歷代志上 12-13 章 1 Chronicles 12-13

各位平安，這一講我們繼續分享《歷代志上》第十二和十三章。上一章，也就是第十一章，講到大衛正式登基為王。接下來的故事就開始回溯他還在被掃羅追殺的那段日子，講述那些在他困境中前來投奔的勇士們。

這段故事有點像古代小說裡常見的“真命天子”情節——一路上揭竿起義、各路英雄紛紛前來助陣的畫面。

第十二章一開始就提到，有便雅憫人來投靠大衛。要知道便雅憫可是掃羅的支派，這些人甚至還是掃羅的族兄弟，這表示大衛真的很得民心，連原本敵對陣營的人都願意來投靠他。而且來的也不是普通人，都是武藝高強的勇士。

除了便雅憫支派，其他支派的人也陸續加入——像是迦得、猶大等。各個宗派的好漢紛紛來找大衛，想要加入他的隊伍。

不過，大衛也不是完全放心這些人。他對他們說，如果你們是帶著和平的心來幫助我，那我們可以一起合作；但如果你們是假意靠近，想把我出賣，那就讓神來懲罰你們。

接著，我們看到第18節有一個很特別的轉折。聖靈出場了！在舊約中聖靈出現的次數並不多，但這裡我們看到，神的靈感動了這三十位勇士的領袖——亞瑪撒。他開口說話，那一段話非常有力量：

“大衛啊，我們歸於你，耶西的兒子，我們是來幫助你的。願你得幫助、得平安，因為你的神幫助你。”

這句話不只是人的宣言，更是聖靈透過亞瑪撒所說的預言。而這段話也真的成就了——大衛的軍隊越來越強大，最後成為一個龐大的勢力。

這一章還提到大衛的過去 —— 其實大衛曾經幫非利士人打過一陣子的仗。為什麼會這樣呢？因為那時候掃羅要殺他，他無處可去，走投無路之下，只能暫時投靠非利士人，在那邊待了一段時間。

但即便如此，當他真正站起來的時候，那些原本在非利士那一邊的勇士們也願意回到他這邊，加入他所代表的正義陣營。這些人可不是泛泛之輩，個個都是大能的勇士。

而且不只是幾個人來——經文說，天天都有人來幫助大衛，最後組成了一支像神的軍隊一樣的大軍。這畫面真的很壯觀，也讓人看到，大衛的興起不是靠自己的力量，而是有神的介入和引導。這是作者一直在文中強調的，是 “照著耶和華的話”在進行中。十二章仔細記載了各個支派來歸的人，記得這一段時候是大衛在希伯崙做王的時候，這時候掃羅還是王喔。但光是十二章的記載人數，已經有34萬人，實際支持大衛的人可能還更多，因為還有其他沒有統計完全的人數，說是四十萬大軍應該是個保守的數字。第三十八節“以色列其餘的人都一心要立大衛為王”再次昭告了大衛是真命天子這一件事情，全國來歸，但是大衛還是很有良心的，他一直等到掃羅被殺後（23節），以色列人才來到希伯崙見大衛，要“照著耶和華的話”將掃羅的國位歸與大衛。

第十三章一開始，我們看到大衛想到的第一件事，就是要把上帝的約櫃運回來。他沒有自己來做這件事，而是記得要找祭司和利未人來處理——因為這是他們的職責。這個提議不只是大衛個人的想法，也是當時全體百姓心中共同的渴望，因為已經很多年，沒有人在上帝的約櫃面前尋求祂的指引了。

於是，大衛號召全以色列的利未人一起動員，從各地聚集起來，準備去把約櫃從基列.耶琳接回來。這個約櫃當初是被非利士人擄走的，但他們一碰約櫃就遭了災，鬧得天災人禍，後來趕緊把約櫃送回來，再也不敢碰。約櫃就這樣暫時安放在亞米拿達的家裡，一放就是多年。

現在，大衛終於要把這象徵上帝同在的約櫃迎回來。他們把約櫃抬出來，放在新車上，由烏撒和亞希約負責趕車。整個以色列都非常歡樂，大家在神面前又唱又跳、大大地敬拜，像是一場盛大的歡迎儀式。

但是呢，接下來發生的事情卻讓人非常遺憾。

到了第九節，牛在途中絆了一下，約櫃似乎快要傾倒。烏撒下意識地伸手去扶住約櫃，結果就這麼一碰——神就擊殺了他。

這件事讓大衛非常震驚也很憤怒。第十一節說他“惱怒耶和華擊殺烏撒”，英文甚至說他是 "angry with God"，意思是說，大衛無法接受神的憤怒為什麼會這樣臨到烏撒。

因為這件事情，大衛當下不敢再繼續把約櫃往耶路撒冷運了。他選擇暫時把約櫃安放在一位名叫俄別.以東的迦特人家中。

結果很有趣——上帝的約櫃在他家裡的那三個月時間，俄別以東的全家蒙受了極大的祝福，樣樣都順利。這也再次證明了，約櫃代表的是神的同在，只要對待得當，就是祝福的泉源。

不過我們回頭來看，很多人讀到烏撒被擊殺這一段，心裡會覺得很不舒服。烏撒明明是好心，他看到牛車一晃，約櫃可能會掉，就下意識伸手去扶——這應該是出於敬畏和保護的心啊，為什麼神要這麼嚴厲地處罰他，甚至當場擊殺？

的確，這是很多人在這段經文中最難理解的地方。

但如果我們認真研究一下，問題的根本不在烏撒一人身上。真正的錯，其實出在大衛身上。在《出埃及記》第25章，上帝對約櫃的製作與運送方式有非常明確的指示——約櫃是要用金環與杠桿，讓利未人扛在肩上運送，絕對不是放在牛車上拉的。

大衛不是不知道這些律法，他是知道的，只是這次他沒有照著做。他選擇了「比較方便」的方式，讓牛車來載運，這就已經是違背了神的命令。所以烏撒雖然是出於好意，但當整件事的根基已經偏離神的心意時，好意也無法抵消錯誤的做法。而這也成為一個極強烈的提醒：對神的事，我們不能只靠熱情或善意，更要有敬畏與順服。

所以這件事，對大衛來說是一個即時、深刻的提醒。他開始明白——身為領袖，不能只憑熱情、善意或個人的想法來處理屬靈的事。每一件關乎神的事，都必須要按照神的意思來行。

不然呢？錯誤的決定，往往要由領導人自己承擔後果。而這個後果有時甚至不是自己能承受得起的，像烏撒這樣的悲劇，就是一個活生生的例子。

其實，今天在教會裡面，我們也常常遇到類似的情況。有時我們會說：「哎呀，他是好意嘛，不用那麼嚴格吧？」但我們要明白，在神的家中，事情的標準不是「好不好」，而是「合不合神的心意」。

神的工作要照神的方式來做，這不是我們可以用自己的想法去取代的。

如果我們自以為是，憑著經驗、方便或人情，去推動一件屬靈的事工，表面上也許看起來沒問題，甚至還有人稱讚你做得有效率，但實際上可能會帶來深遠的傷害。不只傷害我們自己，也可能讓整個教會、甚至那些還在尋找信仰、剛剛信主的弟兄姊妹受到影響，甚至跌倒。

所以我們必須常常提醒自己：神是慈愛的，也是聖潔的；祂樂意與我們同工，但祂不容我們輕忽祂的命令。

祂的話語不是建議，是指引；不是「可以選擇聽或不聽」，而是「必須謹守遵行」。

感謝各位的聆聽，我們這一講到第十三章，下一講我們繼續分享第十四章的故事。願上帝祝福各位。

Hello everyone, peace to you all. In this session, we continue exploring 1 Chronicles chapters 12 and 13. In the previous chapter, chapter 11, we saw David officially anointed as king. The story now shifts back to the time when he was still being hunted by Saul, detailing how many mighty warriors came to join him during his time of hardship.

This story reads a bit like a classic ancient tale of the “chosen one”—a rightful king rising up, with heroes from every direction rallying to his cause.

Chapter 12 begins with men from the tribe of Benjamin coming to support David. Now, this is significant—Benjamin was Saul’s tribe, and these men were even Saul’s own relatives. This shows how deeply David had won the people’s hearts—so much so that even those from Saul’s own camp were willing to join him. And they weren’t just ordinary folks—they were skilled warriors, experts in battle.

Beyond Benjamin, other tribes also started to gather—like Gad and Judah. Warriors from various clans came seeking to follow David and be part of his growing force.

But David wasn’t naïve. He told them plainly: “If you come in peace to help me, we can join forces. But if you're here to betray me, may God Himself judge you.”

Then, in verse 18, we see a remarkable moment—the Holy Spirit shows up! In the Old Testament, appearances of the Spirit are rare. But here, we see God’s Spirit come upon Amasai, the leader of the thirty warriors, and he speaks these powerful words:

“We are yours, David, son of Jesse! We are with you. Peace, peace to you, and peace to those who help you, for your God helps you.”

This wasn’t just a man’s encouragement—this was a prophetic declaration from the Spirit of God. And it truly came to pass: David’s forces grew stronger and stronger, eventually forming a powerful army.

This chapter also gives a glimpse into David’s past—he had actually once fought for the Philistines. Why? Because at that time, Saul was trying to kill him, and David had nowhere else to go. So for a period, he took refuge among the Philistines.

But even so, when the time came, many of those warriors who had been with the Philistines returned to stand with David, choosing to follow the cause of righteousness. And these weren’t just ordinary fighters—they were mighty men of valor.

Scripture tells us people came to David day after day, until he had formed a great army—an army that looked like the army of God. It's a majestic image, and it shows that David’s rise wasn’t by his own strength, but through God’s involvement and guidance. The author is clearly highlighting that everything was happening "according to the word of the Lord."

Chapter 12 carefully records those who joined David, showing this happened while David was still king in Hebron—and Saul was technically still king. Yet by this time, over 340,000 men had aligned with David, and likely more if you count the unlisted ones. Saying David had a 400,000-strong army is probably a conservative estimate.

Then in verse 38, it says: “All the rest of Israel were of one heart to make David king.” Once again confirming: David was truly the chosen one. The whole nation was behind him. Yet David, out of conscience and integrity, waited until Saul was killed (as recorded in verse 23) before taking the full throne. Only then did the people come to Hebron and declare David king—“according to the word of the Lord.”

In chapter 13, David’s very first move as king is to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. He doesn’t try to do it alone—he rightly remembers to call the priests and Levites, since that was their appointed role. His plan isn’t just his own idea—it’s something the whole nation agrees with, because it had been many years since anyone sought God before the Ark.

So David mobilizes all the Levites from across Israel to gather and bring the Ark back from Kiriath-Jearim. The Ark had once been captured by the Philistines, but they were struck with plagues when they touched it. In fear, they sent it back and never dared touch it again. It had been sitting at the house of Abinadab for many years.

Now, David is finally ready to bring it back—a symbol of God’s presence. They place the Ark on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio driving. The whole nation celebrates—singing, dancing, worshiping before God. It was a grand, joyful procession welcoming God’s presence back to Israel.

But then—something tragic happens.

In verse 9, the oxen stumble, and it looks like the Ark might fall. Uzzah instinctively reaches out to steady it—and the moment he touches it, God strikes him dead.

David is shocked—and deeply angry. Verse 11 says he was “angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah.” The English even says he was angry with God—meaning he couldn’t understand why God would respond so harshly to what seemed like a well-intentioned act.

Because of this, David halts the procession. He no longer dares bring the Ark to Jerusalem. Instead, he leaves it temporarily in the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath.

What’s interesting is that during those three months the Ark was in Obed-Edom’s house, God blessed him greatly—everything in his household flourished. Again, this reinforces that the Ark, and God’s presence, brings blessing—if handled with reverence.

Now when we read about Uzzah, many of us feel uneasy. He was just trying to help, right? He didn’t mean to be disrespectful—he was trying to protect the Ark. Why would God respond so severely?

This is where we need to take a deeper look. The fault wasn’t solely with Uzzah—the real error was David’s.

Back in Exodus 25, God had clearly instructed how the Ark was to be handled. It was to be carried on poles by Levites, not loaded onto a cart. David knew this—yet he chose a more convenient method.

So while Uzzah’s heart might have been in the right place, the entire operation was already built on a disobedient foundation. His good intention couldn't cancel out a wrong approach. And that became a stark reminder: when dealing with God’s work, good intentions are not enough—obedience matters.

For David, this was a wake-up call. As a leader, he realized he couldn’t just do spiritual things based on emotion, practicality, or even consensus. Every move needed to align with God's will.

Otherwise? Leaders themselves bear the consequences—and sometimes those consequences affect others, as we saw with Uzzah.

Even in church life today, we often face similar challenges. We might say, “Oh, he meant well, don’t be so strict.” But in God’s house, the question isn’t just, “Was it well-intentioned?” but “Was it according to God’s will?”

God’s work must be done God’s way. We don’t get to replace that with human logic, tradition, or convenience.

If we push things forward on our own terms—even if it looks effective or gets praised—we risk long-term harm. Not just to ourselves, but potentially to the whole church, and especially to those who are new in the faith, still figuring things out.

That’s why we need to continually remind ourselves: God is loving, yes, but also holy. He is full of grace, but He is not to be taken lightly.

His Word isn’t a suggestion—it’s a command. Not “take it or leave it,” but “obey it faithfully.”

Thank you all for listening. This concludes our study of chapter 13. In the next session, we’ll continue with chapter 14.