列王紀下13:10-25

 

13:10 猶大王約阿施三十七年，約哈斯的兒子約阿施在撒馬利亞登基作以色列王十六年。
13:11 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，不離開尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裡的一切罪，仍然去行。
13:12 約阿施其餘的事，凡他所行的和他與猶大王亞瑪謝爭戰的勇力，都寫在以色列諸王記上。
13:13 約阿施與他列祖同睡，耶羅波安坐了他的位。約阿施與以色列諸王一同葬在撒馬利亞。
13:14 以利沙得了必死的病，以色列王約阿施下來看他，伏在他臉上哭泣，說：「我父啊！我父啊！以色列的戰車馬兵啊！」
13:15 以利沙對他說：「你取弓箭來。」王就取了弓箭來；
13:16 又對以色列王說：「你用手拿弓。」王就用手拿弓。以利沙按手在王的手上，
13:17 說：「你開朝東的窗戶。」他就開了。以利沙說：「射箭吧！」他就射箭。以利沙說：「這是耶和華的得勝箭，就是戰勝亞蘭人的箭；因為你必在亞弗攻打亞蘭人，直到滅盡他們。」
13:18 以利沙又說：「取幾枝箭來。」他就取了來。以利沙說：「打地吧！他打了三次，便止住了。
13:19 神人向他發怒，說：「應當擊打五六次，就能攻打亞蘭人直到滅盡；現在只能打敗亞蘭人三次。」
13:20 以利沙死了，人將他葬埋。到了新年，有一群摩押人犯境，
13:21 有人正葬死人，忽然看見一群人，就把死人拋在以利沙的墳墓裡，一碰著以利沙的骸骨，死人就復活，站起來了。
13:22 約哈斯年間，亞蘭王哈薛屢次欺壓以色列人。
13:23 耶和華卻因與亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的約，仍施恩給以色列人，憐恤他們，眷顧他們，不肯滅盡他們，尚未趕逐他們離開自己面前。
13:24 亞蘭王哈薛死了，他兒子便‧哈達接續他作王。
13:25 從前哈薛和約阿施的父親約哈斯爭戰，攻取了些城邑，現在約哈斯的兒子約阿施三次打敗哈薛的兒子便‧哈達，就收回了以色列的城邑。

 

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.

¹² As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ¹³ Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴ Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

¹⁵ Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. ¹⁶ “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

¹⁷ “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

¹⁸ Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

²⁰ Elisha died and was buried.

Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. ²¹ Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

²² Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. ²³ But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

²⁴ Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. ²⁵ Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns.

 

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    以利沙臨終前，以色列王約阿施下來看他，伏在他臉上哭泣，說：「我父啊！我父啊！以色列的戰車馬兵啊！」

 

    很難得有一位王能如此尊敬先知，所以先知一時高興，對他說：「你取弓箭來。」王就取了弓箭來；又對以色列王說：「你用手拿弓。」王就用手拿弓。以利沙按手在王的手上，說：「你開朝東的窗戶。」他就開了。以利沙說：「射箭吧！」他就射箭。以利沙說：「這是耶和華的得勝箭，就是戰勝亞蘭人的箭；因為你必在亞弗攻打亞蘭人，直到滅盡他們。」

 

    但是接下來的又讓以利沙失望了：以利沙又說：「取幾枝箭來。」他就取了來。以利沙說：「打地吧！他打了三次，便止住了。神人向他發怒，說：「應當擊打五六次，就能攻打亞蘭人直到滅盡；現在只能打敗亞蘭人三次。」

 

    這也讓我們看見人的極限，即使是先知盼望以色列可以消滅亞蘭，好讓以色列國可以長久安居樂業，但是事與願違，只能勝過三次！不過這三次也好，因為約哈斯的兒子約阿施三次打敗哈薛的兒子便‧哈達，就收回了以色列的城邑，不是徒勞無功的！

 

    其實上帝也是如此保守我們，讓我們經歷不盡人意的遺憾，卻獲得好得無比的結果！正如我們的人生不見的事事如意，可使上帝卻為我們預備永生之福，超過我們所能想像的！

 

 

列王紀下13章

       列王紀下13:1-9  ,

       列王紀下13:10-25 ,

列王紀下13:1-9

 

13:1 猶大王亞哈謝的兒子約阿施二十三年，耶戶的兒子約哈斯在撒馬利亞登基作以色列王十七年。
13:2 約哈斯行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，效法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。
13:3 於是，耶和華的怒氣向以色列人發作，將他們屢次交在亞蘭王哈薛和他兒子便．哈達的手裡。
13:4 約哈斯懇求耶和華，耶和華就應允他，因為見以色列人所受亞蘭王的欺壓。
13:5 耶和華賜給以色列人一位拯救者，使他們脫離亞蘭人的手；於是以色列人仍舊安居在家裡。
13:6 然而他們不離開耶羅波安家使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪，仍然去行，並且在撒馬利亞留下亞舍拉。
13:7 亞蘭王滅絕約哈斯的民，踐踏他們如禾場上的塵沙，只給約哈斯留下五十馬兵，十輛戰車，一萬步兵。
13:8 約哈斯其餘的事，凡他所行的和他的勇力都寫在以色列諸王記上。
13:9 約哈斯與他列祖同睡，葬在撒馬利亞。他兒子約阿施接續他作王。

 

In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. ³ So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.

⁴ Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. ⁵ The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. ⁶ But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole^[a] remained standing in Samaria.

⁷ Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time.

⁸ As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁹ Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash^[b] his son succeeded him as king.

 

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    以色列王耶戶的兒子約哈斯行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，效法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。上帝就藉由亞蘭王哈薛和他兒子便．哈達來攻擊以色列地作為教訓。而約哈斯懇求耶和華，耶和華就應允他，因為見以色列人所受亞蘭王的欺壓。然而他們不離開耶羅波安家使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪，仍然去行，並且在撒馬利亞留下亞舍拉。最後上帝還是讓亞蘭王滅絕約哈斯的民，踐踏他們如禾場上的塵沙！

 

    我們可以看見約哈斯和以色列下場如此悽慘，就是因為他們沒有專一信靠耶和華上帝！這也給我們很大的警戒，我們信靠上帝不是要藉決我們人生的問題而已，更重要的是要持守住我們的信仰，不可以離開上帝又去拜假神或偶像，那就和不信的人沒有兩樣，完全不能享受到上帝所賜的永生。先前的信不是真正的信，是欺騙上帝，所以罪惡仍然存在，這不是從恩典中失落！若是蒙上帝恩典的，是不會這樣的表現，這和猶大沒有兩樣！

 

    然而我們如何持守信仰呢？就是永遠不要忘記主耶穌在十字架上為我們付上的代價。雖然祂已經從死裡復活，但是祂是真真正正為我們受苦與受死，我們不能讓祂重釘十字架，聖靈也會在我們心中不斷提醒這事！這是真信主的人必定有的記號，而且聖靈也會不斷向我們保證主的救恩事永遠有功效，使我們不願意放棄與離開主耶穌的慈愛救恩！

 

    當然我們更可以《猶大書》20-21節所說；「親愛的弟兄啊，你們卻要在至聖的真道上造就自己，在聖靈裡禱告，保守自己常在上帝的愛中，仰望我們主耶穌基督的憐憫，直到永生。」來渡過人生遇到各樣信仰的考驗，而在《猶大書》24-25節也說：「那能保守你們不失腳、叫你們無瑕無疵、歡歡喜喜站在他榮耀之前的我們的救主─獨一的上帝，願榮耀、威嚴、能力、權柄，因我們的主耶穌基督歸與他，從萬古以前並現今，直到永永遠遠。阿們！」

 

    是屬主耶穌的聖徒，上帝必定恆久保守不離開信仰的！

 

 

 

 

馬可福音3:20-35

3:20 耶穌進了一個屋子，眾人又聚集，甚至他連飯也顧不得吃。
3:21 耶穌的親屬聽見，就出來要拉住他，因為他們說他癲狂了。
3:22 從耶路撒冷下來的文士說：「他是被別西卜附著」；又說：「他是靠著鬼王趕鬼。」
3:23 耶穌叫他們來，用比喻對他們說：「撒但怎能趕出撒但呢？
3:24 若一國自相紛爭，那國就站立不住；
3:25 若一家自相紛爭，那家就站立不住。
3:26 若撒但自相攻打紛爭，他就站立不住，必要滅亡。
3:27 沒有人能進壯士家裡，搶奪他的家具；必先捆住那壯士，才可以搶奪他的家。
3:28 我實在告訴你們，世人一切的罪和一切褻瀆的話都可得赦免；
3:29 凡褻瀆聖靈的，卻永不得赦免，乃要擔當永遠的罪。」
3:30 這話是因為他們說：「他是被污鬼附著的。」
3:31 當下，耶穌的母親和弟兄來，站在外邊，打發人去叫他。
3:32 有許多人在耶穌周圍坐著，他們就告訴他說：「看哪，你母親和你弟兄在外邊找你。」
3:33 耶穌回答說：「誰是我的母親？誰是我的弟兄？」
3:34 就四面觀看那周圍坐著的人，說：「看哪，我的母親，我的弟兄。
3:35 凡遵行上帝旨意的人就是我的弟兄姊妹和母親了。」

 

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family^[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

²³ So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

³⁰ He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

³¹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

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    主耶穌為了服事有需要的人，竟然發生「連飯也顧不得吃」的情形！照今天我們的眼光來說、主耶穌真是勤勞和和辛苦，也會為祂的熱心助人，來稱讚與鼓勵！然而祂的親戚竟然說：「他癲狂了！」

 

    更誇張的是，從耶路撒冷下來的文士說：「他是被別西卜附著」；又說：「他是靠著鬼王趕鬼。」

 

    「別西卜」是由希臘文直接音譯過來，意思是「土地的主宰」或「土地之神」。雖然在猶太人的觀念之中，撒但沒有正式被稱為「別西卜」，但在主耶穌的答辯之中，別西卜很明顯是指撒但。

 

    耶路撒冷下來的文士這樣說，很顯然是在汙衊主耶穌，也因此主耶穌勸他們要認清楚自己的身分，還用比喻對他們說；「撒但怎能趕出撒但呢？若一國自相紛爭，那國就站立不住；若一家自相紛爭，那家就站立不住。若撒但自相攻打紛爭，他就站立不住，必要滅亡。」意思要他們在上帝的家中彼此合作，不是互相批評，彼此相爭，這是不蒙上帝喜悅的！

 

    今日在教會中更是如此，大家要一起同心遵行上帝的旨意，正如主耶穌所宣告的：「看哪，我的母親，我的弟兄。凡遵行上帝旨意的人就是我的弟兄姊妹和母親了。」

 

    讓我們一同在上帝的家，一起來遵行上帝的旨意，互相來見證上帝國的榮耀！

 

 

馬可福音3:13-19

 

3:13 耶穌上了山，隨自己的意思叫人來；他們便來到他那裡。
3:14 他就設立十二個人，要他們常和自己同在，也要差他們去傳道，
3:15 並給他們權柄趕鬼。
3:16 這十二個人有西門（耶穌又給他起名叫彼得），
3:17 還有西庇太的兒子雅各和雅各的兄弟約翰（又給這兩個人起名叫半尼其，就是雷子的意思），
3:18 又有安得烈、腓力、巴多羅買、馬太、多馬、亞勒腓的兒子雅各、和達太，並奮銳黨的西門，
3:19 還有賣耶穌的加略人猶大。

 

¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve^[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶ These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), ¹⁷ James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

 

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    主耶穌揀選12個人，有特別的要求：「要他們常和自己同在，也要差他們去傳道，並給他們權柄趕鬼。」

 

    當然這12人後來被稱為12個門徒，除了加略人猶大之外，其他十一個人被稱為使徒。然而很有意思的是，說到猶大經然介紹他為：賣耶穌的加略人猶大。

 

    或許我們不太明白主耶穌為何會去撿選加略人猶大，還賦予他這樣重要且親密的關係，可是到頭來卻是要出賣主耶穌！但是，我們相信上帝不會平白做一些無意義的事，這樣做必定有祂的用意，只是我們不明白！

 

    我們只能說上帝的智慧超過我們的智慧，就想保羅讚嘆；「深哉，上帝豐富的智慧和知識！他的判斷何其難測！他的蹤跡何其難尋！誰知道主的心？誰作過他的謀士呢？誰是先給了他，使他後來償還呢？因為萬有都是本於他，倚靠他，歸於他。願榮耀歸給他，直到永遠。阿們！」(羅馬書11:33-36)