《不似預期的際遇》Day04
《不似預期的勝利》
37 耶和華啊，求祢應允我，應允我！使這民知道祢－耶和華是神，又知道是祢叫這民的心回轉。」38 於是，耶和華降下火來，燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土，又燒乾溝裏的水。39眾民看見了，就俯伏在地，說：「耶和華是神！耶和華是神！」40 以利亞對他們說：「拿住巴力的先知，不容一人逃脫！」眾人就拿住他們。以利亞帶他們到基順河邊，在那裏殺了他們。⋯⋯45 霎時間，天因風雲黑暗，降下大雨。亞哈就坐車往耶斯列去了。46 耶和華的靈降在以利亞身上，他就束上腰，奔在亞哈前頭，直到耶斯列的城門。 (王上十八37-40、45-46．和修)
1 亞哈將以利亞一切所行的和他用刀殺眾先知的事都告訴耶洗別。2 耶洗別就差遣人去見以利亞，告訴他說：「明日約在這時候，我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一樣，願神明重重地降罰與我。」3 以利亞見這光景就起來逃命，到了猶大的別是巴，將僕人留在那裏，4 自己在曠野走了一日的路程，來到一棵羅騰樹下，就坐在那裏求死，說：「耶和華啊，罷了！求祢取我的性命，因為我不勝於我的列祖。」5 他就躺在羅騰樹下，睡著了。有一個天使拍他，說：「起來吃吧！」6 他觀看，見頭旁有一瓶水與炭火燒的餅，他就吃了喝了，仍然躺下。 (列王記上十九1-6．和修)
37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”38 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 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. ⋯⋯ 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. （1Kings 18:37-40, 45-46）
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.（1Kings19:1-6）
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.（1Kings19:1-6）
分享：迦密山一役，以利亞靠著上帝戰勝四百五十位巴力先知，使百姓擺脫對巴力的偶像崇拜，回轉歸向上帝，亦令亞哈對自己之前信奉的巴力有所懷疑，這也埋下他日後轉向上帝的伏線 (參列王紀上二十13-22) 。以利亞為上帝打了一場美好的仗，但事情發展卻不似預期，王后耶洗別回應：「明日約在這時候，我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一樣，願神明重重地降罰與我。」(王上十九2)
在以利亞看來，這次靠著上帝降火的得勝應該可以令整個以色列民族及亞哈王悔改回轉，消除拜巴力偶像的勢力，同時讓屬上帝的僕人可以重見天日，不須再隱藏。重捨往昔在聖殿中的服事，這就是以利亞一直渴望得到的勝利。但是，戰勝巴力先知並沒有完全感動皇室人員，反而被拜巴力的皇后耶洗別下了追殺令。縱使為上帝打敗了巴力先知，但結果卻不似預期，最後迫使以利亞再次逃亡。
不似預期的結果，確實令人失望、沮喪，以利亞也陷入不甘心的情緒中，他的理性與情感已無法接受親眼所遭遇的一切。於是，他在羅騰樹下向上帝表達這份不甘心，也自責自己做得不夠好，無法勝過列祖所做的。這刻，不似預期的結果令他變得軟弱，亦被耶洗別的追殺令嚇到。不過，以利亞縱使被嚇到，卻主動向上帝訴苦、尋求解脫。 結果上帝不單知道他的軟弱，也差派了天使來照顧他。
各位，我們在生活和事奉中定必遇過縱然得勝，卻出現不似預期的結果。不甘心的情緒確實令信徒變得軟弱，甚至會泛起無數的疑問：「明明上帝在掌權，但為什麼結局卻不似預期呢？」各位，藉著以利亞的事蹟，讓我們記住兩件事：「上帝知道」，同時「祂在工作」。祂必然派天使來安慰和指引你，就像回應以利亞的禱告一樣。要記住，以利亞縱然有軟弱，但沒有一刻想要離開上帝或轉面不向上帝，反而更要倚靠祂，並向祂坦白內心的不甘心。所以，請不要再被個人的負面情緒影響到對上帝的信心，也不要否定上帝的能力和信實。
反思：這刻請你回應這條問題：「你相信上帝嗎？」說出你的答案，然後向主禱告。
禱告：親愛的天父，我們感謝祢，縱使祢知道我們總是信心軟弱，但祢的恩手卻從來沒有離開我們，並差派聖靈前來安慰、鼓勵和提醒我們，使我們能緊緊握著祢的手不放，並有力跨勝軟弱。感謝祢的保守。奉主名求，阿們。
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