歷代志下25:1-28

 

25:1 亞瑪謝登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王二十九年。他母親名叫約耶但，是耶路撒冷人。
25:2 亞瑪謝行耶和華眼中看為正的事，只是心不專誠。
25:3 國一堅定，就把殺他父王的臣僕殺了，
25:4 卻沒有治死他們的兒子，是照摩西律法書上耶和華所吩咐的說：「不可因子殺父，也不可因父殺子，各人要為本身的罪而死。」
25:5 亞瑪謝招聚猶大人，按著猶大和便雅憫的宗族設立千夫長、百夫長，又數點人數，從二十歲以外，能拿槍拿盾牌出去打仗的精兵共有三十萬；
25:6 又用銀子一百他連得，從以色列招募了十萬大能的勇士。
25:7 有一個神人來見亞瑪謝，對他說：「王啊，不要使以色列的軍兵與你同去，因為耶和華不與以色列人以法蓮的後裔同在。
25:8 你若一定要去，就奮勇爭戰吧！但上帝必使你敗在敵人面前；因為上帝能助人得勝，也能使人傾敗。」
25:9 亞瑪謝問神人說：「我給了以色列軍的那一百他連得銀子怎麼樣呢？」神人回答說：「耶和華能把更多的賜給你。」
25:10 於是亞瑪謝將那從以法蓮來的軍兵分別出來，叫他們回家去。故此，他們甚惱怒猶大人，氣忿忿地回家去了。
25:11 亞瑪謝壯起膽來，率領他的民到鹽谷，殺了西珥人一萬。
25:12 猶大人又生擒了一萬帶到山崖上，從那裡把他們扔下去，以致他們都摔碎了。
25:13 但亞瑪謝所打發回去、不許一同出征的那些軍兵攻打猶大各城，從撒馬利亞直到伯．和崙，殺了三千人，搶了許多財物。
25:14 亞瑪謝殺了以東人回來，就把西珥的神像帶回，立為自己的神，在它面前叩拜燒香。
25:15 因此，耶和華的怒氣向亞瑪謝發作，就差一個先知去見他，說：「這些神不能救它的民脫離你的手，你為何尋求它呢？」
25:16 先知與王說話的時候，王對他說：「誰立你作王的謀士呢？你住口吧！為何找打呢？」先知就止住了，又說：「你行這事，不聽從我的勸戒，我知道上帝定意要滅你。」
25:17 猶大王亞瑪謝與群臣商議，就差遣使者去見耶戶的孫子、約哈斯的兒子、以色列王約阿施，說：「你來，我們二人相見於戰場。」
25:18 以色列王約阿施差遣使者去見猶大王亞瑪謝，說：「黎巴嫩的蒺藜差遣使者去見黎巴嫩的香柏樹，說：『將你的女兒給我兒子為妻。』後來黎巴嫩有一個野獸經過，把蒺藜踐踏了。
25:19 你說：『看哪，我打敗了以東人』，你就心高氣傲，以致矜誇。你在家裡安居就罷了，為何要惹禍使自己和猶大國一同敗亡呢？」
25:20 亞瑪謝卻不肯聽從。這是出乎上帝，好將他們交在敵人手裡，因為他們尋求以東的神。
25:21 於是以色列王約阿施上來，在猶大的伯‧示麥與猶大王亞瑪謝相見於戰場。
25:22 猶大人敗在以色列人面前，各自逃回家裡去了。
25:23 以色列王約阿施在伯‧示麥擒住約哈斯（就是亞哈謝）的孫子、約阿施的兒子、猶大王亞瑪謝，將他帶到耶路撒冷，又拆毀耶路撒冷的城牆，從以法蓮門直到角門，共四百肘；
25:24 又將俄別‧以東所看守上帝殿裡的一切金銀和器皿，與王宮裡的財寶都拿了去，並帶人去為質，就回撒馬利亞去了。
25:25 以色列王約哈斯的兒子約阿施死後，猶大王約阿施的兒子亞瑪謝又活了十五年。
25:26 亞瑪謝其餘的事，自始至終不都寫在猶大和以色列諸王記上嗎？
25:27 自從亞瑪謝離棄耶和華之後，在耶路撒冷有人背叛他，他就逃到拉吉；叛黨卻打發人到拉吉，將他殺了。
25:28 人就用馬將他的屍首馱回，葬在猶大京城他列祖的墳地裡。

 

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. ³ After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. ⁴ Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”^[a]

⁵ Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. ⁶ He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents^[b] of silver.

⁷ But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. ⁸ Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”

⁹ Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.”

¹⁰ So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage.

¹¹ Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. ¹² The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

¹³ Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

¹⁴ When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. ¹⁵ The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

¹⁷ After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash^[c] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”

¹⁸ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. ¹⁹ You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

²⁰ Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. ²¹ So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. ²² Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. ²³ Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,^[d] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubits^[e] long. ²⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵ Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. ²⁶ As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? ²⁷ From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. ²⁸ He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.

 

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    從猶大王的亞瑪謝一生，讓我們看見人性的軟弱與敗壞！雖然因為祂父親的下場讓他從重新信靠上帝，然而卻為了聽上帝的話而造成了以色列人在他的國中作亂，就離棄上帝拜起以東的神明，甚至不聽先知的勸告還恐嚇先知！

 

    這也讓我們看見世人的本相，就是悖逆上帝，以自我為中心。信靠上帝不是因為敬畏上帝而遵守的命令，而是相藉由信靠上帝得著能力和利益，好成就心中所預設的目標。要是上帝沒有照他們的想法成就，他們就將上帝丟棄，把上帝的僕人趕走！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，不要怕福音難傳，人的本性就是離棄上帝、悖逆上帝，不僅不聽先知的話，更是棄絕基督――上帝的兒子，不然主耶穌也不會被釘在十字架上！除非聖靈工作，讓人認出唯有透過基督才可以與上帝和好，成為上帝的兒女，享受永生的福樂！

 

    也因為這樣，我們信主耶穌的人，不要以為是人會尊重我們，正如保羅說：「被人毀謗，我們就善勸。直到如今，人還把我們看作世界上的污穢，萬物中的渣滓。」（哥林多前書4:13）

 

    因此，我們真正的安慰不是得世人的尊重，或是世上的成就與收入，而是從主的救恩來的！

 

 

約拿書2:4

 

我說，我從你眼前雖被驅逐，我仍要仰望你的聖殿。

Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’

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    這是約拿在魚腹中的禱告，這也是表達約拿上帝的愛。

    同樣在環境對我們不利的時候，讓我們也有被上帝棄絕、驅逐的感覺。但是，我們不可因此沮喪，以為上帝不愛我們，我們仍要相信：『耶和華的慈愛永遠長存！』

    在苦難中，撒但會用「上帝的懲罰」來攻擊我們，透過我們的心思與旁人的話語，讓我們覺得上帝真的不愛我們，不顧念我們，迫使我們對上帝失去信心，最會遠離上帝，不僅自憐自艾，甚至怨天尤人。

    但是，約拿這段禱告，讓我們重拾對上帝的愛。因為上帝的憤怒是暫時，祂的慈愛卻是永遠的！使徒保羅更說：『誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢？難道是患難嗎？是困苦嗎？是逼迫嗎？是飢餓嗎？是赤身露體嗎？是危險嗎？是刀劍嗎？ 如經上所記：我們為你的緣故終日被殺；人看我們如將宰的羊。然而，靠著愛我們的主，在這一切的事上已經得勝有餘了。因為我深信無論是死，是生，是天使，是掌權的，是有能的，是現在的事，是將來的事，是高處的，是低處的，是別的受造之物，都不能叫我們與上帝的愛隔絕；這愛是在我們的主基督耶穌裡的。』（羅馬書8章35-39節）

    是的，上帝在基督耶穌裡的愛是永不斷絕的！

 

約翰福音16:16-33

 

16:16 「等不多時，你們就不得見我；再等不多時，你們還要見我。」
16:17 有幾個門徒就彼此說：「他對我們說：『等不多時，你們就不得見我；再等不多時，你們還要見我』；又說：『因我往父那裡去。』這是甚麼意思呢？」
16:18 門徒彼此說：「他說『等不多時』到底是甚麼意思呢？我們不明白他所說的話。」
16:19 耶穌看出他們要問他，就說：「我說『等不多時，你們就不得見我；再等不多時，你們還要見我』，你們為這話彼此相問嗎？
16:20 我實實在在地告訴你們，你們將要痛哭、哀號，世人倒要喜樂；你們將要憂愁，然而你們的憂愁要變為喜樂。
16:21 婦人生產的時候就憂愁，因為她的時候到了；既生了孩子，就不再記念那苦楚，因為歡喜世上生了一個人。
16:22 你們現在也是憂愁，但我要再見你們，你們的心就喜樂了；這喜樂也沒有人能奪去。
16:23 到那日，你們甚麼也就不問我了。我實實在在地告訴你們，你們若向父求甚麼，他必因我的名賜給你們。
16:24 向來你們沒有奉我的名求甚麼，如今你們求，就必得著，叫你們的喜樂可以滿足。」
16:25 「這些事，我是用比喻對你們說的；時候將到，我不再用比喻對你們說，乃要將父明明地告訴你們。
16:26 到那日，你們要奉我的名祈求；我並不對你們說，我要為你們求父。
16:27 父自己愛你們；因為你們已經愛我，又信我是從父出來的。
16:28 我從父出來，到了世界；我又離開世界，往父那裡去。」
16:29 門徒說：「如今你是明說，並不用比喻了。
16:30 現在我們曉得你凡事都知道，也不用人問你，因此我們信你是從上帝出來的。」
16:31 耶穌說：「現在你們信嗎？
16:32 看哪，時候將到，且是已經到了，你們要分散，各歸自己的地方去，留下我獨自一人；其實我不是獨自一人，因為有父與我同在。
16:33 我將這些事告訴你們，是要叫你們在我裡面有平安。在世上，你們有苦難；但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。」

 

¹⁶ Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

¹⁷ At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

¹⁹ Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. ²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

²⁵ “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

²⁹ Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. ³⁰ Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

³¹ “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. ³² “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

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    主耶穌用離開和再回來，向門徒說明：自己將要死在十字架上，但是第三天祂就會復活向門徒顯現！

 

    是的死亡讓人覺得是離開或是分離，但是主耶穌已經勝過死亡，所以死亡不再是永別了，而是暫時別離！因為主耶穌透過死而復活，已經敗壞患死亡的權勢。到了第三天主耶穌又復活了！

 

    而主耶穌的復活，也讓我們有復活的盼望，讓我們相信死亡之後有復活，在主耶穌裡面之親友的死亡，只是暫別離。在將來的時候，大家都要在上帝的榮耀國度中再相會，因為在那日凡屬主的人復活之後，要同聚集在主前一同敬拜，歸榮耀給上帝。

 

    也因此主耶穌告訴我們：「我將這些事告訴你們，是要叫你們在我裡面有平安。在世上，你們有苦難；但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。」

 

約翰福音16:1-15

 

16:1 「我已將這些事告訴你們，使你們不至於跌倒。
16:2 人要把你們趕出會堂，並且時候將到，凡殺你們的就以為是事奉上帝。
16:3 他們這樣行，是因未曾認識父，也未曾認識我。
16:4 我將這事告訴你們，是叫你們到了時候可以想起我對你們說過了。」「我起先沒有將這事告訴你們，因為我與你們同在。
16:5 現今我往差我來的父那裡去，你們中間並沒有人問我：『你往哪裡去？』
16:6 只因我將這事告訴你們，你們就滿心憂愁。
16:7 然而，我將真情告訴你們，我去是與你們有益的；我若不去，保惠師就不到你們這裡來；我若去，就差他來。
16:8 他既來了，就要叫世人為罪、為義、為審判，自己責備自己。
16:9 為罪，是因他們不信我；
16:10 為義，是因我往父那裡去，你們就不再見我；
16:11 為審判，是因這世界的王受了審判。
16:12 「我還有好些事要告訴你們，但你們現在擔當不了（或譯：不能領會）。
16:13 只等真理的聖靈來了，他要引導你們明白（原文是進入）一切的真理；因為他不是憑自己說的，乃是把他所聽見的都說出來，並要把將來的事告訴你們。
16:14 他要榮耀我，因為他要將受於我的告訴你們。
16:15 凡父所有的，都是我的；所以我說，他要將受於我的告訴你們。」

 

 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. ² They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. ³ They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴ I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, ⁵ but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

 

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    主耶穌要將保惠師聖靈差遣來到門徒中間，這是非常重要的，因為主耶穌必須回到天父上帝那裏去。然而主耶穌回到天家以後，差派來的聖靈是與門徒永遠在一起，讓人經歷上帝的救贖大功，過新的生命，並且明白真理。

 

    這也就是告訴我們信仰的建立，不是在於我們用自己的意志和方法來努力追求。而是聖靈來引導與啟示，使上帝的話語在我們的身上發生功效。沒有聖靈的工作，我們就沒有上帝兒子的生命。

 

    想想猶太人花了多少精神和歲月，靠著猶太的遺傳和自己的努力，結果竟然與主耶穌基督的救恩無關，這是多麼可惜！因為他們沒有認識主耶穌就是彌賽亞，還一直排斥祂，與祂衝突，最後一切都失落了！

 

    保羅說到聖靈的做為就是讓人認識耶穌基督就是主，如哥林多前書12章3節說：「所以我告訴你們，被上帝的靈感動的，沒有說『耶穌是可咒詛』的；若不是被聖靈感動的，也沒有能說『耶穌是主』的。」

 

    因此，能認「耶穌是主」成為上帝的兒女，是聖靈工作之結果，這是我們判定真假基督徒的試金石。而使徒約翰也告訴我們：「凡靈認耶穌基督是成了肉身來的，就是出於上帝的；從此你們可以認出上帝的靈來。凡靈不認耶穌，就不是出於上帝，這是那敵基督者的靈。你們從前聽見他要來，現在已經在世上了。」(約翰一書4:2-3)