18孩子漸漸長大，一日到他父親和收割的人那裏， 19他對父親說：「我的頭啊，我的頭啊！」他父親對僕人說：「把他抱到他母親那裏。」 20僕人抱去，交給他母親；孩子坐在母親的膝上，到晌午就死了。 21他母親抱他上了樓，將他放在神人的牀上，關上門出來， 22呼叫她丈夫說：「你叫一個僕人給我牽一匹驢來，我要快快地去見神人，就回來。」 23丈夫說：「今日不是月朔，也不是安息日，你為何要去見他呢？」婦人說：「平安無事。」 24於是備上驢，對僕人說：「你快快趕着走，我若不吩咐你，就不要遲慢。」 25婦人就往迦密山去見神人。
神人遠遠地看見她，對僕人基哈西說：「看哪，書念的婦人來了！ 26你跑去迎接她，問她說：你平安嗎？你丈夫平安嗎？孩子平安嗎？」她說：「平安。」 27婦人上了山，到神人那裏，就抱住神人的腳。基哈西前來要推開她，神人說：「由她吧！因為她心裏愁苦，耶和華向我隱瞞，沒有指示我。」 28婦人說：「我何嘗向我主求過兒子呢？我豈沒有說過，不要欺哄我嗎？」 29以利沙吩咐基哈西說：「你束上腰，手拿我的杖前去；若遇見人，不要向他問安；人若向你問安，也不要回答；要把我的杖放在孩子臉上。」 30孩子的母親說：「我指着永生的耶和華，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不離開你。」於是以利沙起身，隨着她去了。 31基哈西先去，把杖放在孩子臉上，卻沒有聲音，也沒有動靜。基哈西就迎着以利沙回來，告訴他說：「孩子還沒有醒過來。」
32 以利沙來到，進了屋子，看見孩子死了，放在自己的牀上。 33他就關上門，只有自己和孩子在裏面，他便祈禱耶和華， 34上牀伏在孩子身上，口對口，眼對眼，手對手；既伏在孩子身上，孩子的身體就漸漸溫和了。 35然後他下來，在屋裏來往走了一趟，又上去伏在孩子身上，孩子打了七個噴嚏，就睜開眼睛了。 36以利沙叫基哈西說：「你叫這書念婦人來」；於是叫了她來。以利沙說：「將你兒子抱起來。」 37婦人就進來，在以利沙腳前俯伏於地，抱起她兒子出去了。
兩件神蹟
38 以利沙又來到吉甲，那地正有饑荒。先知門徒坐在他面前，他吩咐僕人說：「你將大鍋放在火上，給先知門徒熬湯。」 39有一個人去到田野掐菜，遇見一棵野瓜籐，就摘了一兜野瓜回來，切了擱在熬湯的鍋中，因為他們不知道是甚麼東西； 40倒出來給眾人吃，吃的時候，都喊叫說：「神人哪，鍋中有致死的毒物！」所以眾人不能吃了。 41以利沙說：「拿點麵來」，就把麵撒在鍋中，說：「倒出來，給眾人吃吧！」鍋中就沒有毒了。
42有一個人從巴力‧沙利沙來，帶着初熟大麥做的餅二十個，並新穗子，裝在口袋裏送給神人。神人說：「把這些給眾人吃。」 43僕人說：「這一點豈可擺給一百人吃呢？」以利沙說：「你只管給眾人吃吧！因為耶和華如此說，眾人必吃了，還剩下。」 44僕人就擺在眾人面前，他們吃了，果然還剩下，正如耶和華所說的。
各位弟兄姊妹平安，今天我們讀的經文是《列王紀下》4章18至44節，這段經文延續了昨天的故事。我們看到以利沙為這位婦人預言她將有一個孩子，而事情果真成就了。這位婦人如願生了一個孩子，這個家庭因此充滿了喜樂。但是，故事很快迎來了一個轉折。當這個孩子去到外面與收割的人會面時，可能是因為中暑或其他原因，孩子突然感到頭痛，不久之後便在母親的懷裡去世了。
這對這位母親來說無疑是極度的悲痛，但令人驚訝的是，她並沒有立即陷入絕望或混亂。相反，我們看到她保持了驚人的冷靜，她將孩子的遺體安置在以利沙的床上，然後立刻派人去請以利沙來。
這位婦人一路上保持著極大的平靜，直到她見到以利沙本人。當她看到以利沙時，她立刻俯伏在他的腳前。以利沙指示他的僕人帶著他的杖前往婦人的家，去救活這個孩子。他吩咐僕人一路上不要與任何人打招呼，他希望能夠盡快趕到孩子的身邊。然而，這位婦人堅定地說：「我絕不離開你。」她深知只有以利沙親自前去，才有真正的希望。因此，以利沙在她的堅持下，他也迅速動身，親自前往婦人的家。
有沒有感覺很熟悉的故事感？這段故事會讓我們聯想到耶穌在新約中所行的神蹟，管會堂的堐魯來求耶穌醫治他女兒的情景。在《馬可福音》五章裡，睚魯的女兒病重，他懇求耶穌去救她，然而在途中女兒卻去世了，耶穌仍然繼續前行，並最終使女孩復活。
這位婦人展現了極為敏銳的信心，從她一開始接待以利沙並建造一個房間給他居住，我們就可以看出她對這位神人的敬重與信任。她深知以利沙是「敬畏上帝的神人」，因此當她的兒子去世時，她並沒有陷入絕望，而是立即轉向以利沙尋求幫助，表現出她堅定的信心。這種信心並非一時的感動，而是長期以來累積的對神的信靠。婦人一直以來對以利沙的敬重，正是因為她看見了他在神面前的忠誠與權柄。因此，當危機來臨時，她知道唯有依靠神的力量，透過以利沙，才能挽回她的兒子。
接下來的經文記錄了以利沙所行的兩個神蹟，進一步彰顯了神的大能與恩典。在饑荒時期，眾人四處尋找食物，其中一位門徒找到了一種不明的野菜，結果當他將這些野菜煮進鍋裡後，整鍋食物竟然有毒，不能再吃了。這是一個危急的情況，因為在饑荒中，食物的稀缺讓這樣的損失更為嚴重。
然而，以利沙僅僅用了少量的麵粉，便解除了鍋裡的毒，讓這些原本有毒的食物變得可以食用。這個神蹟預表了一個重要的屬靈真理：即便是量少的話語，也能夠轉變咒詛、帶來生命和希望。正如這少量的麵改變了整鍋食物，當神的祝福臨到時，無論情況多麼糟糕，都能被徹底翻轉。
接下來的這個故事更加顯示了以利沙如何用極少的東西餵飽了百人，這讓我們聯想到耶穌用五餅二魚餵飽五千人的神蹟。這兩個神蹟都傳達了一個深刻的屬靈原則：神可以用微不足道的資源，施行豐盛的供應和祝福。
這裡特別值得注意的是，這些食物是「初熟的穗子」。根據律法，初熟的穗子應當奉獻給上帝，作為一種感恩的獻祭。然而，在這個故事裡，以利沙卻把這些本應獻給神的穗子，直接分給眾人食用。在某種意義上，以利沙此時象徵著神的角色，將獻祭之物分享給人群。
這提醒我們，神不僅是接受奉獻的上帝，更是樂於供應我們一切所需的神。神從來不缺少祭物，祂不需要我們的供物來滿足自己的需要，反而是我們需要祂的供應。以利沙在這裡反映了神的慷慨，祂願意將祂的豐盛分給祂的子民。
這個神蹟也與前面的故事形成了呼應：無論是在饑荒中以少許麵粉解毒，還是用少量初熟的穗子餵飽眾人，或是用少量的油讓寡婦還債，養活自己。神都在展示祂的豐盛與大能。這也告訴我們，無論我們的資源看起來多麼有限，當我們把這些資源交在神手中時，神能夠將少量的東西變成巨大的祝福。
單單在第四章，我們就看到了五個神蹟，從這些故事中，我們略微看到了上帝的品性和能力。再跟新約中的耶穌事蹟作比對，我們就對上帝有更清楚的理解。
感謝各位的聆聽，我們明天繼續從列王記下第五章中來看以利沙所行出的更多神蹟。
18The child grew. One day he went out to get his father. His father was with the people who were gathering the crops. 19The boy said to his father, “My head hurts! It really hurts!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20The servant lifted up the boy. He carried him to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon. Then he died. 21She went up to the room on the roof. There she laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.
22She sent for her husband. She said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey. Then I can go quickly to the man of God and return.”
23“Why do you want to go to him today?” he asked. “It isn’t the time for the New Moon feast. It isn’t the Sabbath day.”
“Don’t let that bother you,” she said.
24She put a saddle on her donkey. She said to her servant, “Let’s go. Don’t slow down for me unless I tell you to.” 25So she started out. She came to Mount Carmel. That’s where the man of God was.
When she was still a long way off, he saw her coming. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the woman from Shunem! 26Run out there to meet her. Ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27She came to the man of God at the mountain. Then she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is suffering terribly. But the Lord hasn’t told me the reason for it. He has hidden it from me.”
28“My master, did I ask you for a son?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t make me hope for something that won’t happen’?”
29Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your coat into your belt. Take my walking stick and run to Shunem. Don’t say hello to anyone you see. If anyone says hello to you, don’t answer. Lay my walking stick on the boy’s face.”
30But the child’s mother said, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So Elisha got up and followed her.
31Gehazi went on ahead. He laid Elisha’s walking stick on the boy’s face. But there wasn’t any sound. The boy didn’t move at all. So Gehazi went back to Elisha. He told him, “The boy hasn’t awakened.”
32Elisha arrived at the house. The boy was dead. He was lying on Elisha’s bed. 33Elisha went into the room. He shut the door. He was alone with the boy. He prayed to the Lord. 34Then Elisha got on the bed. He lay down on the boy. His mouth touched the boy’s mouth. His eyes touched the boy’s eyes. And his hands touched the boy’s hands. As Elisha lay on the boy, the boy’s body grew warm. 35Elisha turned away. He walked back and forth in the room. Then he got on the bed again. He lay down on the boy once more. The boy sneezed seven times. After that, he opened his eyes.
36Elisha sent for Gehazi. He said to him, “Go and get the woman from Shunem.” So he did. When she came, Elisha said, “Take your son.” 37She came in and fell at Elisha’s feet. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
Deadly Food in a Pot
38Elisha returned to Gilgal. There wasn’t enough food to eat in that area. The group of the prophets was meeting with Elisha. So he said to his servant, “Put the large pot over the fire. Cook some stew for these prophets.”
39One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs. He found a wild vine and picked some of its gourds. He picked as many as he could fit in his coat. Then he cut them up and put them into the pot of stew. But no one knew what they were. 40The stew was poured out for the men. They began to eat it. But then they cried out, “Man of God, the food in that pot will kill us!” They couldn’t eat it.
41Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it in the pot. He said, “Serve it to the men to eat.” Then there wasn’t anything in the pot that could harm them.
Elisha Feeds 100 People
42A man came from Baal Shalishah. He brought the man of God 20 loaves of barley bread. They had been baked from the first grain that had ripened. The man also brought some heads of new grain. “Give this food to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43“How can I put this in front of 100 men?” his servant asked.
But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. Do it because the Lord says, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ” 44Then the servant put the food in front of them. They ate it and had some left over. It happened just as the Lord had said it would.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today’s scripture reading is from 2 Kings 4:18-44, which continues the story from yesterday. We see that Elisha prophesied to the woman that she would have a child, and it came to pass. The woman gave birth to a child, and her household was filled with joy. However, the story soon takes a turn. When the child went outside to meet the harvesters, he suddenly experienced a severe headache, possibly due to a heatstroke or another reason, and shortly afterward, he died in his mother's arms.
This was undoubtedly a deep sorrow for the mother, but surprisingly, she did not immediately fall into despair or confusion. Instead, she remained remarkably calm. She placed the child's body on Elisha's bed and immediately sent someone to fetch Elisha.
Throughout her journey, the woman remained composed until she saw Elisha in person. Upon seeing him, she fell at his feet. Elisha then instructed his servant to take his staff and go ahead to the woman's house to revive the child. He commanded the servant not to greet anyone on the way, as he wanted to reach the child as quickly as possible. However, the woman firmly said, "I will not leave you." She knew that only if Elisha himself went would there be true hope. So, at her insistence, Elisha recognized the seriousness of the situation and quickly set out to the woman's home.
Does this story sound familiar? It reminds us of the miracle Jesus performed in the New Testament, when Jairus, a synagogue leader, asked Jesus to heal his daughter. In Mark 5, Jairus’ daughter was gravely ill, and he begged Jesus to save her. However, before Jesus could reach her, the daughter died. Still, Jesus continued on and ultimately raised the girl from the dead.
This woman demonstrated a sharp and enduring faith. From the moment she welcomed Elisha into her home and built a room for him, we can see her respect and trust in this man of God. She knew that Elisha was a "man of God who feared the Lord." So, when her son died, she did not fall into despair but immediately turned to Elisha for help, showing her steadfast faith. This faith was not a fleeting emotion, but rather the result of a long-standing trust in God. The woman’s respect for Elisha was rooted in her recognition of his faithfulness and authority before God. Therefore, when a crisis struck, she knew that only through God’s power, through Elisha, could her son be restored.
The next passage records two miracles performed by Elisha, further displaying God's power and grace. During a famine, people were desperately searching for food, and one of the disciples found some wild gourds. However, when these gourds were cooked, the entire pot of food became poisonous and inedible. This was a critical situation, especially during a famine when food was scarce, making such a loss even more severe.
Yet, Elisha used a small amount of flour to purify the pot, making the previously poisonous food safe to eat. This miracle reveals an important spiritual truth: even a small amount of God's word can reverse a curse, bringing life and hope. Just as the small amount of flour transformed the entire pot of food, when God’s blessing arrives, no matter how bad the situation, it can be completely reversed.
The next story further illustrates how Elisha used a small amount of food to feed one hundred men, much like how Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand. Both miracles convey a profound spiritual principle: God can use seemingly insignificant resources to provide abundant blessings and provision.
It is particularly worth noting that the food in this story was "the firstfruits of the harvest." According to the law, the firstfruits were meant to be offered to God as a thanksgiving sacrifice. However, in this story, Elisha directly used these firstfruits to feed the people. In a sense, Elisha was acting in the role of God, distributing the sacrificial offerings to the people. This teaches us that God is not just the receiver of offerings, but He is also the generous provider of everything we need. God does not lack sacrifices—He does not require our offerings to sustain Himself—but rather, it is we who need His provision. Elisha here reflects God's generosity, as He is willing to share His abundance with His people.
This miracle also echoes the previous one: whether it was using a small amount of flour to purify the stew, feeding many with a small amount of firstfruits, or using a small amount of oil to help a widow pay off her debts and support herself, God consistently demonstrates His abundance and power. This also teaches us that no matter how limited our resources may seem, when we place them in God's hands, He can turn even a little into a great blessing.
From these two miracles, we see God's heart: He not only desires us to give everything to Him, but He also generously gives back to us from His abundance, providing far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. We can confidently trust in God’s provision, no matter how little we think we have, because His blessings always exceed our expectations.
In just this one chapter, we’ve seen five miracles, each giving us a glimpse of God’s character and power. When we compare these events with the miracles of Jesus in the New Testament, we gain a clearer understanding of who God is.
Thank you all for listening. Tomorrow we will continue with 2 Kings Chapter 5 to see more miracles performed by Elisha.
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