耶利米書41:1-10

41:1 七月間，王的大臣宗室以利沙瑪的孫子、尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著十個人，來到米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利。他們在米斯巴一同吃飯。
41:2 尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利和同他來的那十個人起來，用刀殺了沙番的孫子亞希甘的兒子基大利，就是巴比倫王所立為全地省長的。
41:3 以實瑪利又殺了在米斯巴、基大利那裡的一切猶大人和所遇見的迦勒底兵丁。
41:4 他殺了基大利，無人知道。
41:5 第二天，有八十人從示劍和示羅，並撒馬利亞來，鬍鬚剃去，衣服撕裂，身體劃破，手拿素祭和乳香，要奉到耶和華的殿。
41:6 尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利出米斯巴迎接他們，隨走隨哭。遇見了他們，就對他們說：「你們可以來見亞希甘的兒子基大利。」
41:7 他們到了城中，尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利和同著他的人就將他們殺了，拋在坑中。
41:8 只是他們中間有十個人對以實瑪利說：「不要殺我們，因為我們有許多大麥、小麥、油、蜜藏在田間。」於是他住了手，沒有將他們殺在弟兄中間。
41:9 以實瑪利將所殺之人的屍首都拋在坑裡基大利的旁邊；這坑是從前亞撒王因怕以色列王巴沙所挖的。尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利將那些被殺的人填滿了坑。
41:10 以實瑪利將米斯巴剩下的人，就是眾公主和仍住在米斯巴所有的百姓，原是護衛長尼布撒拉旦交給亞希甘的兒子基大利的，都擄去了。尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利擄了他們，要往亞捫人那裡去。

In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, ²Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, because the king of Babylon had appointed him governor in the land. ³Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there.

⁴ On the day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it, ⁵eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord. ⁶And Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” ⁷When they reached the middle of the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them, and threw them into a cistern. ⁸But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields.” So he refrained, and did not kill them along with their companions.

⁹ Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down was the large cistern that King Asa had made for defense against King Baasha of Israel; Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled that cistern with those whom he had killed. ¹⁰Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

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    以實瑪利的惡行在這裡被先知耶利米記載的清清楚楚，讓我們看見在那樣的亂世中，人心真的是充滿貪婪和邪惡，想到的就是自己的利益和權力，沒有尊重人，因為不敬畏耶和華！

    今日的教會不要走到這種地步，不然許多人會輕看教會，不願意來教會！因為教會中也是充滿了許多的人性的問題，不以聖經的原則來治理教會，連牧者都會覺得有心無力，無法改變！

    我們要教會復興，就要棄絕那些好掌權的人，千萬不可姑息，不然牧者就會退縮不願在教會好好服事，寧可在外流浪！在外流浪的牧者多，表是教會的問題也多！大家要正是這樣的問題，才是教會之福！

撒母耳記上22:11-23

22:11 王就打發人將祭司亞希突的兒子亞希米勒和他父親的全家，就是住挪伯的祭司都召了來；他們就來見王。
22:12 掃羅說：「亞希突的兒子，要聽我的話！」他回答說：「主啊，我在這裡。」
22:13 掃羅對他說：「你為甚麼與耶西的兒子結黨害我，將食物和刀給他，又為他求問上帝，使他起來謀害我，就如今日的光景？」
22:14 亞希米勒回答王說：「王的臣僕中有誰比大衛忠心呢？他是王的女婿，又是王的參謀，並且在王家中是尊貴的。
22:15 我豈是從今日才為他求問上帝呢？斷不是這樣！王不要將罪歸我和我父的全家；因為這事，無論大小，僕人都不知道。」
22:16 王說：「亞希米勒啊，你和你父的全家都是該死的！」
22:17 王就吩咐左右的侍衛說：「你們去殺耶和華的祭司；因為他們幫助大衛，又知道大衛逃跑，竟沒有告訴我。」掃羅的臣子卻不肯伸手殺耶和華的祭司。
22:18 王吩咐多益說：「你去殺祭司吧！」以東人多益就去殺祭司，那日殺了穿細麻布以弗得的八十五人；
22:19 又用刀將祭司城挪伯中的男女、孩童、吃奶的，和牛、羊、驢盡都殺滅。
22:20 亞希突的兒子亞希米勒有一個兒子，名叫亞比亞他，逃到大衛那裡。
22:21 亞比亞他將掃羅殺耶和華祭司的事告訴大衛。
22:22 大衛對亞比亞他說：「那日我見以東人多益在那裡，就知道他必告訴掃羅。你父的全家喪命，都是因我的緣故。
22:23 你可以住在我這裡，不要懼怕。因為尋索你命的就是尋索我的命；你在我這裡可得保全。」

11 King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob.12 When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, "Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!"
  "What is it, my king?" Ahimelech asked.
  13 "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?" Saul demanded. "Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?"
  14 "But sir," Ahimelech replied, "is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household!15 This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you."
  16 "You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!" the king shouted.17 And he ordered his bodyguards, "Kill these priests of the LORD, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn't tell me!" But Saul's men refused to kill the LORD's priests.
  18 Then the king said to Doeg, "You do it." So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests' families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
  20 Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.21 When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD,22 David exclaimed, "I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father's family.23 Stay here with me, and don't be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both."

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    外邦人有好的，也有壞的，就像這個以東人多益就是壞蛋，他不僅密告掃羅王祭司幫大衛的事情，也做掃羅的殺手殺死祭司家族的人們！以色列人不敢做的事，他竟然做了，可見他不敬畏上帝。

    然而大衛為這事他是負起責任的，正如成語說的：「我不殺伯仁，伯仁卻為我而死！」他覺得祭司家族會遭此禍害是自己的緣故，他就收留了逃出來的亞比亞他，並且保證：「你可以住在我這裡，不要懼怕。因為尋索你命的就是尋索我的命；你在我這裡可得保全。」

    相信上帝也藉由他收留亞比亞他就施恩惠給他，人生在世，我們要厚道一點，要善待人，上帝才會善待我們！

箴言11:24

有施散的，卻更增添；有吝惜過度的，反致窮乏。

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

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    在聖經中有許多這樣有趣的觀念，這也是告訴我們，要真正發揮金錢的用途，不要被貪財的心綑綁，不肯施捨幫助窮困的人，這樣反而會導致我們貧窮！因為，上帝賞賜人美物給人享受，是要人們彼此分享，來榮耀上帝的名！

    就像主耶穌所教導的，「你們要給人，就必有給你們的，並且用十足的升斗，連搖帶按，上尖下流地倒在你們懷裡；因為你們用甚麼量器量給人，也必用甚麼量器量給你們。」（路加福音6:38）

    因此，我們要發揮主所教導的，要慷慨並且勇敢的施捨，上帝反而要豐豐富富賞賜給您，這是許多基督徒可以做見證的！所以，要勇敢的捨，來榮耀主的名，上帝的恩惠如活水一樣，永不枯竭！

耶利米書40:13-16

40:13 加利亞的兒子約哈難和在田野的一切軍長來到米斯巴見基大利，
40:14 對他說：「亞捫人的王巴利斯打發尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利來要你的命，你知道嗎？」亞希甘的兒子基大利卻不信他們的話。
40:15 加利亞的兒子約哈難在米斯巴私下對基大利說：「求你容我去殺尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利，必無人知道。何必讓他要你的命，使聚集到你這裡來的猶大人都分散，以致猶大剩下的人都滅亡呢？」
40:16 亞希甘的兒子基大利對加利亞的兒子約哈難說：「你不可行這事，你所論以實瑪利的話是假的。」

¹³ Now Johanan son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah ¹⁴and said to him, “Are you at all aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. ¹⁵Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one else will know. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered around you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” ¹⁶But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”

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    上帝似乎有以要藉由以實瑪利來殺害基大利，雖然有許多人來向他報告，他竟然都不採取行動，最後這樣的事情真的發生了！

    我們要注意人的警告與建言，不可以看為平常，常常會自取敗亡，不能不小心！