接受挑戰
撒母耳記上十七章16至29節
16那非利士人早晚都出來站著，如此四十日。
17一日，耶西對他兒子大衛說：“你拿一伊法烘了的穗子和十個餅，速速地送到營裡去，交給你哥哥們；
18再拿這十塊奶餅，送給他們的千夫長，且問你哥哥們好，向他們要一封信來。”
19掃羅與大衛的三個哥哥和以色列眾人，在以拉谷與非利士人打仗。
20大衛早晨起來，將羊交託一個看守的人，照著他父親所吩咐的話，帶著食物去了。到了輜重營，軍兵剛出到戰場，吶喊要戰。
21以色列人和非利士人都擺列隊伍，彼此相對。
22大衛把他帶來的食物留在看守物件人的手下，跑到戰場，問他哥哥們安。
23與他們說話的時候，那討戰的，就是屬迦特的非利士人歌利亞，從非利士隊中出來，說從前所說的話；大衛都聽見了。
24以色列眾人看見那人就逃跑，極其害怕。
25以色列人彼此說：“這上來的人你看見了嗎？他上來是要向以色列人罵陣。若有能殺他的，王必賞賜他大財，將自己的女兒給他為妻，並在以色列人中免他父家納糧當差。”
26大衛問站在旁邊的人說：“有人殺這非利士人，除掉以色列人的恥辱，怎樣待他呢？這未受割禮的非利士人是誰呢？竟敢向永生神的軍隊罵陣嗎？”
27百姓照先前的話回答他，說，有人能殺這非利士人，必如此如此待他。
28大衛的長兄以利押聽見大衛與他們所說的話，就向他發怒說：“你下來做甚麼呢？在曠野的那幾隻羊，你交託了誰呢？我知道你的驕傲和你心裡的惡意，你下來特為要看爭戰。”
29大衛說：“我做了甚麼呢？我來豈沒有緣故嗎？”
信息分享
神終於有所行動；祂已經預備了一個願意接受歌利亞挑戰的人。在這個故事中，大衛成了基督活生生的寫照。你注意到他當時人在哪裡嗎？在父的家裡。誰叫他出去？是他的父。父叫他往哪裡去？去他的兄弟那裡。他帶了很多東西給他的哥哥們；他們收下他的東西，卻不接待他，還責罵他來湊熱鬧。請看以利押在第28節的話。基督的情形不是一樣嗎？約翰福音一章11節指出：「他自己的人卻不接待他。」
然而，大衛卻不理會兄長的批評和斥責，堅持要留下來。這絕不容易。即使是基督徒之間的互相批評，也可以有很強的殺傷力。我們有時在無意間出口批評弟兄姊妹，卻不知道自己深深地傷害了他們，所以，任何惡意的批評都是不對的。
是甚麼東西幫助大衛面對這次考驗？是他累積的經驗，以及他對神的信心。他在第24至26節指出，當他的羊群遭到獅子和熊的攻擊，神如何幫助他去打死牠們。因此，他深信給他力量做到這些的神，必賜他力量擊敗巨人歌利亞，不管這個巨人多麼強大。
大衛從經驗中得知神的能力。我們能夠在此學到功課，明白神為何要我們經歷過往的一切嗎？神要鍛鍊我們的信心，預備我們將來面對更大的考驗。
經文反思：
「那在你們裡面的，比那在世界上的更大。」（約壹四4）
THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
1 Samuel 17:16-29
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.
22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.
25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”
26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
Message
Then God began to move. God had a man willing to accept Goliath's challenge. In this story David is a remarkable picture of Christ. Did you notice where he was? In the father's house. Who sent him? His father. To whom? His brethren. He brought with him so much to offer them. His brethren were willing to accept what he brought but would not accept him. They rejected him and accused him of wrong motives. Look at Eliab's words in verse 28. So it was with Christ. John 1:11 says, “His own did not receive him.”
But David persisted in spite of this criticism and opposition. That is not always easy. Criticism can be so cruel, even among our Christian brothers and sisters. We can all be guilty of doing it, sometimes without realizing how much we are hurting our fellow believers.
What helped David in this test? His past experiences and his faith in God. In verses 34-36 David told how God had helped him kill both a lion and a bear when they came to steal sheep. He believed the God who gave him the power to do that would enable him to defeat Goliath no matter how powerful the giant might be.
David knew from experience what God could do. Can we see the lesson here for ourselves? Why does God allow many of the experiences we pass through? He does it so that our faith will be strengthened for greater experiences in the days ahead.
REMEMBER: “The One who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)