歷代志下10:1-19

 

10:1 羅波安往示劍去，因為以色列人都到了示劍，要立他作王。
10:2 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王，逃往埃及，住在那裡；他聽見這事，就從埃及回來。
10:3 以色列人打發人去請他，他就和以色列眾人來見羅波安，對他說：
10:4 「你父親使我們負重軛做苦工，現在求你使我們做的苦工負的重軛輕鬆些，我們就事奉你。」
10:5 羅波安對他們說：「第三日再來見我吧！」民就去了。
10:6 羅波安之父所羅門在世的日子，有侍立在他面前的老年人，羅波安王和他們商議，說：「你們給我出個甚麼主意，我好回覆這民。」
10:7 老年人對他說：「王若恩待這民，使他們喜悅，用好話回覆他們，他們就永遠作王的僕人。」
10:8 王卻不用老年人給他出的主意，就和那些與他一同長大、在他面前侍立的少年人商議，
10:9 說：「這民對我說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你使我們輕鬆些』；你們給我出個甚麼主意，我好回覆他們。」
10:10 那同他長大的少年人說：「這民對王說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你使我們輕鬆些』；王要對他們如此說：「我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗；
10:11 我父親使你們負重軛，我必使你們負更重的軛；我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。』」
10:12 耶羅波安和眾百姓遵著羅波安王所說「你們第三日再來見我」的那話，第三日他們果然來了。
10:13 羅波安王用嚴厲的話回覆他們，不用老年人所出的主意，
10:14 照著少年人所出的主意對他們說：「我父親使你們負重軛，我必使你們負更重的軛；我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。」
10:15 王不肯依從百姓；這事乃出於上帝，為要應驗耶和華藉示羅人亞希雅對尼八兒子耶羅波安所說的話。
10:16 以色列眾民見王不依從他們，就對王說：我們與大衛有甚麼分兒呢？與耶西的兒子並沒有關涉！以色列人哪，各回各家去吧！大衛家啊，自己顧自己吧！於是，以色列眾人都回自己家裡去了。
10:17 惟獨住在猶大城邑的以色列人，羅波安仍作他們的王。
10:18 羅波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的哈多蘭往以色列人那裡去，以色列人就用石頭打死他。羅波安王急忙上車，逃回耶路撒冷去了。
10:19 這樣，以色列人背叛大衛家，直到今日。

 

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: ⁴ “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

⁷ They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

⁸ But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. ⁹ He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. ¹¹ My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, ¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David,
    what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
    Look after your own house, David!”

So all the Israelites went home. ¹⁷ But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,^[a] who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

 

**********

 

    從羅波安的事件，感受到上帝在這背後也有一些作為，讓我們看見表面上是人隨心所欲的作一些事情，卻是照上帝安排來成就，這也是上帝做為奇妙的地方，正如箴言所說：「王的心在耶和華手中，好像隴溝的水隨意流轉。」(21:1)

 

約翰福音1:35-42

 

1:35 再次日，約翰同兩個門徒站在那裡。
1:36 他見耶穌行走，就說：「看哪，這是上帝的羔羊！」
1:37 兩個門徒聽見他的話，就跟從了耶穌。
1:38 耶穌轉過身來，看見他們跟著，就問他們說：「你們要甚麼？」他們說：「拉比，在哪裡住？」（拉比翻出來就是夫子。）
1:39 耶穌說：「你們來看。」他們就去看他在哪裡住，這一天便與他同住；那時約有申正了。
1:40 聽見約翰的話跟從耶穌的那兩個人，一個是西門•彼得的兄弟安得烈。
1:41 他先找著自己的哥哥西門，對他說：「我們遇見彌賽亞了。」（彌賽亞翻出來就是基督。）
1:42 於是領他去見耶穌。耶穌看見他，說：「你是約翰的兒子西門（約翰在馬太十六章十七節稱約拿），你要稱為磯法。」（磯法翻出來就是彼得。）

 

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter^[g]).

 

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

 

    在施洗約翰的見證下，開始有人跟隨耶穌基督，這個人就是安德烈，他是彼得的兄弟。他與主耶穌同住一天後，他先找著自己的哥哥西門，對他說：「我們遇見彌賽亞了。」（彌賽亞翻出來就是基督。）

 

    而安德烈不僅跟哥哥說主耶穌是彌賽亞，也就是基督。還領彼得去見主耶穌，也因為這樣的接觸，彼得和主耶穌也建立關係了！所以主耶穌會說：「你是約翰的兒子西門（約翰在馬太十六章十七節稱約拿），你要稱為磯法。」（磯法翻出來就是彼得。）

 

    因此，我們不只自己要信主，還要帶領家人來信靠主耶穌，正如安德烈一樣！

 

 

 

約翰福音1:29-34

 

1:29 次日，約翰看見耶穌來到他那裡，就說：「看哪，上帝的羔羊，除去（或譯：背負）世人罪孽的！
1:30 這就是我曾說：『有一位在我以後來、反成了在我以前的，因他本來在我以前。』
1:31 我先前不認識他，如今我來用水施洗，為要叫他顯明給以色列人。」
1:32 約翰又作見證說：「我曾看見聖靈，彷彿鴿子從天降下，住在他的身上。
1:33 我先前不認識他，只是那差我來用水施洗的、對我說：『你看見聖靈降下來，住在誰的身上，誰就是用聖靈施洗的。』
1:34 我看見了，就證明這是上帝的兒子。」

 

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

³² Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³ And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

 

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

 

    主耶穌的受洗不是為了除罪，而是要顯明耶穌基督是上帝的羔羊！所以，主顯節通常是以主耶穌受洗的經文，來顯明主耶穌是上帝的愛子！

 

    也因為這樣主耶穌的受洗和其他人受洗是不同，而施洗約翰也藉此宣告：「我曾看見聖靈，彷彿鴿子從天降下，住在他的身上。我先前不認識他，只是那差我來用水施洗的、對我說：『你看見聖靈降下來，住在誰的身上，誰就是用聖靈施洗的。』我看見了，就證明這是上帝的兒子。」

 

    讓我們也來宣告：主耶穌是上帝的獨生子，是上帝的羔羊！

 

約翰福音1:19-28

 

1:19 約翰所作的見證記在下面：猶太人從耶路撒冷差祭司和利未人到約翰那裡，問他說：「你是誰？」
1:20 他就明說，並不隱瞞，明說：「我不是基督。」
1:21 他們又問他說：「這樣，你是誰呢？是以利亞嗎？」他說：「我不是。」「是那先知嗎？」他回答說：「不是。」
1:22 於是他們說：「你到底是誰，叫我們好回覆差我們來的人。你自己說，你是誰？」
1:23 他說：「我就是那在曠野有人聲喊著說：『修直主的道路』，正如先知以賽亞所說的。」
1:24 那些人是法利賽人差來的（或譯：那差來的是法利賽人）；
1:25 他們就問他說：「你既不是基督，不是以利亞，也不是那先知，為甚麼施洗呢？」
1:26 約翰回答說：「我是用水施洗，但有一位站在你們中間，是你們不認識的，
1:27 就是那在我以後來的，我給他解鞋帶也不配。」
1:28 這是在約旦河外伯大尼（有古卷：伯大巴喇），約翰施洗的地方作的見證。

 

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders^[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[d]

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

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

 

    施洗約翰清楚自己的地位，他不奪取基督的榮耀，所以當人問他：「你是誰？」他就明說，並不隱瞞，明說：「我不是基督。」

 

    有許自稱基督徒的人，以為自己是代表基督，就要做基督的事，讓人來尊崇他、稱讚他，這就是搶奪基督的榮耀！殊不知，基督能做的事，不是我們能做的；我們只是見證基督，我們不是基督！

 

    也因此，我們要承認我們只不過是世人而已，正如施洗約翰雖然為主耶穌預備道路，但他宣告：「我是用水施洗，但有一位站在你們中間，是你們不認識的，就是那在我以後來的，我給他解鞋帶也不配。」

 

    我們要清楚，若不是基督的拯救和上帝的恩典，我們是不配成為上帝的兒女的！