以利亞和亞哈謝王
1 亞哈死後，摩押背叛以色列。 2亞哈謝在撒馬利亞，一日從樓上的欄杆裏掉下來，就病了；於是差遣使者說：「你們去問以革倫的神巴力‧西卜，我這病能好不能好。」 3但耶和華的使者對提斯比人以利亞說：「你起來，去迎着撒馬利亞王的使者，對他們說：『你們去問以革倫神巴力‧西卜，豈因以色列中沒有神嗎？』 4所以耶和華如此說：『你必不下你所上的牀，必定要死！』」以利亞就去了。
5使者回來見王，王問他們說：「你們為甚麼回來呢？」 6使者回答說：「有一個人迎着我們來，對我們說：『你們回去見差你們來的王，對他說：耶和華如此說，你差人去問以革倫神巴力‧西卜，豈因以色列中沒有神嗎？所以你必不下所上的牀，必定要死。』」 7王問他們說：「迎着你們來告訴你們這話的，是怎樣的人？」 8回答說：「他身穿毛衣，腰束皮帶。」王說：「這必是提斯比人以利亞。」
9於是，王差遣五十夫長，帶領五十人去見以利亞，他就上到以利亞那裏；以利亞正坐在山頂上。五十夫長對他說：「神人哪，王吩咐你下來！」 10以利亞回答說：「我若是神人，願火從天上降下來，燒滅你和你那五十人！」於是有火從天上降下來，燒滅五十夫長和他那五十人。
11王第二次差遣一個五十夫長，帶領五十人去見以利亞。五十夫長對以利亞說：「神人哪，王吩咐你快快下來！」 12以利亞回答說：「我若是神人，願火從天上降下來，燒滅你和你那五十人！」於是神的火從天上降下來，燒滅五十夫長和他那五十人。
13王第三次差遣一個五十夫長，帶領五十人去。這五十夫長上去，雙膝跪在以利亞面前，哀求他說：「神人哪，願我的性命和你這五十個僕人的性命在你眼前看為寶貴！ 14已經有火從天上降下來，燒滅前兩次來的五十夫長和他們各自帶的五十人；現在願我的性命在你眼前看為寶貴！」 15耶和華的使者對以利亞說：「你同着他下去，不要怕他！」以利亞就起來，同着他下去見王， 16對王說：「耶和華如此說：『你差人去問以革倫神巴力‧西卜，豈因以色列中沒有神可以求問嗎？所以你必不下所上的牀，必定要死！』」
亞哈謝死後約蘭繼位
17 亞哈謝果然死了，正如耶和華藉以利亞所說的話。因他沒有兒子，他兄弟約蘭接續他作王，正在猶大王約沙法的兒子約蘭第二年。 18亞哈謝其餘所行的事都寫在以色列諸王記上。
各位弟兄姊妹，平安！今天我們開始閱讀《列王紀下》的第一章，這一章記載了以利亞這位「烈火先知」的故事。「烈火先知」這個稱號的來源，來自於當時以利亞與450個巴力先知的對決。他們各自呼喊自己神的名號，而唯有以色列的神以烈火回應了以利亞的祈求。這段故事記錄在《列王紀上》第18章。
這裡也特別提一下，以利亞其實是北國以色列的先知。他被上帝呼召來向以色列的君王們發出預言和警告。以利亞與巴力先知的對決就是對亞哈王和他的皇后耶洗別發出的警告，現在他繼續對亞哈的兒子亞哈謝發出警告。
在這段故事中，我們看到了一種類似小說情節的手法。首先，上帝親自來對王發出判決，問道：「難道以色列中沒有神嗎？你們的王必定會死。」接著，上帝派以利亞去傳達同樣的信息給王所差派來的人。
王非常狡猾，他一聽就知道這是以利亞的作為，所以立即又派了一個軍隊去把以利亞帶來。雖然這次他們找對了人，但卻用錯了態度。第一次，王所差派的這50人因為態度不敬，被上帝從天上降下的火焰消滅了。而第二次派去的50人也因同樣的原因遭到了同樣的命運。
而第三次被派來的軍長學乖了，他以非常謙卑的態度懇求以利亞饒恕他們。這一次，上帝命令以利亞直接去見亞哈謝王，並向他傳達上帝的話語。
當我們理解上帝的本性是聖潔且輕慢不得時，我們就明白，祂是創造天地的主宰，擁有絕對的權柄，並不是我們可以隨意對待的對象。因此，當我們面對上帝時，應該懷有同樣的敬畏之心，謹慎發言，明白我們不過是有限的人，並非與上帝平起平坐的存在。
而這件事最終也沒有改變上帝的旨意。亞哈謝王果然按照上帝的預言去世了，並且因為他沒有兒子繼位，王位由他的弟弟約蘭接續擔任。
這段歷史故事接著強調了在以利亞和以利沙這對師徒之間即將發生的事情。以利亞將要被接升天，而以利沙則將繼承他的職分，成為下一任先知，繼續向王宣講警告的話語。
有趣的是，以利亞一生中共記載了七件神蹟，而以利沙向上帝請求的是雙倍的能力。因此，在《列王紀下》中，記載了以利沙共施行了十四件神蹟。這一細節顯示了敘事者的重要觀點，也表現出了一種幽默感，讓我們看到上帝應允以利沙的請求，並且以具體的方式實現了這一請求。这不僅增強了故事的深度，也讓我們對上帝的作為有了更深的理解。
《列王紀下》第一章以這樣的情節開場，接下來在第二章，我們將看到以利亞被接升天，以及以利沙承接師父的衣服，成為下一任的先知。感謝各位的聆聽，我們明天繼續。
The Lord’s Judgment on Ahaziah
1After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’ ” So Elijah went.
5When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
6“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” ’ ”
7The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”
8They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.”
The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”
9Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”
10Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
11At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ ”
12“If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
13So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”
15The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.
Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you! Today we begin reading the first chapter of 2 Kings, which recounts the story of Elijah, the "fiery prophet." The title "fiery prophet" originates from the time when Elijah faced off against 450 prophets of Baal. Each called upon the name of their god, but only the God of Israel responded to Elijah’s prayer with fire. This story is recorded in 1 Kings 18.
It’s also important to note that Elijah was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel. He was called by God to deliver prophecies and warnings to the kings of Israel. Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal was a warning to King Ahab and his queen Jezebel, and now he continues to warn Ahab’s son, Ahaziah.
In this story, we see a narrative technique that resembles a novel. First, God Himself delivers a judgment to the king, asking, "Is there no God in Israel? Your king will surely die." Then God sends Elijah to deliver the same message to the king's messengers.
The king, being very cunning, immediately recognized Elijah's actions, so he sent another troop to bring Elijah back. Although they found the right person this time, they used the wrong approach. The first 50 men sent by the king were consumed by fire from heaven because they approached Elijah with disrespect. The second group of 50 met the same fate for the same reason.
The third captain, however, learned his lesson and approached Elijah with great humility, pleading for mercy. This time, God instructed Elijah to go directly to King Ahaziah and deliver His message.
When we understand that God’s nature is holy and not to be treated lightly, we realize that He is the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe, not someone we can approach casually. Therefore, when we approach God, we should do so with reverence, speak carefully, and recognize that we are mere humans, not equals with God.
Ultimately, this incident did not change God’s will. King Ahaziah indeed died as God had foretold, and since he had no son to succeed him, the throne passed to his brother Joram.
This historical narrative then shifts focus to the events about to occur between Elijah and his disciple Elisha. Elijah is about to be taken up to heaven, and Elisha will inherit his mantle, becoming the next prophet to continue delivering God’s warnings to the kings.
Interestingly, Elijah is recorded as having performed seven miracles during his lifetime, while Elisha, who asked God for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, is recorded as performing fourteen miracles in 2 Kings. This detail reveals an important perspective of the narrator and adds a touch of humor, showing that God granted Elisha's request in a concrete way. This not only deepens the story but also enhances our understanding of God’s actions.
2 Kings begins with this narrative, and in the next chapter, we will witness Elijah being taken up to heaven and Elisha inheriting his master’s mantle to become the next prophet. Thank you for listening, and we will continue tomorrow.
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