因我是祢的僕人（詩143篇）

耶和華阿、求你為你的名將我救活．憑你的公義、將我從患難中領出來．憑你的慈愛剪除我的仇敵、滅絕一切苦待我的人．因我是你的僕人。（詩 143：11-12）

這是大衛的懺悔詩，大衛在詩中清楚地表明自己是因為罪的緣故受苦，所以必須先解決罪的問題，使自己可以不被神審問。

求你不要審問僕人．因為在你面前凡活着的人、沒有一個是義的。原來仇敵逼迫我、將我打倒在地．使我住在幽暗之處、像死了許久的人一樣。所以我的靈在我裏面發昏．我的心在我裏面悽慘。(詩 143：2-4)

本篇詩篇引人注意的，是大衛在求告神赦免他所犯的罪，並帶領他走出苦難時，似乎是提了一件神「必須」救我的理由，那就是「因我是你的僕人」。這個說詞，引人陷入深深的思考。

是什麼人的員工，很重要！因為他的主人必須幫助他，保護他，才能完成主人的使命。就好像古時候的欽差大人一樣，他們要代表皇帝在外面完成皇帝交辦的任務，所以所持的尚方寶劍與令牌，證明是皇帝的僕人。對欽差大人不敬，就是對皇帝不敬，這些對王的僕人不敬的人，甚至是可以被殺頭的。

王的僕人是如此的尊貴，何況是造天地，成為宇宙主宰的真神的僕人，神怎能任其僕人死亡？若神保護不了祂自己的僕人，那不就遜斃了？除非有祂的旨意。但是誰是神的僕人？憑甚麼神要幫我？憑我是神的僕人，神必保護、並賜能力給祂的僕人，祂的僕人代表著祂，是不容任何人侵犯的，甚至是魔鬼都要畏懼。

我已經給你們權柄、可以踐踏蛇和蠍子、又勝過仇敵一切的能力、斷沒有甚麼能害你們。然而不要因鬼服了你們就歡喜．要因你們的名記錄在天上歡喜。(路 10：19-20)

但是，神的僕人是有條件的，那就是：「捨己」。若不能捨己，就不配成為祂的僕人。

於是叫眾人和門徒來、對他們說：「若有人要跟從我、就當捨己、背起他的十字架來跟從我。」(可 8：34)

不背着他的十字架跟從我的、也不配作我的門徒。得着生命的、將要失喪生命．為我失喪生命的、將要得着生命。人接待你們、就是接待我．接待我、就是接待那差我來的。(太 10：38-40)

捨己，就是「自我否定」的意思，只接受主耶穌的命令，這時，我就是主的人，接待我，就是接待神。當然藐視我的，就是藐視神。

感謝主！只要我們願意天天讀經、禱告神，因為不常常讀經，不聽命令的，不會是神的僕人。當我們細察神的每個命令，努力去行，願意完全順服，不要意見一堆，這時，我們的任何事都可以坦然跟神祈求，並說：「因我是祢的僕人！」，祂必因「自己的名」、「憑自己的公義與慈愛」之故，為我成就一切。阿們！

求你使我清晨得聽你慈愛之言、因我倚靠你．求你使我知道當行的路、因我的心仰望你。(詩 143：8)

By Isaiah Kao

For I Am Your Servant (Psalm 143)

“For the sake of Your name, LORD, revive me.

In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

And in Your faithfulness, destroy my enemies,

And eliminate all those who afflict my soul,

For I am Your servant.”

(Psalm 143:11–12)

This is a psalm of David’s repentance. In this psalm, David clearly acknowledges that his suffering is the result of sin. Therefore, the problem of sin must first be dealt with, so that he may not come under God’s judgment.

“And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,

For no one living is righteous before You.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart is appalled within me.”

(Psalm 143:2–4)

What draws special attention in this psalm is that when David asks God to forgive his sins and lead him out of distress, he seems to present a reason why God must save him,that is: “for I am Your servant.”

This statement leads us into deep reflection.

Whose servant are you? This is extremely important.

A servant must be helped and protected by his master in order to carry out the master’s mission.

It is like the imperial envoys in ancient times. They represented the emperor and carried out the tasks assigned by him. The imperial sword they bore proved that they were the emperor’s servants. To show disrespect to the envoy was to show disrespect to the emperor himself. Those who offended the king’s servant could even be executed.

The servant of a king was already so honored, how much more the servant of the true God, who created heaven and earth and reigns over the universe. How could God allow His servant to perish? If God could not protect His own servant, would that's just sad?

But then the question is: Who is God’s servant?

On what basis should God help me?

Because I am God’s servant, God must protect His servant and grant him power. God’s servant represents Him and is not to be violated by anyone— even the devil must fear this authority.

“Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions,

and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,

but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

(Luke 10:19–20)

However, there is a condition to being God’s servant, and that is self-denial.

Without self-denial, one is not worthy to be His servant.

“And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them,

‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow Me.’”

(Mark 8:34)

“And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me

is not worthy of Me.

The one who has found his life will lose it,

and the one who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

The one who receives you receives Me,

and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

(Matthew 10:38–40)

Self-denial means "the denial of self" accepting only the commands of the Lord Jesus.

At that moment, I belong entirely to the Lord. To receive me is to receive God; to despise me is to despise God.

Thanks be to the Lord!

If we are willing to read the Bible daily and pray continually, because those who do not read the Bible and do not listen to His commands cannot be God’s servants,

when we carefully examine every command of God, strive to obey them, and are willing to submit completely, without a heart full of objections, then we may come before God with confidence in all things and say:

“For I am Your servant!”

For the sake of "His own name", and by His own" righteousness and lovingkindness", He will accomplish all things for us. Amen!

“Let me hear Your faithfulness in the morning, for I trust in You;

Teach me the way in which I should walk,

For to You I lift up my soul.”

(Psalm 143:8)

By Isaiah Kao