願炭火落在他們身上，擁有聽憑主怒的智慧（詩140篇）

願火炭落在他們身上．願他們被丟在火中、拋在深坑裏、不能再起來。（詩 140：10）

這是大衛在患難中的求告詩，讀此詩篇可以回想大衛的一生：當他被一國之君掃羅王追殺，在施暴者動用「國家機器」、豐沛的資源，瘋狂追殺，大衛的生存機會其實極其渺茫。若不是神保守，一介平民在面對國家機器時，大衛是不可能活命的。正如此處大衛所說的，是神在戰爭的日子遮蔽了他：

主耶和華、我救恩的力量阿、在爭戰的日子、你遮蔽了我的頭。（詩 140：7）

令人想起瑪雲曠野的危機：

掃羅和跟隨他的人去尋找大衛。有人告訴大衛、他就下到磐石、住在瑪雲的曠野。掃羅聽見、便在瑪雲的曠野追趕大衛。掃羅在山這邊走、大衛和跟隨他的人在山那邊走．大衛急忙躲避掃羅．因為掃羅和跟隨他的人、四面圍住大衛和跟隨他的人、要拿獲他們。忽有使者來報告掃羅、說、非利士人犯境搶掠．請王快快回去。於是掃羅不追趕大衛、回去攻打非利士人。因此那地方名叫西拉哈瑪希羅結。（撒上 23：25-28）

在瑪雲的曠野時，「掃羅在山這邊走、大衛和跟隨他的人在山那邊走」怎麼那麼巧？這麼近竟然沒有被追上？這是國家的部隊，必然有他一定程度的追捕能力。但是若非神「在爭戰的日子、你遮蔽了我的頭」，怎麼可能可以全身而退？

本篇詩篇提醒我們，遇到迫害不用急著反擊，因為神必伸冤與審判。在此篇第十節的「願火炭落在他們身上」，是當時眾所皆知關於神審判的形容詞，因為當時認為神審判罪人，通常伴著刑罰，是從天而降的火炭，或是指被丟入火炭般的火爐中受苦。大衛在此提醒自己要將審判權交給神：我求告神，將苦情訴說了，接下來就是「聽憑主怒」了，也就是將火炭任憑神落在惡人身上，而不是自己去追究。如經上：

親愛的弟兄、不要自己伸冤、寧可讓步、聽憑主怒．〔或作讓人發怒〕因為經上記着、『主說：伸冤在我．我必報應。』所以『你的仇敵若餓了、就給他喫．若渴了、就給他喝．因為你這樣行、就是把炭火堆在他的頭上。』（羅 12：19-20）

這裏的「就是把炭火堆在他的頭上」，就是提醒讀此經文的人，不要因為別人的罪，使自己也一併受罰。「不要用別人的惡行，來刑罰自己」，因為眼前的惡人必要受罰，但是我因他生氣了、甚至報復了，或說了不敬虔的話，甚至褻瀆神了，本來沒事、無辜的我，反而因此要一起受罰。為了避免這樣的事情發生，我們要守住真理的防線，用神的話護衛我們，先做該做的事。就是「不要自己伸冤、寧可讓步、聽憑主怒」，還要在心中覆誦神的話：「伸冤在我，我必報應」，還要以善報惡，除了不要計較之外，該對任何人都要行的「愛」，一樣都不可少：他「若餓了，就給他吃；若渴了，就給他喝」。意思是給他真正的需要。這樣行，「就是把炭火堆在他的頭上」，也就是讓審判與刑罰「單單」落在他們，使我們不因此一併受罰。惡人受罰，將是他自己的事，與我們無關。

就像創世記二十六章中那搶奪以撒水井的非利士人，以撒不去爭辯，也沒有興起戰爭。因為以撒有過去父親亞伯拉罕所留下戰勝五王的精銳部隊，那318個勇猛戰士，以撒若真的發動戰爭，其實一定會贏。但是，以撒沒有這麼做。

只是，那時以撒挖的一口井，卻沒有水。挖井是一回事，挖出活水井卻是另一回事。

以撒就在那裏築了一座壇、求告耶和華的名、並且支搭帳棚．他的僕人便在那裏挖了一口井。（創 26：25）

何時這口井有水？當以撒照敵人所需，跟來求和的壞人彼此立約不相害，並給他們吃飽喝足，送他們離開之後，「那一天」就有水從所挖的井中出現了。

以撒就為他們設擺筵席、他們便喫了喝了。他們清早起來彼此起誓．以撒打發他們走、他們就平平安安的離開他走了。那一天以撒的僕人來、將挖井的事告訴他、說：「我們得了水了。」（創 26：30-32）

若不按真理給仇敵吃飽喝足，以撒也無法得活水井。今天我們或許被惡人欺凌、口出惡言，除了不要害怕，還要思想：在這件事上，神要我怎麼做？然後完完全全照神所說的去做，當我們做到了，所挖的井（即所謀的事、所經營的事業、所擔心的家庭、健康等一切問題），就會湧出活水（神必定成就）。阿們！

By Isaiah Kao

May Burning Coals Fall Upon Them- The Wisdom of Letting the Lord's Wrath Take Its Course 

May burning coals fall upon them;  

May they be cast into the fire,  

Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.  (Psalm140:10)

This is David’s prayer in the midst of affliction. Reading this psalm recalls David’s life: when he was hunted by Saul, the king of a nation, who mobilized the  "state apparatus ” with abundant resources to pursue him crezily. David’s chance of survival was exceedingly slim. Without God’s protection, a common man facing the power of the state could not have lived. Just as David says here, it was God who shielded him in the day of battle:

“God, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”  (Psalm 140:7)

This brings to mind the crisis in the wilderness of Maon:

Saul and his men went to seek David. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to capture them. But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.(2 Samuel 23：25-28) 

At Maon, “Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side”—how could it be so coincidental? So close, yet not caught? This was a national army, surely with strong pursuit capability. But unless God “covered my head in the day of battle,” how could David have escaped unharmed?

This psalm reminds us,when persecuted, we need not rush to react, for God Himself will avenge and judge. In verse 10, “May burning coals fall upon them” was a common expression of God’s judgment at the time, for people believed God’s punishment of sinners often came with fire from heaven, or being thrown into a fiery furnace. David here reminds himself to entrust judgment to God: I cry out to Him, I pour out my complaint, and then I “leave room for the wrath of the Lord”, that is, let the coals fall upon the wicked by God’s hand, not mine. As Scripture says:

“Beloved, do not take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.’'(Romans12:19-20)

“Heaping burning coals on his head” reminds the reader not to let another’s sin bring punishment upon oneself. “Do not let another’s evil deeds cause you to be punished as well.” The wicked will surely be judged, but if I respond with anger, revenge, or disrespectful words—even blasphemy—I, though innocent, may end up punished too. To avoid this, we must guard the line of truth, protect ourselves with God’s Word, and first do what is right: “Do not take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.” We must rehearse God’s Word in our hearts: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” We must repay evil with good, not quarreling, but also fulfilling the command of love: “If he is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink.” That means meeting his true needs. In doing so, “you will heap burning coals on his head”—judgment and punishment will fall solely upon him, not upon us. The wicked’s punishment will be his own matter, not ours.

It is like Genesis 26, when the Philistines seized Isaac’s wells. Isaac did not argue or wage war. He had inherited Abraham’s elite force of 318 trained men, who had defeated five kings. If Isaac had fought, he surely would have won. Yet he did not.

At that time, however, the well Isaac dug had no water. Digging a well is one thing; finding living water is another.

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.  

(Genesis 26:25)

When did the well yield water? After Isaac met the needs of his enemies—those who came to make peace—by making a covenant not to harm each other, feeding them, and sending them away satisfied. “That very day” water flowed from the well.

Then he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. In the morning they got up early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. Now it came about on the same day that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”  (Genesis26:30-32)

If Isaac had not met his enemies’ needs with food and drink according to truth, he would not have obtained a living well. Today, when we are mistreated or insulted by evil people, we must not fear, but ask: In this matter, what does God want me to do? Then obey completely. When we do, the well we dig (our plans, our work, our family, our health, all our concerns) will spring forth living water(God will surely accomplish it). Amen!

By Isaiah Kao