叁 我们必须看见基甸失败的关键内在的意义： |
Ⅲ We must see the intrinsic significance of the secret of Gideon’s failure: |
一 第一，基甸不仁慈；他杀了那些不支持他的同胞（士八16~17），干犯了神的第六条诫命（出二十13）；基督是神的恩慈，领我们悔改（罗二4，多三4，弗二7）。 |
A First, Gideon was not kind; he killed those countrymen who did not support him (Judg. 8:16-17), breaking the sixth commandment of God (Exo. 20:13); Christ as the kindness of God led us to repentance (Rom. 2:4; Titus 3:4; Eph. 2:7). |
二 第二，他放纵肉体的情欲（参加五16，罗八4），对肉体的情欲毫不约束；这由士师记八章三十节所指明，那里告诉我们，基甸有七十个儿子，“因为他有许多妻子；”此外，他在示剑的妾，也给他生了一个儿子（31）；借此基甸干犯了第七条诫命（出二十14）。 |
B Second, he indulged in the lust of the flesh (cf. Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:4), not exercising any restriction over his fleshly lust; this is indicated by Judges 8:30, which tells us that Gideon had seventy sons, “for he had many wives”; in addition, his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son (v. 31); by this Gideon broke the seventh commandment (Exo. 20:14). |
三 第三，虽然基甸在拒绝管理百姓的事上作得正确（士八22~23），却贪恋百姓所夺的掠物（他们所夺的耳环），因而干犯了第十条诫命，百姓就将掠物交给他；基甸用他从百姓取得的金子制造了一个以弗得，这以弗得成了以色列人的偶像（24~27，出三二1~4与2注1）；结果，基甸的家和整个以色列社会都败坏了。 |
C Third, although Gideon did a good thing in refusing to rule over the people (Judg. 8:22-23), he coveted the spoil of his people (their golden earrings), thereby breaking the tenth commandment, and they surrendered it to him; Gideon made an ephod with the gold he had taken from the people, and this ephod became an idol to the children of Israel (vv. 24-27; Exo. 32:1-4 and footnote 1 on v. 2); as a result, Gideon’s family and the entire society of Israel were corrupted. |
四 士师记是关于享受那预表基督的美地；基甸的成功指明得着绝佳的机会享受基督，而他的失败指明失去享受基督的机会。 |
D Judges is a book concerning the enjoyment of the good land, which is a type of Christ; Gideon’s success indicates the gaining of an excellent opportunity to enjoy Christ, but his failure indicates the losing of the opportunity to enjoy Christ. |
肆 基甸放纵性欲并贪恋金子，导致拜偶像；贪婪就是拜偶像（西三5），淫乱和贪婪都连于拜偶像（弗五5）；基甸的失败给我们看见，我们在对付性欲和钱财的事上，必须施行严格的管制： |
Ⅳ Gideon’s indulgence in sex and his greediness for gold led to idolatry; greediness is idolatry (Col. 3:5), and both fornication and greediness are linked to idol worship (Eph. 5:5); his failure shows us that we need to exercise strict control in dealing with the matters of sex and wealth: |
一 甚至在以色列国和以色列国最高峰的威荣里得荣耀的所罗门王（王上四34，八10~11），起初是敬畏神、爱神的人，至终由于娶了许多外邦妻子，也成了拜偶像的人（十一1~13，见43注1）。 |
A Even King Solomon, who was glorified in the kingdom of Israel with the splendor of that kingdom at its highest peak (1 Kings 4:34; 8:10-11) and began as a God-fearing and God-loving person, eventually became an idol worshipper through his many foreign wives (11:1-13; see footnote 1 on v. 43). |
二 基甸死后，以色列人的堕落开始于离弃耶和华他们的神，并且敬拜迦南人的偶像；结果他们就放纵肉体的情欲；此外，基甸的妾的儿子亚比米勒，杀了基甸的其他七十个儿子，而另一个儿子约坦逃跑了—士八33~九57。 |
B After Gideon died, Israel’s degradation was initiated in their forsaking of Jehovah their God and their worshipping the idols of the Canaanites, which issued in their indulgence in fleshly lust; also, the son of Gideon’s concubine, Abimelech, slew seventy of Gideon’s other sons, whereas Jotham, another son, escaped—Judg. 8:33—9:57. |
三 约坦大胆宣告，将亚比米勒的掌权比喻为荆棘的掌权，与那些拒绝野心并成为神子民供应管道，象橄榄树、无花果树、和葡萄树的人相对（8~13）；神报应亚比米勒向他父亲所行的恶（14~55），就是杀了自己弟兄七十个人；神也将示剑人一切的恶报应在他们头上；耶路巴力（基甸—六32）的儿子约坦的咒诅都归到他们身上（九56~57）。 |
C Jotham boldly declared a parable of Abimelech’s reign as the reign of the bramble versus those who are like olive trees, fig trees, and vine trees, who reject ambition and become a channel of supply to God’s people (vv. 8-13); God repaid the evil of Abimelech (vv. 14-55), which he had done to his father by slaying his seventy brothers; and God brought all the evil of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon—6:32) came upon them (9:56-57). |
四 在基甸的成功里，他将自己联于神，但在他的失败里，他将自己联于撒但；离弃神而与撒但联结，就是进入这恶者里面内在的野心里—赛十四13~14。 |
D In Gideon’s success he joined himself to God, but in his failure he joined himself to Satan; to forsake God and join with Satan is to enter into the intrinsic ambition within this evil one—Isa. 14:13-14. |
五 我们没有权利与主离婚，没有理由离弃祂；我们必须接受祂，爱祂，尊重祂，尊敬祂，看重祂，高举祂，紧联于祂，并弃绝撒但到极点；这样我们就必蒙福；以耶和华为主、为头、为王、为丈夫的每一国家、每一社会、每一团体和每一个人，是有福的—诗三三12。 |
E We have no right to divorce the Lord and no reason to forsake Him; we must take Him, love Him, honor Him, respect Him, regard Him, exalt Him, and cling to Him, rejecting Satan to the uttermost; then we will be blessed; blessed is everyone—nation, society, group, and individual—whose Lord, Head, King, and Husband is Jehovah—Psa. 33:12. |
晨兴喂养
罗二4 还是你藐视祂丰富的恩慈、宽容与恒忍，不晓得神的恩慈是领你悔改？ 加五16 我说，你们当凭着灵而行，就绝不会满足肉体的情欲了。 士八23 基甸说，我不管理你们，…唯有耶和华管理你们。 基甸在大大成功—士师记里所记载以色列历史一切循环中最大的成功—以后，有了可怕的失败。他失败的关键包含三个因素。第一，基甸不仁慈；他杀了那些不支持他的同胞（八16~17），干犯了神的第六条诫命（出二十13）。第二，他放纵肉体的情欲，对肉体的情欲毫不约束。这由士师记八章三十节所指明，那里告诉我们，基甸有七十个儿子，“因为他有许多妻子。”此外，他在示剑的妾，也给他生了一个儿子（31）。借此基甸干犯了第七条诫命（出二十14）。第三，他虽然在拒绝管理百姓的事上作得正确（士八22~23），却贪恋百姓所夺的掠物，百姓就将掠物交给他（24）（士师记生命读经，三○至三一页）。 |
Rom. 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that God’s kindness is leading you to repentance? Gal. 5:16 But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh. Judg. 8:23 But Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you…. Jehovah will rule over you. After his great success—the greatest success in all the cycles of Israel’s history recorded in Judges—Gideon had a terrible failure. The secret of his failure comprises three factors. First, Gideon was not kind. He killed those countrymen who did not support him (Judg. 8:16-17), breaking the sixth commandment of God (Exo. 20:13). Second, he indulged in the lust of the flesh, not exercising any restriction over his fleshly lust. This is indicated by Judges 8:30, which tells us that Gideon had seventy sons, “for he had many wives.” In addition, his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son (v. 31). By this Gideon broke the seventh commandment (Exo. 20:14). Third, although he did a good thing in refusing to rule over the people (Judg. 8:22-23), he coveted the spoil of his people, and they surrendered it to him (v. 24). (Life-study of Judges, p. 24) |
信息选读
基甸放纵性欲并贪恋金子，导致拜偶像。贪婪就是拜偶像（西三5），淫乱与贪婪都连于拜偶像（弗五5）。甚至所罗门王，起初是敬畏神、爱神的人，至终由于娶了许多外邦妻子，也成了拜偶像的人（王上十一4）。基甸用他从百姓取得的金子制造了一个以弗得，这以弗得成了以色列人的偶像（士八27）。结果，基甸的家和整个以色列社会都败坏了。基甸起初拆毁巴力的坛及其偶像，但在他成功以后，却建立另一个敬拜的东西。这失败抵销了他一切的成功。…他的失败给我们看见，我们在对付性欲和钱财的事上，必须施行严格的管制。…在这些事上任何的放纵，都会抹煞我们对基督的享受。 以色列惨痛历史第五、第六次循环（八33~十5，十6~十二15）的内在意义，乃是以色列离弃神，将自己联于偶像。这就是说，以色列人与神，就是她合法的丈夫离婚，转去随从许多偶像。…人离弃神，开始于创世记三章。…接受知识树，实际上就是与撒但结婚，与神离婚。 基甸的失败是由于他离弃神，以及将自己联于撒但。…他将自己联于撒但，结果就是谋杀；他也放纵肉体、贪婪、犯奸淫。这带进他的家和整个以色列社会的败坏。…随从撒但，就是进入撒但堕落时所呈现的野心里。他要升到宝座上；他要与至高者一样（赛十四13~14）。因此，离弃神而与撒但联结，就是进入这恶者里面内在的野心里。 在家庭生活里，每当丈夫和妻子爱主，并弃绝祂以外的一切，他们的婚姻生活就很美妙。然而一旦丈夫或妻子开始爱别的东西，以之代替主，他们的婚姻生活和家庭生活就变得混乱。 我们没有权利与主离婚；我们没有理由离弃祂。我们必须接受祂，爱祂，尊重祂，尊敬祂，看重祂，高举祂，紧联于祂，并弃绝撒但到极点。这样我们就必蒙福。…我们若爱主，恨撒但，就必蒙福。然而，每当我们改变，开始爱基督以外的东西，我们就必遇见难处。诗篇三十三篇十二节说，“以耶和华为神的，那国是有福的。”凡以耶和华为主、为头、为王、为丈夫的每一国家、社会、团体和个人，都是有福的（士师记生命读经，三一至三二、四一至四三页）。 参读：士师记生命读经，第六至八篇。 |
Gideon’s indulgence in sex and his greediness for gold led to idolatry. Greediness is idolatry (Col. 3:5), and both fornication and greediness are linked to idol worship (Eph. 5:5). Even King Solomon, who began as a God-fearing and God-loving person, eventually became an idol worshipper through his many foreign wives (1 Kings 11:4). Gideon made an ephod with the gold he had taken from the people, and this ephod became an idol to the children of Israel (Judg. 8:27). As a result, Gideon’s family and the entire society of Israel were corrupted. Gideon began by tearing down the altar of Baal and its idol, but after his success he built something idolatrous. This failure canceled all his success…. His failure shows us that we need to exercise strict control in dealing with the matters of sex and wealth…. Any indulgence in these things will cause our enjoyment of Christ to be annulled. The intrinsic significance of the fifth and sixth cycles of Israel’s miserable history (8:33—10:5; 10:6—12:15) consists of Israel’s forsaking God and joining herself to idols. This means that Israel divorced God, her legitimate Husband, and went after many idols. Man’s forsaking of God began in Genesis 3….To take the tree of knowledge is actually to marry Satan and divorce God. Gideon’s failure was due to his forsaking of God and his joining himself to Satan….When he joined himself to Satan, the issue was murder. He also indulged in the flesh, coveted, and committed idolatry. This issued in the corruption of his family and the entire society of Israel. To go along with Satan is to enter into the ambition that was present in Satan when he fell. He wanted to ascend to the throne; he wanted to be like the Most High (Isa. 14:13-14). Hence, to forsake God and join with Satan is to enter into the intrinsic ambition within this evil one. In family life, whenever a husband and a wife love the Lord and reject everything other than Him, their married life will be wonderful. But once a husband or wife begins to love something else in place of the Lord, their married life and family life become chaotic. We have no right to divorce the Lord; we have no basis to forsake Him. We must take Him, love Him, honor Him, respect Him, regard Him, exalt Him, and cling to Him, rejecting Satan to the uttermost. Then we will be blessed. If we love the Lord and hate Satan, we will be blessed…. Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah.” Blessed is everyone—nation, society, group, and individual—whose Lord, Head, King, and Husband is Jehovah. (Life-study of Judges, pp. 24-25, 33-35) Further Reading: Life-study of Judges, msgs. 6-8 |