旧约 - 列王记下(2 Kings)第3章

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made.
Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.
He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" "I will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
"By what route shall we attack?" he asked. "Through the Desert of Edom," he answered.
So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.
"What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?"
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."
Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."
Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you.
But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.
For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.
This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you.
You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."
The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was--water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.
Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border.
When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red--like blood.
"That's blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"
But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites.
They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed.
Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
列王纪下第三章   第 3 章 

  王下 3:1> 约沙法晚年的犹大和亚哈家族的北国王权交替情况是── 

  3:1 虽然 1 章 17 节说约兰( Jehoram )是犹大王,但 3 章 1 节则说约沙法作犹大王。君王年纪渐老时,通常都由储君辅政。约沙法在他王位将近终了的时候,指派儿子约兰协助朝政。约兰摄政五年(公元前 853-848 ; 8:16-24 再次提到他)。以色列王约兰( Joram )则是亚哈的儿子,亚哈谢的弟弟,( 1:17 )亚哈(参王上 16:29-22:40 )与亚哈谢( 1:2-18 )都在约兰以前作以色列的王。 

  王下 3:3> 一种风气形成后,可能会影响几代人…… 

  3:3 圣经常将以色列君王的罪,比作“耶罗波安所犯的罪”,他是北国以色列的第一任君王。他所犯的大罪,是在全国设立偶像崇拜,令人民偏离神(参王上 12:25-33 )。约兰不理会神,容让人民拜偶像,就是犯了耶罗波安之罪。 

  与摩押争战 

  王下 3:4-5> 以色列与摩押的关系经历了哪些变化? 

  3:4-5 以色列与犹大据有古代近东最肥沃的土地以及不少战略要冲,无怪乎邻国都嫉妒他们,不断想夺取他们的土地。摩押位于以色列东南,当亚哈作王的时候,以色列兵力强盛,摩押曾一度受以色列控制;但亚哈死后,摩押王米沙乘机背叛。以色列下一任君王亚哈谢对此没有采取行动,继任人约兰则决定出兵摩押。他联合犹大王约沙法向摩押进攻。两国合力的攻击几乎使摩押投降,但是当他们看见摩押王将他亲生的儿子,又是他的继承人献为燔祭后( 3:27 ),虽然打了胜仗还是退回本国去了。摩押跟以色列和犹大的战事频繁,在 1868 年发现的摩押石碑上,就有米沙所刻下的功绩(约于公元前 840 年),当中记录了不少战事。 

  王下 3:10> 3:10 以东受犹大控制,所以随从他们一同出发,成为三王联军。 

  王下 3:11-20> 人常是在没出路的时候才想试一下神这条路,我也犯过这毛病…… 

  3:11-20 约沙法在危难之时要找“耶和华的先知”,显示以色列与犹大两国应有的敬虔及敬拜神的生活己经堕落到何种地步。在大卫的时代,既有大祭司,又有先知给君王献策。但是自从国度分裂以后,大部分的祭司离开以色列去了南国犹大(参王上 17:1 的第一条注释),而神的先知则被视为报恶信的使者(参王上 22:18 )。以利沙所预言的这个神迹,证实神的大能与权柄,也印证了以利沙的事工。在历代志下 18 章,犹大王约沙法与以色列王亚哈,也向先知米该雅提出同样的要求,但是他们不听神的警告,最终以悲剧收场。 

  王下 3:15> 3:15 在旧约时代,音乐常伴随预言(参代上 25:1 )一同发出。 

  王下 3:20> 3:20 早晨的献祭,是规定祭司每天要献的两次祭之一(另一次是晚祭)。──《灵修版圣经注释》