作者：Ben Dunson 譯者/校對者: Maria
Marta/駱鴻銘
在上一篇文章中，我討論了聖經記載人物榜樣，是為了幫助我們行走我們的基督徒天路歷程。從希伯來書第十一章和哥林多前書第十章記載舊約人物榜樣所應用的兩個特別原則中，可以辨別出這種觀點。首先，聖經使用過去在極端困苦下仍然信靠上帝的男男女女的榜樣，來告訴我們，在生活中，即使面臨眼前的諸多困難，我們也有充分的理由信靠上帝，像古老聖徒們所作的那樣（希伯來書第十一章）。其次，聖經還指出不信的榜樣，以提醒我們不要步入黑暗，或者，倘若我們縱情作樂於不悔改的罪時（林前十一章），要及時回轉。
這些原則是從檢查新約使用舊約人物榜樣的方法中獲得的。對那些在新約聖經中未提及到的、要作為榜樣去跟隨（或要避免）的舊約故事，又如何處理呢？我們也把這些故事看作為指導我們奔跑那擺在面前的賽程，這種做法是合法的嗎？我認為新約聖經使用足夠的舊約榜樣為我們回答了這問題，答案是肯定的「是」。
為了說明第一個原則（信靠耶和華的榜樣），今天在這篇文章中，我們來檢查一個典型的舊約榜樣。這個舊約榜樣經常被誤用來教導一種次等的基督教道德主義形式（a form of
sub-Christian moralism）。這種形式是為了看舊約的榜樣有沒有什麼值得教導信徒的地方。這榜樣就是大衛和歌利亞的故事。大衛與歌利亞爭戰的故事是我們效仿的榜樣嗎？
正如我在之前的文章中提到的，我們只是把自己放在大衛（或任何人）的位置，分開來思考基督徒的生活只是關於我們的勇敢、大膽、或在困難時期忠於上帝等這些方面，我們用這種方法解讀這些常讀的故事是多麼的危險。關於閱讀聖經的方法，我們必須常問：福音在哪裡？福音就是上帝拯救那些無法自己拯救自己的罪人。就大衛這故事而言，問這些問題尤其重要，因為他是以色列受膏的王，是耶穌基督本人的「預表」。
那麼，我們可以應用從新約聖經是如何使用舊約榜樣的原則，來學習大衛和歌利亞（撒母耳記上第十七章）的榜樣嗎？
故事是這樣開始：戰線拉開，非利士人在一邊，以色列人在另外一邊。非利士人派出討戰的人歌利亞（一個巨大而強壯的人）到前線。他一到那裡，就嘲笑聚集的以色列人，要求他們派出自己的勇士，和他單挑。被嚇壞的色列人，並沒有依從歌利亞的挑戰，反而在舉棋不定和恐懼中顫抖（11、24-25節）。大衛，耶西最年輕的兒子（14節），被他父親打發去送糧食給駐紮在以色列前線的兄弟，聽到了歌利亞的嘲諷（23節）。
大衛是如何同時回應巨人歌利亞的存在，又同時回應他怯懦的以色列同胞呢？他在第26節的最初回應是：「這未受割禮的非利士人是誰呢？竟敢向永活的上帝的軍隊罵陣？」從一開始，與對以色列同胞的回應相比起來，我們已看出大衛對歌利亞為何有如此不同的反應：大衛知道上帝的大能和那些反對和嘲笑上帝之人的荒謬立場。當掃羅聽到大衛願意出戰歌利亞時，他堅持認為大衛是「不能去與這非利士人決鬥」，因為他「年紀還輕」，而歌利亞「從小就作戰士」（第33節）。大衛的回應是堅稱說，他作為一個牧羊人，在擊打野生動物中已經學到了一些戰鬥技巧；但更重要的是，他重申了開頭在戰線上對以色列人所說的話（36節）：「你僕人不但擊殺過獅子，也擊殺過熊。這個未受割禮的非利士人也必像一隻獅子或熊一樣，因為他向永活的 神的軍隊罵陣。」
大衛的信心從何而來？從上帝而來。
這點在下一節經文中清晰地突顯出來（37節）：「那曾救我脫離獅爪和熊掌的耶和華，也必救我脫離這非利士人的手。」
大衛當然是勇敢的。但為什麼？ 因為他知道，上帝的大能遠遠超過巨人歌利亞。此時此刻，大衛是憑著信心，不是憑著眼見（林後五17）。他不是用世俗的力量與歌利亞較量，而是當上帝為你爭戰時，世俗的力量不值一提。忍受巨人的嘲諷之後，大衛揭開了他力量的來源（45-47節）：
大衛對非利士人說：『你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名，就是你所怒罵帶領以色列軍隊的 神。今日耶和華必將你交在我手裡。我必殺你，斬你的頭；又將非利士軍兵的屍首，給空中的飛鳥地上的野獸吃，使普天下的人都知道以色列中有上帝。又使這眾人知道耶和華使人得勝，不是用刀用槍，因為爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華。祂必將你們交在我們手裡。』
大衛無所畏懼，在這場戰鬥中，因為巨人誇口自己的優勢（第45節），上帝的榮譽受到威脅，而大衛來「是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名」。大衛勇猛英勇，因為他知道「今日耶和華必將」歌利亞交在他手中（第46節）。大衛無所畏懼，因為他相信「爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華」，耶和華「使人得勝，不是用刀用槍」而是憑祂自己的大能（第47節）。
總之，大衛相信上帝，因為上帝是至高無上、值得信賴的。在故事中，這是大衛採取下一步勇敢行動的唯一信心源頭。因為大衛知道上帝為祂的百姓爭戰，大衛「趕快往陣上跑去」（48節），用石頭「擊中了那非利士人的前額，他就僕倒，面伏於地。」（49節）。
但是，我們應該如何回應像這樣的聖經故事呢？要勇於克服我們生活的障礙？要剛強壯膽，勇敢地擊殺我們個人的歌利亞？不是這樣的。如果是這樣，我們就很容易明白為什麼許多基督徒不願意教導這個故事可以作為今日的基督徒跟隨的榜樣。
但大衛的確是我們的榜樣。
大衛是這些人的榜樣：1. 相信大能的上帝以大能的方法拯救祂的百姓的人。2. 藉著信心採取行動的人。雖然在希伯來書第十一章沒有發現這故事的記載，如果我們要找到它，我們可以想像希伯來書作者將撒母耳記上第十七章概括如下：「因著信，大衛因為知道爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華，就拿出機弦和一塊石子擊殺了巨人歌利亞」。
總之：對我們來說，大衛是一個榜樣，因為他自己與歌利亞的戰鬥教導我們，不管我們的生活遇到什麼困難，都要相信爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華，而祂會拯救自己的百姓。有了這個保證，我們有能力滿懷信心地相信上帝，像大衛一樣，根據信心大膽地採取行動，「只管坦然無懼地來到施恩的寶座前，為要得憐恤，蒙恩惠，作隨時的幫助」（來四16）。
在本系列下一篇博文，也是最後一篇，我會查看有沒有明確訴諸於新約聖經的不信例子（如林前第十一章），看看我們作為基督徒如何可以把它作為我們自己的生活例子來解讀（作為避免的例子來避免）。
Ben
C. Dunson博士是宗教改革聖經學院（Reformation Bible
College）新約聖經教授。
David,
Goliath, and You?
FROM
Ben Dunson
In a
previous post I argued that the Bible uses human examples in order to help us
on our own Christian pilgrimages. From Hebrews 11 and 1 Corinthians 10 two
principles in particular could be discerned. First, the Bible uses past examples
of men and women who trusted in the Lord despite extreme hardships to show us
that even in the face of the many difficulties that we too face in life we have
strong reasons to trust in the Lord, as did the saints of old (Heb. 11).
Second, the Bible also points to examples of unbelief in order to warn us not
to head down that path, or to turn back if we are already giving ourselves over
to the deceitful pleasures of unrepentant sin (1 Cor. 11).
These
principles were derived from examining ways that the New Testament uses human
examples from the Old Testament. What about Old Testament stories that are not
mentioned in the New Testament as examples to follow (or avoid)? Is it
legitimate for us to look to these stories as well for guidance in running the
race of faith? I think the New Testament uses enough Old Testament examples for
us to answer “yes” to this question.
To
illustrate the first principle (examples of faith in the Lord), in this post I
want to examine a classic example from the Old Testament that is often misused
to teach a form of sub-Christian moralism in order to see if there is something
this example can teach us as believers today, namely the story of David and
Goliath. Is David’s battle with Goliath an example we are meant to follow?
As I
mentioned in my previous post, the danger in how these stories are often read
is that we simply slot ourselves into the role of David (or whomever) and come
away thinking that the Christian life is simply about us being brave, or bold,
or faithful to God in difficult times. To that way of reading the Bible, we
must always ask: where is the gospel, the good news that God is the one who
saves sinners who are unable to save themselves? In David’s case this is
especially important, since he is Israel’s anointed king, a “type” of Jesus
Christ himself.
What,
then, can we learn from the example of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) by
applying the principles we learned from seeing how the New Testament uses Old
Testament examples?
The
story begins like this: the battle lines are drawn, the Philistines on one side
and the Israelites on the other. The Philistines send their champion Goliath (a
massive and strong man) to the front lines. Once there, he taunts the assembled
Israelites, demanding that they send their own champion to engage him in single
combat. The terrified Israelites, instead of complying with Goliath’s order,
quake in indecision and fear (vs. 11, 24-25). David, the youngest of Jesse’s
sons (v. 14), hears Goliath’s taunts (v. 23) while on an errand from his father
to the bring supplies to his brothers who are stationed on Israel’s front line.
How
does David respond, both to the presence of the giant Goliath, and to the
cowardice of his fellow Israelites? His initial response in verse 26 is
telling: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies
of the living God?” From the outset we see why David has such a different
response to Goliath than his fellow Israelites: David knows the power of his
God and the absurd position of those who would oppose and mock the Lord. When
word comes to Saul about David’s desire to fight Goliath he insists that David
is “not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him” since he is “but
a youth,” whereas Goliath “has been a man of war from his youth” (v. 33). David
responds by insisting that he has learned some battle skills in fighting
against wild animals as a shepherd; but more importantly, he reiterates what he
first said to the Israelites on the battle line (v. 36, emphasis added): “Your
servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
Where
does David’s confidence come from? From God.
This
stands out clearly in the next verse (v. 37): “And David said, ‘The Lord who
delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver
me from the hand of this Philistine.’”
David
was courageous, certainly. But why? Because he knew that God was infinitely
more powerful than the giant Goliath. In this moment, David walked by faith,
not by sight (see 2 Cor. 5:17). He was no match for Goliath in terms of earthly
strength, but earthly strength is nothing when the Lord fights for you. After
enduring Goliath’s taunts, David reveals where his strength comes from (vs.
45-47):
Then
David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and
with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you
into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give
the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air
and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is
a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not
with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into
our hand.”
David
is unafraid because he comes “in the name of the Lord of hosts” whose own honor
is at stake in this battle because of Goliath’s boasts of superiority (v. 45).
David is courageous because he knows “the Lord will deliver” Goliath into his
hand (v. 46). David is fearless because he is confident that “the battle is the
Lord’s” who “saves not with sword and spear” but by his own almighty power (v.
47).
In
short, David trusts in the Lord because the Lord is supremely trustworthy. This
is the sole source of the valiant actions David performs next in the story.
Because David knows that God fights for His people, David “ran quickly to the
battle line to meet the Philistine” (v. 48) and “struck the Philistine on his
forehead” with a rock, killing him instantly (v. 49).
But
how should we respond to a story from the Bible like this? Be bold and overcome
the obstacles in our lives? Be courageous and slay our personal Goliaths? No,
and it is easy to see why many have shied away from teaching this story as an
example for Christians to follow today.
But
David is an example for us.
He is
an example of someone who trusted in a mighty God to save His people in a
mighty way, and he is an example of someone who acted on that trust. Although
this story is not found in Hebrews 11, if we were to find it there we could
imagine 1 Samuel 17 being summarized like this: “By faith, David, because he
knew that the battle is the Lord’s, took up his sling and stone and slayed the
giant Goliath.”
In
short: David is an example for us, because his own battle with Goliath teaches
us to trust that no matter what difficulties confront us in life, the battle is
the Lord’s, and He will save His people. With this assurance, we are equipped
to confidently trust the Lord, and like David, to act boldly in light of that
trust, to “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
In
the next, and final post in this series, I will look at an example of unbelief
not explicitly appealed to in the New Testament (as in 1 Cor 11) to see how we
as Christians can read it as an example for our own lives (an avoid example to
avoid, of c.ourse).
