8. Manna issue 60 - The Disgrace of King Joash 約阿施王的恥辱
Learning from his mistakes. 從他的錯誤中學習。
Rebecca Lee—Vancouver, Canada 加拿大溫哥華
Joash had a unique reign as king of Judah,
where he took over the throne at the age of seven.
He was raised by a priest,
and, at a tender age in his youth,
he set his heart on repairing the temple of God.
約阿施作為猶大王有一段獨特的統治，
他七歲時繼承了王位。
他由一位祭司撫養長大，
而且，在他年輕時的時候，
他一心致力於修復神的聖殿。
In three separate verses,
the Bible records that Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord
all the days in which Jehoiada the priest was alive and instructed him
(2 Kgs 12:2; 2 Chr 24:2,12).
Jehoiada adopted Joash when he was only an infant,
after his father King Ahaziah had died.
在三節經文中，
聖經記載，約阿施行耶和華眼中看為正的事，
在一切祭司耶何耶大還活著並指導他的日子，
（王下 12：2；代下 24：2，12）。
在約阿施還是嬰兒時耶何耶大收養了他，
在他父親亞哈謝王過世之後。
As a matter of fact,
Joash’s existence was not known until he became king.
He was hidden in the temple of God
because his grandmother, Athaliah, had massacred all of Ahaziah’s children
in order to take the throne.
事實上，
約阿什的存在一直受到隱藏直到他成為君王。
他被藏在神的殿中，
因為他的祖母，亞他利雅曾屠殺了亞哈謝的所有子女，
為了奪取王位。
Joash grew up under the care and instruction of Jehoiada,
who must have instilled in Joash a solid understanding of God’s statutes and commandments.
As king, he led the people in serving God and repairing the temple.
約阿施在耶何耶大的照顧和教導下長大，
耶何耶大必定灌輸給約阿施紮實了解神的律例和誡命。
作為君王，他帶領百姓敬拜神並修繕聖殿。
Unfortunately, everything changed for Joash shortly after Jehoiada’s death.
In a dramatic turn of events,
Joash left the house of God to serve idols instead.
Consequently, when he died,
Joash was not buried in the tomb of the kings.
不幸的是，耶何耶大去世之後不久，約阿施就改變了一切。
事情有了戲劇性的變化，
約阿施離棄了神的殿，轉而去事奉偶像。
結果，當他去世時，
約阿施並沒有被葬在列王的墳墓中。
In contrast, Jehoiada the chief priest was buried
“in the City of David among the kings,
because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house”
(2 Chr 24:16).
相對的，大祭司耶何耶大被埋葬
“16葬在大衛城列王的墳墓裡；
因為他在以色列人中行善，又事奉神，修理神的殿。”
（代下 24：16）。
How did this come about?
What caused Joash’s change of heart?
這是怎麼發生的呢？
是什麼事情導致約阿施改變心意呢？
A DEPENDENT FAITH? 獨立的信仰？
One way to explain this change of heart is that
Joash’s faith had not been independent and rooted
but had been based on Jehoiada.
Perhaps Joash knew only how to be a good king under Jehoiada’s instructions.
Perhaps, like a puppet,
he only knew how to take orders from Jehoiada.
解釋這種心態改變的一種方式是，
約阿施的信心並沒有獨立且深深紮根，
而一直都是建立在耶何耶大的基礎上。
或許約阿施只有在耶何耶大的指導下，才知道如何成為一個好國王。
或許，像個傀儡一樣，
他只知道要如何聽從耶何耶大的命令。
In fact, every time a big decision was made
or where money from the house of God was concerned,
the Bible records that it involved “the king and Jehoiada”
(cf. 2Chr 24:6, 12, 14).
Joash’s two wives were even brought to him by Jehoiada.
Perhaps Joash was lost without the guidance of the only father he ever knew.
事實上，每當要裁定重大決策時，
或是涉及有關聖殿的錢財時，
聖經都記錄，它都由“王與耶何耶大”來共同決定
（參考，代下 24：6，12，14）。
甚至約阿施的兩位妻子也是由耶何耶大為他選的。
或許，約阿施會迷失，是因沒有他唯一所認為父的指引。
But wasn’t Joash the one who took the initiative in repairing the house of the Lord?
The Bible records that
“Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD”
(2 Chr 24:4).
He also took the lead in setting up a system for contributions to fund the repairs
(2 Chr 24:5-8).
但是難道約阿施不是那個主動想要修繕耶和華聖殿方面的人嗎？
聖經記載：
“4約阿施有意重修耶和華的殿”
（代下 24：4）。
他也帶頭設立了一套奉獻系統來募集資金進行修理工作
（代下 24：5-8）。
So, it appears that
Joash’s faith was not completely dependent on Jehoiada,
even from a young age.
He had been taught well by Jehoiada.
所以看起來，
約阿施的信仰並沒有完全依賴耶何耶大，
即使從小時候起也是如此。
他已經接受耶何耶大良好的教導。
This makes it more difficult to comprehend
why Joash could so easily forsake the commandments of God that
he learned at a young age.
After all, it wasn’t until after the twenty-third year of his reign
that he fulfilled his dream of repairing the temple
(2 Kgs 12:6).
這就讓人更難理解，
為何約阿施會如此輕易的背棄神的誡命，
是他自幼所學的。
畢竟，直到他繼位的第二十三年之後，
他才實現修理聖殿的夢想
（王下 12：6）。
What could have possibly snatched away the word of God from his heart so quickly
and made void his long and dedicated efforts in repairing the temple of God?
到底是什麼事能如此迅速從約阿施心中奪走神的話語，
並且使他多年來竭盡全力修理聖殿的付出化為虛無呢？
HE LISTENED TO THEM 他聽從他們
The turning point in Joash’s life came after Jehoiada died:
“Now after the death of Jehoiada
the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king.
And the king listened to them”
(2 Chr 24:17).
約阿施人生的轉捩點發生在耶何耶大去世之後：
“17耶何耶大死後，
猶大的眾首領來朝拜王；
王就聽從他們。”
（代下 24：17）。
It seems counter-intuitive
that after “the leaders of Judah came and bowed down” to Joash
that he would turn around and listen to them!
It appears as if Joash had been desperate for someone
to quickly replace his deceased father,
who had always provided him with sound advice and guidance throughout his life.
這種情況看起來就違反直覺，
因為"猶大眾首領來拜見"約阿施之後，
他竟然就轉向而聽從了他們！
這看起來就好像約阿施急切尋求某人，
來迅速取代他已逝父親的角色，
而他父親一生都給予他健全的建言和指導。
The most powerful men in the country came to offer Joash support.
Having the leaders of Judah stand behind him
meant that his political future would be secure.
Such an opportunity is something a young king could only hope for.
國內最有權勢的人來支持約阿施。
得到猶大眾首領的支持，
代表他的政治未來將得到保障。
這樣的機會是一位年輕的國王所能夢想的幸事。
In fact, Joash was probably flattered
when the leaders of Judah bowed down to him.
However, in turn, they actually made him bow down to them!
Consequently, they were able to easily influence him.
事實上，當猶大眾首領向約阿施下拜時，他可能感到受寵若驚。
然而，結果反過來卻是他們逼他向大家屈服！
因此，他們能輕易的影響他。
With this critical mistake,
Joash and the people
“left the house of the Lord God of their fathers,
and served wooden images and idols”
(2 Chr 24:18).
But this begs the question:
Why didn’t the leaders of Judah come and bow down to Joash before?
Was it a mere coincidence
that they came to Joash immediately after Jehoiada had died?
有了這種重大的錯誤，
約阿施和百姓，
“18離棄耶和華─他們列祖神的殿，去事奉亞舍拉和偶像；”
（代下 24：18）。
但種情況這引發了一個問題：
為什麼猶大的眾領袖之前不會來朝拜約阿施呢？
難道這只是單純的巧合，
在耶何耶大死後，他們立刻來找約阿施嗎？
The leaders of Judah most likely came to Joash with a hidden agenda.
Had they truly wanted to honor him
and the ways that were established through Jehoiada,
the direction of his ruling would not have changed so drastically
—from the worship of God to the worship of idols
—in such a short period of time.
猶大的眾領袖很可能是帶著隱藏的動機來見約阿施。
若他們真心想要尊崇他，並遵循耶何耶大所建立的道路，
他統治的方向就不會在如此劇烈的轉變，
—從敬拜神到敬拜偶像，
—在如此短暫的時間裡。
When Jehoiada was still alive,
he was a powerful and influential advisor to Joash,
so bowing down before Joash and getting him to listen
probably would not have worked.
當耶何耶大還活著的時候，
他是約阿施強大且有影響力的謀士，
所以在那時向約阿施下拜並讓他聽從，
可能會行不通。
But as soon as Jehoiada was no longer around,
the leaders of Judah went to Joash
and led him to serve other gods,
which was utterly against his beliefs.
Despite all the time he spent under Jehoiada’s instruction,
he had not established a faith that could stand on its own.
但耶何耶大一去世，
猶大的眾領袖便去找約阿施，
並讓他去事奉其他的神祗，
這完全違背了他的信仰。
儘管一直以來他在耶何耶大的教導下度過，
他卻沒有建立起能夠獨自支撐的信心。
This insidious method employed by the leaders of Judah
reminds us of temptations today.
They don’t come at you full throttle;
they bow down to you first.
They wait until you are all alone in your faith,
when you let your guard down,
when you feel desperate or lonely,
when you are unsure of yourself,
and when you are not close to God.
猶大眾領袖們使用的陰險手段，
讓我們聯想到今日的引誘。
它們不會一開始就全力襲擊你，
而是先向你下拜。
它們會等待直到你的信仰孤立無援，
等到你放鬆警惕，
等你感到絕望或孤獨，
等你對自己感節不確定，
而且那時你沒有親近神。
When temptations invite or bow down to us,
the most natural feeling is not repulsion but flattery.
They make us feel good about ourselves first,
in hopes that we will hand over the steering wheel to our lives.
Whether it is the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or the pride of life,
these temptations are all around us in our daily lives.
當誘惑向我們招手或下拜時，
最自然的感覺不是排斥，而是受寵若驚。
它們首先讓我們自己感覺良好，
企圖讓我們放下自己生命方向的掌握。
無論是肉體的情慾，眼目的情慾，還是今生的驕傲，
在我們日常生活中，這些誘惑無處不在。
We must be careful not to be like Joash,
heeding the call of temptation
instead of holding on to our beliefs,
and leaving behind years of obedience and truth for temporary gain.
我們必須小心不要像約阿施那樣，
聽從誘惑的呼喚，
而不是堅守自已的信仰，
拋棄多年來的順服和真理，去換取一時的利益。
HE DID NOT REMEMBER 他沒記住
Recall that Jehoiada the priest took Joash in as his own son
when he was only an infant.
Jehoiada and his wife, Jehosheba, had saved Joash
from the hands of his wicked and murderous grandmother, Athaliah.
記得祭司耶何耶大領養約阿施把他視如已出，
在約阿施還是嬰兒的時候。
耶何耶大和他妻子約示巴救了約阿施，
脫離邪惡且兇狠祖母亞他利雅的手。
Joash was supposed to be killed,
but his life was spared by grace.
Jehoiada and Jehosheba must have spent much patience and effort
in raising him secretly in the temple of God.
After all, they had to teach him to become a good king,
for they knew this was the only way to remove Athaliah from the throne
along with all the wickedness and idolatry she used to mislead the people.
約阿施本應被殺，
但他的生命因恩典而免於難。
耶何耶大和約示巴必定費了很多耐心和努力，
在神的聖殿裡暗中撫養他。
畢竟，他們必須教他成為一位好王，
因為他們知道，這是唯一能夠推翻亞他利雅王位的方法，
並且清楚一切連同她用來誤導百姓的邪惡和拜偶像。
But flattery from the leaders of Judah had such a profound influence on Joash
that he
“did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him”
(2 Chr 24:22).
All the guidance, care, and instruction
that Joash had received from his beloved father was forgotten
for the remainder of his reign as king.
但猶大眾首領的奉承給約阿施產生了重大的影響，
以至於他
“22不想念撒迦利亞的父親耶何耶大向自己所施的恩”
(代下 24：22)。
所有得到的引導，照顧和教導，
約阿施從他敬愛父親所得到的，都被遺忘了，
作為執政成為君王的建言。
Had Joash’s faith been patterned after Jehoiada’s,
Joash would have done much better in comparison to his unfortunate end.
He would have been able to recognize the wrongdoing
that stemmed from the leaders of Judah.
He would have known that the idols should have been removed from the high places
(2 Kgs 12:3).
He would have relied upon the statutes of God, which he knew by heart.
Instead, he remembered neither his father’s kindness nor God’s commandments.
若約阿施的信仰能效法耶何耶大的信心，
約阿施將會可以做得更好，相比於他不幸的結局。
他本來能夠認清到錯誤的行為，
來自於猶大的眾領袖。
他本早知道，應該移走丘壇高地的偶像，
（王下 12：3）。
他就會依靠自已熟記於心神的律例。
相反的，他既沒有記得自已父親的仁慈，也沒想起神的誡命。
The Lord was actually merciful to Joash and His people
because
“He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD”
(2 Chr 24:19a).
One of the prophets was Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada.
However, Joash was so lost in his faith and unwilling to listen
that he commanded the people to stone Zechariah to death
in the court of the house of the Lord!
主其實很憐憫約阿施和祂的百姓，
因為
“19但神仍遣先知到他們那裡，引導他們歸向耶和華。”
(代下 24：19a)。
其中有一位先知是耶何耶大的兒子撒迦利亞。
然而，約阿施的信心已經非常的迷糊，並且不願聆聽，
以至於他命令百姓用石頭打死撒迦利亞，
在耶和華聖殿的院子！
In the same way, our Lord Jesus is always merciful to us
and gives us opportunities to return to Him,
but how often are we willing to listen?
同樣的，我們的主耶穌總是憐憫我們，
且給我們機會歸向祂，
但我們有多少次會願意聽從呢？
Sometimes we may be so blinded by the flattery of sin
that we may not remember the kindness and grace of our heavenly Father,
who sent His only Son to die for our sins.
We were supposed to be killed by the evil one,
but through the blood of Christ
“[we] died, and [our] life is hidden with Christ in God”
(Col 3:3).
有時我們可能因為罪的奉承而變得盲目，
以至於忘記了自已天父的仁慈和恩典。
祂差遣了自已的獨生子為我們的罪而死。
我們本應受到那惡者的殺害，
但藉著基督的寶血，
“3因為你們[我們]已經死了，你們[我們]的生命與基督一同藏在神裡面。”
(西 3：3)。
We should learn from Joash,
who forgot this amazing grace when he fell in sin.
我們應當從約阿施身上汲取教訓，
他忘卻了奇妙的恩典而陷於罪中。
HE WAS NOT REMEMBERED 他沒得紀念
Not only did Joash sin, he died in disgrace.
His own servants conspired to kill him,
and he was not buried in the tomb of the kings
(2 Chr 24:25).
Despite all the good that he had done,
including repairing the temple of the Lord
and leading the people by example to offer for the house of the Lord,
his failure to keep his faith until the end is what defined him.
約阿施不僅犯罪，還在羞辱中死去。
他自己的臣僕密謀殺他，
他也沒有被葬在王墓裡
（代下 24：25）。
儘管他曾行過很多好事，
包括修理聖殿，
並以身作則帶領百姓為聖殿獻祭，
但他不能堅守信仰直到最後，成為他的評論。
As it says in Ezekiel 18:24:
正如以西結書 18 章 24 節所說：
“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity,
and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live?
All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered;
because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed,
because of them he shall die.”
“24義人若轉離義行而作罪孽，
照著惡人所行一切可憎的事而行，他豈能存活麼？
他所行的一切義都不被記念；
他必因所犯的罪、所行的惡死亡。”
We need to always remember the love of our Lord Jesus
so that the evil one will not be able to snatch away the words of God from our hearts
or make void all of our efforts in servitude and holy work.
We must cherish our beliefs and understand the importance of our faith
so that we will be strong enough to withstand the wiles of sin.
我們必須時常記得主耶穌的慈愛，
使那惡者無法從我們心中奪走神的話語，
或使我們事奉和聖工的一切努力落空。
我們必須珍惜自已的信仰，並明白信仰的重要性，
這樣我們才會足夠堅強可以抵擋罪惡的詭計。
We also need to be vigilant in our own faith,
being firmly rooted in the truth.
Otherwise, we may stray when our spiritual guardians
—the Jehoiada in our lives,
such as our family members, spouse, brothers and sisters in church,
pastors, or religious education teachers
—are no longer around.
我們也需要在自己的信仰上保持警醒，
在真理上堅定紮根。
否則，我們可能會迷失，當我們的靈命守護者
—我們生命的耶何耶大，
比如是家人，配偶，教會的弟兄姐妹，
傳道長執或宗教教育老師
—不再在我們身邊時。
Furthermore, if temptations come when we are not watchful,
we may turn to them easily
and forget everything we have learned before,
regardless of how much knowledge or experience we may have gained in the past.
此外，若我們不警醒之時引誘來臨，
我們可能就會輕易轉向它們，
並忘記我們以往已經學過的一切，
不論過去自已已經積累了多少知識或經驗。
Thus, we must persevere to the very end,
despite whatever temptations may come our way and how flattering they may be.
Only then can we say to our heavenly Father,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”
(2 Tim 4:7).
因此，我們必須堅持到底，
無論面臨何種誘惑，即使它們有多麼誘人。
只有這樣，我們才能對天父說：
“7那美好的仗我已經打過了，當跑的路我已經跑盡了，所信的道我已經守住了。”
（提後 4：7）。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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