列王紀下10:18-36

 

10:18 耶戶招聚眾民，對他們說：「亞哈事奉巴力還冷淡，耶戶卻更熱心。
10:19 現在我要給巴力獻大祭。應當叫巴力的眾先知和一切拜巴力的人，並巴力的眾祭司，都到我這裡來，不可缺少一個；凡不來的必不得活。」耶戶這樣行，是用詭計要殺盡拜巴力的人。
10:20 耶戶說：「要為巴力宣告嚴肅會！」於是宣告了。
10:21 耶戶差人走遍以色列地；凡拜巴力的人都來齊了，沒有一個不來的。他們進了巴力廟，巴力廟中從前邊直到後邊都滿了人。
10:22 耶戶吩咐掌管禮服的人說：「拿出禮服來，給一切拜巴力的人穿。」他就拿出禮服來給了他們。
10:23 耶戶和利甲的兒子約拿達進了巴力廟，對拜巴力的人說：「你們察看察看，在你們這裡不可有耶和華的僕人，只可容留拜巴力的人。」
10:24 耶戶和約拿達進去，獻平安祭和燔祭。耶戶先安派八十人在廟外，吩咐說：「我將這些人交在你們手中，若有一人脫逃，誰放的必叫他償命！」
10:25 耶戶獻完了燔祭，就出來吩咐護衛兵和眾軍長說：「你們進去殺他們，不容一人出來！」護衛兵和軍長就用刀殺他們，將屍首拋出去，便到巴力廟的城去了，
10:26 將巴力廟中的柱像都拿出來燒了；
10:27 毀壞了巴力柱像，拆毀了巴力廟作為廁所，直到今日。
10:28 這樣，耶戶在以色列中滅了巴力。
10:29 只是耶戶不離開尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪，就是拜伯特利和但的金牛犢。
10:30 耶和華對耶戶說：「因你辦好我眼中看為正的事，照我的心意待亞哈家，你的子孫必接續你坐以色列的國位，直到四代。」
10:31 只是耶戶不盡心遵守耶和華─以色列上帝的律法，不離開耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪。
10:32 在那些日子，耶和華才割裂以色列國，使哈薛攻擊以色列的境界，
10:33 乃是約旦河東、基列全地，從靠近亞嫩谷邊的亞羅珥起，就是基列和巴珊的迦得人、流便人、瑪拿西人之地。
10:34 耶戶其餘的事，凡他所行的和他的勇力都寫在以色列諸王記上。
10:35 耶戶與他列祖同睡，葬在撒馬利亞；他兒子約哈斯接續他作王。
10:36 耶戶在撒馬利亞作以色列王二十八年。

 

¹⁸ Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. ¹⁹ Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

²⁰ Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. ²¹ Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. ²² And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

²³ Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” ²⁴ So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”

²⁵ As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. ²⁶ They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. ²⁷ They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.

²⁸ So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. ²⁹ However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

³⁰ The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” ³¹ Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

³² In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory ³³ east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.

³⁴ As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

³⁵ Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. ³⁶ The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

 

***********

 

    耶戶用巧計將一切拜巴力的以色列人殺死！不僅如此，將巴力廟也徹底毀了！使以利亞的預言，完全實現！讓人感受到，上帝也是會用強暴的方式來懲罰犯罪的人，上帝若是發怒，人是無法抵擋的！所以，人不可以存僥倖的心態，不要以為上帝不會追討罪惡的事情。

 

列王紀下10章

   列王紀下10:1-17 ,

   列王紀下10:18-36 ,

列王紀下10:1-17

 

10:1 亞哈有七十個兒子在撒馬利亞。耶戶寫信送到撒馬利亞，通知耶斯列的首領，就是長老和教養亞哈眾子的人，說：
10:2 「你們那裡既有你們主人的眾子和車馬、器械、堅固城，
10:3 接了這信，就可以在你們主人的眾子中選擇一個賢能合宜的，使他坐他父親的位，你們也可以為你們主人的家爭戰。」
10:4 他們卻甚懼怕，彼此說：「二王在他面前尚且站立不住，我們怎能站得住呢？」
10:5 家宰、邑宰，和長老，並教養眾子的人，打發人去見耶戶，說：「我們是你的僕人，凡你所吩咐我們的都必遵行，我們不立誰作王，你看怎樣好就怎樣行。」
10:6 耶戶又給他們寫信說：「你們若歸順我，聽從我的話，明日這時候，要將你們主人眾子的首級帶到耶斯列來見我。」那時王的兒子七十人都住在教養他們那城中的尊貴人家裡。
10:7 信一到，他們就把王的七十個兒子殺了，將首級裝在筐裡，送到在耶斯列的耶戶那裡。
10:8 有使者來告訴耶戶說：「他們將王眾子的首級送來了。」耶戶說：「將首級在城門口堆作兩堆，擱到明日。」
10:9 次日早晨，耶戶出來，站著對眾民說：「你們都是公義的，我背叛我主人，將他殺了；這些人卻是誰殺的呢？
10:10 由此可知，耶和華指著亞哈家所說的話一句沒有落空，因為耶和華藉他僕人以利亞所說的話都成就了。」
10:11 凡亞哈家在耶斯列所剩下的人和他的大臣、密友、祭司，耶戶盡都殺了，沒有留下一個。
10:12 耶戶起身往撒馬利亞去。在路上、牧人剪羊毛之處，
10:13 遇見猶大王亞哈謝的弟兄，問他們說：「你們是誰？」回答說：「我們是亞哈謝的弟兄，現在下去要問王和太后的眾子安。」
10:14 耶戶吩咐說：「活捉他們！」跟從的人就活捉了他們，將他們殺在剪羊毛之處的坑邊，共四十二人，沒有留下一個。
10:15 耶戶從那裡前行，恰遇利甲的兒子約拿達來迎接他，耶戶問他安，對他說：「你誠心待我像我誠心待你嗎？」約拿達回答說：「是。」耶戶說：「若是這樣，你向我伸手」，他就伸手；耶戶拉他上車。
10:16 耶戶說：「你和我同去，看我為耶和華怎樣熱心」；於是請他坐在車上，
10:17 到了撒馬利亞，就把撒馬利亞的亞哈家剩下的人都殺了，直到滅盡，正如耶和華對以利亞所說的。

Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,^[a] to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, ² “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, ³ choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

⁴ But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

⁵ So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. ⁷ When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. ⁸ When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

⁹ The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? ¹⁰ Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” ¹¹ So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.

¹² Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, ¹³ he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”

¹⁴ “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.

¹⁵ After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. ¹⁶ Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

¹⁷ When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.

 

***********

 

    耶戶似乎將以利亞的預言背得滾瓜爛熟，用他最高的智慧，將亞哈的家族消滅殆盡，讓讀者覺得這人心機實在太恐怖了，真是一代梟雄！

 

    他不僅消滅亞哈家的人，也斷絕了猶大的王室與亞哈的關係，使以色列繼續處於分裂的狀態，為將來以色列先亡國寫下伏筆。

 

    從耶戶的作為讓我們感受到上帝是公義的上帝，祂一申冤是無人能夠阻擋的！也因為這樣，握們豈可輕忽上帝的命令，我們更是要以上帝的律法為我們生活的準則！

 

 

 

馬太福音26:69-75

 

 

 

26:69 彼得在外面院子裡坐著，有一個使女前來，說：「你素來也是同那加利利人耶穌一夥的。」
26:70 彼得在眾人面前卻不承認，說：「我不知道你說的是甚麼！」
26:71 既出去，到了門口，又有一個使女看見他，就對那裡的人說：「這個人也是同拿撒勒人耶穌一夥的。」
26:72 彼得又不承認，並且起誓說：「我不認得那個人。」
26:73 過了不多的時候，旁邊站著的人前來，對彼得說：「你真是他們一黨的，你的口音把你露出來了。」
26:74 彼得就發咒起誓地說：「我不認得那個人。」立時，雞就叫了。
26:75 彼得想起耶穌所說的話：「雞叫以先，你要三次不認我。」他就出去痛哭。

 

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

 

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

 

    彼得本是在主耶穌面前保證：「眾人雖然為你的緣故跌倒，我卻永不跌倒。」

 

    但是，在遇到主耶穌被捕之後，彼得卻發出三次和主耶穌撇清關係的言論！而且正如主耶穌所說的：「「雞叫以先，你要三次不認我。」

 

    說到雞叫，讓我想起小時候到溪湖長老教會，看見講台前面的地板，有一個圓圈圈，裡面有一隻雞的圖案，當時不知道什麼意義，現在明白了用意，就是要提醒我們，不要忘記我們和彼得一樣軟弱，因為彼得曾在雞叫以前三次不認主，當以此為誡，所以在地上畫一隻雞。

 

    因此，我們要時時警醒，如同雞一般等候天亮！隨時預備面對主耶穌的再來，並且求聖靈幫助，讓我們永遠不要忘記上帝在基督裡的恩典，並且戮力於福音的傳揚，銘刻在我們心中：主愛是何等偉大與美好，豈可離棄祂？豈可為救命與祂撇清關係呢！

 

 

 

 

馬太福音26:57-68

 

26:57 拿耶穌的人把他帶到大祭司該亞法那裡去；文士和長老已經在那裡聚會。
26:58 彼得遠遠地跟著耶穌，直到大祭司的院子，進到裡面，就和差役同坐，要看這事到底怎樣。
26:59 祭司長和全公會尋找假見證控告耶穌，要治死他。
26:60 雖有好些人來作假見證，總得不著實據。末後有兩個人前來，說：
26:61 「這個人曾說：『我能拆毀上帝的殿，三日內又建造起來。』」
26:62 大祭司就站起來，對耶穌說：「你甚麼都不回答嗎？這些人作見證告你的是甚麼呢？」
26:63 耶穌卻不言語。大祭司對他說：「我指著永生上帝叫你起誓告訴我們，你是上帝的兒子基督不是？」
26:64 耶穌對他說：「你說的是。然而，我告訴你們，後來你們要看見人子坐在那權能者的右邊，駕著天上的雲降臨。」
26:65 大祭司就撕開衣服，說：「他說了僭妄的話，我們何必再用見證人呢？這僭妄的話，現在你們都聽見了。
26:66 你們的意見如何？」他們回答說：「他是該死的。」
26:67 他們就吐唾沫在他臉上，用拳頭打他；也有用手掌打他的，說：
26:68 「基督啊！你是先知，告訴我們打你的是誰？」

 

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

 

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

 

    對於荒謬的控告，主耶穌是一言不發，但是大祭司對問主耶穌說：「我指著永生上帝叫你起誓告訴我們，你是上帝的兒子基督不是？」

 

    主耶穌卻一點也不考慮到生死的結過，勇敢且據實回答：「你說的是。然而，我告訴你們，後來你們要看見人子坐在那權能者的右邊，駕著天上的雲降臨。」

 

    主耶穌回答的確確實實是對的真相，然而這一群人不肯相信耶穌是基督、是上帝的兒子，就會和大祭司一樣的反應：「他說了僭妄的話，我們何必再用見證人呢？這僭妄的話，現在你們都聽見了。你們的意見如何？」於是一同回答：「他是該死的。」

 

    他們更是因為不信大大的羞辱主耶穌，竟然就吐唾沫在主耶穌的臉上，用拳頭打他；也有用手掌打他的，說：「基督啊！你是先知，告訴我們打你的是誰？」

 

    然而主耶穌卻一一忍受，並且不改口、不求饒，因為祂清楚自己的身分，更是不畏懼這些無知不信之人的作為！我們屬乎主的人，要回想與記念這樣的事，正如希伯來書12章2-4節所說：「仰望為我們信心創始成終的耶穌（或譯：仰望那將真道創始成終的耶穌）。他因那擺在前面的喜樂，就輕看羞辱，忍受了十字架的苦難，便坐在上帝寶座的右邊。那忍受罪人這樣頂撞的，你們要思想，免得疲倦灰心。你們與罪惡相爭，還沒有抵擋到流血的地步。」

 

    求主保守，讓我們也有一樣的心志，為見證真道而堅強站立！