列王紀上13:1-10

 

13:1 那時，有一個神人奉耶和華的命從猶大來到伯特利。耶羅波安正站在壇旁要燒香；
13:2 神人奉耶和華的命向壇呼叫，說：「壇哪，壇哪！耶和華如此說：大衛家裡必生一個兒子，名叫約西亞，他必將邱壇的祭司，就是在你上面燒香的，殺在你上面，人的骨頭也必燒在你上面。」
13:3 當日，神人設個預兆，說：「這壇必破裂，壇上的灰必傾撒，這是耶和華說的預兆。」
13:4 耶羅波安王聽見神人向伯特利的壇所呼叫的話，就從壇上伸手，說：「拿住他吧！」王向神人所伸的手就枯乾了，不能彎回；
13:5 壇也破裂了，壇上的灰傾撒了，正如神人奉耶和華的命所設的預兆。
13:6 王對神人說：「請你為我禱告，求耶和華─你上帝的恩典使我的手復原。」於是神人祈禱耶和華，王的手就復了原，仍如尋常一樣。
13:7 王對神人說：「請你同我回去吃飯，加添心力，我也必給你賞賜。」
13:8 神人對王說：「你就是把你的宮一半給我，我也不同你進去，也不在這地方吃飯喝水；
13:9 因為有耶和華的話囑咐我，說不可在伯特利吃飯喝水，也不可從你去的原路回來。」
13:10 於是神人從別的路回去，不從伯特利來的原路回去。

 

 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. ² By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” ³ That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

⁴ When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. ⁵ Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.

⁶ Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

⁷ The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”

⁸ But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. ⁹ For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’” ¹⁰ So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

 

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    上帝對於耶羅波安的事情並非不聞不問，仍然有祂的作為，感動一位先知去警告他：「壇哪，壇哪！耶和華如此說：大衛家裡必生一個兒子，名叫約西亞，他必將邱壇的祭司，就是在你上面燒香的，殺在你上面，人的骨頭也必燒在你上面。」

 

    當日，神人設個預兆，說：「這壇必破裂，壇上的灰必傾撒，這是耶和華說的預兆。」耶羅波安王聽見神人向伯特利的壇所呼叫的話，就從壇上伸手，說：「拿住他吧！」王向神人所伸的手就枯乾了，不能彎回；壇也破裂了，壇上的灰傾撒了，正如神人奉耶和華的命所設的預兆。

 

    耶羅波安只好對神人說：「請你為我禱告，求耶和華─你上帝的恩典使我的手復原。」於是神人祈禱耶和華，王的手就復了原，仍如尋常一樣。

 

    耶羅波安對神人說：「請你同我回去吃飯，加添心力，我也必給你賞賜。」

 

    可是神人對王說：「你就是把你的宮一半給我，我也不同你進去，也不在這地方吃飯喝水；因為有耶和華的話囑咐我，說不可在伯特利吃飯喝水，也不可從你去的原路回來。」

 

    這對於今日強調能力的教會來說，一定會將這位神人捧上天，若活在今天必定有一大群人跟去他的教會，天天去聽他講道，天天請他為他們的事業禱告，為他們的健康禱告，希望在他的禱告之後，一切都平安，一切都順利，餅且認為上帝必定這樣藉他賜恩福！

 

    對不起！這是你們一廂情願的想法，這位神人絕對不會順從你們這些要求，他是上帝的僕人，只聽上帝的，不是隨便受人的使喚，你們就打消這個念頭吧！因為他不是憑己意行事的，也不是為討好人而服事上帝的！

 

    你會問我怎知道呢？因為耶羅波安是以色列的王，對他說：「請你同我回去吃飯，加添心力，我也必給你賞賜。」

 

    都被他拒絕了！還宣告：「你就是把你的宮一半給我，我也不同你進去，也不在這地方吃飯喝水；因為有耶和華的話囑咐我，說不可在伯特利吃飯喝水，也不可從你去的原路回來。」

 

    這不是神人很拗，而是他必須遵守上的的命令，同樣今日傳道者更要成為信徒的榜樣，要先遵行上帝命定，看重上帝過於一切，讓上帝的榮耀彰顯！