歷代志上 21 章 1 Chronicles 21

各位平安，歡迎來到今天的分享，這一講，我們要繼續來看《歷代志上》第21章的故事。

回顧過去的內容，我們看到大衛王南征北討，把以色列四周的敵人一一制服。那個時候，以色列的國力可以說是達到巔峰，非常強盛。但通常，當一個人處於高峰的時候，驕傲也會悄悄地跟著來——大衛也不例外。

就在大衛征戰得勝、四境太平的時候，他受到撒但的引誘，似乎一時忘了，這一切的勝利其實是 “耶和華與他同在”的結果。於是，他下令約押去統計以色列的人口。

其實，數點人口這件事本身並不一定是錯的。在《出埃及記》30章12節，還有《民數記》1章2節，我們都看到上帝曾指示摩西統計以色列人，特別是在預備戰爭或編組營隊的時候。

但這一次，大衛的動機顯然不太一樣。我們從約押的反應就可以看出來——他不是普通的執行命令，而是特別進言勸阻。他對大衛說：「我王啊，為什麼要吩咐行這事呢？」可見他已經察覺到，大衛這次數點人口，並不是為了軍事安排或治理國家，而是出於一種彰顯自己威望的動機。

約押希望大衛能重新考慮，但大衛還是堅持要做，於是他只能照辦，把人口統計清楚。不過，第六節特別提到，約押是「厭惡王這命令」的。這句話透露出，他執行這個任務是帶著掙扎與不認同的態度，甚至在某些地區還刻意沒統計進去，可見他其實不願意參與這件事。

這段經文帶出一個非常實在的屬靈功課：人在物質豐盛的時候，真的、真的，很容易就驕傲起來。講白一點——日子一過得舒服，我們的靈性往往就開始打瞌睡了。

連大衛這麼合神心意的人都不例外！你看他落魄的時候，逃難、在曠野、四處被追殺的時候，他真的是天天禱告、時時倚靠神，詩篇一打開，全是他的眼淚和呼求。可是等到他在皇宮裡、喝著葡萄汁、聽著音樂、人生順利的時候……欸，思想就開始飄了。他開始做一些「不該思想的事」，我們都知道那段故事，對吧？孔子講的飽暖思淫慾真是深刻人性的一句話啊。然後在這一段，當大衛的國家強盛了，他就想要數點百姓——這行為乍看是行政管理，但實際上呢？不是為了榮耀神，而是想炫耀一下自己的軍力，說白了就是「欸，我來看看我有多少士兵？看我多厲害」

我們是否都可能落入這樣的試探中？

當我們窮、失業、壓力大時，讀經禱告超認真，一天不讀就覺得不安。但一旦工作穩了、收入上來了、銀行裡有點錢、房貸車貸都繳得起的時候……嗯，聖經變得有點厚、禱告變得有點長、教會聚會也開始變成「看我有沒有空」。

我們也許不會直接說出來，但心裡是不是有點想讓人知道：「我現在過得不錯啦，看我多棒多厲害？」

甚至教會也會這樣。初期沒有場地、會眾不多的時候，我們天天禱告、很火熱、會前禱告都不缺席。但當教會有了自己的場地、有影音設備、有冷氣、有穩定奉獻、有敬拜團的時候……我們是不是也有點鬆懈了？開始覺得「感謝上帝！我們熬出頭了！我們進入迦南美地了！」然後禱告時間就變少了，對神的倚靠也開始滑手機了……

列王紀和歷代志一直重複記載的故事都是類似的。英文有一句叫做 History don’t repeat, but they rhyme. 歷史不會重複，但他們會押韻（高度類似的故事）。

所以這真的值得我們反覆警惕：物質缺乏時的敬虔，是好事；但當我們進入豐盛，肉體舒服了，我們更要小心。因為人的心就是這麼微妙，一旦不警醒，就會把恩典當成理所當然，甚至還拿來炫耀自己。你看多少基督徒，在困苦中敬虔地服事，但一豐盛了，就開始說：「主啊我先去買一塊地」「我先辦點事情再來跟隨你」，是不是有點熟悉？

所以，讓我們一起記得這個教訓 —— 越順利，越要警醒；越豐盛，越要謙卑。不要等到失去的時候，才想起那段我們和神最親近的日子。

這件事發生之後，果然，上帝的管教就來了。祂差派先知迦得去找大衛，直接跟他說：「好啦，你自己也知道你犯了罪，現在給你三個選項，你自己挑一個災難吧。」

這段經文不只是講上帝的審判，更重要的是我們可以好好看看大衛的反應。他的態度，真的非常值得我們學習。

第八節，他一聽見神的話，立刻禱告：「我行這事有罪了，我行得甚是愚昧。」這是他的第一次認罪。

然後到了第十三節，他說：「我甚為難，我願落在耶和華的手裡，因為祂有豐盛的憐憫。」他知道自己錯了，但他也知道神有憐憫，所以寧願把自己交在神手中，而不是落在人手裡。

再來是第十七節，大衛更直接地說：「吩咐數點百姓的，不是我嗎？我犯了罪，行了惡；但這群百姓做了什麼呢？願耶和華的手攻擊我和我的父家，不要懲罰百姓。」

你看，大衛三次都沒有推卸責任。他沒有說：「是誰誰誰慫恿我這樣做的」、「是撒但引誘我啊」、「我只是想看看你的百姓有多少」這些推卸責任的話語完全沒有出現過。他一句藉口都沒有找，從頭到尾就是：「我的錯，我的罪，我的責任。」

這也是為什麼聖經說他是合神心意的人。不是因為他從不犯罪，而是因為他對待罪的態度非常清楚——不找藉口、不推責任，馬上悔改、馬上回轉。

其實，在拔示巴事件中我們也看到類似的反應。當先知拿單來指責他，他也立刻說：「我得罪耶和華了。」甚至當那個孩子死去，他也沒有哭天喊地地怪上帝，而是起來敬拜神，接受了神的審判。

這種對罪的敏感和迅速悔改的態度，真的是基督徒應該學習的。因為我們不可能從此不犯罪，我們還是活在有軟弱、有情慾、有試探的肉體中。我們一生都在跟這些爭戰，直到見主面的那一天。

但關鍵就在這裡：當我們跌倒了，是否能像大衛一樣，立刻認錯、立刻悔改，靠著耶穌的寶血重新站起來？這才是真正的成熟，也是我們屬靈生命不斷成長的過程。

所以，與其裝沒事，不如快快認罪；與其假裝剛強，不如真誠悔改。因為我們所倚靠的神，是有豐盛憐憫的神，祂等著我們回頭，祂喜歡赦免、樂意恢復。這才是我們信仰生活中最真實的安全感。真正的控訴不是來自於神，因為耶穌的十字架已經顯明了恩典和赦免，控訴來自於我們內心，是魔鬼的伎倆。當我們察覺到罪，就趕快認，因上帝有豐盛的憐憫和慈愛。

這邊我們還可以多看一個很值得推敲的字眼，就是第15節中提到的「後悔」——原文是說「耶和華後悔不降這災了」。

但其實，這裡的「後悔」在英文翻譯叫做「relent」，意思比較不是「喔～我錯了，我後悔了」，而是「態度軟化」或「轉向寬容」的意思。這一點非常重要，因為我們不能把上帝想成像我們人一樣「做錯事才後悔」。

上帝不會說：「哎呀，不好意思，我這刑罰下太重了，我再改一改好了。」不是這樣的。上帝從頭到尾都非常清楚祂在做什麼，祂的審判是公義、正當的。而所謂「後悔」，其實是因為祂看見了人的悔改，所以祂的態度就轉為寬容、轉為憐憫。

如果那時以色列人依然頑梗不悔改，那麼刑罰是絕對不會中止的。我們在列王紀、歷代志這些書卷中都看到，當百姓硬著心、不聽警告的時候，神的審判是會繼續下去，甚至更嚴重。所以，這裡的重點不是「神後悔」，而是「人悔改了，神就施憐憫」。

那我們自己呢？我們有沒有一些錯誤，是一而再、再而三地重複在犯的？我們是不是也在某些事上重複受苦？其實，這有時候就是神在對我們說：「欸，夠了，別再這樣下去了。」但很多時候我們非要「頭撞南牆」才願意回轉，非要吃足了苦頭才知道痛，這真的又累又辛苦。

所以，如果我們能夠更快一點對罪有感、更快一點悔改，就能省下很多眼淚、很多後悔（我們的後悔，不是神的）。我們禱告求神給我們智慧，能敏銳察覺自己的錯，並且有那個勇氣和謙卑，快快回頭、快快悔改，這才是走在蒙福道路上的秘訣。

第二十一章有好幾個重要的屬靈教訓，讓我們多多反思。感謝各位的聆聽，下一講，我們繼續分享歷代志上22章的故事。願上帝祝福各位。

Hello everyone, peace and blessings to you! Welcome to today’s reflection. In this session, we continue exploring the story of 1 Chronicles 21.

Looking back, we’ve seen King David campaign north and south, conquering all of Israel’s surrounding enemies. At that time, Israel was at the peak of its power—truly flourishing. But as we all know, when someone is at their peak, pride often sneaks in—and David was no exception.

Just as David was winning battles and enjoying peace on all sides, he was enticed by Satan. He seemed to forget that all those victories were the result of Yahweh being with him. So, he commanded Joab to take a census of Israel.

Now, taking a census isn’t inherently wrong. In Exodus 30:12 and Numbers 1:2, God instructs Moses to count the Israelites—especially when preparing for war or organizing camps. But David’s motive this time was clearly different. We see this from Joab’s reaction—he wasn’t merely executing orders; he pleaded with David, saying, “My king, why do you want to do this?” It was clear: David wasn’t counting the people for governance or military strategy, but to showcase his own prestige and military strength—"Let me see how many soldiers I have; look how powerful I am."

Could we fall into the same temptation?

When we’re poor, unemployed, or under pressure—then, oh—reading the Bible and praying seriously becomes our life. Skip a day and we feel uneasy. But once our work stabilizes, our income climbs, there’s a bit in the bank, the mortgage and car loan are manageable… suddenly, the Bible gets dusty, prayer takes too long, and church becomes “I’ll go if I have time.”

We might not admit it aloud, but secretly we might want people to see: “Hey, I’m doing well now… look how great I am!”

Even church can fall into this pattern. In its early days—no venue, small congregation—we prayed fervently every day, never missed pre-service prayer. But once the church gets its own building, audio-visual equipment, air-conditioning, steady tithes, and a worship team—you better believe we start to relax. We say, “Thank God! We made it! We’ve entered the Promised Land!” Then suddenly prayer time shrinks, and dependence on God fades as we pull out our phones mid-service…

Chronicles and Kings repeatedly tell us the same pattern. As the saying goes, “History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.” When prosperity comes, warning comes along too.

So we need to pay close attention: godly devotion in lack is good—but when prosperity arrives, we need to be even more vigilant. Human hearts are subtle. When comfort comes, we easily take grace for granted… even start boasting.

How many believers, active in ministry during hardship, ease up once blessed? “Lord, let me buy that land first… I’ll follow You afterwards.” Sounds familiar, right?

So let’s remember this lesson: the smoother the journey, the more alert we must stay; the richer we’re blessed, the humbler we must be. Let’s not wait until we lose everything to remember those days when we walked closest with God.

What happened next? Sure enough, God’s discipline arrived. He sent the prophet Gad to David with a direct message: “Alright, you know you’ve sinned. Now I’m giving you three disasters—choose one.”

This passage isn’t just about judgment. Even more, it highlights David’s response—his attitude is something we can learn from.

Verse 8: He hears God’s word and immediately prays, “I have sinned greatly… I have done foolishly.” That’s his first confession.

By verse 13 he adds, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall under the hand of the LORD… for His mercy is great,” acknowledging his sin, yet trusting God’s mercy, choosing God’s hand rather than men’s.

Verse 17: He clearly states—“2 Samuel 24:17—He responds, “It was I who struck the men…” or “The one who without cause struck the people of Israel,”—but in 1 Chronicles 21:17, he says,

“Lord, I have sinned; I, that I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done?”

He repeats: “It was I who sinned. I transgressed. Please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but not on Your people.”

Notice—three times he takes full responsibility. No blaming others, no excuses: “Someone made me do it,” “Satan tempted me,” “I just wanted to see our numbers.” Not a hint of excuse-making. It’s all: “My fault, my sin, my responsibility.”

This is why Scripture calls him a man after God’s own heart—not because he never sinned, but because of his response to sin: no deflection, no delay—immediate repentance and return.

We saw the same in the Bathsheba incident. When Nathan confronted him, David promptly confessed, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Even when the child born of that sin died, he didn’t blame God—he praised Him and accepted God’s judgment.

This sensitivity to sin and prompt repentance is what we should emulate. We can’t live free from sin—we’re still human, with weakness, passions, temptations. Our whole life is a struggle until we meet the Lord face-to-face.

The question is: when we fall, can we respond like David—quickly confess, swiftly repent, and stand again by the blood of Jesus? That’s true spiritual maturity, the mark of growth in our Christian journey.

So rather than pretending nothing happened, let’s confess quickly; rather than faking strength, let’s genuinely repent. We serve a God of abundant mercy who waits for us to turn back. He loves to forgive, loves to restore. That’s the true safety of our faith.

Remember: accusations don’t come from God—Jesus’ cross has already displayed grace and forgiveness. Any condemnation we feel is the devil’s doing. When we become aware of sin—confess quickly. Because God’s mercy and love are abundant.

Now, let’s examine one more word worth digging into: verse 15 mentions the LORD “relents” or “repents” of the disaster He planned. The Hebrew or English word translated “repent” can be misleading—it doesn’t mean God screwed up and regretted it.

Rather, it comes from the English “relent”—meaning “to soften in attitude” or “to show mercy.” This is crucial: God isn’t like us, who say “Oops, my bad” and then change course. God always knows exactly what He’s doing. His judgments are just and righteous.

So when we read “the LORD relented,” it means He saw the people’s repentance, and His disposition changed toward forgiveness. If Israel had stayed hard-hearted, the disaster would’ve continued—even worsened, as Chronicles and Kings show. So the point isn’t “God regretted,” but, “Man repented, and God’s mercy followed.”

So what about us? Do we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes? Are we suffering the same consequences?

Sometimes that’s God calling us: “Enough. Stop doing this.” But often we need to hit the wall before we’ll turn back—another round of suffering is no fun.

If we can be quicker to sense sin, quicker to repent, we’ll save ourselves tears, regrets (not God’s regrets, ours). Let’s pray for wisdom, awareness, humility to recognize our mistakes and quickly return to God. That’s the pathway to blessing.

1 Chronicles 21 contains several important spiritual lessons. Let’s reflect on them again. Thank you all for listening. In our next session, we’ll continue with chapter 22. May God bless each of you.