14:1 那時,耶羅波安的兒子亞比雅病了。
14:2 耶羅波安對他的妻說:「你可以起來改裝,使人不知道你是耶羅波安的妻,往示羅去,在那裡有先知亞希雅。他曾告訴我說,你必作這民的王。
14:3 現在你要帶十個餅,與幾個薄餅,和一瓶蜜去見他,他必告訴你兒子將要怎樣。」
14:4 耶羅波安的妻就這樣行,起身往示羅去,到了亞希雅的家。亞希雅因年紀老邁,眼目發直,不能看見。
14:5 耶和華先曉諭亞希雅說:「耶羅波安的妻要來問你,因她兒子病了,你當如此如此告訴她。她進來的時候必裝作別的婦人。」
14:6 她剛進門,亞希雅聽見她腳步的響聲,就說:「耶羅波安的妻,進來吧!你為何裝作別的婦人呢?我奉差遣將凶事告訴你。
14:7 你回去告訴耶羅波安說:『耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說:我從民中將你高舉,立你作我民以色列的君,
14:8 將國從大衛家奪回賜給你;你卻不效法我僕人大衛,遵守我的誡命,一心順從我,行我眼中看為正的事。
14:9 你竟行惡,比那在你以先的更甚,為自己立了別神,鑄了偶像,惹我發怒,將我丟在背後。
14:10 因此,我必使災禍臨到耶羅波安的家,將屬耶羅波安的男丁,無論困住的、自由的都從以色列中剪除,必除盡耶羅波安的家,如人除盡糞土一般。
14:11 凡屬耶羅波安的人,死在城中的必被狗吃,死在田野的必被空中的鳥吃。這是耶和華說的。』
14:12 所以你起身回家去吧!你的腳一進城,你兒子就必死了。
14:13 以色列眾人必為他哀哭,將他葬埋。凡屬耶羅波安的人,惟有他得入墳墓;因為在耶羅波安的家中,只有他向耶和華─以色列的上帝顯出善行。
14:14 耶和華必另立一王治理以色列。到了日期,他必剪除耶羅波安的家;那日期已經到了。
14:15 耶和華必擊打以色列人,使他們搖動,像水中的蘆葦一般;又將他們從耶和華賜給他們列祖的美地上拔出來,分散在大河那邊;因為他們做木偶,惹耶和華發怒。
14:16 因耶羅波安所犯的罪,又使以色列人陷在罪裡,耶和華必將以色列人交給仇敵。」
14:17 耶羅波安的妻起身回去,到了得撒,剛到門檻,兒子就死了。
14:18 以色列眾人將他葬埋,為他哀哭,正如耶和華藉他僕人先知亞希雅所說的話。
14:19 耶羅波安其餘的事,他怎樣爭戰,怎樣作王,都寫在以色列諸王記上。
14:20 耶羅波安作王二十二年,就與他列祖同睡。他兒子拿答接續他作王。
At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” 4 So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.
Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”
6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.
10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a] I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’
12 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.
14 “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.[b] 15 And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles.[c] 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.
19 The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.
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耶羅波安的兒子亞比雅病了,他很想知道孩子會不會好起來。但是,又不希望人家知道他和先知亞希雅有關係。雖然自己想親身過去,但是礙於他是君王,只好派自己的太太喬裝一下去問先知,以免被人認出來。
然而人再怎樣隱藏,上帝都清楚、都明白人的用心。他就在耶羅波安的妻子尚未到的時候,就將這事啟示給先知亞希雅說:「耶羅波安的妻要來問你,因她兒子病了,你當如此如此告訴她。她進來的時候必裝作別的婦人。」
而上帝要耶羅波安知道的事,就透過先知宣告:「耶羅波安的妻,進來吧!你為何裝作別的婦人呢?我奉差遣將凶事告訴你。你回去告訴耶羅波安說:『耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說:我從民中將你高舉,立你作我民以色列的君,將國從大衛家奪回賜給你;你卻不效法我僕人大衛,遵守我的誡命,一心順從我,行我眼中看為正的事。你竟行惡,比那在你以先的更甚,為自己立了別神,鑄了偶像,惹我發怒,將我丟在背後。因此,我必使災禍臨到耶羅波安的家,將屬耶羅波安的男丁,無論困住的、自由的都從以色列中剪除,必除盡耶羅波安的家,如人除盡糞土一般。凡屬耶羅波安的人,死在城中的必被狗吃,死在田野的必被空中的鳥吃。這是耶和華說的。』所以你起身回家去吧!你的腳一進城,你兒子就必死了。以色列眾人必為他哀哭,將他葬埋。凡屬耶羅波安的人,惟有他得入墳墓;因為在耶羅波安的家中,只有他向耶和華─以色列的上帝顯出善行。耶和華必另立一王治理以色列。到了日期,他必剪除耶羅波安的家;那日期已經到了。 耶和華必擊打以色列人,使他們搖動,像水中的蘆葦一般;又將他們從耶和華賜給他們列祖的美地上拔出來,分散在大河那邊;因為他們做木偶,惹耶和華發怒。因耶羅波安所犯的罪,又使以色列人陷在罪裡,耶和華必將以色列人交給仇敵。」
可見上帝是一而再、再而三,不斷的藉著祂的僕人來警告耶羅波安,希望他能夠悔改。然而耶波羅安竟然都沒有反應,還是繼續作惡不敬畏上帝,一直到他過世!雖然他可以將他的王位傳給兒子,但是好戲正要開始呢!
而耶波羅安的事蹟提醒我們,雖然蒙上帝的安排而被高升,甚至成為一國之君,仍然要敬畏上帝,遠離惡事。要是我們貪圖眼前的好處與權力,忘記上帝的命令,遠離上帝;甚至還利用自己的權勢,影響人離開上帝。這樣的罪行上帝必定追討,還會禍延子孫呢!
也因為耶羅波安的不信和惡行,不僅他自己遠離上帝,他的子孫們也要面對與承受悖逆上帝的後果!因此,我們要揚棄不信的惡心,懇求聖靈來更新我們,使我們能愛上帝超越一切!
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