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撒母耳記上 9

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1 有一個便雅憫,名叫基士,是便雅憫亞斐亞的玄孫,比歌拉的曾孫,洗羅的孫子,亞別的兒子,是個大能的勇士(或譯:大財主)。

2 他有一個兒子,名叫掃羅,又健壯、又俊美,在以色列人中沒有一個能比他的;身體比眾民高過一頭。

3 掃羅的父親基士丟了幾頭,他就吩咐兒子掃羅:你帶個僕人去尋找

4 掃羅就走過以法蓮,又過沙利沙,都沒有著;又過沙琳,驢也不在那裡;又過便雅憫,還沒有著。

5 到了蘇弗掃羅對跟隨他的僕人我們不如回去,恐怕我父親不為驢掛心,反為我們擔憂。

6 :這城裡有一位,是眾所尊重的,凡他所的全都應驗。我們不如往他那裡去,或者他能將我們當走的指示我們

7 掃羅對僕我們若去,有甚麼可以送那呢?我們囊中的食物都吃盡了,也沒有禮物可以送那我們還有甚麼沒有?

8 回答掃羅:我裡有子一舍客勒的四分之一,可以送那,請他指示我們當走的

9 (從前以色列中,若有去問,就我們問先見去罷!現在稱為先知的,從前稱為先見。)

10 掃羅對僕:你的是,我們可以去。於是他們往所住的城裡去了。

11 他們上坡要進城,就遇見幾個少年女子出來打,問他們:先見在這裡沒有?

12 女子回答:在這裡,他在你們前面。去罷!他今日正到城裡,因為今日百姓要在邱壇獻祭。

13 在他還沒有上邱壇祭物之先,你們一進城必遇見他;因他未到,百姓不能,必等他先祝祭,然請的客才。現在你們上去,這時候必遇見他。

14 二人就上去;將進城的時候,撒母耳正迎著他們,要上邱壇去。

15 掃羅未到的前日,耶和華已經指示撒母耳說:

16 明日這時候,我必使一個從便雅憫到你這裡,你要他作我民以色列的君。他必我民脫離非利士人;因我民的哀聲上達於我,我就眷顧他們。

17 撒母耳掃羅的時候,耶和華對他哪,這就是我對你所的,他必治理我的民。

18 掃羅在城裡走到撒母耳跟前,:請告訴我,先見的寓所在哪裡?

19 撒母耳回答:我就是先見。你在我前面上邱壇去,因為你們今日必與我同席;明日早晨我送你去,將你心裡的事都告訴你。

20 至於你前日所丟的那幾頭驢,你裡不必掛念,已經著了。以色列眾人所仰慕的是誰呢?不是仰慕你和你父的全家麼?

21 掃羅:我不是以色列支派中至小的便雅憫人麼?我家不是便雅憫支派中至小的家麼?你為何對我這樣的呢?

22 撒母耳領掃羅和他僕進了客堂,使他們在請來的客中首位;客約有三十

23 撒母耳對廚役:我交你收存的那一分祭肉現在可以拿來。

24 廚役就把收存的腿拿來,擺在掃羅面前,撒母耳:這是所留下的,放在你面前。罷!因我請百姓的時候,特意為你存留這肉到此時。當日,掃羅就與撒母耳同席。

25 眾人從邱壇來進城,撒母耳和掃羅在房頂上說話。

26 次日清起來黎明的時候,掃羅在房頂上。撒母耳呼叫起來罷,我好送你回去。掃羅起來,和撒母耳一同出去。

27 二人到城角,撒母耳對掃羅:要吩咐僕人先走(僕人就先走了);你且站在這裡,等我將傳與你

   

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Exploring the Meaning of 1 Samuel 9

Napsal(a) Garry Walsh

In this chapter we are introduced to Saul, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. He's an "impressive young man," but he's not important, yet....

As the story opens, Saul and one of his father's servants are searching for some of his father's donkeys that had wandered off. They hunt far and wide, but have no success. Saul is beginning to lose hope when his servant tells him that there's a man of God (Samuel) staying in a village nearby who might be able to help them. Saul makes sure that he has a suitable offering to bring to Samuel, and sets out to find him.

On that day, Samuel was on his way to preside over a sacrifice. The Lord had told him that he would encounter the man who would be anointed commander of the people and save them from the Philistines. When Samuel saw Saul, he knew that this was the man the Lord had told him about. He invited Saul to the sacrifice, and told him that the lost donkeys were safe. They ate together, and Samuel gave Saul the best of the meat offering. The next day Samuel asked Saul to wait a moment before leaving, and then Samuel told him the Lord’s message.

This is a story about kingship. Throughout the story, high places are mentioned. Samuel invites Saul to accompany him to a high place, and later to a rooftop. Swedenborg writes that this is representative of a king. (See Spiritual Experiences 2472.)

Another interesting aspect of the story is its mention of Saul’s attractive appearance. He's unusually tall and strong. We as humans are often drawn to things which seem attractive to us. In each of us there are two parts: one part is external or sensual, and the other is internal or spiritual. We cannot fully understand the Lord when we are only thinking from the external part of ourselves. When this part of ourselves dominates, the Lord can seem distant. We need the spiritual part of us to be awake to develop a new relationship with God. (See Heaven and Hell 85.)

The idea of having a king seemed attractive to the Israelites. But it may not have been the best idea for their relationship with God. In the previous chapter we learned that by transitioning from having a prophet to having a king, the Israelites prioritized one aspect of their relationship with God over another: faith over charity, or truth over goodness. In reality, we need both, together, conjoined and in balance.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Spiritual Experiences # 2472

  
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2472. About the Lord's Word, that the very least things there are vessels into which life is poured by the Lord

When I was reading 1 Sam. 9 to the end, verses 1 Sam. 9:25 and 26, I saw by a spiritual mental image how inward regions are expressed there as high, as that Saul was invited to the high place [v. 19], that he was placed before the elite who were called [v. 22], that he went up to the top of the house with Samuel and spoke with him there [v. 25], that he rose up when the dawn arose [v. 26]. Mention is made there only of heights, which are also symbolic, such as "high place," "top of the house", "spring of the day," and other expressions, which linked together in the inward meaning make up the idea of a king, representing the head. But the connection is seen inwardly by the Angels from the Lord, because the expressions are joined to things that are not expressed, yet are contained in the ideas of the same words. For every word is like a vessel having an infinity of elements within that cannot be presented except in a deeper level of meaning, being connected by virtue of the mental images the words convey, which are not patent to the human mind except only as a literal meaning containing hardly anything.

Thus interiors, as said before [2445-2446], reflect the human as to its inward parts, for the inward parts of the body are all interacting with, as well as portraying, the inward regions of the heavens. 1748, 1 July.

  
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Thanks to the Academy of the New Church, and Bryn Athyn College, for the permission to use this translation.