“在他面前有烈风大作,崩山碎石,耶和华却不在风中。” - 王上19:11
先知以利亚正在逃命。他对神忠心,曾警告亚哈王和王后耶洗别,说他们需要服从神,不可再以偶像误导以色列民。可是亚哈和耶洗别不肯听从他 — 甚至在神藉以利亚在一次戏剧性的对决中展示祂的超自然能力之后(列王纪上 18章),他们依然故我。耶洗别反而威吓以利亚要去追捕和杀害他。
以利亚于是逃到旷野去。在那里,神差遣天使照顾他,他因此有气力继续前行,一直到达何烈山(西乃山),这是很多年之前神与摩西和以色列民会面的地方(出埃及记 19-20章)。
在何烈山的一个山洞中,以利亚听到神呼唤他出来,当神经过时,以利亚将与祂会面。这时有一系列的风暴临到,烈风崩石碎石,但神却不在其中。跟着有地震,又有不知道从何而来的火,但神也不在地震或火中。
之后便是一片静默。以利亚从洞里出来,他遮住脸与神会面。神鼓励和关心以利亚,又把新的责任委托给他,其中包括膏立另一位先知,这样以利亚就不再孤军作战了。
耶和华就是这样再次坚定以利亚的信心,而以利亚也继续忠心地履行事奉。
祷告
亲爱的主,今天我们渴望你来引领我们的生活。我们为你激励我们的话语感谢你。求你帮助我们忠心地事奉你。阿们。
列王纪上 19:1-18
1亚哈将以利亚一切所行的和他用刀杀众先知的事都告诉耶洗别。
2耶洗别就差遣人去见以利亚,告诉他说:“明日约在这时候,我若不使你的性命像那些人的性命一样,愿神明重重地降罚于我!”
3以利亚见这光景就起来逃命,到了犹大的别是巴,将仆人留在那里。
4自己在旷野走了一日的路程,来到一棵罗腾树下,就坐在那里求死,说:“耶和华啊,罢了!求你取我的性命,因为我不胜于我的列祖。”
5他就躺在罗腾树下,睡着了。有一个天使拍他,说:“起来吃吧!”
6他观看,见头旁有一瓶水与炭火烧的饼,他就吃了喝了,仍然躺下。
7耶和华的使者第二次来拍他,说:“起来吃吧!因为你当走的路甚远。”
8他就起来吃了喝了,仗着这饮食的力,走了四十昼夜,到了神的山,就是何烈山。
9他在那里进了一个洞,就住在洞中。耶和华的话临到他说:“以利亚啊,你在这里做什么?”
10他说:“我为耶和华万军之神大发热心。因为以色列人背弃了你的约,毁坏了你的坛,用刀杀了你的先知,只剩下我一个人,他们还要寻索我的命。”
11耶和华说:“你出来站在山上,在我面前。”那时耶和华从那里经过,在他面前有烈风大作,崩山碎石,耶和华却不在风中;风后地震,耶和华却不在其中;
12地震后有火,耶和华也不在火中;火后有微小的声音。
13以利亚听见,就用外衣蒙上脸,出来站在洞口。有声音向他说:“以利亚啊,你在这里做什么?”
14他说:“我为耶和华万军之神大发热心。因为以色列人背弃了你的约,毁坏了你的坛,用刀杀了你的先知,只剩下我一个人,他们还要寻索我的命。”
15耶和华对他说:“你回去,从旷野往大马士革去。到了那里,就要膏哈薛做亚兰王,
16又膏宁示的孙子耶户做以色列王,并膏亚伯米何拉人沙法的儿子以利沙做先知接续你。
17将来躲避哈薛之刀的,必被耶户所杀;躲避耶户之刀的,必被以利沙所杀。
18但我在以色列人中为自己留下七千人,是未曾向巴力屈膝的,未曾与巴力亲嘴的。”
Hearing From The Lord
"A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind." - 1 Kings 19:11
The prophet Elijah was running for his life. He had been faithful to God, warning King Ahab and Queen Jezebel that they needed to obey God and stop misleading the people of Israel. But Ahab and Jezebel would not listen—not even after God showed his power through Elijah in a dramatic showdown (1 Kings 18). Instead, Jezebel threatened to hunt Elijah down and kill him.
So Elijah ran away into the wilderness. There God sent an angel to care for him, and that gave him energy to keep traveling all the way to Horeb (Mt. Sinai), where God had met Moses and the people of Israel many years earlier (Exodus 19-20).
In a cave on Mount Horeb, Elijah heard God calling him to come out and meet him as he passed by. A series of storms came. A great wind tore at the mountain and shattered rocks. But God was not in the wind. Then the earth shook, and fire came out of nowhere, but God was not in the earthquake or the fire.
Then there was a sound of stillness. And Elijah emerged, with his face covered, to meet with God. God spoke with encouragement and care, giving Elijah new tasks to do. And these included anointing another prophet so that Elijah would no longer work alone.
In this way the Lord reaffirmed Elijah, and Elijah continued to serve God faithfully.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we long for your guidance in our lives today. Thank you for your encouraging Word. Help us to serve you faithfully. Amen.