二 得胜者如何蒙拣选，见于那三百人如何被选上；神告诉基甸，跟随他的人太多，指明神要为以色列人争战；第一次挑选的结果，有二万二千人离开： |
B How the overcomers are selected is seen with the selection of the three hundred; by telling Gideon that he had too many people, God was indicating that He would fight for Israel; the first selection resulted in twenty-two thousand leaving: |
１ 那些离开的人想要荣耀自己—士七1~2，约五41、44。 |
１ Those who left wanted to glorify themselves—Judg. 7:1-2; John 5:41, 44. |
２ 那些离开的人是惧怕胆怯的—士七3，太二五25，参申二十5~8。 |
２ Those who left were fearful and afraid—Judg. 7:3; Matt. 25:25; cf. Deut. 20:5-8. |
三 第二次的挑选，由百姓怎样喝水而决定；凡直接用嘴喝水的人，被神剔除；凡用手捧到嘴边喝水的人被神选上，因为他们是否认己的人；借着这样喝水，他们能殷勤留意仇敌的任何攻击—士七4~6： |
C The second selection was determined by how the people drank; those who drank directly with their mouth were eliminated by God; those who drank by bringing water in their hand to their mouth were selected by God because they were self-denying persons; by drinking in this way, they were able to watch diligently for any attack by the enemy—Judg. 7:4-6: |
１ 那些有机会放纵自己，却不这样作的人，乃是已借着十字架受过对付而否认自己的人，他们为着神定旨的缘故，在主争战的日子，牺牲个人的安适—7节，诗一一○3。 |
１ Those who have the chance to indulge themselves but will not do so are self-denying persons who have been dealt with by the cross, sacrificing their personal rest and comfort for the sake of God’s purpose in the day of His warfare—v. 7; Psa. 110:3. |
２ 得胜者绝对为着神的荣耀，他们除了怕得罪主和失去祂的同在之外，什么都不畏惧（出三三14~16）；他们让十字架对付己（约壹三8，来二14，罗六23，加二20）。 |
２ The overcomers are absolute for God’s glory and are afraid of nothing except offending the Lord and losing His presence (Exo. 33:14-16); they allow the cross to deal with the self (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14; Rom. 6:23; Gal. 2:20). |
晨兴喂养
士七4~7 耶和华对基甸说，人还是太多；…基甸就带他们下到水旁。…于是用手捧到嘴边舔水的有三百人，…耶和华对基甸说，我要用这舔水的三百人拯救你们，将米甸人交在你手中；其余的人都可以各归各处去。 士师记七章二至七节里拣选三百人这件事也强调，为着神的定旨牺牲我们个人的权益和享受。基甸吹号招聚百姓攻打米甸人时，三万二千人响应。神说，跟随基甸的人太多，神不能将米甸人交在他们手中，免得以色列人向神夸大，说，“是我们自己的手救了我们”（2）。神告诉基甸，跟随他的人太多，指明神要为以色列人争战。首先，二万二千人回去，因为他们惧怕（3）。然后耶和华试验剩下的一万人，带他们到水旁喝水。凡屈膝跪下喝水，和舔水像狗舔的，就被打发回家（5）。只有用手捧到嘴边舔水的三百人，蒙神拣选来与米甸人争战（6）。耶和华告诉基甸，祂要用那样舔水的三百人，拯救他们脱离米甸人。这三百人和基甸一样，甘愿牺牲，为神所用（士师记生命读经，三○页）。 |
Judg. 7:4-7 Then Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many….So he brought the people down to the water…. And the number of those who lapped the water into their mouth with their hand was three hundred men…. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Through the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and I will deliver Midian into your hand. But let all the other people go… The selection of the three hundred in Judges 7:2-7 also stresses the sacrifice of our personal interests and enjoyment for God’s purpose. When Gideon blew the trumpet to call the people to fight against the Midianites, thirty-two thousand responded. God said that those who were with Gideon were too many for God to deliver Midian into their hand, for Israel might have vaunted himself against God, saying, “My own hand has saved me” (v. 2). By telling Gideon that he had too many people, God was indicating that He would fight for them. First, twenty-two thousand went home because they were afraid (v. 3). Then Jehovah tested the remaining ten thousand by bringing them to the water to drink. Those who bowed down on their knees and lapped as a dog laps were sent home (v. 5). Only the three hundred who lapped the water into their mouths with their hands were chosen by God for the battle against Midian (v. 6). Jehovah told Gideon that through the three hundred men who lapped in that way, He would save them from Midian. Like Gideon, these three hundred were willing to sacrifice in order to be used by God. (Life-study of Judges, pp. 23-24) |
信息选读
第一次挑选的结果，有二万二千人离开。因为他们…要荣耀自己。我们舍得生命，却舍不得荣耀。不只当胜过撒但，也当胜过自己。神只要为祂作工，而不夸功的人。为神作工以后，只当说，“我们是无用的奴仆”（路十七10）。…神不能与我们同分荣耀。如果我们为自己有所盼望，我们就是被淘汰的。…惧怕战栗的，都请回家（士七3）。必须不爱惜自己，必须忍受痛苦。最大的痛苦，不是物质的，乃是属灵的。凡要荣耀自己和惧怕战栗的人，都要被淘汰。得胜不在乎人多，乃在乎认识神。 第二次的挑选…是借着喝水的小事。小事常显出我们自己是如何。当日犹太人和亚拉伯人行路，是将行李背在背上。在路上喝水有两个法子：第一，将行李放下，用口对水而喝。第二，为赶路，并防备劫路的，就不放下行李，用手捧水而喝。这一万人，用口对水而喝的，有九千七百；用手捧水而喝的，有三百。用口对水而喝的人，是神所淘汰的。用手捧水而喝的人，是神所要用的。有机会放纵而不放纵的人，是经过十字架对付的人。这样的人，神能用他。无论如何都肯让十字架对付的人，神才能用他。 神选择得胜者的三个条件是：第一，完全为神的荣耀；第二，不怕什么；第三，让十字架对付自己。是否得胜者，自己可以断定，也能断定。神试炼我们，我们自己也显出我们是不是得胜者。知道十字架得胜的人，才能继续维持十字架的得胜（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一三八至一三九页）。 参读：长老训练第七册，第一、六、八章；从天上来的异象，第六章。 |
The first selection resulted in twenty-two thousand people leaving. They left because…they wanted to glorify themselves. We are willing to give up our life but not to give up our glory. Not only do we have to overcome Satan, we have to overcome ourselves as well. God wants only those who will work for Him without boasting about it. After working for God, we should merely say, “We are unprofitable slaves” (Luke 17:10)….God cannot divide His glory between Him and us. If we still expect anything for ourselves, we will be eliminated. These ones also left…because they were fearful and afraid (Judg. 7:3)….One must not love himself but must endure suffering. The greatest suffering is not material but spiritual. Whoever wants to glorify himself and is fearful and afraid will be eliminated. Overcoming does not depend on the number of people but on knowing God. The [second] selection…was based on a very small matter, that of drinking. A small matter always exposes what we are. In those days both the Jews and the Arabs carried their luggage on their backs when they traveled. There were two ways to drink water along the way. One was to put down the luggage and kneel, bowing down to the ground to drink with the mouth. The other was to leave the luggage on the back and drink by putting the hand to the mouth…. Among the ten thousand, nine thousand and seven hundred drank with their mouths directly to the water, while three hundred drank by putting water in their hand to the mouth. Those who drank directly with their mouths were eliminated by God. Those who drank by bringing water in their hand to the mouth were selected by God. A person who has the chance to indulge himself but who will not do so is one who has been dealt with by the cross. This kind of person can be used by God. God can only use those who are willing to be unconditionally dealt with by the cross. The three conditions by which God selects the overcomers are: (1) being absolute for God’s glory, (2) being afraid of nothing, and (3) allowing the cross to deal with the self. One can judge for himself if he is an overcomer. God will test us, and we will be exposed as to whether or not we are overcomers. Only those who know the victory of the cross will be able to maintain the victory of the cross. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 772-774) Further Reading: CWWL, 1986, vol. 1, “Elders’ Training, Book 7: One Accord for the Lord’s Move,” chs. 1, 6, 8; CWWL, 1965, vol. 3, “The Heavenly Vision,” ch. 6 |