列王纪生命读经 · 第23篇

以色列中诸王之历史生命读经的结语

A Concluding Word of the Life-Study of the History of the Kings among Israel

1本篇信息是以色列中诸王之历史生命读经的结语。

1This message is a concluding word of the life-study of the history of the kings among Israel

以色列历史中

THERE BEING FORTY-ONE KINGS

有四十一个王

IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

2以色列历史中共有四十一个王。头三个，就是扫罗、大卫和所罗门，是作全体以色列人的王；从罗波安到西底家，有十九个王，作南方犹大的王；从耶罗波安到何细亚，也有十九个王，作北方以色列的王。

2There were altogether forty-one kings in the history of Israel. The first three, Saul, David, and Solomon, reigned over the entire people of Israel. Nineteen kings, from Rehoboam to Zedekiah, reigned over Judah in the south, and nineteen, from Jeroboam to Hoshea, reigned over Israel in the north

比较而言，有九个王在神眼中是好的

NINE KINGS BEING COMPARATIVELY GOOD

IN THE EYES OF GOD

3在这四十一个王中间，有九个，包括大卫，比较而言，在神眼中是好的。有三十个，包括扫罗，在神眼中是恶的。有两个，所罗门和耶户，是半好半恶的。

3Among these forty-one kings, nine, including David, were comparatively good in the eyes of God. Thirty, including Saul, were evil in the sight of God. Two, Solomon and Jehu, were partly good and partly evil

扫罗

Saul

4在扫罗的行为中，他虚假扮演的谦卑，他自私自利的寻求，他不但为自己，也为他后裔谋求王位的野心，全被暴露出来，显出他并不是在建造神的国，乃是为自己和他后裔建立王国。这引诱他忘记神，并去接触一个交鬼的女巫，来问到自己的命运。

4In Saul’s behavior, his performed humility in pretense, his self-interest seeking, and his ambition for the kingship not only for himself but also for his descendants were all exposed and showed that he was not building the kingdom of God but a monarchy for himself and his descendants. This seduced him to forget about God and to contact a medium, a witch, concerning his fate

大卫和所罗门

David, and Solomon

5大卫的所行所为，表现出他是一个合乎神心的人，使神喜悦，但他犯了可怕的罪，放纵性欲，得罪神到了极点；所以在神的圣言中，数次题及这恶。（王上十五５，太一６下。）他在放纵情欲并娶外邦女子为妻的事上，使自己成为一个非常消极的榜样。这首先影响所罗门，使他放纵情欲，娶异邦女子为妻，而受引诱去拜偶像，以致失去神所赐大卫之国的大部分，并且继续不断的影响大多数的王，使他们放纵情欲，并拜偶像。

5David behaved himself as a man according to God’she art for God’s delight, yet he committed an awful sin in indulging himself in sexual lust, offending God to the uttermost, so that in His Holy Word this evil is mentioned a few times (1 Kings 15:5; Matt. 1:6). He made himself a very negative example in indulging in lust and in marrying a Gentile wife. This first influenced Solomon in his indulging of lust and in the taking of heathen women as his wives, which seduced him into idolatry, causing the loss of a great part of David’s God - given kingdom, and continually influenced most of the kings in the indulgence of lust and in idolatry.

6所罗门一面是好的，他彰显神的智慧，并为神建殿；但另一面他是恶的，他放纵情欲，有妃七百，嫔三百，其中大部分是异邦女子，他也拜偶像，为许多异教的偶像筑邱坛和偶像的庙。

6Solomon, on the one hand, was very good in expressing the wisdom of God and in building the temple for God, but, on the other hand, he was evil in the indulgence of lust, taking seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, most of whom were heathen, and in idolatry in building high places with temples of idol worship for many heathen idols.

其余的三十八个王

The Remaining Thirty-eight Kings

7其余的三十八个王中，只有八个比较而言是好的;但事实上，他们仍然都是自私自利、寻求自己的荣耀，多多少少把神在他们中间的国看作是自己的王国，没有照著神所命定的法则认识神，没有否认他们的己、他们天然的人，而绝对凭著神的灵过一种生活，完成一种事业。有二十九个王，其中耶罗波安、亚哈、玛拿西是最坏的，他们全然是恶的，为著建立自己的王国而背叛、谋杀、篡位、流无辜人的血，丝毫不顾神在地上的国。还有一个，就是耶户，也好也恶。

7Of the remaining thirty-eight kings, only eight were comparatively good. Actually, however, they still were selfseeking and self-glorying, somewhat considering the kingdom of God among them something of their monarchies, not knowing God according to the way ordained by God, not denying themselves, their natural man, to live a life and carry out a career absolutely by the Spirit of God. Twenty-nine kings, among whom Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh were the worst, were totally evil in such matters as rebelling, murdering, usurping the throne, and shedding the blood of the innocent for the building of their monarchies without any care for the kingdom of God on the earth. One king, Jehu, was evil as well as good

一幅完整的图画，

A FULL PICTURE

描绘神的选民

OF HOW THE ELECT OF GOD

如何能有分于美地，并享受其上一切的权利

COULD PARTAKE OF THE GOOD LAND AND ENJOY ALL ITS RIGHTS

8这四十一个王为人的方式，他们在日常生活、活动、和事业上如何行事、生活、行动、活动，描绘出一幅完整的图画，给我们看见神的选民如何能有分于神所应许、神所赐给的美地，并享受其上一切的权利，使他们能在这被神仇敌撒但所霸占的地上，成为神的国。这豫表并表征，我们如何能有分于包罗万有的基督，作神所命定给我们的分，并享受神在基督里所分派给我们的一切权利，使我们这些蒙神拣选并救赎的人，能在这被那恶者，神的仇敌撒但所霸占的地上，在基督里并与基督一同成为神的国。

8The way in which these forty-one kings had their being, how they behaved, lived, moved, and acted in their daily living, activities, and careers, paints a full picture of how the elect of God could partake of the God-promised and God-given good land and enjoy all its rights that they could become God’skin gdom on the earth usurped by His enemy Satan. This typifies and signifies how we can partake of the allinclusive Christ as the portion ordained by God for us and enjoy all the rights in Christ assigned to us by God that we, the people chosen and redeemed by God, can become God’skin gdom in Christ and with Christ on the earth usurped by the evil one, God’se ne my Satan

那些恶王邪恶的根，乃是他们离弃神，

THE ROOT OF THE EVIL OF THE EVIL KINGS

转向异教的偶像

BEING THEIR FORSAKING OF GOD AND

THEIR TURNING AWAY TO THE PAGAN IDOLS

9那些恶王邪恶的根，正如以色列人邪恶的根一样，乃是他们离弃神这活水的泉源，转向异教的偶像作他们破裂不能存水的池子。（耶二１３。）这两件恶事把他们淹死在拜偶像、放纵情欲、不公正流无辜人之血的死水中。他们的邪恶得罪神到一个地步，使神不肯向他们转离祂的怒气，而把他们先丢弃在亚述人手中，然后丢弃在巴比伦人手中;这些人毁坏并焚烧圣殿、圣城，且把圣民掳到异教拜偶像之地，使圣地荒凉七十年。因此他们这些神的选民，失去对神所赐美地的享受，而在外邦之地作了被掳的人，不再是在圣地上神国里的国民。

9The root of the evil of the evil kings, like that of the evil of the people of Israel, was their forsaking the very God as the fountain of living waters and their turning away to the pagan idols as broken cisterns that hold no water (Jer. 2:13). These two evils drowned them in the death waters of idolatry, of the indulgence of lusts, and of injustice in shedding the blood of the innocent. Their evils offended their God to such an extent that He would not turn His anger from them but cast them off, first into the hands of the Assyrians and then into the hands of the Babylonians, who destroyed and burned the holy temple and the holy city, carried away into captivity the holy people to a pagan land of idol worship, and desolated the holy land for seventy years. Thus, they, as God’s elect, lost the enjoyment of the God - given good land and, instead of remaining the citizens of God’skin gdom in the holy land, they became captives in a heathen land.

严肃的警告

A SERIOUS WARNING

10在神所拣选并蒙福的选民中间，这些王如此可怜历史的悲惨结局，对我们这些在新约时代神的选民，该是严肃的警告，并向我们指明，我们该如何清明审慎，留意每一事例特别的点。只像大卫一样作合乎神心的人，或只像一些诚实的基督徒一样，在神眼中作半好半坏的人，并不能使我们有资格完满的有分于基督，享受在祂里面的一切权利，而使我们搆得上成为召会，作基督的身体，并神与基督的国。我们这些新约的得胜者，必须藉基督复活的大能，模成祂的死，使我们向自己、向天然的人死，并在复活里向神活著。凭那包罗万有、赐生命之灵全备的供应而活基督、显大基督、并与基督一同活动行事，在灵里并照著灵作每一件事，这种生活对我们这些神新约的寻求者，要成为神圣生命赛程中的胜利者，是绝对必要的；这样，我们才能在召会时代完满的享受基督作神所赐的美地，并在国度时代得著荣耀的赏赐，最完满的有分于基督。诸王为著神永远的经纶而治国每一个王都该彻底领悟，他们作王治国，不应该为著自己的利益与亨通，乃该为著神永远的经纶，使神能在地上得著一个国，以保守以马内利的地，（赛八８，）使基督作王，并保持一班子民，使基督家谱的线存续，好将基督带到地上。为这目的，他们必须是拿细耳人，以神作他们的头，他们的权柄，并顺从祂，作祂的仆人，放弃一切世界的宴乐（酒）。但诸王在这点上都失败了，包括他们中间最好的王大卫。因此，他们没有完成神为著祂经纶的定旨，反而失去了在神国里的王权，就是享受美地（包罗万有的基督）拔尖的分。神在地上的代表权柄在神的子民中间作王，乃是作神在地上的代表权柄。神在地上的代表权柄，包括神的谕言，就是神的说话，以及神的权柄，就是神的管治。这两项都交托给祭司职分，如在摩西身上，就是由大祭司亚伦所代表。当亚伦的祭司职分衰微时，神兴起撒母耳作申言者，为祂说话，（撒上三１９～２１，）而撒母耳带进君王职分，作神的权柄。（十六１～１３。）以色列诸王中的君王职分，一直都受申言者的规正，如大卫受拿单的规正，（撒下十二，）亚哈受以利亚的规正，（王上十八，）约兰受以利沙的规正；（王下三；）也得著申言者的加强，如希西家得以赛亚的加强，（十八～二十，）以及其他的王得耶利米的加强。（耶一１～３。）以色列人因著诸王的失败而被掳之后，乃是藉著申言者但以理的祷告，被掳的人才得归回。（但六１０，九１５～２５。）

10The tragic result of such a pitiful history of the kings among God’s chosen and blessed elect should be a serious warning to us, God’s elect in the New Testament age, and should indicate to us how sober we should be to take heed to the particular points of each case. Just to be one who is according to God’she art, like David, and just to be partly right and good in the eyes of God, like some honest Christians, do not qualify us to partake of Christ in full and to enjoy all the rights in Him that we may become adequately the church as the Body of Christ and as the kingdom of God and of Christ. Conformity to Christ’s death by the power of His resurrection is required of us, the New Testament overcomers, that we may die to ourselves, our natural man, and live to God in resurrection. A life of living Christ, magnifying Christ, and moving and acting with Christ by the bountiful supply of the all - inclusive, life - giving Spirit, doing everything in and according to the Spirit, is indispensable for us, God’s New Testament seekers, to be winners in the racecourse of the divine life that we may fully enjoy Christ as the God-given good land in the church age and be gloriously rewarded to partake of Christ, in the fullest sense, in the kingdom age. KINGS RULING FOR GOD’S ETERNAL ECONOMY Every king should have had a thorough realization that they should be kings who did not rule a nation for their own interest and prosperity but ruled for God’s eternal economy that God could have a nation on the earth to keep the land of Immanuel (Isa. 8:8) for Christ’s reign and a people for a lineage of the genealogy to bring Christ to the earth. For this purpose they had to be a Nazarite to take God as their Head, their authority, and submit themselves to Him as His servants, and abandon all the pleasures (wines) of the world. But all the kings failed God in this, including David, the best one among them. Thus, they did not fulfill God’s purpose for His economy. Rather, they lost their reign in God’skin gdom, which is the top portion of the enjoyment of the good land (the all-inclusive Christ). THE DEPUTY AUTHORITY OF GOD ON EARTH To be a king among God’s people is to be the deputy authority of God on the earth. The deputy authority of God on the earth is composed of God’s oracle, the speaking of God, and God’s authority, the ruling of God. Both items were entrusted to the priesthood, as in Moses, who was represented by Aaron the high priest. When the Aaronic priesthood started to wane, God raised up Samuel to speak for Him as a prophet (1 Sam. 3:19-21), and Samuel brought in the kingship for God’s authority (16:1-3). The kingship among all the kings of Israel was always regulated by the prophets, such as David by Nathan (2 Sam. 12), Ahab by Elijah (1 Kings 18), and Jehoram by Elisha (2 Kings 3), and was strengthened by the prophets, such as Hezekiah by Isaiah (2 Kings 18 — 20) and other kings by Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1-3). After the captivity of Israel due to the kings’ failures, it was through the prophet Daniel’spray er that the captivity was returned (Dan. 6:10; 9:15-25).

11我们需要领悟，这三班人－祭司、君王和申言者－是整个旧约历史的结构。实在说来，旧约就是祭司、君王和申言者的历史。神的代表权柄由祭司职分和君王职分所组成。然而，祭司职分和君王职分都失败了，申言者就进来加强、规正、指示、帮助、并支持软弱的君王职分。诸王该一直听从神的谕言，就是听从祭司。这样，藉著祭司说话作神的谕言，并藉著君王管治作神国里的权柄，神的代表权柄就得以在地上维持。这些乃是我们认识旧约的基本原则。

11We need to realize that these three classes of people— the priests, the kings, and the prophets—are the structure of the entire Old Testament. In a very real sense, the Old Testament is a history of the priests, the kings, and the prophets. God’s deputy authority is composed of the priesthood and the kingship. However, both the priesthood and the kingship became a failure, and the prophets came in to strengthen, regulate, instruct, help, and support the weakened kingship. The kings should always go along with God’s oracle, that is, go along with the priests. Then God’s deputy authority will be maintained on earth by the priests speaking as His oracle and by the kings ruling as His authority in His kingdom. These are basic principles for our knowing the Old Testament