09月07日 一年的第251天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:代下23-25章
第25章主要在講:「亞瑪謝作王先行正後拜神像被殺」。
一.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。代下25:1
1.亞瑪謝行耶和華眼中看為正的事,只是心不專誠。代下25:2
2.國一堅定,就把殺他父王的臣僕殺了,代下25:3
3.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。」代下25:4
二.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,1.從二十歲以外,能拿槍拿盾牌出去打仗的精兵共有三十萬;代下25:5
2.又用銀子一百他連得,從以色列招募了十萬大能的勇士。代下25:6
3.有一個神人來見亞瑪謝,對他說:「王阿,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。代下25:7
A.你若一定要去,就奮勇爭戰罷!但神必使你敗在敵人面前;因為神能助人得勝,也能使人傾敗。」代下25:8
B.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。」代下25:9
C.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。代下25:10
4.亞瑪謝壯起膽來,率領他的民到鹽谷,殺了西珥人一萬。代下25:11
A.猶大人又生擒了一萬帶到山崖上,從那裏把他們扔下去,以致他們都摔碎了。代下25:12
B.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,從撒瑪利亞直到伯和崙,殺了三千人,搶了許多財物。代下25:13
三.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,在他面前叩拜燒香。代下25:14
1.因此,耶和華的怒氣向亞瑪謝發作,就差一個先知去見他,說:「這些神不能救他的民脫離你的手,你為何尋求他呢?」代下25:15
2.先知與王說話的時候,王對他說:「誰立你作王的謀士呢?你住口罷!為何找打呢?」先知就止住了,又說:「你行這事,不聽從我的勸戒,我知道神定意要滅你。」代下25:16
3.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。」代下25:17
4.以色列王約阿施差遣使者去見猶大王亞瑪謝,說:「利巴嫩的蒺藜差遣使者去見利巴嫩的香柏樹,說:『將你的女兒給我兒子為妻。』後來利巴嫩有一個野獸經過,把蒺藜踐踏了。代下25:18
A.你說:『看哪,我打敗了以東人』,你就心高氣傲,以致矜誇。你在家裏安居就罷了,為何要惹禍使自己和猶大國一同敗亡呢?」代下25:19
B.亞瑪謝卻不肯聽從。這是出乎神,好將他們交在敵人手裏,因為他們尋求以東的神。代下25:20
C.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。代下25:21
D.猶大人敗在以色列人面前,各自逃回家裏去了。代下25:22
5.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;代下25:23
A.又將俄別以東所看守神殿裏的一切金銀和器皿,與王宮裏的財寶都拿了去,並帶人去為質,就回撒瑪利亞去了。代下25:24
B.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。代下25:25
四.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麼?代下25:26
1.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。代下25:27
2.人就用馬將他的屍首馱回,葬在猶大京城他列祖的墳地裏。代下25:28
◎心得分享:猶大王亞瑪謝行耶和華眼中看為正的事,只是心不專誠,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,在他面前叩拜燒香,因此,耶和華的怒氣向亞瑪謝發作,亞瑪謝打敗以東,就心高氣傲,要與以色列王相見於戰場,猶大人敗在以色列人面前,各自逃回家裏去了,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。亞瑪謝的「心不專誠」提醒我們對上帝的心要專誠,祂就賜福與我們。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。