列王記下 6:24-7:2 撒馬利亞之戰
- 馬克牧師
- Sep 19, 2024
- 6 min read
圍困撒馬利亞
24此後，亞蘭王便‧哈達聚集他的全軍，上來圍困撒馬利亞。 25於是撒馬利亞被圍困，有饑荒，甚至一個驢頭值銀八十舍客勒，二升鴿子糞值銀五舍客勒。 26一日，以色列王在城上經過，有一個婦人向他呼叫說：「我主，我王啊！求你幫助。」 27王說：「耶和華不幫助你，我從何處幫助你？是從禾場，是從酒醡呢？」 28王問婦人說：「你有甚麼苦處？」她回答說：「這婦人對我說：『將你的兒子取來，我們今日可以吃，明日可以吃我的兒子。』 29我們就煮了我的兒子吃了。次日我對她說：『要將你的兒子取來，我們可以吃。』她卻將她的兒子藏起來了。」 30王聽見婦人的話，就撕裂衣服；（王在城上經過）百姓看見王貼身穿着麻衣。 31王說：「我今日若容沙法的兒子以利沙的頭仍在他項上，願神重重地降罰與我！」
32那時，以利沙正坐在家中，長老也與他同坐。王打發一個伺候他的人去；他還沒有到，以利沙對長老說：「你們看這兇手之子，打發人來斬我的頭；你們看着使者來到，就關上門，用門將他推出去。在他後頭不是有他主人腳步的響聲嗎？」 33正說話的時候，使者來到，王也到了，說：「這災禍是從耶和華那裏來的，我何必再仰望耶和華呢？」
1 以利沙說：「你們要聽耶和華的話，耶和華如此說：明日約到這時候，在撒馬利亞城門口，一細亞細麵要賣銀一舍客勒，二細亞大麥也要賣銀一舍客勒。」 2有一個攙扶王的軍長對神人說：「即便耶和華使天開了窗戶，也不能有這事。」以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」
各位弟兄姊妹平安，昨天的故事我們看到上帝用奇妙的方式讓亞蘭人從以色列退軍，很久都不侵犯以色列的邊境。原本是一個和平了結的故事，但是到了24節，這和平就被打破了，亞蘭人來圍困撒馬利亞，造成相當嚴重的飢荒，甚至連驢這種原本是屬於不潔淨食物的肉類都賣到高價，甚至連鴿糞（通常裡面會有很多未消化的穀物，所以洗淨還可以吃）都可以賣錢。甚至慘烈到發生吃人的事情。這一段記載跟之前的和平是一個極大的反差。
以色列王在聽到這個婦人的哭訴產生極大的憤怒，我們可以注意一些小細節，王在貼身穿著麻衣，代表他有為罪悔改的態度，但是這一位婦人向她哭訴的事情讓他的理智崩潰，原本對上帝的一點點盼望蕩然無存，也可能是對自己國家的景況和人民的慘況感到挫折，憤怒，把這一股對上帝的怨氣都發洩到以利沙身上，決定要來殺他。他甚至把這一切的困境歸咎到上帝身上，說這一切是上帝給的困境，我為何還要信祂呢？
以利沙在王到來的時候給他新的啟示。以利沙說只要一天後，一切就會回復正常，食物供應的價格會回到普通價位。這樣的宣告震驚所有人，王身旁的貼身侍衛忍不住反駁，就算上帝親自介入都不可能！
這裡把人心在困難中的時候，對信心的反應表現得相當透徹。國王認為，這個上帝是降災的上帝，沒辦法再信靠。這個先知之前有幫助過他打敗過亞蘭人，但是現在他卻袖手旁觀，看著人民受苦。他身為國王卻無計可施。而這個貼身侍衛看著眼前一切慘況，而先知卻突然口出狂言，他實在無法相信這一切一夜之間就可以改變。
對我們來說呢？當我們面對困境，絕境，感到一切都不再有盼望的時候，我們還能夠向上帝禱告，獻上敬拜，獻上感恩嗎？還是我們會像以色列王一樣，把怨氣發洩在神的僕人，神的子民身上，像這個軍長反駁，就算上帝真的親自介入都不會有改變嗎？
第六章到第七章有兩個巨大的轉折，這一部分我們剛剛看到了和平的神蹟到圍城的慘況。這是第一個大轉折。而明天一進入到第七章，我們馬上就會看到第二個大轉折。感謝各位的聆聽。明天我們來聽戰爭的結局。
The Lord Saves Samaria
Later, King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked and besieged Samaria. Samaria’s food supply ran out. They laid siege to it so long that a donkey’s head was selling for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a kab of dove’s droppings for five shekels of silver.
While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Help us, my master, O king!” He replied, “No, let the Lord help you. How can I help you? The threshing floor and winepress are empty.” Then the king asked her, “What’s your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Hand over your son; we’ll eat him today and then eat my son tomorrow.’ So we boiled my son and ate him. Then I said to her the next day, ‘Hand over your son and we’ll eat him.’ But she hid her son!”
When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. Then he said, “May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!”
Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the community leaders. The king sent a messenger on ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, “Do you realize this assassin intends to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and lean against it. His master will certainly be right behind him.” He was still talking to them when the messenger approached and said, “Look, the Lord is responsible for this disaster! Why should I continue to wait for the Lord to help?”
Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says, ‘About this time tomorrow a seah of finely milled flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’” An officer who was the king’s right-hand man responded to the prophet, “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” Elisha said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!”
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you! In yesterday's story, we saw how God miraculously caused the Arameans to retreat from Israel, leaving its borders undisturbed for a long time. What seemed like a peaceful conclusion was suddenly broken in verse 24, when the Arameans laid siege to Samaria. This led to a severe famine, so dire that even the meat of donkeys—considered unclean—was sold at a high price, and even dove droppings (which often contained undigested grains that could be washed and eaten) were being sold for money. The situation became so desperate that cannibalism occurred. This part of the story starkly contrasts with the earlier peace.
When the king of Israel heard a woman’s cry for help, he was filled with great anger. We can notice some small details here: the king was wearing sackcloth under his clothes, which symbolizes repentance for his sins. But the woman’s desperate plea caused him to lose all rationality, and whatever little hope he had in God vanished. Perhaps he was also frustrated by the dire state of his nation and people, and in his rage, he directed his anger toward Elisha, deciding to kill him. He blamed God for all the suffering, saying, “If this is the disaster God has given us, why should I continue to trust Him?”
When the king arrived, Elisha gave him a new prophecy. Elisha declared that by the next day, everything would return to normal, and food prices would drop back to their usual rates. This statement shocked everyone, and the king’s personal officer couldn’t help but object, saying, “Even if the Lord opened the floodgates of heaven, could this really happen?”
This part of the story reflects how people respond to faith when facing severe hardship. The king believed that God was only a bringer of calamity, unworthy of trust. Though Elisha had helped him defeat the Arameans before, now he seemed to do nothing as the people suffered. The king, powerless as a leader, saw no way out. Meanwhile, the officer, seeing the grim situation and hearing the prophet’s seemingly outrageous claim, simply could not believe that everything could change overnight.
And what about us? When we face hardship or feel trapped in hopeless situations, can we still pray to God, offer worship, and give thanks? Or do we, like the king of Israel, direct our frustration toward God's servants and His people? Do we, like the officer, doubt that even if God intervened, things would still not change?
Chapters 6 and 7 of 2 Kings present two significant turning points. The first is from the miraculous peace to the horrific siege, which we just discussed. As we move into chapter 7 tomorrow, we will witness the second great turning point.
Thank you for listening. Tomorrow, we will continue by hearing the conclusion of this war.
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