歷代志下16:1-14

 

16:1 亞撒三十六年，以色列王巴沙上來攻擊猶大，修築拉瑪，不許人從猶大王亞撒那裡出入。
16:2 於是亞撒從耶和華殿和王宮的府庫裡拿出金銀來，送與住大馬士革的亞蘭王便‧哈達，說：
16:3 「你父曾與我父立約，我與你也要立約。現在我將金銀送給你，求你廢掉你與以色列王巴沙所立的約，使他離開我。」
16:4 便‧哈達聽從亞撒王的話，派軍長去攻擊以色列的城邑。他們就攻破以雲、但、亞伯‧瑪音，和拿弗他利一切的積貨城。
16:5 巴沙聽見就停工，不修築拉瑪了。
16:6 於是亞撒王率領猶大眾人，將巴沙修築拉瑪所用的石頭、木頭都運去，用以修築迦巴和米斯巴。
16:7 那時，先見哈拿尼來見猶大王亞撒，對他說：「因你仰賴亞蘭王，沒有仰賴耶和華─你的上帝，所以亞蘭王的軍兵脫離了你的手。
16:8 古實人、路比人的軍隊不是甚大嗎？戰車馬兵不是極多嗎？只因你仰賴耶和華，他便將他們交在你手裡。
16:9 耶和華的眼目遍察全地，要顯大能幫助向他心存誠實的人。你這事行得愚昧；此後，你必有爭戰的事。」
16:10 亞撒因此惱恨先見，將他囚在監裡。那時亞撒也虐待一些人民。
16:11 亞撒所行的事，自始至終都寫在猶大和以色列諸王記上。
16:12 亞撒作王三十九年，他腳上有病，而且甚重。病的時候沒有求耶和華，只求醫生。
16:13 他作王四十一年而死，與他列祖同睡，
16:14 葬在大衛城自己所鑿的墳墓裡，放在床上，其床堆滿各樣馨香的香料，就是按做香的作法調和的香料，又為他燒了許多的物件。

 

 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

¹¹ The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.

 

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    亞撒王年輕的時候敬畏上帝，年老的時候好大喜功，對於「以色列王巴沙上來攻擊猶大，修築拉瑪，不許人從猶大王亞撒那裡出入」這事竟然是找亞蘭王便‧哈達處理。

 

    怪不得上帝會透過先見哈拿尼說：「因你仰賴亞蘭王，沒有仰賴耶和華─你的上帝，所以亞蘭王的軍兵脫離了你的手。古實人、路比人的軍隊不是甚大嗎？戰車馬兵不是極多嗎？只因你仰賴耶和華，他便將他們交在你手裡。耶和華的眼目遍察全地，要顯大能幫助向他心存誠實的人。你這事行得愚昧；此後，你必有爭戰的事。」

 

    這也給教會很大的提醒，因為許多教會做社會服務的工作是去政府申請經費，或是從一些機構爭取經費。剛開始教會好像財務很豐富，後面去衍生許多問題。因為去取得這些費用，這些勢力就侵入教會，使教會失去立場，讓教會無法扮演她該扮演的角色！最基本的教會應該專屬基督的，不是屬政府的，也不是屬於社福機構的！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們要清楚教會唯一根基就是耶穌基督，不可以讓基督以外的勢力侵蝕教會，教會不是淫婦，教會是基督的新婦！