Wednesday, 10th November 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-7 No Longer the Same
V1-2 ‘Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.’ From the previous chapter, we come to know that Amon, the king of Judah, became the king when he was 22 years old and died two years later. If Josiah became king when he was eight, it means Amon was only 16 years old when he had Josiah.
Josiah’s childhood mustn’t have been easy, since his father died so young, and he had to carry the responsibility of the whole kingdom. His mother’s name was Jedidah, which means ‘beloved’, but her life seemed to be difficult, her husband died young, and she had to raise her 8-year-old son to be the king. Life may be difficult for us right now, but we must believe that God can do it. Do not always focus on our family background, or where we come from, but to really know that no matter what, God will take care of us. When we are willing to respond to His calling and obey the Word of God, He will not let us down.
There was no record in the Bible saying that Josiah revenged for his father, instead, it shows how he lived with a secure identity and rebuilt the Temple of God. Even though he waited for 18 years to be able to do something, but he was willing to change from the ways of his father, willing to rely on God in impossible situations and brokenness, and he experienced God. We should stop dwelling in the past, stop licking our own wounds, and start looking up to God, then He will guide our way forward.
Section Two V8-13 Turn Back and Follow
V8-10 ‘Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who oversee the house of the Lord.” Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.’ The priest and the scribe found the Book of the Law and passed it on to the king. When we have found the treasure in the Word of God, do we also share it with others? By reading the Book of the Law to the king, they changed around the situation in the kingdom of Judah.
V13 ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.’ When Josiah heard the teaching of the Book of the Law, he was convicted of sin, of righteousness and of judgement. He was determined not to follow his forefathers. Even though he might not know about the Book of the Law before, but he had a reverent heart, and when he heard about it, immediately he repented and returned to God
Section Three V14-20 Grace Remains
V18-19 ‘But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard— because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.’
God still wanted to give grace to the kingdom of Judah. He was waiting for the people to repent and return to Him. We are living in the end times, and we must pray fervently and intercede for our nation. To stand in the gap and stop people walking into hell, do not see our limited abilities but see God’s unlimited possibilities! Do not let our worldly desires take control of our lives, but to discipline our body and bring it into subjection to God! Let us receive God’s full blessings today!
列王纪下 22 – 转危为安
2021年11月10日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
犹大王亚们只在登基两年后就被臣仆杀死（王下21：23），从人的角度看，这不是好的下场。然而，神国的法则跟世界的定律不一样，在神满有丰盛的恩典。
一、不再一样（v.1-7）
V1-3 约西亚8岁登基，做了犹大王31年，说明他离世的时候39岁。他的父亲亚们离世的时候才24岁（王下21:19），说明亚们在16岁以前就结婚了，心思意念都在自己情欲里面，所以没有给自己的孩子留下什么有用的东西。通常人成年后需要医治释放的都是源于童年时的伤害，然而，面对门徒们生命中很多的问题，耶稣却没有带他们过多去深挖他们童年，而是当下医治。神将一个人带到我们面前，我们不要太过专注在这人过去的问题而忽略了现在的光景。约西亚的童年过得很不容易，在8岁的时候父亲被杀，自己又被臣仆拱上王位，当时真正掌权的很可能就是那些辅佐大臣。约西亚的母亲“耶底大”意思是“心爱的”，耶底大的父亲“亚大雅”意思是“耶和华已荣耀了自己”。这位母亲并没有因为丈夫被谋杀、臣子掌权而放弃。约西亚在作王18年后也没有放弃，当他的母亲愿意帮助他走在神的道路上时，他的生命就可以翻转。我们不要以童年的伤害和生命的破碎为借口而放弃倚靠神，因为神既然能够将约西亚的生命改变，他也能够改变我们，只要我们愿意放下自己的过去。
V3-7 约西亚在一个破碎、危险的环境下长大，却放下过去的国仇家恨，没有自行复仇，依然过着敬虔的生命。他吩咐书记沙番去圣殿办理修理的事，并且嘱咐他“将银子交在办事的人手里，不与他们算账，因为他们办事诚实”（v.7）。在这样一个不安全的环境里面仍然有安全感，这是很难得的，因为他也可能像自己的父亲一样随时被下面的臣子谋杀。约西亚专心跟从神，爱神、爱人，就做了王该做的事，因为神的爱一直都在，他能成就不可能的事。当我们在一切不可能中依然信靠神时，我们才能不再一样；如果我们只是躲在过去舔舐自己的伤口，我们就永远不能站起来，不能经历神的丰盛慈爱。
二、回转跟从（v.8-13)
V8 大祭司希勒家用一本律法书来回应约西亚王。这本律法书在圣殿已经很久了，然而大祭司希勒家没有给之前的玛拿西王或亚们王，而是给了约西亚王，因为约西亚尽管出身不好，还愿意谦卑相信神。当我们愿意的时候，神的话就能苏醒我们。
V11-13 这本律法书很有可能是“申命记”，因为这卷书清楚记载顺服神的祝福和悖逆神的灾祸。约西亚听了书记读给他律法书上的话就“便撕裂衣服”，他为罪为义为审判自己责备自己。虽然约西亚之前不知道律法书，但他的母亲一直带着他过着敬虔的生活。我们如今的晨祷就是帮助我们每天经历神的话，让神的话刺进我们里面，我们能否像约西亚一样在听到神的话语之后有一颗畏罪畏义畏审判的心，脱离过往从家族来的咒诅？
三、恩典还在（v.14-20)
神的话永不改变，但会“延迟”。当约西亚的臣仆去询问女先知户勒大的时候，她说那些灾祸的事确实会发生，但是，她要这些臣仆回复那差遣他们“来求问耶和华的犹大王”说，约西亚因为听见耶和华神的审判而“心里敬服，在我面前自卑，撕裂衣服，向我哭泣，因此我应允了你”（V19）。“心里敬服”说明约西亚能感同身受，摸到神的心跳，明白神的心意。神听见也看见约西亚所做的一切，所以神借着女先知户勒大对他说“我必使你平平安安地归到坟墓，到你列祖那里。我要降于这地的一切灾祸，你也不致亲眼看见”（V20）。
约西亚没有为自己求好处，而是为犹大民祈求，神就赐恩给他。我们现在在新西兰常听到很多负面的新闻，因为我们的国家没有走在神的心意里。我们不是去论断自己的国家，而是要为我们的国家、城市代求，神将我们放在这里，这就是我们的责任，也是神的心意。不要看我们自己能不能，而是看神能不能。不要让我们的情欲带着我们走，而是攻克己身，叫身服我。神将我们带到这片土地，我们是否愿意在神“面前自卑，撕裂衣服”，为这个国家、城市哭泣祷告？