5. Manna issue 90 - The Widow Sought God’s Help 寡婦求神幫助
Based on a sermon by Barnabas Chong—Singapore 新加坡，參考 Barnabas Chong 講道
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying,
“Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD.
And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
(2 Kgs 4:1)
1有一個先知門徒的妻哀求以利沙說：你僕人─我丈夫死了，他敬畏耶和華是你所知道的。
現在有債主來，要取我兩個兒子作奴僕。
(王下 4：1)
This passage records an episode in the ministry of the prophet Elisha.
The wife of one of the sons of the prophets was experiencing considerable hardship.
Her husband had died, and her family was laden with debts.
She sought help from Elisha, who gave her some instructions.
She followed them, and her problems were solved.
Let us consider this widow’s faith from the perspectives of each of the leading players
—the widow, Elisha, and the Lord.
這段經文記錄了，以利沙先知事奉時的一個故事。
先知一個兒子的妻子正經歷的困難相當大。
她的丈夫已逝，家庭負債累累。
她尋求以利沙的幫助，以利沙給了她一些指示。
她照著作，問題就得到解決。
讓我們從每個主要角色的觀點，來思考這位寡婦的信心
—寡婦、以利沙和主耶和華。
THE WIDOW’S FAITH 寡婦的信心
Firstly, did this widow have faith?
She came to plead for Elisha’s help, so she must have had faith.
Seeking help from Elisha, a prophet of God, was the same as seeking help from God.
She must have known that God could save her from her troubles.
Today, when we ask God for help,
do we approach Him with the same faith as this widow?
首先，這個寡婦有信心嗎？
她來求以利沙幫助，所以她一定是有信心的。
向神的先知以利沙尋求幫助，與尋求神的幫助是一樣的。
她一定知道，神可以拯救她脫離困境。
今天，當我們求神幫助的時候，
是否帶著如同寡婦的信心，靠近神呢？
Secondly, how deep was her faith?
Let us consider her situation.
Her husband had been a son of the prophets.
This being the case, why did he meet such a fate?
People often believe that good things happen to good people,
while bad things befall those who are evil.
If we subscribe to such thinking, we would wonder why this prophet deserved to die.
Perhaps he had been a false prophet or one who oppressed people.
But the Bible records clearly what the widow said to Elisha:
“You know your servant feared the LORD”
(2 Kgs 4:1).
So why would a God-fearing prophet meet an early demise?
其次，她的信心有多大呢？
讓我們看看她的情況。
她丈夫本是先知的兒子。
既然如此，他為什麼會遇到這樣的命運呢？
人們常會相信，好事會發生在好人身上，
壞事會臨到惡人。
如果我們贊同這種想法，就會思想為什麼這位先知會遇死劫。
也許他曾經是假先知，或是欺壓百姓的人。
但聖經清楚記載，寡婦向以利沙說的話：
“他敬畏耶和華是你所知道的”
(王下：4：1)。
那麼，為什麼敬畏神的先知會早早地死去呢？
His death had a significant impact on the widow.
Since her husband had been faithful,
she could have questioned why God would allow this to happen.
Her whole household feared God,
yet they were so deep in debt that creditors were threatening to take her sons away.
We think nothing of seeking God when we face problems with straightforward solutions.
The widow here faced seemingly insurmountable challenges.
If we were in such a situation, would we confidently seek God?
他的死亡影響寡婦很大。
因為她的丈夫一直很忠心，
她很可能會質疑，為什麼神會允許這種情況發生。
她全家都敬畏神，
然而，因為他們負債累累，債主就威脅要把她兒子擄走。
當我們面對問題，若是有直接容易的應對方式時，就不會想要尋求神。
寡婦這裡面對看似難以克服的挑戰。
如果我們處於這種情境，自已會很有信心尋求神嗎？
It would be understandable for a person to give up all hope in such difficulties.
Negative thoughts could have overwhelmed her:
God hasn’t helped me.
My family has been plunged into despair.
God could help,
but, instead, He has no love!
He doesn’t care if I live or die.
Why should I worship or seek Him?
But this widow was one of faith.
In such dire circumstances, she had the faith to seek God’s help through Elisha.
一個人若遇到這種困境，自暴自棄是可以理解的。
消極的想法可能會讓她不知所措：
神沒有幫助我。
我們家人都陷在絕望中。
但神可以來幫助，
但是，相反地，祂卻沒有愛心！
神不在乎我的死活。
那為什麼我要敬拜或尋求祂呢？
但這個寡婦是有信心的。
在如此嚴峻的情況下，她有信心通過以利沙尋求神的幫助。
In difficult times, we may struggle with negative thoughts.
But the Bible tells us not to fear, for God is with us
(Ps 23:4; Josh 1:9).
Though the widow seemingly had no one to pull her out of trouble, she still believed in God.
She knew and continued to fear God.
She did not curse or challenge God.
In times of tribulation, we must also continue to believe and trust in God.
遇到困難的時候，我們可能會有消極的想法而掙扎。
但聖經告訴我們不要害怕，因為神與我們同在
（詩 23:4；書 1:9）。
寡婦雖然看起來，沒有人會幫她擺脫困境，但她仍然相信神。
她認識神，並且繼續敬畏神。
她沒有詛咒神，或質疑神。
遇到患難的時候，我們也必須繼續相信依靠神。
“[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
(1 Pet 5:7)
7你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為他顧念你們。
(彼前 5：7)
We do not cast our cares on God just because He is able,
but because He cares for us.
When we are praying in tears to God,
we must remember this verse.
God invites us to cast all our cares on Him.
While we know this, there could still be some unbelief within our hearts.
That is because when we reach out to God,
we often expect instant help.
We expect God to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place.
However, the verse tells us to cast our cares upon Him,
meaning that all of us will have cares in this world.
God will not prevent us from experiencing trouble,
but He will help us with the troubles we do have.
我們不會僅僅因為神有能力，就將自已的憂慮寄託在神身上，
而是因為神關心我們。
當我們流淚向神禱告時，
我們必須記住這裡的節經。
神請我們把所有的憂慮都託付給他。
雖然我們知道這一點，但心中仍會可能有一些不信。
那是因為，當我們伸手尋求神的時候，
我們經常期待得到即時的幫助。
我們想要神一開始就阻止問題的發生。
然而，這節經文告訴我們，要把自已的憂慮卸給神，
意思就是，我們所有人在世上，都會有所煩惱。
神不會阻止我們經歷困難，
但祂會幫助我們解決遇到的困難。
I live with my brother’s family.
One day, while he and my sister-in-law were out,
I had to babysit their two-year-old and two-month-old.
I could manage the older child by playing nursery rhyme videos.
However, I had no idea what to do with the baby.
I could not figure out why the baby was crying.
I was holding the crying baby in one arm, and with the other arm,
I was trying to handle the toddler who was climbing all over me.
I had no idea what to do.
I could only rely on God.
I played the hymn Jesus Loves Me,
and, thankfully, the baby calmed down and fell asleep.
When I shared this with my brother,
he told me the baby sleeps to any music.
But when I later tested this, it was not the case.
It was indeed God who helped me.
我和兄弟家人住在一起。
有一天，出去的時候，
我不得不照顧他們兩歲和兩個月大的小孩。
我播放童謠影片，可以控制老大。
但是，我不知道該怎麼處理小嬰孩。
我不明白，為什麼嬰兒會哭。
我一隻手抱著哭泣的嬰兒，而另一隻手，
試圖處理爬在我身上，蹣跚學步的孩子。
我不知道該怎麼辦。
只能依靠神。
我彈奏了讚美詩《耶穌愛我》，
謝天謝地，寶寶平靜下來，睡著了。
當我兄弟分享這件事的時候，
他告訴我，嬰兒聽到任何音樂，都會睡著。
但是當我後來對此進行了測試，情況並非如此。
確實是神幫助了我。
This episode triggered another thought in me.
In that situation, God helped me instantly.
But at other times, I have prayed and fasted for weeks,
with seemingly no answer from God.
At the time, I had wondered if the content of those prayers were wrong.
But after this experience, I realized that perhaps God had already extended His help
—only the time had not yet come for me to experience it.
God may have already answered our prayers,
but we need to wait with faith to see God’s help manifest in our life at the right time.
這個情況引發了我產生了另一種想法。
在那種情況之下，神即刻就幫助我。
但是其他的時候，我都已經祈禱禁食了幾個星期，
看起來都沒有神的回應。
當時，我就懷疑，那些祈禱的內容是否有問題。
但經過這次體驗之後，我就明白，也許神已經伸手幫助了，
—只是還沒有到我會體驗的時間。
神可能已經回應了我們的祈禱，
但我們需要懷著信心，等待神的幫助於正確的時間顯現在我們的生活中。
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also He has put eternity in their hearts,
except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
(Eccl 3:11)
11神造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生（原文是永遠）安置在世人心裡。然而神從始至終的作為，人不能參透。
(傳 3：11)
God may not let us know everything from beginning to end.
But we trust that God can and will make everything beautiful in its time.
The only question is whether now is the time.
If we continue to have faith and hold on to God’s word,
when the time comes, God will complete the work.
If we read this verse with faith,
then we can hold on in any situation.
Whatever circumstances we are in, we can bring forth our faith and rely on Him.
When it appeared as though God had forsaken her family, the widow came to seek God.
She maintained the hope that God could and would help her in His time.
This is the faith we should have.
神可能不會，讓我們從頭到尾都知道任何事。
但我們相信，神將會使任何事各按其時成為美好。
唯一的問題是，現在是否就是那個時機。
如果我們一直有信心，持守神的道理，
時間一到，神就會成全工作。
如果我們懷著信心閱讀此節經，
那麼我們無論於任何情況之下，都能堅持下去。
無論我們處在什麼情況之下，都能展現自已的信心，並依靠神。
當事情看起來，好像是神拋棄寡婦的家人之時，她卻來尋求神。
她一直希望，神會於祂時候到時，能幫助她。
這是我們應該有的信心。
ELISHA’S PART 以利沙的角色
So Elisha said to her,
“What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors
—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.
And when you have come in,
you shall shut the door behind you and your sons;
then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons,
who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.
Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full,
that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.”
So the oil ceased.
(2 Kgs 4:2–6)
2以利沙問他說：我可以為你做甚麼呢？你告訴我，你家裡有甚麼？他說：婢女家中除了一瓶油之外，沒有甚麼。
3以利沙說：你去，向你眾鄰舍借空器皿，不要少借；
4回到家裡，關上門，你和你兒子在裡面將油倒在所有的器皿裡，倒滿了的放在一邊。
5於是，婦人離開以利沙去了，關上門，自己和兒子在裡面；兒子把器皿拿來，他就倒油。
6器皿都滿了，他對兒子說：再給我拿器皿來。兒子說：再沒有器皿了。油就止住了。
(王下 4：2-6)
Why did Elisha want the widow to pour out the oil herself?
Why did Elisha not use a more direct approach to help her?
He could have turned stone into gold to pay off her debt.
Instead, he gave her precise instructions:
gather pots, close the door, and pour out the oil from her jar into the collected pots.
為什麼以利沙要寡婦自己倒油？
為什麼以利沙不用更直接的方式來幫助她呢？
他其實可以把石頭變成黃金，就能償還她的債務。
相反的，他給了她準確的指示：
要收集罐子，關上門，把她瓶子裡的油倒進收集來的瓶子裡。
No matter what they thought about Elisha’s directions,
the widow and her sons simply obeyed,
believing that every vessel would be filled with oil.
Going through this process in itself was necessary for them to build up their faith.
They needed God’s grace to pull them out of their dire situation
—they had the faith to seek God,
but did they have the faith required to obey the voice of Elisha?
Through this action of oil pouring,
they demonstrated their belief and obedience.
And as they watched pot after pot being filled to the brim,
they experienced the gift of God and the abundance of His saving grace.
This whole experience confirmed in the most wonderful way
that God is true and faithful, and all glory belongs to Him.
不管他們如何看待以利沙的指示，
寡婦和她的兒子們就只是服從，
相信每隻瓶子都會裝滿油。
經歷這個過程本身，對於他們建立信仰是有必要的。
他們需要神的恩典，將他們從可怕的情境中拉出來，
—他們有信心尋求神，
但是他們有足夠的信心，聽從以利沙的聲音嗎？
通過這種倒油的動作，
他們表現出自已的信仰和順服。
隨著他們看著瓶子，一瓶接著一瓶裝滿了油，
他體驗到神的賞賜，以及神豐富的救恩。
這整個體驗，以最美妙的方式得到證實，
証明神是真實而信實，一切的榮耀都屬於祂。
THE GRACE OF GOD 神的恩典
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said,
“Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
(2 Kgs 4:7)
7婦人去告訴神人，神人說：你去賣油還債，所剩的你和你兒子可以靠著度日。
(王下 4：7)
First and foremost, God addressed the widow’s most urgent need:
paying off her debt.
It was not just financial relief;
it also saved her sons from being used as collateral.
Without this, she would have lost not only her husband,
but also her sons.
She would have become a widow of widows.
God rendered help to lift her out of this predicament immediately.
What other grace did He bestow upon her?
首先，神處理了寡婦最緊急的需要：
還清她的債務。
這不僅僅是經濟上的救濟；
也使她的兒子免於被抓去抵押。
若沒有神的幫助，她不僅僅會失去丈夫，
還會失去她的兒子。
她將會成為寡婦中，最悲慘的寡婦。
神直接幫助她擺脫了困境。
寡婦還需要神，賜給她什麼其他恩典呢？
The last part of this verse says, “you and your sons live on the rest.”
Elisha understood this was necessary all along.
Beyond the repayment of their debts,
they needed help to sustain their livelihood.
The grace intended was not just to solve the present problem,
but also to provide for their future.
We do not know how long the money would last,
but we know she was truly helped.
這節經文最後的部份說，“你兒子可以靠著剩餘的油生活下去。”
以利沙一直都明白，這樣作是有必要的。
除了償還他們債務之外，
需要幫助他們維持生計。
神預備的恩典，不僅要解決當前的問題，
還要為他們的將來，做好準備。
我們不知道，這筆錢能維持多久，
但我們知道，她確實直的得到幫助。
Today, our jobs could be at risk, especially amid the current pandemic.
If it is just for a month, perhaps we can stem the tide.
But as the days turn to months, no matter how much savings we have,
we may meet with financial difficulties.
Let us not be overly worried.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread.”
We can recall how the Lord provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.
God will give us enough food for each day, at the very least.
今天，我們的工作可能面臨風險，尤其處在當前的瘟疫流行。
如果只是一個月，也許我們可以阻止潮流。
但是隨著日子延長為幾個月，無論我們有多少積蓄，
我們可能會遇到經濟困難。
讓我們不要過度擔憂。
在主禱文中，我們祈求神“今日賜給我們日用飲食”。
我們可以回想，主在曠野每日如何給以色列人預備嗎哪。
神至少會給我們每天足夠的食物。
God provided the necessities for the widow and her sons.
As long as we believe in and rely on God,
He will also help us.
We must be clear, though, that God will provide us with the things we need,
and not necessarily the things we desire.
For example, when the Israelites craved meat in the wilderness,
God gave it to them, along with punishment for their complaints and attitude.
God did not punish them when He provided the necessities, such as manna.
This reminds us to trust in God for our essential needs.
Let us assess what our genuine necessities are
so that we do not become overly worried and complain,
or desire more than what we need.
Even in straitened times like these,
let us continue to strengthen our faith and trust in God.
神為寡婦和她的兒子預備了生活必需品。
只要我們信靠神，
祂也會幫助我們。
但是，我們必須很清楚，神會為我們預備生活需要的物資，
而不一定是我們慾望想要的東西。
例如，當以色列人在曠野渴望吃肉的時候，
神就給他們，同時對他們的抱怨和態度施予懲罰。
神在預備生活必需品（例如嗎哪）的時候，並沒有懲罰他們。
這裡提醒我們，要相信神會滿足我們的基本需求。
讓我們評估一下，自已真正的需要是什麼，
這樣我們就不會過度悲觀，發怨言，
或渴望得到超過自已所需要的。
即使在這樣困難的時期，
讓我們持續加強自已對神的信心，信靠神。
Because the widow’s family feared and sought God,
they experienced His deliverance and saving grace.
Likewise, if we fear God, He will help us in our time of need.
We see this truth being fulfilled in the lives of full-time workers today.
This includes, but is not limited to,
preachers and administrative staff working in the church.
Throughout this pandemic,
it has become apparent that more full-time workers are needed in the ministry.
Who could have predicted that a virus would prevent us from coming to church to worship?
Now that most of us have experienced some form of lockdown,
in which we could not physically gather at our local churches,
it brings into focus the current and future need for workers to support pastoral and evangelistic outreach.
Of critical importance is being able to share the truth and teachings of God to members
in virtual or other settings, beyond the church premises.
Who will step up to this work?
Who will encourage members and lead them in their faith?
因為寡婦的家人敬畏神，尋求神，
他們體驗了神的拯救和救恩。
同樣，如果我們敬畏神，祂會在我們需要幫助的時候援助我們。
我們看到這個真理，今日在全職工人的生活中得到實現。
這包括，但不僅限於，
在教會裡工作的傳道者和行政人員。
經由這次疫情，
很明顯能看譬，需要更多的全職工人來事奉。
誰能提早預料到，病毒居然會阻止我們去教堂禮拜呢？
既然我們大多數人，都經歷過某種形式的隔離，
因此我們無法親自聚集到當地會堂，
這突顯了現在未來都需要工人，支持牧養和佈道會。
至關重要的是，在教堂場所之外，於虛擬或其他各種環境中，
能夠向信徒分享神的真理和教義。
誰會站出來從事這項工作呢？
誰會鼓勵信徒，在信仰上帶領他們呢？
Some are discouraged by a worker’s meager salary, his uncomfortable lifestyle,
or even the stress and challenges a worker faces.
So they dare not offer themselves for full-time ministry.
But instead of focusing on these, let us take courage and be determined to serve the Lord,
entrusting all our daily cares to Him.
Let us have faith that God will take care of us as we serve Him with our lives.
有些人很灰心，因工作薪水很微薄、他的生活很不舒服，
甚至是工人要面對的壓力和挑戰。
所以他們一定不敢獻身，全職事奉。
但與其專注於這些事，不如我們鼓起勇氣，要決心事奉主，
把我們日常所有的憂慮，交託給神。
讓我們相信，當我們以生命事奉祂的時候，神會照顧我們。
CONCLUSION 結論
In this short story of Elisha and the widow,
there are many layers of grace from God,
amid seemingly insurmountable challenges and an uncertain future.
If we reflect upon our own lives,
we will see that God has also helped us with many different layers of grace.
With each layer, our faith is strengthened and built up in Him.
Let us always reflect on how God builds up our faith.
Even during challenges, adversity, or a pandemic,
let us be determined to seek the Lord, for He will surely provide.
在這以利沙和寡婦的小故事中，
有來自神好幾個層面的恩典，
在看起來，有無法克服的挑戰和不確定的未來。
如果我們反思自己的生活，
我們會看到，神也以許多不同層次的恩典，在幫助我們。
經由每個層面，我們加強了信心，在神裡面得到造就。
讓我們經常反省，神如何建立起我們的信心。
即使身處挑戰、逆境或瘟疫流行期間，
讓我們下定決心尋求神，因為祂一定會預備。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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