我又何必再说呢？若要一一细说，基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳，和众先知的事，时候就不够了。他们因着信，制伏了敌国，行了公义，得了应许，堵了狮子的口，灭了烈火的猛势，脱了刀剑的锋刃；软弱变为刚强，争战显出勇敢，打退外邦的全军。And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.（希伯来书 Hebrews 11:32-34）
筑坛的法官 A Judge who Built an Altar
撒母耳是一位士师（法官），平时要审判案件：
撒母耳平生作以色列的士师。他每年巡行到伯特利、吉甲、米斯巴，在这几处审判以色列人。随后回到拉玛，因为他的家在那里；也在那里审判以色列人，且为耶和华筑了一座坛。 （撒上 7:15-17）
撒母耳以家乡拉玛为根据地，每年巡行各处，审判以色列人。审判的目的是为了施行公义，在选民的争讼之中，做出公正的判决（是的，选民也有争讼，他们也需要法官）。除了审判，这段经文还告诉我们一件重要的事：撒母耳为耶和华筑了一座坛！为何要筑坛？筑坛和审判有何关系？坛是献祭之处，古人若想呼求耶和华的名，向神祈祷，必须先筑坛献祭。撒母耳为了能够善尽士师之职，施行公义，就在自己的家乡为耶和华筑了一座坛，时常向神祈祷。
撒母耳「筑坛而审判」，这是他明智之处。他知道神是公义的源头，一个人必须时常亲近神，才能够施行公义。我们虽然不是士师，但却时常「审判以色列人」。我们的审判是否公义？这要看我们是否有「为耶和华筑坛」。公义是神的属性，「施行公义」是在你的审判中彰显神的属性。这对当事人来说是公平，对我们来说是轻省。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，审判他人的担子太重了，我们担当不起！唯有将这个担子交给神，借着祷告倚靠神，使自己不做公义的挑夫，只做公义的导管，如此才能施行公义。
不行他的道 Walked Not in His Ways
每个人与神的关系是非常个人化的，父亲与神的关系不能够传给儿子。撒母耳有两个儿子，他们在南边的别是巴做士师，但是却不行乃父之道：
撒母耳年纪老迈，就立他儿子作以色列的士师。长子名叫约珥，次子名叫亚比亚，他们在别是巴作士师。 他儿子不行他的道，贪图财利，收受贿赂，屈枉正直。 （撒上8:1-3）
撒母耳为神筑了一座坛，他的儿子却没有为神筑坛。撒母耳所行的是公义之道，他的儿子不行他的道，追根究柢，是与神失去了联系。与神失联的结果就是被罪恶所胜：心中贪图（贪图财利或贪图名望），手中收受（收受贿赂或收受人气），判决屈枉（屈枉正直或纵容恶人）。
不公平的现象极为普遍，每个世代都有。先知阿摩司强力谴责当时的世代，他的话语真实而深刻：
你们这使公平变为茵蔯、将公义丢弃于地的…你们怨恨那在城门口责备人的，憎恶那说正直话的…我知道你们的罪过何等多，你们的罪恶何等大。你们苦待义人，收受贿赂，在城门口屈枉穷乏人。 （阿5:7,10,12）
不行公义是人间的常态，施行公义是天国的常态。一个人是否能够施行公义，要看他是活在人间，还是活在天国。活在天国的方法不是离开人间，而是活在人间但却与神相连。不是与宗教相连，那是毫无功效的（用私意崇拜，自表谦卑，苦待己身，其实在克制肉体的情欲上，是毫无功效，西2:23）。唯有与神相连，我们才有胜算。耶稣在受难之前为门徒祷告，向天父祈求说：
我不求你叫他们离开世界，只求你保守他们脱离那恶者。他们不属世界，正如我不属世界一样。求你用真理使他们成圣，你的道就是真理。（约17:15-17）
耶稣说，真理的目的是要使人成圣（归属于神）。有些人追求真理不是为了成圣，而是为了增长知识。知识不能使人得胜，唯有成圣才能。撒母耳的儿子从小看着父亲，他们不是没有知识，而是没有成圣。公义之难行，在于没有成圣。公义之易行，在于成圣者成为神的导管，使公义流通。
公平如大水滚滚，公义如江河滔滔 Let Justice Roll down as Waters, Righteousness as a Mighty Stream
先知阿摩司借着一句隽永的诗句，道出了神对人的盼望：
惟愿公平如大水滚滚，使公义如江河滔滔。（阿5:24）
根据圣经的教导，「行公义」就是「行耶和华眼中看为善的事」。消极地说，行公义是「不做不公平的事」；积极地说，行公义是「去做神喜悦的事」。消极地说，行公义是「不屈往正直」；积极地说，行公义是「爱人如己」。感谢神，他看重我们，对我们有极大的盼望。神要我们所彰显的不但是消极的公义，也是积极的公义。不是「小水细流、忽隐忽现」，乃是「大水滚滚、江河滔滔」！
另外一位神的忠仆先知弥迦，以同样隽永的诗句，道出了神对人的盼望：
世人哪，耶和华已指示你何为善。他向你所要的是什么呢？只要你行公义，好怜悯，存谦卑的心，与你的神同行。（弥6:8）
神向世人所要的，他所看为善的，就是「行公义，好怜悯」。如何才能「行公义，好怜悯」？必须「存谦卑的心与你的神同行」，也就是「与神相连」。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，神已经表明了他的心意。他并不要求宗教的仪式，但却要求「行公义，好怜悯」，如同大水滚滚，江河滔滔！
我必以善道正路指教你们 I Will Teach You the Good and Right Way
撒母耳不但施行公义，并且心存怜悯。以色列人不听撒母耳的话，做出了违背神的事。撒母耳不但没有因此而舍弃他们，反倒对他们说：
至于我，断不停止为你们祷告，以致得罪耶和华。我必以善道正路指教你们。 （撒上12:23）
美哉撒母耳！哲人日已远，典型在夙昔：筑坛的撒母耳，祷告的撒母耳，施行公义的撒母耳，指教善道的撒母耳。感谢主，哲人虽已远，真神却不远。永生的神与我们同在，他的真理与我们同在。撒母耳的榜样彰显出神的公义与怜悯，也为我们带来美好的盼望。
撒母耳的经历告诉我们：
- 神要他的百姓施行公义
- 唯有与神相连，接通公义的源头，我们才能施行公义
【Life is a song】Samuel: Administered Justice
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. (Hebrews 11:32-34)
A Judge who Built an Altar
Samuel was a judge who spent his days judging over Israel:
Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord. (1 Samuel 7:15-17)
With his hometown Ramah as home base, Samuel would go on a circuit to different towns every year to serve as judge to the Israelites. His role and purpose as judge was to administer justice among the constituents of the land. He had to make a fair judgment whenever there was a dispute among the townspeople (and indeed, the people did have disputes and they did need a judge). Besides being a judge, this passage also tells us something important that Samuel did—he built an altar to the Lord! Why did he build an altar? What does building an altar have to do with being a judge? An altar is a place where sacrifices are offered. In biblical times, whenever someone wanted to call upon the Lord and pray to Him, they would first build an altar and offer sacrifices. Samuel built an altar to the Lord in his hometown, so that he could often pray to God for help to be a good and fair judge in administering justice.
Samuel showed great wisdom by choosing to build an altar. He knew that God was the source of righteousness, and that one must be connected to God in order to act justly. Even though we are not judges, yet we often “judge the Israelites”. Are our judgments righteous? This depends on whether we have “built an altar to the Lord”. Righteousness is an attribute of God. By “administering justice”, we are allowing the righteousness of God to be displayed. Such practice of justice by dependence on God not only offers a fair judgment to the affected parties, but also relieves the burden on us who act as judges! Dear brothers and sisters, the weight of judging others is too heavy for us to bear! We must give this burden to God, and through prayer rely upon Him, so that we become not the bearers, but rather the channels, of righteousness.
Walked Not in His Ways
Every person’s relationship with God is personal; a father’s relationship with God cannot be passed on to his son. Samuel had two sons, his firstborn named Joel, and his second named Abijah. They served as judges in the southern town of Beersheba, but they did not walk in their father’s ways.
But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. (1 Samuel 8:3)
Samuel built an altar to the Lord, but his sons did not. Samuel walked in the ways of righteousness, but his sons did not. His sons no longer had a relationship with God. The consequence of not walking with God is to be conquered by sin—the heart grows covetous for dishonest gain (gain of money or fame and power), the hand accepts bribes (monetary or popularity), and justice is perverted (the righteous are wronged or the wicked allowed to go free).
Every generation has its fair share of injustice. It was so rampant in the days of the prophet Amos that he strongly rebuked his generation with these harsh words:
You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground…you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth…For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. (Amos 5:7, 10, 12)
In the world, injustice may be the norm, but in God’s kingdom, justice is weaved into its very fabric. A person’s ability to act justly hinges upon whether he is living in the world or living in God’s kingdom. To live in God’s kingdom does not mean to leave the earth, but to live on earth while abiding in God. This is not just adherence to some religion –practices such as self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body, these all lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Colossians 3:23). Only when we abide in God are we able to be victorious. Before he went to the cross, Jesus prayed for his disciples in this way:
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:15-17)
Jesus said that the purpose of truth is for sanctification (to be set apart for God). Some pursue truth not for the purpose of sanctification but simply to gain knowledge. One cannot be victorious through knowledge; one can only be victorious through sanctification. Samuel’s sons grew up watching what their father did. They had all the knowledge they needed, but they were not sanctified. Without sanctification, it is impossible to be just. But justice flows naturally and easily when those who are being sanctified allow themselves to be conduits of God’s righteousness.
Let Justice Roll down as Waters, Righteousness as a Mighty Stream
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24)
What a picture painted by these timeless words of the prophet Amos, telling us what the Lord desires of man.
According to the teachings of the Bible, “to act justly” is “to do what is good in the eyes of the Lord”. On the one hand, to act justly means “not to act unfairly”; on the other hand, to act justly means “to do what pleases the Lord”. To act justly is “not to pervert justice”. To act justly is also “to love others as yourself”. Brothers and sisters, God values us and has great expectations of us: He does not want small, unsteady trickles of righteousness, but desires His people to display a righteousness that rolls like mighty streams of waters!
Micah, also a faithful prophet of the Lord, records another meaningful and enduring verse telling us what the Lord requires of man:
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
So this is what the Lord requires of man. This is what is pleasing to Him. It is “to act justly and to love mercy”. How can we act justly and love mercy? We must walk humbly with our God. This means we must abide in Him. Dear brothers and sisters, God has revealed His desires to us. He does not require religious rituals, but requires us to act justly and to love mercy, to let justice roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream!
I Will Teach You the Good and Right Way
Samuel not only administered justice, but he also had mercy. When the Israelites did not listen to Samuel and acted in disobedience to the Lord, Samuel did not give up on them, but rather said to them:
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. (1 Samuel 12:23)
O Samuel! Samuel who built an altar, Samuel who prayed, Samuel who administered justice, Samuel who taught the way that is good and right. Though Samuel is now far from us, praise the Lord for God is near to us. The true and living God abides with us, and his truth lives in us. The example of Samuel reveals the righteousness and mercy of God, and gives us great hope that we may also be channels of God’s justice.
Samuel’s experience teaches us:
- God wants His people to administer justice.
- We can only administer justice when we are connected to God, who is the source of righteousness.
