Deuteronomy 申命记 20 — Instructions on Battle 对争战的指示

Claiming our spiritual inheritance will involve battles as well as blessings, for the hosts of evil are against us (Eph. 6:10–13). God’s words to Israel help us understand how to defeat the enemies we face.

继承属灵基业的过程同时包括了争战与祝福,因为魔鬼会抵挡我们(弗6:10-13)。神对以色列所说的话也能帮助我们了解如何能击败我们眼前的敌人。

 

Before the Battle: Courage.  战争前:要勇敢

We walk by faith and not by sight (v. 1) and must never judge the victory by our own resources or the resources of the enemy. God gives us the power to overcome, so take courage from the fact that God is with us and fights for us. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1–23 for an exciting example of this truth.

我们行事为人是凭着信心,不是凭着眼见(第1节),所以我们不能凭自己或敌人的能力裁决胜败。神给予我们战胜敌人的能力,因此当要勇敢,因神与我们同在,也为我们争战。请阅读历代志下20:1-23一个激动人心的例子。

 

During the Battle: Obedience. 战争时:要顺服

We must be totally devoted to the Lord if we are to win the battle (2 Tim. 2:4). The battlefield is no place for the fearful and fainthearted or the doubleminded. We must obey whatever battle plan God assigns to us, for the enemy often employs a different strategy.

若要赢得这场争战,我们必须完全忠心于主(提后2:4)。战场上容不得惧怕胆怯或心怀二意的人。神为我们拟定的作战计划,我们都当服从,因为敌人往往采用各样不同的策略。

 

After the Battle: Complete Conquest. 战争后:要彻底征服敌人

Even in defeat, the enemy is still the enemy and can entice us into sin. Remember what happened to Achan (Josh. 7) and King Saul (1 Sam. 15).

战败了的敌人仍然是敌人,并能引诱我们犯罪。还记得亚干(书7)和扫罗王(撒上15)的下场吗?

 

Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告

 

  1. There were three occasions for granting temporary deferment from military service in Israel. The first was to allow the soldier to dedicate a new house to the Lord and start living in it (Deut. 20:5). The word translated “dedicate” also means “to initiate,” that is, to start living in the house with his family. The second was to harvest a new vineyard. The third was perhaps the most important, and that was to permit the engaged soldier to go home and get married. According to Deuteronomy 24:5, he could deferred a year. These three exceptions suggest that God is more interested in our enjoying the common blessings of life—homes, harvests, and honeymoons—than devoting ourselves only to the battles of life. He didn’t want any of the Jewish men to use their military responsibilities as an excuse to neglect their families, their vineyards, and their fiancées. Certainly military service was important, but the Lord was more concerned that the men have the right priorities in life. What good was accomplished for the Jewish people if their army defeated the enemy on the field but things were falling apart back home? Let’s pray we possess the same priority as Him.

以色列人在三种情况下可暂时延后服行兵役。首先是让军人把新房奉献给主,好让他先进去居住(申20:5)。“奉献”的原意就是“启蒙”,即与自己的家开始同住在房子里。其二就是让军人先收割新葡萄园。第三,或许也是最重要的,就是让订婚的军人先回家成亲。据申命记24:5,这人可延后服役长达一年。这三个特例说明神更关注的是我们能享受平凡生活的祝福,即家园、收成和蜜月,而不单单专注于生命中的战斗。神不希望犹太男子以军事责任为借口,反倒忽略自己的家庭、葡萄园和未婚妻。兵役固然重要,但耶和华更在乎的是人不舍本逐末。如果犹太人大战对手,家中却四分五裂,这又对他们有何益处?让我们祈祷,叫自己的优先顺序能与神相同。

 

  1. It’s important to note that God gave the nation two different military approaches, one for the cities in the land of Canaan (vv. 1–9, 16–18) and the other for cities outside Canaan (vv. 10–15). Why? It is because the sins of Canaanites and the Lord had given them 400 years to repent yet they still did not want to repent. The consequences of the refusal to repent is serious. Let’s pray that we remember the happen to them.

 

我们当注意,神给予以色列两个不同的军事策略,一个是针对迦南地的城(1-9节,16-18节),另一个是针对迦南地以外的各城(10-15节)。为什么呢?这是因为迦南人犯了罪;主已给他们四百年的时间悔改,但他们尚未忏悔。拒绝悔改的后果是严重的。让我们祷告自己能记住他们所遭受的下场。