18:1 約沙法大有尊榮資財,就與亞哈結親。
18:2 過了幾年,他下到撒馬利亞去見亞哈;亞哈為他和跟從他的人宰了許多牛羊,勸他與自己同去攻取基列的拉末。
18:3 以色列王亞哈問猶大王約沙法說:「你肯同我去攻取基列的拉末嗎?」他回答說:「你我不分彼此,我的民與你的民一樣,必與你同去爭戰。」
18:4 約沙法對以色列王說:「請你先求問耶和華。」
18:5 於是以色列王招聚先知四百人,問他們說:「我們上去攻取基列的拉末可以不可以?」他們說:「可以上去,因為上帝必將那城交在王的手裡。」
18:6 約沙法說:「這裡不是還有耶和華的先知,我們可以求問他嗎?」
18:7 以色列王對約沙法說:「還有一個人,是音拉的兒子米該雅。我們可以託他求問耶和華,只是我恨他;因為他指著我所說的預言,不說吉語,常說凶言。」約沙法說:「王不必這樣說。」
18:8 以色列王就召了一個太監來,說:「你快去將音拉的兒子米該雅召來。」
18:9 以色列王和猶大王約沙法在撒馬利亞城門前的空場上,各穿朝服坐在位上,所有的先知都在他們面前說預言。
18:10 基拿拿的兒子西底家造了兩個鐵角,說:「耶和華如此說:『你要用這角牴觸亞蘭人,直到將他們滅盡。』」
18:11 所有的先知也都這樣預言說:「可以上基列的拉末去,必然得勝,因為耶和華必將那城交在王的手中。」
18:12 那去召米該雅的使者對米該雅說:「眾先知一口同音地都向王說吉言,你不如與他們說一樣的話,也說吉言。」
18:13 米該雅說:「我指著永生的耶和華起誓,我的上帝說甚麼,我就說甚麼。」
18:14 米該雅到王面前,王問他說:「米該雅啊,我們上去攻取基列的拉末可以不可以?」他說:「可以上去,必然得勝,敵人必交在你們手裡。」
18:15 王對他說:「我當囑咐你幾次,你才奉耶和華的名向我說實話呢?」
18:16 米該雅說:「我看見以色列眾民散在山上,如同沒有牧人的羊群一般。耶和華說:『這民沒有主人,他們可以平平安安地各歸各家去。』」
18:17 以色列王對約沙法說:「我豈沒有告訴你,這人指著我所說的預言,不說吉語,單說凶言嗎?」
18:18 米該雅說:「你們要聽耶和華的話。我看見耶和華坐在寶座上,天上的萬軍侍立在他左右。
18:19 耶和華說:『誰去引誘以色列王亞哈上基列的拉末去陣亡呢?』這個就這樣說,那個就那樣說。
18:20 隨後,有一個神靈出來,站在耶和華面前說:『我去引誘他。』耶和華問他說:『你用何法呢?』
18:21 他說:『我去,要在他眾先知口中作謊言的靈。』耶和華說:『這樣,你必能引誘他,你去如此行吧!』
18:22 現在耶和華使謊言的靈入了你這些先知的口,並且耶和華已經命定降禍與你。」
18:23 基拿拿的兒子西底家前來打米該雅的臉,說:「耶和華的靈從哪裡離開我與你說話呢?」
18:24 米該雅說:「你進嚴密的屋子藏躲的那日,就必看見了。」
18:25 以色列王說:「將米該雅帶回,交給邑宰亞們和王的兒子約阿施,說:
18:26 『王如此說:把這個人下在監裡,使他受苦,吃不飽喝不足,等候我平平安安地回來。』」
18:27 米該雅說:「你若能平安回來,那就是耶和華沒有藉我說這話了」;又說:「眾民哪,你們都要聽!」
Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[a] the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
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看到米該雅為主傳信息的遭遇,再一次感受到上帝僕人的難為,因為聽從上帝的先知必定不討人的喜悅,不僅如此還會受到假先知的攻擊,因為假先知一定人相信他們,不然他們就覺得自己無法從聽眾當中獲得財利。
如果有一位傳道人,說自己清楚上帝的呼召,卻沒有教會聘請。在一般人看到這種情形,一定說這個傳道人是自以為是,上帝沒有呼召還去讀神學院,浪費時間和金錢。然而事實是如此嗎?
其實上帝要考驗一個人與重用一個人,會讓他遭遇到人想不到的情形,讓他徹底被打敗,讓這個人最後承認上帝才有主權,然後甘心樂意順服上帝,成為一位真正上帝的僕人。
在人看為羞辱、失敗的遭遇,卻成為上帝僕人的鍛鍊學校,感謝上帝讓我進入這樣的學校,求主幫助讓我能夠可以鍛鍊成為主合用的器皿!