziklag incident, God permitted David to pursue the Amalekites.
But, in David's shoes, if the Lord had told us to sit, wait, and do nothing,
would we have been able to obey?
Would we have insisted to God that we must take action lest the enemy flee?
在洗革拉事件中，神允許大衛追捕亞瑪力人。
但是，從大衛的角度來說，如果主叫我們坐下，等待，而且什麼都不做，
我們還能順從嗎？
我們是否會堅持向神說，一定要採取行動，以免敵人逃跑呢？
When we encounter challenges in our service,
be they personal, to do with our relationships, or church-wide, we have to soldier on.
Soldiering on requires both strength and wisdom from the Lord.
To gain these, we first and consistently inquire of the Lord.
But after consulting the Lord in our ministry,
it is equally vital for us to completely trust and obey.
當我們在事奉遇到挑戰時，
無論是私人的事務，或是有關我們的各種親朋好友，還是與教會相關，我們都必須堅持下去。
能奮勇前行，需要來自主的力量和智慧。
為了獲得這些力量和智慧，首先我們不停求問主。
但若我們事奉中，詢問主之後，
對我們來說，能完全信靠和服從同樣很重要。
Principle 3: Let God Lead 原則三：給神帶領
So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him,
and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind.
But David pursued, he and four hundred men;
for two hundred stayed behind,
who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.
Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David;
and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water.
(1 Sam 30:9–11)
9於是，大衛和跟隨他的六百人來到比梭溪；有不能前去的就留在那裡。
10大衛卻帶著四百人往前追趕，有二百人疲乏，不能過比梭溪，所以留在那裡。
11這四百人在田野遇見一個埃及人，就帶他到大衛面前，給他餅吃，給他水喝，
(撒上 30：9-11)
Responding to David's inquiry,
God had assured him of victory over the Amalekites.
But during the chase, two things happened that seemed to suggest otherwise.
First, a third of David's troops dropped out
because of exhaustion.
Second, their pursuit was delayed by an ill and starving Egyptian man,
an ex-slave of the Amalekites
(1 Sam 30:13).
Put in a similar situation,
many of us may find some doubt arising in us regarding God's assurance.
神回應大衛的求問，
向他保證會戰勝亞瑪力人。
但追趕的時候，發生了兩件事，似乎代表了不同的情況。
首先，大衛的軍隊有三分之一沒有跟上，
因為他們很疲憊。
其次，他們的追擊時，被一個生病挨餓的埃及人拖住了，
他是亞瑪力人之前的奴隸
（撒上 30:13）。
若身處於相同的情況下，
我們中會有許多人，可能會發現自已對神的保證，產生了一些懷疑。
David's absolute willingness to trust God's leadership is an essential reminder
not to rely on our understanding and experiences when making decisions.
In the world, intuition and experience are valuable assets
that ensure work or business success.
We are naturally inclined to rely on these same things
when we serve God.
We assume that doing things the way we have done before
will yield the same results.
But David's experience was that, in identical situations,
God could give different strategies!
Therefore, even when we find ourselves confronted with a problem
similar to what we have faced before,
we still need to trust God to lead.
Otherwise, we may not succeed in resolving our problem.
大衛絕對願意相信神的帶領導，是一個重要的提醒，
在做決定的時候，不要依賴我們的知識和經驗。
在這個世界，直覺和經驗是很寶貴的資產，
可以確保工作順利或生意成功。
當我們事奉神的時候，
自然而然會傾向於依賴這些相同的東西
。
我們會假設，按照之前的方式做事，
將產生相同的結果。
但大衛的經驗是，在相類似的情況之下，
神亦會給出不同的策略！
因此，即使我們發現自己面臨問題，
與之前遇到的情況相類似，
仍然需要相信神的帶領。
否則，我們可能無法成功解決問題。
The Battle of Ai is an enduring lesson of the fallibility of human understanding.
After the amazing victory of Jericho,
the Israelites thought they could easily conquer the small city of Ai
(Josh 7:2–5).
But they were routed.
Decades later, the prophet Samuel made a similar mistake.
He relied on his judgment of their outward appearance to opine
which of Jesse's sons would be the new king
(1 Sam 16:6).
He was wrong.
與人工智能對戰，是人類智力不可靠的經典教訓。
在耶利哥城取得驚人的勝利之後，
以色列人認為，他們可以輕易地征服艾城
（書 7：2-5）。
但他們被徹底擊敗了。
幾十年之後，撒母耳先知也犯了類似的錯誤。
他依靠自已對耶西兒子外表的直覺下判斷，
來挑選他們哪個，將來會成為新的國王
（撒上 16:6）。
但他卻錯了。
While it is important to plan,
we would do well to remember that God is the One who directs our path
(Prov 16:9).
To serve the Lord effectively,
we must devote much time to prayer, in the mornings and evenings.
Our daily wait for the Lord is an essential part of serving Him.
We need to trust Him and allow Him to work.
When we rush into something,
we often end up hurting ourselves.
In every circumstance, we must allow God to lead us,
as this is the way to success.
雖然有計劃很重要，
我們最好記住，神是指引我們道路的那個人
（箴 16:9）。
若要有效地事奉主，
我們早晚必須花很多時間禱告，
。
我們每天等候主，是事奉祂的主要部分。
我們需要相信神，並允許祂的工作。
當我們急於倉促投入某事時，
我們最後常常傷害自己。
無論任何情況之下，我們都必須讓神帶領我們，
因為這是順利事奉的方式。
Principle 4: God Uses the Ordinary to Achieve the Extraordinary 原則四：神以平凡人完成偉大的事蹟
Then David said to him,
"To whom do you belong, and where are you from?"
And he said, "I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite;
and my master left me behind,
because three days ago I fell sick.
We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites,
in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb;
and we burned Ziklag with fire."
And David said to him,
"Can you take me down to this troop?"
So he said,
"Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me
nor deliver me into the hands of my master,
and I will take you down to this troop."
(1 Sam 30:13–15)
13大衛問他說：你是屬誰的？你是哪裡的人？
他回答說：我是埃及的少年人，是亞瑪力人的奴僕；
因我三日前患病，我主人就把我撇棄了。
14我們侵奪了基利提的南方和屬猶大的地，
並迦勒地的南方，又用火燒了洗革拉。
15大衛問他說：你肯領我們到敵軍那裡不肯？
他回答說：你要向我指著神起誓，不殺我，
也不將我交在我主人手裡，我就領你下到敵軍那裡。
(撒上 30：13-15)
David and his men had no idea where the Amalekites were,
even though they were desperate to hunt them down.
When they came across the half-dead man,
David could easily have left him so as not to waste any precious time.
But, out of compassion, David provided the young Egyptian with food and water.
The grateful man became the key informant
regarding the whereabouts of the Amalekites' camp.
David and his men were thus able to attack
and defeat the Amalekites successfully.
大衛這些人不知道亞瑪力人跑去哪裡，
即使他們不顧一切要追捕他們。
當他們遇到這個快死的人，
大衛本可以輕而易舉地走開他，以免浪費任何寶貴的時間。
但是，出於同情，大衛給這位年輕的埃及人，提供食物和水。
這位感恩的人，就成為重要線索的提供者，
說出了關於亞瑪力人營地的下落。
大衛這些人因此能夠去攻擊，
並且成功打敗亞瑪力人。
In our lives, we often encounter seemingly irrelevant and insignificant things
which we are tempted to leave aside;
since we are already so busy,
someone else can deal with these trivialities.
But the Bible shows us time and again that
God uses insignificant characters and events to accomplish His will.
Elijah was sustained by a widow in Zarephath
(1 Kgs 17:9).
Naaman came to know the true God of Israel through the slave girl belonging to his wife
(2 Kgs 5).
Jesus used a young lad’s meal of barley loaves and fish to feed five thousand
(Jn 6:9).
Hence, we should not dismiss the "small stuff"
—God uses these to change our circumstances.
Similarly, in our ministry life, defined priorities are required.
But in order not to erroneously overlook the small things that God values,
we must seek to understand God's will,
and ensure that our priorities are the same as His.
在我們的生活中，我們經常會遇到，那些看似無關緊要的事情
我們很容易會忽略這些事；
因為我們已經很忙了，
會有別人可以處理這些瑣碎的小事。
但聖經一次又一次地向我們表明，
神以微不足道的人物和事件，來完成他的旨意。
以利亞經由撒勒法的寡婦來撫養
（王上 17:9）。
乃縵通過他妻子的使女，認識了以色列的真神
（王下 5）。
耶穌利用一個少年的食物大麥餅和魚，餵養五千人
（約 6:9）。
因此，我們不該忽視“微小的事物”
—會使用這些小事，來改變我們的情況。
同樣地，在我們的事工生活中，需要確認事情的優先順序。
但為了不錯誤忽略了神所重視的小事，
我們必須尋求先明白神的旨意，
並確認自已與神有一樣的優先順序。
This mindset should extend to ourselves
—though we think we are inadequate and have minimal talent,
God can defy human logic and use us to accomplish great things.
When we entrust everything to Him,
He can perform miracles.
Let us always be vigilant to His calling
(Isa 6:8)
and,
by remaining humble, we can become noble vessels ready for His use.
這樣的心態，應該延伸到我們自己身上
—雖然我們認為自己不夠好，恩賜淺薄，
神可以超越人類的邏輯思考，使用我們來成就偉大的事情。
當我們把一切都託付神的時候，
祂就可以創造神蹟。
讓我們時刻保持警醒，察覺祂的呼召
（賽 6:8）
並且，能保持謙卑，就能成為高貴的器皿，為神所用。
Principle 5: Faithfulness, the Most Precious Quality 原則五：虔誠忠心，最寶貴的特質
After David and his men managed to recover everything they had lost,
the men wanted to divide the spoil among themselves
and give nothing to those who did not go into battle.
But David told the men,
"My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us"
(1 Sam 30:23).
He recognized that both those on the battlefield
and those who remained to protect the supplies deserved the spoil.
大衛和他的部下試著找回他們失去的一切之後，
這些人想要自已瓜分戰利品，
不想分給那些沒有出戰的人。
但大衛對他們說：
"弟兄們，耶和華所賜給我們的，不可不分給他們；"
(撒上 30：23)。
他認為兩方，不論是出戰，
或是那些留下來保護物資的人，都應得到戰利品。
Frontline work may seem more glamorous and more deserving of recognition,
but everyone who serves God faithfully deserves a reward,
regardless of the kind of work they do.
Today, some dedicate themselves to be preachers,
while others devote themselves as part-time workers,
having to also care and earn money for their families.
Neither is superior to the other.
What the Lord demands of us is that we are faithful in executing our work;
the Bible tells us that faithfulness is the most important quality in God's household
(Lk 16:10).
前線的工作，可能看起來更加光鮮亮麗，更值得稱讚，
但是每一個忠心事奉神的人，都應得到獎賞，
無論他們從事任何工作。
今天，有些人獻身作傳道，
而另有一些人自已致力於成為非全職的工人，
還要賺錢照顧家庭。
兩者其中一方都沒有比另一方更好。
剛主對我們所要求的是，只要忠心做好自已的工作；
聖經告訴我們，忠心是神家裡最重要的特質
（路 16:10）。
Acts 8:4 records the persecution of the church
and how "those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word."
We may think it was the apostles' job to uphold the faith and preach the gospel.
Yet this episode tells us that ordinary members,
the unnamed ones, recognized their responsibility.
They had a mission in mind.
They were forced to leave their homes,
but they remained faithful to the word and the preaching of the word.
使徒行傳 8:4 記載了對教會受到迫害，
以及如何“4那些分散的人往各處去傳道”。
我們可能會認為，使徒的工作是堅守信仰和傳福音。
然而這一章節告訴我們，一般信徒，
那些沒有紀錄姓名的人，意識到自已的責任。
他們心中有一個使命。
他們被迫離開家園，
但仍然忠於神的道理，以及傳揚神道理的工作
Today, every single believer is called to evangelize to the world
(Mt 28:19–20; Mk 16:15).
We must be faithful in executing this great commission.
This is why we have to spend time studying the doctrines,
equipping ourselves with and upholding the word.
At the same time, our behavior must show that we are disciples of Jesus.
And we have to pray for power from above,
so we can serve faithfully in God's kingdom, wherever we are sent.
今天，每一個信徒都被呼召，要向世界傳福音
（太 28：19-20；可 16：15）。
我們必須忠心執行這個偉大的使命。
這就是為什麼，必須要花時間研究教義，
以道理裝備自己，並堅守真理。
同時之間，我們的行為必須顯示出，我們是耶穌的門徒。
我們必須祈求來自上頭的能力，
這樣我們才可以於神國裡忠心事奉，無論我們被派往何處。
Conclusion 結論
The road ahead will be difficult,
particularly as we live in the end time.
However, we have to trust in the Lord and always follow His lead.
As long as we are faithful,
God will accept our offering to Him;
and in the end, though we are unprofitable servants,
we will be richly rewarded when He comes again.
前路非常的艱難，
尤其是當我們生活在末世之時。
然而，我們必須信靠主，並始終跟隨神的帶領。
只要我們忠心，
神才會接受我們獻給祂的祭物；
最後，即使我們是無用的僕人，
當他再來之時，就會得到豐厚的獎賞。
May we remain faithful in the work. Amen.
願我們於聖工上盡心盡力。阿們。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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