上帝, “圣经”和政治正义: 章 16
第三部分: 政治从犹太历史的教训
章 16
萨穆埃尔和流浪牧师
“在那些日子里，以色列中没有王; 每个人都做他认为合适的。“法官 17:6
所以, 祭司在哪里? In the history of the Judges they are almost entirely absent. Are they not important to the history of the country? Surely they are, 但是为什么这么安静?
答案的线索，可能是在法官的结论和我塞缪尔开始. 我们完成这本书的法官，有两个颇为离奇的故事，, 起初, seem out of place. The subjects in these two stories are priests of the Levitical tribe.
弥迦和流浪牧师
在第一个故事中，我们讲述了一个名叫弥以法莲支派的人从他的母亲已经窃取了大量的银, [1] 关于 28 斤 13 kilos to be exact. He confesses because his mother has put a curse on the thief. She in turn gives it back to her son, 神圣的 主 并鼓励他“偶像”. Micah already has a shrine and uses the silver to add new “idols” and an “ephod”. He then installs his son as priest.
在这一点上我们必须怀疑, “什么 主 他们供奉这些东西?” Everything they are doing breaks the Laws of Moses. They are not to have idols. They are not to “curse” in God’s name and they are not to build shrines. Ephod’s are to be worn only by the priest and the priests are to be Levites.
The picture God is painting for us is one of total disregard for what God has taught them about worship. The people are in rebellion, 崇拜他们周围的外邦的神. 而所有的, 依然采用了耶和华名的，好像他们是崇拜他.
A priest of the Levitical tribe enters the scene. He is from Bethlehem and has wandered off looking for another home. We don’t know why he does this but we do know the clans of the priests have all been assigned homelands. He comes across Micah in Ephraim and Micah makes him an offer. Live with his family, 成为他的牧师, 穿他的新的以弗得，并代表他们的偶像在他们的圣地. 米卡将支付他每年的总和，并给他衣食. 弥迦牧师指出，现在他知道他安装 “耶和华对我好, 利未人，因为这已经成为我的祭司。“法官 17:13 什么 主?
If we do not read the Bible with the Laws of Moses in mind we will miss the point here. The Law lays down the template by which we understand everything else that happens in the history of Israel including the prophets, the coming of Christ and the expansion of the gospel to the Gentile nations. God is not starting His thinking over in each book of the Bible. They build progressively and the one before helps us understand the ones that follow. Everything everyone does in all of Scripture is to be measured by what God has already told them in the Law. Without this measurement we will distort the meaning of the history of Israel and distort God’s message.
上帝是我们展示在祭司和米迦的雇用他的生命，在这个时间点上，以色列人没有顾及神的律法. Everything the priest and Micah do here is in direct violation of God’s instructions. 但, 他们仍然希望法神祝福他们! 恶化是从犹太社区内.
故事继续恶化! 上帝, 摩西和约书亚都分配的部落具体详细边界的部落土地，但我们有一个流浪部落. 但人正在寻找一个地方移动. We don’t know the exact story but the Danites have not been able to take their assigned land. 其实, they have been run out. It appears that none of the tribes have come to their rescue.[2]
They come across Micah and his young Levitical priest. They ask this priest to inquire of the Lord whether their mission to find a new home territory will be successful. 他们发现一个美丽的, 繁荣的土地, 他们攻击的地方, 一 “和平和不知情的人”Judges18:27 摧毁他们燃烧自己的城市 (LAISH) 下.
以法莲丹回报的军队抢断偶像和以弗得更好的报价，使得牧师. 为什么一个家庭是一个牧师时，他可以为整个部落的祭司? They rebuild the city of Laish and rename it Dan. “在那里，但人就为自己设立的偶像, 和革舜的儿子约拿单, 摩西的儿子, 和他的儿子，但支派的祭司......“法官 18:30-31 部落刚刚寻求神的偶像. 流浪的牧师是摩西的孙子![3]
丹在全市设立的偶像将困扰他们的历史，其余以色列.
那么有我们! 偶像崇拜, unlawful priesthood and lost tribes weaken Israel. Not only is there political corruption but it would seem the priesthood is in a very bad state as well.
现在我们就来一个牧师的第二个故事，最后法官的书.
利未人和他的妾
另一个牧师从以法莲山地了一个妾, 订单中的妻子, from Judah to live with him. We are not told why, but she runs away from him and returns to her father’s house. The priest comes looking for her and is hosted by the father for days. 妾与牧师离开的承诺，不停止前进的道路上，他们将不会受到保护的非犹太城镇.
On their way home they stop for the night at Gibeah in the Bengamite territory. They wait at the town square as customary if you were a traveler looking for lodging for the night. No one helps them until evening comes, 以法莲一个老人住在基比亚亲切地把他们和他们的需求提供.
所多玛和蛾摩拉时，一边吃，我们听到回声, wicked men from the town come demanding the old man give up the priest for them to sodomize. He pleads with them attempting to shame them by offering his own virgin daughters or his guests concubine. The men decline the daughters but accept the concubine. They rape her all night long and in the morning she lies dead on the threshold of the house. The priest cuts her body into 12 pieces and sends one to each tribe of Israel as a message. How can such a thing happen in Israel?
部落的反应是一致的; “这样的事情从未见过或做, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. 想想吧! Consider it! Tell us what to do!“法官 19:30
The Jews seem to be astounded by their own wickedness. And when one priest finally calls them to accountability they respond. Eleven tribes come together with 400,000 soldiers. They hear the priest’s testimony and determine to bring judgment on the Benjamites. They ask for the surrender of the guilty men. The Benjamites refuse and amass more than 26,000 自己的士兵，并与他们的兄弟去打仗. 无论是部落的问责或责任法在便雅悯人的心目中似乎存在.
在第一天的战斗便雅悯人杀死一个惊人 22,000 从其他部落的士兵. 18,000 are killed the next day. Weeping and inquiring of the Lord they fight another day. 在内战的第三天，11部落杀 25,100 的 26,000 便雅悯人的部队和摧毁他们的城镇和牲畜.
The lose to the Benjamites was so great that if the tribes had not helped them they would have become extinct. And the book of Judges closes out: “在那些日子里，以色列中没有王; 每个人都做他认为合适的。“ 21:25
There is no victory here. There is some level of justice and retribution. There is some course correction in the moral decline of the Jewish people. With all that God has done and given to this chosen people, 他们仍然是那么糟糕, 如果不是次, worse than the pagan nations that surround them. Their religious leaders are full of idolatry and their political leaders are morally spent.
红线的暴力继续它的破坏性的流动，现在通过神所拣选的人. 他想用以色列透露他的价值观，为国家建设，为所有国家. 但是，以色列是倒退.
士师记 2:20 所以耶和华非常生气与以色列说, “因为这个国家已经违反我放下他们的祖先所立的约，并没有听我的话, 21 我将不再从他们面前赶出离开任何国家约书亚当他死了. 22 我会使用它们来测试以色列人，看他们是否会保持在耶和华的道，走在他们的祖先一样。” 23 耶和华已经允许这些国家保持; 他没有赶他们一次，让他们到约书亚的手。“
Israel has enemies because God is using the conflict to get their attention. In the ???? hundred years since the times of Joshua the character and fiber of Jewish justice has deteriorated dramatically. It is time for change.
撒母耳记下 1060-1020 B.C.
当我们进入书 1 Samuel the writer’s inspiration begins with the condition of the priesthood again. We are told that Eli the Priest and his sons are wicked. His sons steal from the Lord and use temple prostitutes. God says He is going to destroy the family and raise up a new leader.
In God’s search throughout all of Israel He can find no one able to lead the nation. They have reached the cultural bottom. 政治领导和祭司是在严重的麻烦. 仍然在以色列以外的机构有信实. 告诉我们一个忠实的妇女和她的丈夫，, 而以色列扎进异教运行, stand firm in their commitment to God. The husband, 以利加拿的是一个有两个妻子以法莲, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah has children but Hannah is barren.
This faithful man goes up to Shiloh every year to worship and offer sacrifices. Eli, Hophni and Phinehas are priests. Elkanah, 之前，他像约伯, 提供牺牲，他的孩子和两个妻子. 汉娜是伤心欲绝，因为她无儿无女, and she cries out for God. She is so fervent in her prayer that Eli thinks she is drunk. 否认, she puts her petition for a child before Eli. He blesses her and asks God to grant her request. The next morning, 才离开家里, Elkanah lies with Hannah and she conceives. She names the child Samuel because “我问他的主。” 1 撒母耳记下 1:20
只要男孩是断奶, 汉娜带他到示罗. 崇拜和牺牲后, she offers him to the service of the Lord for the rest of his lifetime. Hannah then leaves this precious gift child under the supervision of these awful priests. Her trust is in the Lord, 不是系统.
神说：, “我会为自己提高一个忠心的祭司, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, 他将臣之前，我的受膏者总是“撒母耳记上 2:35
当上帝说提高了一个忠心的祭司，他说塞缪尔? Many times in Scripture thus far God speaks of raising up a faithful leader who will establish His house. But who is He talking about? 塞缪尔当然会给忠实的领导了一代人，并且将改善以色列的状态. 但, it will decline again. What is God saying?
从孩子开始, 上帝把他的注意力到一个新的一代, as He did in the wilderness with Moses. He is willing to use every generation. His desire is to use every generation (前一句重复) 但也有来的时候，它可能是太晚了那一代人改变, 他必须重新开始与年轻一代.
“在那些日子，耶和华的话是罕见的; 并没有太多的愿景。“撒母耳记上 3:1
God begins to prepare Samuel. He hears God speak from an early age and Eli is righteous enough to understand that it is the Lord. Samuel grows in maturity and does not forget anything God has said. He is recognized throughout Israel as a prophet of God.
以色列的报应, 非利士人, 争强好胜如初. 他们突袭以色列, defeat the army and steal the ark. The Israelites have been smart enough to know that the ark had power so they brought it to the battlefield. But they are too far from the truth to understand that God will not bless such decadence even in the Temple. The Philistines are smart enough to be afraid of the presence of the ark because they know the God of Israel is powerful. But they win anyway and become the owners of the “magical artifact.” Hophni and Phinehas are killed in battle along with 30,000 others. Eli drops dead on hearing of the death of his sons and the capture of the ark.
Samuel是一个牧师，虽然不是一个利未人, prophet and political leader though not a traditional Judge. He is a transitional leader that God uses in untraditional ways. Like Moses, 谁是一个利未人, 但给亚伦祭司，而他保留政治领导, 他不适合神的规范，制度权威. ，塞缪尔是必不可少获得国家回到正轨, 但他不是领导的模板.
The Philistines are having a terrible time with the ark. They place it in the temple of Dagon, their god. The people begin experiencing a pandemic of tumors and the statue of Dagon keeps falling over. They finally decide to return the ark to Israel.
Twenty years have passed since the ark was taken. 和 “以色列所有的人哀悼，主追捧。” 1 撒母耳记下 7:2 Samuel leads the people in giving up their pagan worship of gods and coming back to the God of Israel. He then, 作为老法官, 导致他们陷入战争与非利士人在米斯巴, the same battle field as the devastating civil war between the tribes and the Benjamites. Is that a coincidence?
非利士人击败, 以色列的土地恢复，并有和平. 塞缪尔可以追溯到他的家在拉玛和法官以色列从那里骑象从部落到部落巡回法官. 他似乎已不再充当牧师.
正如塞缪尔变老，我们读, “他任命了他的儿子，作为法官以色列。” 1 撒母耳记下 8:1 But his sons do not walk in integrity before God as Samuel has. They accept bribes and they pervert justice. 和 “人民” 拒绝. (8:3-5). 以色列想要一个王带领他们. (8:6)
God has said he will establish the house of Samuel in leadership over Israel. But as with Eli and his sons, this promise is conditional. The character of the sons is unacceptable to God and the people. Samuel is a messenger that brings this word of the Lord to Eli in I Samuel 3:11-14 So why does Samuel now think that God will use his sons regardless? We are not told why. God does not elaborate for us. But this disregard of the father for the character of their sons will plague Israel throughout its history, 从大卫到最后的国王.
Now we begin the history of Israel’s kings. 下一个 (453ISH扫罗和以色列囚禁之间) years will bring us to the greatest highs and devastating lows of Jewish History. God requires us to read through tragedy after tragedy for hundreds of pages with only a few points of historical encouragement. 为什么? What are we to learn from all of this? What are we missing in the message of Jesus if we do not understand this history? Jesus mastered these events. He understood them and He knew what the Father was saying in them. So must we.
