歷代志下21:1-7

21:1 約沙法與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城他列祖的墳地裡。他兒子約蘭接續他作王。
21:2 約蘭有幾個兄弟，就是約沙法的兒子亞撒利雅、耶歇、撒迦利雅、亞撒列夫、米迦勒、示法提雅。這都是猶大王約沙法的兒子。
21:3 他們的父親將許多金銀、財寶，和猶大地的堅固城賜給他們；但將國賜給約蘭，因為他是長子。
21:4 約蘭興起坐他父的位，奮勇自強，就用刀殺了他的眾兄弟和以色列的幾個首領。
21:5 約蘭登基的時候年三十二歲，在耶路撒冷作王八年。
21:6 他行以色列諸王的道，與亞哈家一樣；因他娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事。
21:7 耶和華卻因自己與大衛所立的約，不肯滅大衛的家，照他所應許的，永遠賜燈光與大衛和他的子孫。

Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. ² Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.^{[a] 3} Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

⁴ When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. ⁵ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. ⁶ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. ⁷ Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

 

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    約蘭繼承父親作王，卻不像父親敬畏上帝，為人殘暴，用刀殺了他的眾兄弟。但是更糟糕的是，娶了亞哈的女兒為妻，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，就像以色列的王一樣。

 

    當然他的惡行也使人質疑：上帝是否繼續保守大衛的後裔在他的寶座上，繼續執掌王權呢？

 

    然而聖經卻清楚的說：「耶和華卻因自己與大衛所立的約，不肯滅大衛的家，照他所應許的，永遠賜燈光與大衛和他的子孫。」

 

    這也清楚的宣告上帝是信實的，是永不改變的，改變的卻是人！雖然如此，上帝仍然在掌權，上帝不會因為人而放棄祂的應許之福！

  

歷代志下17:7-9

17:7 他作王第三年，就差遣臣子便亥伊勒、俄巴底、撒迦利雅、拿坦業、米該亞往猶大各城去教訓百姓。
17:8 同著他們有利未人示瑪雅、尼探雅、西巴第雅、亞撒黑、示米拉末、約拿單、亞多尼雅、多比雅、駝巴多尼雅，又有祭司以利沙瑪、約蘭同著他們。
17:9 他們帶著耶和華的律法書，走遍猶大各城教訓百姓。

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

 

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    亞撒的兒子約沙法不僅有硬體的措施，也有軟體的措施，就是差遣臣子們和利未人帶著耶和華的律法書，走遍猶大各城教訓百姓。

 

    這是一個重要的措施，上帝的律法書就是指《摩西五經》，是整個舊約聖經的基礎，教訓人民的目的，就是要人民清楚上帝的命令而遵行，這是上帝的子民重要的記號。

 

    當然遵行上帝的律法不只是猶大和以色列人該有的記號，更是今日屬上帝的子民該有的記號，雖然不是靠行律法得救，但是行律法是活出上帝兒女生命所必須的，是為了記念上帝的拯救，所必須有的表現。

 

 

 

 

歷代志下17:1-6

17:1 亞撒的兒子約沙法接續他作王，奮勇自強，防備以色列人，
17:2 安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡，又安置防兵在猶大地和他父亞撒所得以法蓮的城邑中。
17:3 耶和華與約沙法同在；因為他行他祖大衛初行的道，不尋求巴力，
17:4 只尋求他父親的上帝，遵行他的誡命，不效法以色列人的行為。
17:5 所以耶和華堅定他的國，猶大眾人給他進貢；約沙法大有尊榮資財。
17:6 他高興遵行耶和華的道，並且從猶大除掉一切邱壇和木偶。

Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. ² He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals ⁴ but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. ⁵ The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. ⁶ His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

 

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    亞撒的兒子約沙法接續他作王，他有幾項重要政策：

 

1.      安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡，又安置防兵在猶大地和他父亞撒所得以法蓮的城邑中。

2.      他行他祖大衛初行的道，不尋求巴力，只尋求他父親的上帝，遵行他的誡命，不效法以色列人的行為。

3.      他高興遵行耶和華的道，並且從猶大除掉一切邱壇和木偶。

 

    由於他正確使用上帝給他的權柄，使猶大王朝興盛起來，上帝堅固了他的國，並得著百姓的尊敬，提供他財務上的需要，大大獲得尊榮！

 

    這告訴我們，人生在世必須倚靠上帝，而不是追求財富及名聲。若是敬畏上帝，一切好處都不會缺乏！但是，我們必須先敬畏上帝，不是求財富和名聲！