旧约 - 列王记下(2 Kings)第4章

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
列王纪下第四章   第 4 章 

  王下 4 章 > 以利沙所施的神迹让我们看到神的慈爱与怜悯── 

  4 章 本章记载了神藉着以利沙所行的四个神迹:供应穷苦的寡妇所需之金钱( 4:1-7 );使孩子从死里复生( 4:32-37 );解食物之毒( 4:38-41 );以极少食物使一百人吃饱( 4:42-44 )。这些神迹显明神对忠心之人的慈爱与眷顾。 

  读旧约的时候,人多注意神对悖逆的人所施的严厉审判,而忽略了神对爱祂、事奉祂之人的慈爱关怀。看到神亲自供应忠于祂的人,我们就能不偏不倚地看待祂向不肯悔改的人所施的严厉审判。 

  王下 4:1> 在这个冷漠的社会里,我是怎样对待身边生活有困难的人的? 

  4:1 旧约圣经记载容许穷人、欠债者出卖自己或儿女为奴,以偿还债务。神吩咐富人债主,不要在人极端穷困的时候占他们的便宜(参申 15:1-18 中对这种习俗的解释)。这个妇人的债主,没有按照神律法的精神而行;以利沙的慈爱行为,显明了神要我们不但遵守律法,更要超乎律法去怜悯人。 

  王下 4:6> 在油源源不断地倒出和停止的背后,我看到了什么? 

  4:6 穷寡妇和儿子向邻居借来空器皿,将自己瓶中的油倒入每个空器皿之中。那油可能是橄榄油,可炒菜、点灯、或者作燃料之用。所倒的油在空器皿都装满以后就止住了;他们借来的空瓶有多少,就表明他们的信心有多大。神丰富的供应,是照他们信心的大小和顺服的程度而降下的;不要因为缺少信心与顺服,就怀疑神的赐福。祂能做的大事远超过我们所求所想的(参弗 3:20 )。 

  王下 4:9> 书念妇人能服事以利沙,在于她敏锐的心;今天我对神职人员的需要,是否也…… 

  4:9 书念妇人看出以利沙是一位神人,所以给他预备房子,随时款待。她这样做纯粹出于爱心,和看见先知有所需要,一点也不是出于自私。她的善良很快就得到报答,远超过她梦寐以求的。你对路人或过客,尤其是传扬教导神之道的人,有如此敏锐的感应吗?你能给他们提供什么帮助?应当寻找方法向他们多施援手。 

  从死里复活之人 

  书念的大户妇人 

  王下 4:32-36> 我有以利沙这种爱心吗?在我传福音时…… 

  4:32-36 以利沙的祷告以及他使孩子复生的方法,显示神亲自眷顾受创伤的。我们将神的信息传给别人,也必须真心真意地关怀他们,只有这样行,才能真正地传扬我们在天上的父神。 

  王下 4:40> 4:40 “致死的毒物”指有毒的食物。也许是混在可吃的野菜之中的有毒植物。──《灵修版圣经注释》