Eric@TRM 的部落格

The Church of Jesus Christ
Taiwan Restoration Mission

復原耶穌基督教會台灣佈道所

January 6th, 2013 (Sunday 10:30am
– 14:30pm)

Topic: Prophet Elijah
vs. Baal 主題: 先知以利亞對抗巴力亂神

這一個月以來, 我們都在談論有關聖誕節的由來, 也該回到之前的課程…上個月我們說到大衛王, 臨死前把王位傳給了愛子所羅門, 所羅門王即位後, 他向耶和華禱告祈求的是大智慧, 以經營他的以色列王國, 可是耶和華仍然賜給他所沒有求的榮華富貴, 以作為讚賞!

關於所羅門王智慧顯現之處, 可由一著名判例略知一二:

兩婦人哭求把一嬰孩判給她, 所羅門王說: 孩子只一個,
怎分給妳們? 不如把孩子一分為二, 各得半子如何? 甲婦稱好, 乙婦心急泣訴”不要傷害我兒, 就給她吧”; 所羅門王依此判乙婦才是孩子的娘, 讓她領回孩子.

另一方面, 所羅門王也完成大衛王, 生前無法替耶和華建造殿堂的遺憾, 並把由遠古自亞伯拉罕至摩西留傳下來的包括十誡等等經典, 置放在耶路撒冷城裡殿堂中的約櫃 (Ark of God) 中, 妥善且永久保存迄今.

所羅門王之後, 因繼位者聽信讒言, 並不把耶和華當做惟一的真神, 故祭拜其他神祇, 國勢就此走向頹廢, 12支族並且分裂成兩大派系, 其中大部份的10支族, 佔領上半部的國境, 仍稱為 Israel 以色列國, 並信奉
Baal巴力亂神(以牛為神像); 剩下的兩支族, 堅信耶和華為惟一的真神, 則留守原國境之南, 另稱
Judah 猶大國, 並擁有耶路撒冷城.

今天, 我們就來談談值此亂世, 先知以利亞 Elijah 如何對抗 450 名巴力亂神的祭司, 適時伺機匡正撥亂, 以彰顯全能的、惟一的真神 -- 耶和華, 救贖迷失的人心, 並找回迷途的羔羊.

列王記上1 Kings
18:21-22

21 以利亞前來、對眾民說、你們心持兩意要到幾時呢．若耶和華是　神、就當順從耶和華．若巴力是　神、就當順從巴力．眾民一言不答。

Elijah went before the people and said,
"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow
him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 

22 以利亞對眾民說、作耶和華先知的、只剩下我一個人．巴力的先知、卻有四百五十個人。

Then Elijah said to them, "I am the
only one of the LORD'S prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty
prophets. 

列王記上1 Kings 18:23-24

23 當給我們兩隻牛犢．巴力的先知可以挑選一隻、切成塊子、放在柴上、不要點火．我也豫備一隻牛犢、放在柴上、也不點火。

Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one
for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not
set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not
set fire to it. 

24 你們求告你們神的名、我也求告耶和華的名．那降火顯應的神、就是　神。眾民回答說、這話甚好。

Then you call on the name of your god, and
I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire--he is
God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." 

雖然以利亞單獨一人, 因信靠、祈求耶和華顯神蹟, 仍伺機教化民眾.

列王記上1 Kings 18:25-29

25 以利亞對巴力的先知說、你們既是人多、當先挑選一隻牛犢．豫備好了、就求告你們神的名．卻不要點火。

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
"Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of
you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 

26 他們將所得的牛犢豫備好了、從早晨到午間、求告巴力的名、說、巴力阿、求你應允我們．卻沒有聲音、沒有應允的。他們在所築的壇、四圍踴跳。

So they took the bull given them and
prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon.
"O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one
answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 

27 到了正午、以利亞嬉笑他們、說、大聲求告罷．因為他是神、他或默想、或走到一邊、或行路、或睡覺、你們當叫醒他。

At noon Elijah began to taunt them.
"Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep
in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be
awakened." 

28 他們大聲求告、按著他們的規矩、用刀槍自割、自刺、直到身體流血。

So they shouted louder and slashed
themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood
flowed. 

29 從午後直到獻晚祭的時候、他們狂呼亂叫．卻沒有聲音、沒有應允的、也沒有理會的。

Midday passed, and they continued their
frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no
response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

列王記上1 Kings 18:30-35

30 以利亞對眾民說、你們到我這裡來．眾民就到他那裡。他便重修已經毀壞耶和華的壇。

Then Elijah said to all the people,
"Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the
LORD, which was in ruins. 

31 以利亞照雅各子孫支派的數目、取了十二塊石頭、（耶和華的話、曾臨到雅各、說、你的名要叫以色列）

Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of
the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying,
"Your name shall be Israel ." 

32 用這些石頭為耶和華的名築一座壇、在壇的四圍挖溝、可容穀種二細亞、

With the stones he built an altar in the
name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs
of seed. 

33 又在壇上擺好了柴、把牛犢切成塊子、放在柴上、對眾人說、你們用四個桶盛滿水、倒在燔祭和柴上．

He arranged the wood, cut the bull into
pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large
jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." 

34 又說、倒第二次．他們就倒第二次．又說、倒第三次．他們就倒第三次。

"Do it again," he said, and they
did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the
third time. 

35 水流在壇的四圍、溝裡也滿了水。

The water ran down around the altar and
even filled the trench.

列王記上1 Kings 18:36-39

36 到了獻晚祭的時候、先知以利亞近前來、說、亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的　神、耶和華阿、求你今日使人知道你是以色列的　神、也知道我是你的僕人、又是奉你的命行這一切事。

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet
Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and
Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your
servant and have done all these things at your command. 

37 耶和華阿、求你應允我、應允我、使這民知道你耶和華是　神、又知道是你叫這民的心回轉。

Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these
people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their
hearts back again." 

38 於是耶和華降下火來、燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土、又燒乾溝裡的水。

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned
up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the
water in the trench. 

39 眾民看見了、就俯伏在地、說、耶和華是　神、耶和華是　神。

When all the people saw this, they fell
prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!"

常常喜樂，不住禱告，時時感恩

(Those Who Came: Paul Lin, Belinda Kao, Rachel Yang, Eric
Ho, Eileen Chen, 愛琪 + Dennis Jhuo, Yang Mama, Tom Lin, Ruby
Chen)

(Skype: Monica Moreland, Jai-Yu, Maggie, Nancy and kids: Sarah, Amanda, Joseph, Anna,
David, Sashay and Uncel)

P.S: 1/18 晚上19:30 的跳蚤市場 flea market
+ 自助餐會potluck, 歡迎大家共襄盛舉, 帶物品來義賣, 把經費捐給教會; 另自備飲食供大家分享.

P.S: 好不容易才拿到澳洲的簽證, Monica迫不及待的備妥相關文件, 投遞與洽詢工作機會, 希望大家幫她禱告, 早日找到在澳洲的工作. 謝謝!