提要
上帝已經立大衛為以色列王。這事由他受推羅王希蘭的恩待,得到證實。以後大衛便與他結盟。希蘭供應他許多建造宮殿的材料,後來他也照樣為所羅門預備。大衛後來更進一步在耶路撒冷擴大家業,得到許多妻兒。但是多妻是干犯上帝旨意的(民17:17),因而帶來了許多內政問題和災難(例如:撒下13:1~28)。
大衛登基為王後,仍須對付野心勃勃的鄰國。當他只在希伯崙統治時,非利士人並不認為他是一個威脅;但現在,全以色列聯成一體的力量,他們不能忽視。雖然大衛有一支大軍,但他並不信賴自己的力量,只靠上主。他做正事,出戰之前必求問主。他對上帝有信心,且信賴,故在第一場戰爭中力克非利士人。他們迷信地抬著自己的偶像(可能像幸運符之類),一起進入戰場。但在匆遽敗退時,到處丟棄。根據摩西的律法(申7:5、25),大衛把它們都燒了(14:12;撒下5:21),這做得對。
上帝在大衛二次赴戰場時賜他謀略,這看來令人迷惑。祂本可容易地憑自己除掉非利士人,卻希望大衛和他的軍兵參與大計,共嚐勝利之果。這事可能使以色列贏得其他國家的尊敬;並使人謙卑承認,若是沒有上帝的幫助,就不可能勝利。按照主的計畫,他們神奇地聽到上帝軍兵由灌木之上衝到他們前面的聲音;非利士人就在灌木之後埋伏等待。此時,以色列的勝利是決定性,而國家也終於脫離非利士人的壓制。主使大衛的姓名尊高,眾國畏懼(14:17)。
歷代志執筆者有意教導讀者,遵守摩西律法的重要性。在十三章,我們讀到一些記載:因為他們不尊敬約櫃的神聖,又不遵守摩西的指導,而產生災難。在十五章,我們看見約櫃被尊重而正當地請進耶路撒冷時,所產生的喜樂。這種情形,上帝得了榮耀。
大衛得知上帝因為約櫃安置在俄別以東的家三個月,而大量賜福給俄別以東的消息時,恐懼感便消除了。在他重新想請約櫃回耶路撒冷前,他必須小心研究摩西所記上帝的話,以便發現關於它的一些規矩。因為約櫃代表了上帝的臨在,他們必須恭敬地對待它,以榮耀上帝。
大衛下令發起一個美好的遊行,由那些已經照著禮儀自潔且聖化的祭司和利未人領頭(15:12)。來自哥轄宗族的祭司,將約櫃抬在肩上,然後祭司長撒督和雅比亞他,敬拜上帝,獻上犧牲。大衛王脫掉他的王袍,像利未人一樣穿上簡單的以弗得。在上主面前,人人平等;且在此場合中,只有主當得榮耀。大衛快樂地跳舞,並加入歌者和樂師的行列,這樣抬著約櫃,到他在耶路撒冷所設立的帳幕中安置。可悲的,他的妻子,也是掃羅的女兒米甲,並不欣賞這種快樂,反倒認為大衛所行失去君王身分,而感到羞恥(15:29;參撒下6:14─16,20─23)。
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Overview
God had established David upon the throne of Israel. This was evidenced by the acceptance he received from Hiram, king of Tyre, with whom David made an alliance. Hiram provided him with the materials for building his palace, as he would later provide for Solomon. David was further established personally in Jerusalem by obtaining more wives and children. But his polygamy was against the will of God (Deuteronomy 17:17), causing many domestic problems as well as calamities (e.g. 2 Samuel 13:1,28).
David's ascension to the throne was also not without international problems. When he was merely ruling in Hebron, the Philistines did not consider him a threat; but now, with the unified forces of all Israel, he could not be ignored. Although David had a great army, he did not rely on his own strength but on the Lord. He did the right thing to enquire of the Lord before going into battle. With faith and confidence in God, David overpowered the Philistines in the first battle. They had superstitiously brought their idols with them into the battle (probably like a good-luck charm), but dropped them in their haste to retreat. In accordance with the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 7:5, 25), David did well in burning them (14:12; 2 Samuel 5:21).
It is amazing to see that God gave David a strategy before going into the second battle. God could easily have wiped out the Philistines on His own, but He wanted David and his army to participate in the plan and taste the victory; this would result in Israel earning the respect of other nations while humbly recognizing that victory could not have been achieved without the help of God. According to His plan, they miraculously heard the sound of God's army marching out before them from above the bushes, behind which the Philistines were waiting in ambush. This time, Israel's victory was decisive and the nation was finally freed from Philistine oppression. The Lord made David's name great, and he was feared among the nations (14:17).
The chronicler was mindful to teach his readers the importance of obeying the law of Moses. In chapter 13, we read of the tragedy that occurred because they did not respect the sacredness of the Ark and disobeyed the instructions of Moses concerning it. In chapter 15, we see the great joy that resulted when the Ark was respectfully and properly brought into Jerusalem. In such a way, God was honoured.
With the news of the tremendous blessings of God upon the home of Obed-Edom for the three months the Ark resided there, David's fears were gone. Before he again attempted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, he must have been very careful to study the Word of God as recorded by Moses in order to discover the regulations concerning it. Since the Ark symbolized God's presence, they honoured God by treating it respectfully.
David organized a beautiful and well ordered procession, led by those priests and Levites who had been sanctified through ceremonial purification (15:12). Priests from the family of Kohath bore the ark upon their shoulders, and the chief priests, Zadok and Abiathar, offered sacrifices in worship to God. King David took off his royal garments and wore a simple ephod like the Levites; all men are equal before the Lord, and on this occasion only the Lord was to be honoured. David joyfully danced and joined in with the singers and musicians to bring the Ark to the tent he had set up in Jerusalem to house it. Sadly, Michal, his wife and the daughter of Saul, did not share in the joy but was ashamed at what she regarded as David's unkingly behaviour (15:29; cf. 2 Samuel 6:14-16, 20-23).
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