19:9 他在那裡進了一個洞,就住在洞中。耶和華的話臨到他說:「以利亞啊,你在這裡做甚麼?」
19:10 他說:「我為耶和華─萬軍之上帝大發熱心;因為以色列人背棄了你的約,毀壞了你的壇,用刀殺了你的先知,只剩下我一個人,他們還要尋索我的命。」
19:11 耶和華說:「你出來站在山上,在我面前。」那時耶和華從那裡經過,在他面前有烈風大作,崩山碎石,耶和華卻不在風中;風後地震,耶和華卻不在其中;
19:12 地震後有火,耶和華也不在火中;火後有微小的聲音。
19:13 以利亞聽見,就用外衣蒙上臉,出來站在洞口。有聲音向他說:「以利亞啊,你在這裡做甚麼?」
19:14 他說:「我為耶和華─萬軍之上帝大發熱心;因為以色列人背棄了你的約,毀壞了你的壇,用刀殺了你的先知,只剩下我一個人,他們還要尋索我的命。」
19:15 耶和華對他說:「你回去,從曠野往大馬士革去。到了那裡,就要膏哈薛作亞蘭王,
19:16 又膏寧示的孫子耶戶作以色列王,並膏亞伯‧米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙作先知接續你。
19:17 將來躲避哈薛之刀的,必被耶戶所殺;躲避耶戶之刀的,必被以利沙所殺。
19:18 但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的,未曾與巴力親嘴的。」
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
***********
以利亞與上帝相遇的經歷十分奇妙,正如聖經所說:「那時耶和華從那裡經過,在他面前有烈風大作,崩山碎石,耶和華卻不在風中;風後地震,耶和華卻不在其中;地震後有火,耶和華也不在火中;火後有微小的聲音。」
讓我們感到很驚訝的是,上帝竟然用微小的聲音來說話!然而聲音卻是十分威嚴,讓以利亞的反應是:「以利亞聽見,就用外衣蒙上臉,出來站在洞口。」正如以賽亞看見的異象,天使用翅膀遮眼,不敢見上帝的榮光!
在這榮光之中上帝問以利亞:「以利亞啊,你在這裡做甚麼?」
以利亞就勇敢地回覆上帝:「我為耶和華─萬軍之上帝大發熱心;因為以色列人背棄了你的約,毀壞了你的壇,用刀殺了你的先知,只剩下我一個人,他們還要尋索我的命。」
然而上帝並不責備他,對他說:「你回去,從曠野往大馬士革去。到了那裡,就要膏哈薛作亞蘭王,又膏寧示的孫子耶戶作以色列王,並膏亞伯‧米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙作先知接續你。將來躲避哈薛之刀的,必被耶戶所殺;躲避耶戶之刀的,必被以利沙所殺。但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的,未曾與巴力親嘴的。」
而以利亞雖經歷軟弱,上帝仍然沒有放棄他,仍然要他繼續為主工作,不過也撿選了以利沙來接續先知的事奉,並安慰以利亞:「我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的,未曾與巴力親嘴的。」
這也提醒我們,在這個世代雖然充斥著邪說和異端,但是上帝仍然為自己保留一群屬於自己擁有純正信仰的兒女,因為聖靈在今日仍然居住在教會中,主依然在掌權中,上帝的國必定完全實現!
沒有留言:
張貼留言