旧约 - 历代记下(2 Chronicles)第18章

Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead.
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."
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."
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 refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man 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 that," Jehoshaphat replied.
So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."
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 to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
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.'"
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."
The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says."
When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for they will be given into your hand."
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?"
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.'"
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left.
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.
Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' "'By what means?' the LORD asked.
"'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'
"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked.
Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room."
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,
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.'"
Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!"
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel."
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him,
for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded."
All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.
历代志下第十八章   第 18 章 

  约沙法 

  代下 18 章 > 要慎选同负一轭的同伴,因其影响重大──看约沙法的一生;我在这方面,可有慎而重之? 

  18 章 约沙法虽然虔敬,却为儿子娶亚她利雅为妻,她是邪恶的亚哈王的女儿。他又与亚哈结为军事联盟。约沙法的声望与权势,使狡狯投机的亚哈前来趋附。他们结盟有三种灾难性的后果:( 1 )约沙法招致神的愤怒( 19:2 );( 2 )约沙法死后,亚她利雅作了王后。后来她篡夺了王位,几乎杀尽大卫的后裔( 22:10-12 );( 3 )亚她利雅引进以色列的恶俗,最后令犹大国败亡。 

  基督徒领袖若与不信的人结盟,就易妥协而放弃理想,属灵的警觉也会迟钝。圣经常警告我们,不可与不信的人同负一轭(参林后 6:14 )。结盟的详情,请参看 20:37 的注释。 

  代下 18:3-8> 喜爱听讨好的言语,并不能让敌人俯首称臣,以色列王纳谏的能力,决定了败亡…… 

  18:3-8 昏君怎会喜欢神的先知传讲降灾祸的信息( 18:17 ;耶 5:13 )?所以,许多君王雇用投其所好的先知,单讲自己喜欢听的(参赛 30:10-11 ,耶 14:13-16 , 23:16 , 21 , 30-36 )。这些都是假先知,因为他们罔顾实情,只对君王歌功颂德,预言其必胜利。 

  代下 18:3-8> 不单需要寻求神的旨意,而且还要听从!──这个嘛…… 

  18:3-8 邪恶的亚哈请约沙法同赴战场( 18:2-3 )。约沙法先寻求神的指示,这是对的。不过,当神藉着米该雅回话的时候,约沙法却没有理会( 18:16 )。若我们寻求神,得到祂答覆却又毫不理会的话,这种寻求就属徒然。真正敬爱神的,不仅要寻求祂的指示,更要在神发出指示以后遵命而行。 

  代下 18:5-16> 今天也许不会面对生死的考验,然而我会愿意为见证真理而有所牺牲吗? 

  18:5-16 当你想讨好某人,想使他相信你的时候,你很容易会装假,亚哈的四百个先知正是如此,只把亚哈喜欢听的话告诉他。他们讨好亚哈,得到了赏赐,惟米该雅讲出实情,却被下在监里( 18:25-26 )。顺服神不一定保证毫无患难,事实上,顺服神可能会激怒人。不过宁可叫人失望,远胜过招致神的震怒(参太 10:28 )。如果你因为诚实而受人冷嘲热讽的话,请你记住,这可能标志着你在神眼中行事正直(参太 5:10-12 ;罗 8:17 , 35-39 )。 

  代下 18:22> 假话悦耳动听,谁不爱?──若你看到其害,你就不会再爱…… 

  18:22 神容许诱惑人的邪灵叫假先知去骗亚哈,使他间接受罚。他们一味地告诉亚哈他所爱听的话,神让他们去向亚哈撒谎,以使亚哈失去王位。受亚哈供养的先知使他陷在自己罪的网罗之中。亚哈听从假先知而不听神的话,结果阵亡。充满谎言的灵,就是这群假先知的写照──只把悦耳的话而不把当听的话告诉亚哈。领导人周围如果尽是谄媚的小人,自己又只想听奉承话,则必有灾祸上身。 

  对亚兰之役 

  代下 18:31> 罪纵深重神仍眷顾──看祂如何对约沙法;你还怕吗? 

  18:31 约沙法和邪恶的亚哈联盟作战,刚开始就已经弊害百出,亚兰的军队一上来就把他当作亚哈,使他几乎成为敌人攻击的目标。他罪有应得,本该丧命,幸而他向神呼求,神就奇妙地拯救了他。我们犯罪,必尝苦果,我们可能想自暴自弃,以为“我定意犯罪,自作自受,必须承担这后果,”不错,有时我们罪有应得,但是在紧急关头千万别忘记向神求助。如果约沙法听天由命的话,他就可能死于非命。不管你的罪孽有多深重,你仍然能呼求神的救助。 

  代下 18:33> 纵使千方百计,也无法阻挡神的应许成就;我对神的祝福必然实现的信心…… 

  18: 33 米 该雅预言亚哈会战死( 18:16-17 ),所以亚哈改装上阵,好叫敌军认不出来。改装似乎有效,却不能改变那预言,一名亚兰兵偶然射箭,中了他的甲缝,使他阵亡。不管人怎样千方百计来防卫,神总会成就祂的旨意。祂甚至于能使用人的错误使祂的心意实现。对于信靠神的人,这是莫大的鼓舞!我们可以倚靠祂,按照祂的计划而行,即使环境恶劣不顺,祂总会成就祂的应许。──《灵修版圣经注释》