旧约 - 列王记下(2 Kings)第5章

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.
She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
"By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.
Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"
So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
"If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this."
"Go in peace," Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."
So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.
"Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'"
"By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi.
When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.
Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. "Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered.
But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?
Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.
列王纪下第五章   第 5 章 

  王下 5:1> 圣经常提到大麻疯,究竟这是一种什么病? 

  5:1 圣经时代的大麻疯和现代的爱滋病极其相似,是当时最可怕的疾病之一。有些大麻疯极易传染亦无法医治,最严重的会令人死亡。许多患大麻疯的人,被迫住在城外隔离营中。由于乃缦仍然在职,他的病情也许温和些,或者尚属初期,但不管怎样,他都可能会因病丧命(关于圣经时代的大麻疯,请参利 13 章的注释)。 

  王下 5:2> 亚兰和以色列的关系如何? 

  5:2 亚兰虽在以色列的东北,但两个邻国很少友好。在大卫时代,亚兰向以色列进贡,在以利沙时代,亚兰渐渐强大,常掳掠以色列人,造成政治混乱。乃缦的小使女是以色列人,从家乡被掳而来。非常讽刺的是,乃缦得医治的惟一盼望乃出于以色列。 

  王下 5:3-4> 在福音事工上,我能像这位被掳的小女子那样发挥作用吗? 

  5:3-4 小使女的信心和乃缦的请求,与以色列王的顽梗( 5:7 )形成强烈的对比。强国亚兰的军事领袖投靠以色列的神,以色列人的君王反而不寻求神。我们不知道小女孩的姓名,她的详情也不可考,但是她短短的一句话,竟使亚兰军队元帅得到医治并信靠真神。神把她放在那里有祂的美意,她也尽上忠心。神把你放在什么地方?不管人怎样卑微轻贱,祂都能使用来传扬祂的话语。你要找机会把神的大能告诉别人。没有传道的,谁能信道呢? 

  王下 5:9-15> 为什么圣经反复强调人的谦卑?谦卑好像不太容易…… 

  5:9-15 乃缦英雄盖世,惯于受人尊敬,以利沙把他当作常人,令他非常恼怒。他心骄气傲,指望别人尊敬他奉若君王。在名川大河里沐浴还可以,但约旦河又小又脏,有失他的身分;不过乃缦只能谦卑,顺从以利沙的命令以便得到医治。 

  顺服神由谦卑开始,我们必须相信祂的道路高过我们的道路。我们未必能参透祂行事的方法,但谦卑顺服就能领受祂的赐福。我们必须切记:( 1 )神的道路最美好;( 2 )神要我们顺服祂胜于一切;( 3 )神能使用任何事物,以成全祂的旨意。 

  王下 5:12> 忘记谦卑顺服,可能就会功亏一篑,乃缦教会我…… 

  5:12 乃缦发怒走了,因为治病的方式似乎太简单,他是一个英雄,他指望得到英雄式的医治。他满心骄傲又自作主张,难以用信心接受寻常的疗法。人对于神所赐的赦罪,有时也会有同样的反应:单是相信耶稣基督,这么简单就能使人得到永生吗?顺从神的命令,似乎有损英雄气概。乃缦要想除去大麻疯,跟我们想除去自己的罪,二者所需要做的事其实相同──就是谦卑领受神的怜悯。不要因为对信仰有不同的看法,妨碍你失去所需的救治。 

  以利沙 

  王下 5:16> 以利沙为何不受乃缦的礼物?我怎样面对别人的酬谢? 

  5:16 以利沙拒受乃缦馈赠的金钱,表示神的恩惠不是人用钱所能买来的。当我们面对死亡时,我们的金钱和乃缦的财物一样,一点用处也没有。不管我们今生积蓄了多少,一旦站在创造我们的主神面前,都会像云雾一样飞散。惟有我们对耶稣基督的信心才能救我们,这并不是银行存款能做到的。 

  王下 5:18-19> 乃缦得神一次医治便遵神为独一真神,对比自己,我…… 

  5:18-19 乃缦向异教偶像屈身的罪怎样得到赦免?他并没有请求批准去拜临门神,只是尽他作下属的责任,在亚兰王屈身下拜的时候,扶王屈身与起立。哈达临门神是大马士革的神,据说司雨水与雷电。乃缦与其他人不同,他对神的大能有深切的体验和认识,他没有把真神加在本族的偶像群中,乃是承认只有一位独一的真神。他在此求赦免,显出他与拜偶像的以色列人的鲜明对比。 

  王下 5:20-27> 基哈西收礼物错在哪里? 

  5:20-27 基哈西见主人以利沙不受乃缦的酬谢,他出于贪念要求馈送,认为这是发财的大好良机。可惜,在他的计划中有三个不当之处:( 1 )他想接受本来是送给别人的金钱。( 2 )他误导人以为金钱可以换取神白白赐下的医治。( 3 )他既撒谎,又隐瞒自己接受金钱的动机。他虽然是个得力助手,但把个人的利益看得比事奉神还重要。 

  这里并不是说金钱本身是邪恶的,或者说教牧人员做工不应当得报酬;它乃是警告我们不要贪心与欺骗。真正的事奉乃是出于爱神,应当对祂专心一意,而不是寻求个人的收益。你事奉神的时候,请检讨自己的动机;你不能既事奉神,又事奉金钱(参太 6:24 )。──《灵修版圣经注释》