撒母耳記上第五課：撒母耳記上第十五章：
掃羅王違背神；神拒絕掃羅為王
一。撒母耳給掃羅什麼使命？
二。 當以色列人從埃及出來時，亞瑪力人怎樣待以色列人，怎樣抵擋他們？（請參閱：出埃及記17:8-16；民數記14:43-45；申命記25:17-19。）
三。 請解釋清楚耶和華神怎麼能夠向掃羅說：“你要去擊打亞瑪力人，滅盡他們所有的，不可憐惜他們，將男女、孩童、吃奶的，並牛、羊、駱駝和驢盡行殺死”。如果“神就是愛”（約翰壹書4:8），神怎麼能夠叫以色列人如此行？請注意：1）神是天地的大主宰。雖然有一些現代人覺得此命令是不可思議的，但是神既是聖潔的，他又不會犯罪。他所有的命令是對的，是公議公義的。2）當審判日，亞瑪力人要滅亡。藉着掃羅和以色列人的手，神讓亞瑪力人早一點接受審判。3）以色列人是神的“工具”，實行審判。4）亞瑪力人的孩童長大後，只會跟長輩一樣—犯罪。5）神已經給亞瑪力人數百年悔改的機會。彼得後書三章9節莊嚴聲明，主“不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改”。
四。 7-9節：掃羅是否聽從神的命令？掃羅怎麼樣試着自白？
五。 9節：“掃羅和百姓卻憐惜亞甲，也愛惜上好的牛、羊、牛犢、羊羔並一切美物，不肯滅絕；凡下賤瘦弱的，盡都殺了” 。由第九節可知，掃羅的態度如何？
六。 請用自己的話形容掃羅的錯是什麼。
七。 10-11節：神對掃羅的反應是什麼？“我立掃羅為王，我後___了，因為他___去不跟從我，不遵___我的命令。撒母耳便甚憂___，終___哀求耶和華”。（請參看35節。）
八。 12節：撒母耳發現掃羅已去迦密作什麼？ 請注意新譯本的翻譯：“掃羅到了迦密，在那裡為自己立了一座紀念碑…”由第十二節可知，掃羅的態度如何？
九。 13-23節：在撒母耳記上，此段話非常重要。請多讀幾次，多思考。
十。 13節：請分別清楚撒母耳和掃羅二人各個的對“執行神的命令”一詞的定義有所不同的看法。（注意：“執行神的命令”一詞是新譯本的翻譯。和合本翻譯為“耶和華的命令我已遵守了”。）
十一。 請背誦撒母耳向掃羅的責難：“耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人___從他的話呢？聽命___於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。悖逆的___與行邪術的罪相等；頑梗的罪與拜___神和偶象的罪相同。你既厭棄耶和華的命___，耶和華也厭棄你作___”。
十二。24-31節：掃羅請求撒母耳做什麼？“現在求你赦免我的罪，同我___ ___，我好敬拜耶和華”。撒母耳是否立刻就如此行？最後，撒母耳是否就如此行？
十三。28節：撒母耳對掃羅說：“如此，今日耶和華使以色列國與你斷絕，將這國賜與比你更好的人”。撒母耳指誰而言——誰比掃羅更好？
十四。29節：此句話值得我們背誦：“以色列的___ ___者必不至說___，也不至後___。因為他迥非世人，決不後悔”。（新譯本的翻譯：“以色列的大能者必不說謊，也不後悔。因為他不是世人，他決不後悔”。普通話本的翻譯比較清楚：“主是以色列的榮耀，他言出必行，不會改變主意；他不是沒有主觀的世人”。）
十五。32-33節：亞瑪力王名字是___ ___。看起來，他以為他不會____。撒母耳向他說的又是一句名言：“‘你既用刀使婦人___ ___，這樣，你母親在婦人中也必___ ___。’於是，撒母耳在吉甲耶和華面前將亞甲殺死”。此事應該是誰做的？
十六。請再次閱讀11節、29節及35下半節。11節和35節告訴我們說，“神後悔了”，但是第29節說“神不後悔”。這兩句話是否矛盾？ 為什麼？注意：現代中文譯本把這幾句話翻譯如下：11節：“我後悔立掃羅作王；他已經離棄我，違背了我的命令。”撒母耳很不高興，整晚向上主懇求。29節：“以色列的大能者——上帝不說謊，也不改變主意；他不是世人，他不改變主意。”35節：“從那時一直到死，撒母耳沒有再看過掃羅，但是他為掃羅悲傷。上主後悔立掃羅作以色列的王。”神的心裡感到難過。掃羅有很多機會做一位好王，但是他自己拒絕了神，錯過了良機。
讀者：歡迎您把這篇短文下載，複印，用在您的《聖經》班裡。
圖片：以色列國的他泊山。掃羅王時常經過或爬上他泊山。Photo: Mount Tabor in Israel. King Saul frequently passed by or climbed Mt. Tabor. Photo ©Edward Short.
Bible Study Questions: 1 Samuel Lesson Five
1 Samuel 15: Saul Disobeys God; God Rejects Saul
1. On what mission did Samuel send Saul?
2. How did the Amalekites treat the Israelites when Israel left Egypt? (See Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 14:43-45; Deuteronomy 25:17-19.)
3. Explain how the Lord God was able to tell Saul to “…go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (NRSV). If “God is love” (1 John 4:8), how was God able to tell Israel to do this thing? Please note: 1) God is the Sovereign of all of heaven and earth. Although some people today consider this command to be beyond comprehension, God is holy and he cannot sin. All of his commands are true and righteous. 2) The Amalekites would be destroyed on the day of judgment. God judges them early, via the hand of Saul and the Israelites. 3) The Israelites are God’s “tool” to achieve judgment. 4) When the children of the Amalekites would grow up, they would be exactly like their predecessors—sinful. 5) God had already given the Amalekites several hundred years of opportunity to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 affirms that the Lord is “not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (NRSV).
4. Vs. 7-9: Did Saul obey God’s command? How did Saul try to vindicate himself?
5. Vs. 9: “Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was valuable, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed” (NRSV). What does verse nine tell us about Saul’s attitude?
6. Explain in your own words what Saul’s error was.
7. Vs. 10-11: What was God’s reaction to Saul? “I r___ that I made Saul king, for he has t___ back from following me, and has not c___ out my commands. Samuel was a___; and he cried out to the LORD all n___” (NRSV). (See v. 35 also.)
8. Vs. 12: Samuel found out that Saul had gone Carmel to do what? [The New Chinese Translation is also quoted; this translation makes clear that the monument was for Saul himself, whereas the Union Version does not.] What do we learn about Saul’s attitude from verse twelve?
9. Vs. 13-23: This is a very important section in 1 Samuel. Read it several times and give it serious thought.
10. Vs. 13: Differentiate clearly how Samuel and Saul each interpret the phrase “carried out the command of the LORD.” [Again, two Chinese translations are given.]
11. Memorize how Samuel censured Saul: “”Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in o___ to the voice of the LORD? Surely, to obey is b___ than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is no less a s___ than divination, and stubbornness is like i___ and idolatry. Because you have rejected the w___ of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being k___” (NRSV).
12. Vs. 24-31: What did Saul ask Samuel to do? “Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and r___ with me, so that I may worship the LORD” (NRSV). Did Samuel comply immediately? Did Samuel comply eventually?
13. Vs. 28: Samuel told Saul, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (NRSV). To whom did Samuel refer?
14. Vs. 29: It is worth our effort to memorize this statement: “Moreover the G___ of Israel will not r___ or c___ his mind; for he is not a mortal, that he should change his mind” (NRSV). [Three Chinese translations are given: Union Version, New Version and Putonghua Easy-to-Read Version.]
15. Vs. 32-33: What was the name of the king of the Amalekites? It seems that he thought what would not happen to him? What Samuel said to him is another famous statement: “‘As your sword has made women c___, so your mother shall be c___ among women.’ And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal” (NRSV). Who should have done this?
16. Read again verses 11, 29 and 35. Verses 11 and 35 tell us that God “regretted/repented,” but verse 29 says that “God does not regret/repent.” Are these statements contradictions? Why? Note: These verses are quoted from the Today’s Chinese Version. God gave Saul many opportunities to be a good king, but Saul rejected God.
聖經問答
撒母耳記上第五課：
掃羅王違背神；神拒絕掃羅為王
Bible Study Questions: 1 Samuel Lesson Five
1 Samuel 15
Saul Disobeys God; God Rejects Saul
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
本文所問的問題使用漢子聖經。
歡迎您把此文下載用在聖經班或私人學習。
A series of Bible lessons, written in Chinese
and based largely on the text of the Chinese Bible.
You may download and print copies of this lesson
for use in your Bible class.