列王紀下3:1-27

 

3:1 猶大王約沙法十八年，亞哈的兒子約蘭在撒馬利亞登基作了以色列王十二年。
3:2 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，但不致像他父母所行的，因為除掉他父所造巴力的柱像。
3:3 然而，他貼近尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪，總不離開。
3:4 摩押王米沙牧養許多羊，每年將十萬羊羔的毛和十萬公綿羊的毛給以色列王進貢。
3:5 亞哈死後，摩押王背叛以色列王。
3:6 那時約蘭王出撒馬利亞，數點以色列眾人。
3:7 前行的時候，差人去見猶大王約沙法，說：「摩押王背叛我，你肯同我去攻打摩押嗎？」他說：「我肯上去，你我不分彼此，我的民與你的民一樣，我的馬與你的馬一樣。」
3:8 約蘭說：「我們從哪條路上去呢？」回答說：「從以東曠野的路上去。」
3:9 於是，以色列王和猶大王，並以東王，都一同去繞行七日的路程；軍隊和所帶的牲畜沒有水喝。
3:10 以色列王說：「哀哉！耶和華招聚我們這三王，乃要交在摩押人的手裡。」
3:11 約沙法說：「這裡不是有耶和華的先知嗎？我們可以託他求問耶和華。」以色列王的一個臣子回答說：「這裡有沙法的兒子以利沙，就是從前服事以利亞的（原文是倒水在以利亞手上的）。」
3:12 約沙法說：「他必有耶和華的話。」於是以色列王和約沙法，並以東王都下去見他。
3:13 以利沙對以色列王說：「我與你何干？去問你父親的先知和你母親的先知吧！」以色列王對他說：「不要這樣說，耶和華招聚我們這三王，乃要交在摩押人的手裡。」
3:14 以利沙說：「我指著所事奉永生的萬軍耶和華起誓，我若不看猶大王約沙法的情面，必不理你，不顧你。
3:15 現在你們給我找一個彈琴的來。」彈琴的時候，耶和華的靈（原文是手）就降在以利沙身上。
3:16 他便說：「耶和華如此說：『你們要在這谷中滿處挖溝；
3:17 因為耶和華如此說：你們雖不見風，不見雨，這谷必滿了水，使你們和牲畜有水喝。』
3:18 在耶和華眼中這還算為小事，他也必將摩押人交在你們手中。
3:19 你們必攻破一切堅城美邑，砍伐各種佳樹，塞住一切水泉，用石頭糟踏一切美田。」
3:20 次日早晨，約在獻祭的時候，有水從以東而來，遍地就滿了水。
3:21 摩押眾人聽見這三王上來要與他們爭戰，凡能頂盔貫甲的，無論老少，盡都聚集站在邊界上。
3:22 次日早晨，日光照在水上，摩押人起來，看見對面水紅如血，
3:23 就說：「這是血啊！必是三王互相擊殺，俱都滅亡。摩押人哪，我們現在去搶奪財物吧！」
3:24 摩押人到了以色列營，以色列人就起來攻打他們，以致他們在以色列人面前逃跑。以色列人往前追殺摩押人，直殺入摩押的境內，
3:25 拆毀摩押的城邑，各人拋石填滿一切美田，塞住一切水泉，砍伐各種佳樹，只剩下吉珥‧哈列設的石牆；甩石的兵在四圍攻打那城。
3:26 摩押王見陣勢甚大，難以對敵，就率領七百拿刀的兵，要衝過陣去到以東王那裡，卻是不能；
3:27 便將那應當接續他作王的長子，在城上獻為燔祭。以色列人遭遇耶和華的大怒（或譯：招人痛恨），於是三王離開摩押王，各回本國去了。

 

 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³ The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵ The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

⁷ Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

¹³ Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵ The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶ “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷ But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

 

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    亞哈王過世之後由兒子約蘭在撒馬利亞登基，作了以色列王十二年。不過很可惜，約蘭還是行上帝所憎惡的惡行。

 

    而約蘭王在位時，聯合猶大和以東的王一起攻打摩押，在困境中他們尋求先知以利沙來幫忙。之所以如此，是因為猶大王約沙法說：「這裡不是有耶和華的先知嗎？我們可以託他求問耶和華。」

 

    如此我們可以看見上帝仍然眷顧以色列人，雖然百姓受到君王的影響離開上帝，上帝仍然在他們中間預備先知來指引他們，好使上帝所預備的人，仍然緊緊跟隨著上帝，不被環境所應想。

 

    其實在今日，上帝仍然預備各樣的恩惠在基督裡，使我們可以放心勇敢面對生命的考驗！也因為如此，我們要向以色列人中的數上帝的先知，勇敢宣告上帝的信息，使人悔改歸向上帝！

 

 

 

詩篇51:11-12

 

51:11 不要丟棄我，使我離開你的面；不要從我收回你的聖靈。
51:12 求你使我仍得救恩之樂，賜我樂意的靈扶持我，

 

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit.

 

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    在我們的想法上常常將「靈」看成一個物件，是一種看不見的「東西」，而希伯來文的「靈」有「風」、「氣息」、「活力」、…等意義。所以，說到「靈」就有「動力」得意思。

 

   詩篇51篇事是詩篇中的7篇懺悔詩（6篇、32篇、38篇、51篇、102篇、130篇、143篇）中的一篇，而且許多人認為這是這七篇中最偉大的一篇。因為這是大衛犯了姦淫的罪，想要掩蓋事實，掩蓋不成還用計將烏利亞殺死，這些上帝都看見了！

 

    大衛害怕自己因為犯罪和上帝的關係斷絕，所以他祈求上帝：「不要丟棄我，使我離開你的面；不要從我收回你的聖靈。」

 

    由此可知「聖靈」是人和上帝連結的憑據，有聖靈表示有上帝的同在！不僅舊約這樣使用，就是新約也是如此，以弗所書1章13-14節說：「你們既聽見真理的道，就是那叫你們得救的福音，也信了基督，既然信他，就受了所應許的聖靈為印記。這聖靈是我們得基業的憑據（原文是質），直等到上帝之民（民：原文是產業）被贖，使他的榮耀得著稱讚。」

 

    而人有了聖靈才會有能力，正如使徒行傳1章8節：「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地，和撒馬利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。」

 

    也因為如此，大衛仍然盼望上帝仍然賜福給他，也因為如此，在這裡大衛向上帝禱告：「求你使我仍得救恩之樂，賜我樂意的靈扶持我！」

 

    相信這不光是大衛的禱告，也是我們的禱告，讓我們在基督裡享受永生之福！

 

 

 

馬太福音18:21-35

 

18:21 那時，彼得進前來，對耶穌說：「主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我當饒恕他幾次呢？到七次可以嗎？」
18:22 耶穌說：「我對你說，不是到七次，乃是到七十個七次。
18:23 天國好像一個王要和他僕人算帳。
18:24 才算的時候，有人帶了一個欠一千萬銀子的來。
18:25 因為他沒有甚麼償還之物，主人吩咐把他和他妻子兒女，並一切所有的都賣了償還。
18:26 那僕人就俯伏拜他，說：『主啊，寬容我，將來我都要還清。』
18:27 那僕人的主人就動了慈心，把他釋放了，並且免了他的債。
18:28 「那僕人出來，遇見他的一個同伴欠他十兩銀子，便揪他，掐住他的喉嚨，說：『你把所欠的還我！』
18:29 他的同伴就俯伏央求他，說：『寬容我吧，將來我必還清。』
18:30 他不肯，竟去把他下在監裏，等他還了所欠的債。
18:31 眾同伴看見他所做的事就甚憂愁，去把這事都告訴了主人。
18:32 於是主人叫了他來，對他說：『你這惡奴才！你央求我，我就把你所欠的都免了，
18:33 你不應當憐恤你的同伴，像我憐恤你嗎？』
18:34 主人就大怒，把他交給掌刑的，等他還清了所欠的債。
18:35 你們各人若不從心裏饒恕你的弟兄，我天父也要這樣待你們了。」

 

 ²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[g]

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[h] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

 

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    許多人常常喜歡表現自己有理，尤其是在「饒恕」這件事。當人被勸要饒恕時，通常會回一句話：「要我饒恕那一個傷害我很重的人，做不到！要我饒恕他，那誰饒恕我呢？」

 

    但是這一句話不應該從基督徒的口中出來，因為對基督徒而言，我們都是蒙上帝饒恕的人。而上帝憑什麼饒恕我們？就是透過祂的愛子耶穌基督在十字架上的死，帶替我們受了刑罰，也因此我們被赦免，也就是饒恕！如此，我們就不能說：「誰會饒恕我呢？」

 

    保羅也說過：「倘若這人與那人有嫌隙，總要彼此包容，彼此饒恕；主怎樣饒恕了你們，你們也要怎樣饒恕人。」(哥羅西書3:13)

 

    故此，我們若不能饒恕人的時候，要想想主怎樣饒恕我們，怎樣給我們機會來認罪而接納我們呢！正如約翰一書1章9節：「我們若認自己的罪，上帝是信實的，是公義的，必要赦免我們的罪，洗淨我們一切的不義。」

 

    我們認罪上帝就饒恕，同樣得罪我們的人向我們認罪，我們也當如天父一般來饒恕，讓大家彼此和好，如同上帝和我們在基督和好一樣。