2021年2月6日 星期六

列王紀下7章

      列王紀下7:1-20  ,

列王紀下7:1-20

 

7:1 以利沙說:「你們要聽耶和華的話,耶和華如此說:明日約到這時候,在撒馬利亞城門口,一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒,二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
7:2
有一個攙扶王的軍長對神人說:「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶,也不能有這事。」以利沙說:「你必親眼看見,卻不得吃。」
7:3
在城門那裡有四個長大痲瘋的人,他們彼此說:「我們為何坐在這裡等死呢?
7:4
我們若說,進城去吧!城裡有饑荒,必死在那裡;若在這裡坐著不動,也必是死。來吧,我們去投降亞蘭人的軍隊,他們若留我們的活命,就活著;若殺我們,就死了吧!」
7:5
黃昏的時候,他們起來往亞蘭人的營盤去;到了營邊,不見一人在那裡。
7:6
因為主使亞蘭人的軍隊聽見車馬的聲音,是大軍的聲音;他們就彼此說:「這必是以色列王賄買赫人的諸王和埃及人的諸王來攻擊我們。」
7:7
所以,在黃昏的時候他們起來逃跑,撇下帳棚、馬、驢,營盤照舊,只顧逃命。
7:8
那些長大痲瘋的到了營邊,進了帳棚,吃了喝了,且從其中拿出金銀和衣服來,去收藏了;回來又進了一座帳棚,從其中拿出財物來去收藏了。
7:9
那時,他們彼此說:「我們所做的不好!今日是有好信息的日子,我們竟不作聲!若等到天亮,罪必臨到我們。來吧,我們與王家報信去!」
7:10
他們就去叫守城門的,告訴他們說:「我們到了亞蘭人的營,不見一人在那裡,也無人聲,只有拴著的馬和驢,帳棚都照舊。」
7:11
守城門的叫了眾守門的人來,他們就進去與王家報信。
7:12
王夜間起來,對臣僕說:「我告訴你們亞蘭人向我們如何行。他們知道我們飢餓,所以離營,埋伏在田野,說:『以色列人出城的時候,我們就活捉他們,得以進城。』」
7:13
有一個臣僕對王說:「我們不如用城裡剩下之馬中的五匹馬(馬和城裡剩下的以色列人都是一樣,快要滅絕),打發人去窺探。」
7:14
於是取了兩輛車和馬,王差人去追尋亞蘭軍,說:「你們去窺探窺探。」
7:15
他們就追尋到約旦河,看見滿道上都是亞蘭人急跑時丟棄的衣服器具,使者就回來報告王。
7:16
眾人就出去,擄掠亞蘭人的營盤。於是一細亞細麵賣銀一舍客勒,二細亞大麥也賣銀一舍客勒,正如耶和華所說的。
7:17
王派攙扶他的那軍長在城門口彈壓,眾人在那裡將他踐踏,他就死了,正如神人在王下來見他的時候所說的。
7:18
神人曾對王說:「明日約到這時候,在撒馬利亞城門口,二細亞大麥要賣銀一舍客勒,一細亞細麵也要賣銀一舍客勒。」
7:19
那軍長對神人說:「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶,也不能有這事。」神人說:「你必親眼看見,卻不得吃。」
7:20
這話果然應驗在他身上;因為眾人在城門口將他踐踏,他就死了。

 

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah[a] of the finest flour will sell for a shekel[b] and two seahs[c] of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”

“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

Now there were four men with leprosy[d] at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

10 So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

12 The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’”

13 One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”

14 So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15 They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king. 16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said.

17 Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18 It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

19 The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

 

***********

 

    以前讀一本關於機率的書籍,其中有一句話深刻印在我的心中:「機率高不一定會發生,機率低也不一定不會發生!」

 

    而上帝拯救以色列人脫離亞蘭軍隊圍困撒馬利亞的事情,以利沙沒有直說,用特別的方式來述說:「你們要聽耶和華的話,耶和華如此說:明日約到這時候,在撒馬利亞城門口,一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒,二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」

 

    然而攙扶王的軍長對神人說:「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶,也不能有這事。」

 

    以利沙說:「你必親眼看見,卻不得吃。」

 

    這樣的對話使我想到多年前參加「華福會」時,有許多講員透露:「將來大陸會開放台灣人進入,你們要準備好,將福音傳給大陸的人。」

 

    當時覺得好像不太可能,後來卻發生李登輝先生接續蔣經國先生擔任總統,開放大陸探親到兩岸有更多的交流,以至於台灣的弟兄姊妹可以到大陸傳福音和造就當地信徒的事情。

 

    這也就是說,在上帝凡事都能,不在人的認為機率高低的問題!上帝的時間到了,是就會成了!

 

    因此,我們不要看眼前,而是要相信上帝的應許,祂的應許絕對不會落空的!正如主耶穌的再臨,以致上帝國完全實現,是必定會發生,只是早晚而已!

 

 

2021年2月5日 星期五

馬太福音22:34-40

 

22:34 法利賽人聽見耶穌堵住了撒都該人的口,他們就聚集。
22:35
內中有一個人是律法師,要試探耶穌,就問他說:
22:36
「夫子,律法上的誡命,哪一條是最大的呢?」
22:37
耶穌對他說:「你要盡心、盡性、盡意愛主你的上帝。
22:38
這是誡命中的第一,且是最大的。
22:39
其次也相倣,就是要愛人如己。
22:40
這兩條誡命是律法和先知一切道理的總綱。」

 

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

************

 

    當法利賽人問主耶穌:「夫子,律法上的誡命,哪一條是最大的呢?」

 

    主耶穌回答:「你要盡心、盡性、盡意愛主─你的上帝。這是誡命中的第一,且是最大的。其次也相倣,就是要愛人如己。這兩條誡命是律法和先知一切道理的總綱。」

 

    主耶穌這樣的回答是提醒他們,平常猶太人每天唸誦的三段聖經經文:申命記64-9節、1113-21節和民數記1537-41節。就已經說明了什麼是最大的誡命了,還需要問嗎?

 

    由主耶穌的回答,我們知道信仰實踐最重要的兩件是,就是愛上帝和愛人,我們都要銘刻在心,努力實行!

 

 

馬太福音22:15-22

 

22:15 當時,法利賽人出去商議,怎樣就著耶穌的話陷害他,
22:16
就打發他們的門徒同希律黨的人去見耶穌,說:「夫子,我們知道你是誠實人,並且誠誠實實傳上帝的道,甚麼人你都不徇情面,因為你不看人的外貌。
22:17
請告訴我們,你的意見如何?納稅給凱撒可以不可以?」
22:18
耶穌看出他們的惡意,就說:「假冒為善的人哪,為甚麼試探我?
22:19
拿一個上稅的錢給我看!」他們就拿一個銀錢來給他。
22:20
耶穌說:「這像和這號是誰的?」
22:21
他們說:「是凱撒的。」耶穌說:「這樣,凱撒的物當歸給凱撒;上帝的物當歸給上帝。」
22:22
他們聽見就希奇,離開他走了。

 

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

 

************

 

    希律黨黨員是希律王朝的御用黨,以及一班擁護者。他們融合希臘人與猶太教的教訓而宣稱彌賽亞的國度已應驗在希律王朝裡。他們見耶穌所傳屬靈天國的道與他們的利益相抵觸,就聯合猶太人圖謀害耶穌。

 

    正如他們要讓主耶穌落入他們的圈套,就質問主耶穌:「夫子,我們知道你是誠實人,並且誠誠實實傳上帝的道,甚麼人你都不徇情面,因為你不看人的外貌。請告訴我們,你的意見如何?納稅給凱撒可以不可以?」

 

    然而主耶穌用智慧將他們的詰問化解了,使他們啞口無言。

 

    我們從主耶穌受到詰問的處理方式,學習到不要慌張,要等候聖靈的作為,聖靈必定會將合適的話語賜給我們,使我們可以靠主勝過那些故意刁難我們的人,正如主耶穌勝過一般!

 

 

馬太福音22:1-14

 


22:1 耶穌又用比喻對他們說:
22:2
「天國好比一個王為他兒子擺設娶親的筵席,
22:3
就打發僕人去,請那些被召的人來赴席,他們卻不肯來。
22:4
王又打發別的僕人,說:『你們告訴那被召的人,我的筵席已經預備好了,牛和肥畜已經宰了,各樣都齊備,請你們來赴席。』
22:5
那些人不理就走了;一個到自己田裡去;一個做買賣去;
22:6
其餘的拿住僕人,凌辱他們,把他們殺了。
22:7
王就大怒,發兵除滅那些兇手,燒燬他們的城。
22:8
於是對僕人說:『喜筵已經齊備,只是所召的人不配。
22:9
所以你們要往岔路口上去,凡遇見的,都召來赴席。』
22:10
那些僕人就出去,到大路上,凡遇見的,不論善惡都召聚了來,筵席上就坐滿了客。
22:11
王進來觀看賓客,見那裡有一個沒有穿禮服的,
22:12
就對他說:『朋友,你到這裡來怎麼不穿禮服呢?』那人無言可答。
22:13
於是王對使喚的人說:『捆起他的手腳來,把他丟在外邊的黑暗裡;在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。』
22:14
因為被召的人多,選上的人少。」

 

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 

************

 

    你看重主耶穌的福音嗎?福音就像這個比喻所說的,是王子的婚禮。雖然國王很熱心地為王子辦婚,也邀請許多人來參加,但是被邀請的人不看重,他們的反應是:「那些人不理就走了;一個到自己田裡去;一個做買賣去;其餘的拿住僕人,凌辱他們,把他們殺了。」

 

    這是多麼不尊重的行為啊!以致國王發怒了,於是有所作為,就像聖經所說:「王就大怒,發兵除滅那些兇手,燒燬他們的城。」

 

    然而宴席都準備好,卻不能沒有客人,主人還是要僕人去邀請人來參加宴席。但是差強人意的是,是有人沒有穿禮服,被趕出宴席之外。

 

    所以,一個人要能享受福音的好處,首先需要有上帝的呼召,其次要準備好自己。當然上帝的呼召是出於上帝的恩典與憐憫;而準備好的人,是有聖靈的啟示,知道一定要信靠主耶穌,尊主為大,看耶穌基督為至寶!

 

    也因此,一個蒙上帝揀選的人,必定是被上帝呼召與聖靈動工的人!