17:1 基列寄居的提斯比人以利亞對亞哈說:「我指著所事奉永生耶和華─以色列的上帝起誓,這幾年我若不禱告,必不降露,不下雨。」
17:2 耶和華的話臨到以利亞說:
17:3 「你離開這裡往東去,藏在約旦河東邊的基立溪旁。
17:4 你要喝那溪裡的水,我已吩咐烏鴉在那裡供養你。」
17:5 於是以利亞照著耶和華的話,去住在約旦河東的基立溪旁。
17:6 烏鴉早晚給他叼餅和肉來,他也喝那溪裡的水。
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
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以利亞用不下雨,來展現上帝對抗亞哈王的巴力。因為巴力是雨水與土地豐饒之神,耶和華中止降雨,除了降災處罰的意義外,也是要向以色列人表示祂的權能勝過巴力。透過先知先向亞哈公開宣告此事,是上帝彰顯其主權和能力的方法。
然而上帝顧念以利亞,就有話臨到他:「你離開這裡往東去,藏在約旦河東邊的基立溪旁。你要喝那溪裡的水,我已吩咐烏鴉在那裡供養你。」
於是以利亞照著耶和華的話,就去住在約旦河東的基立溪旁。奇妙的是,上帝真的派烏鴉早晚給他叼餅和肉來,他也喝那溪裡的水。
這樣的事蹟也要在屬上帝的子民中間發生,因為上帝是眷顧我們的上帝,在患難之中,會給我們格外的恩典。所以,保羅教導腓立比教會的信徒說:「應當一無掛慮,只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求,和感謝,將你們所要的告訴上帝。上帝所賜、出人意外的平安必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。」(腓立比書4:6-7)
上帝會為我們預備我們的「基立溪旁」,供應我們一切所需用的!
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