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旧约 - 以斯拉记(Ezra)第4章

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us."
Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.
They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates--the judges and officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates:
The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer.
Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,
so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings.
The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence.
I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition.
Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them.
Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?
As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.
Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
以斯拉记第四章   第 4 章 

  拉 4:1-3> 啊,松一口气,幸亏识破他们,若真与他们工作── 

  4:1-3 亚述征服北国以色列后,把外邦人迁入,这些人后来成为犹大和便雅悯的仇敌(参 3:3 注释;王下 17 章)。为了渗入以色列人当中破坏圣殿重建,外邦人假装愿意伸出援手,但真正的目的却是要监视犹太人的动静,防止耶路撒冷再度强盛起来。不过,犹太人早已识破他们的诡计。与不信的人合作做神的工,会叫神的子民在信仰上妥协。 

  拉 4:1-6> 为神作工,受到拦阻是在所难免的──人们这样说。是真的吗?那怎算好?就不为神作工了吗? 

  4:1-6 信徒为神做工时,难免会遇到拦阻(参提后 3:12 ),不信的人和邪恶的灵界势力常常攻击神和祂的子民。他们摆出友善的姿态( 4:2 )来寻求合作,目的却要趁机打击和威吓我们( 4:4-5 ),甚至诬陷我们( 4:6 )。若能及早识破他们的诡计,仇敌便无法得逞。当拦阻出现时,我们只管照神的计划放胆而行,信靠神并留心看祂如何带领我们胜过各种障碍。 

  拉 4:2> 看那亚述人又真是挺有诚意,看有些假教徒也真是很和善,要提防假冒,这…… 

  4:2 仇敌声称敬奉所罗巴伯和犹太人的神,表面看来,他们的确如此,但同时他们还拜别的神(参王下 17:27-29 , 32-34 , 41 )。在神眼中,这并非敬拜,而是犯罪和背叛,真正的敬拜是专一委身给神(参出 20:3-5 )。对这班外邦人来说,神仅是另一个偶像而已。他们声称敬拜神,真正的动机却是要破坏圣殿的重建。今天,信徒必须提防假基督徒利用基督教作谋取私利的工具。 

  拉 4:4-5> 建殿受扰乱,能不沮丧?生活有困难应不恐惧?你说,还有出路…… 

  4:4-5 沮丧和恐惧,是完成神工作的两大障碍,它们会突然而来,使我们措手不及。沮丧蚕蚀我们的工作动力,恐惧则僵化我们,使人毫不进取。我们必须小心这些阻碍,并记住从古至今,在每一个时代,神的子民都会遇上困难,只要专心靠主,神必帮助人得胜。当你沮丧和恐惧时,凭着圣徒间的彼此扶持,定能胜过艰难,完成神的旨意。 

  拉 4:6-23> 以斯拉把各样事件放在一起,却不按时序排列,用意何在? 

  4:6-23 以斯拉把重建圣殿、修筑城墙,重修耶路撒冷等重要工程时的种种障碍,一一概述在这段经文内。按年代次序来分, 4 章 6 节的事,该排在第 6 至 7 章之间; 4 章 7 至 23 节的事,则应在以斯拉记 7 章与尼希米记 1 章所载事件之间。以斯拉把这些事件集中在一起,以突出多年来神的工作不断受到干扰,但祂的大能最终仍得胜的事实。 

  拉 4:7> 这些信一定不会像今天一般是写在纸上…… 

  4:7 这封致亚达薛西的信,可能刻在泥版上,也可能记在陶器碎片或羊皮纸上。 

  以斯拉时期执政的波斯王 

  拉 4:10> 在历史上多强大的王国也会衰落,看亚斯那巴王── 

  4:10 亚斯那巴(公元前 669-627 年)曾重新迁徙被掳的以色列人。他是亚述国最后一位有为君主,他死后国家随即衰落。公元前 612 年亚述终被巴比伦征服。 

  拉 4:19-20> 当亚达薛西发现君王皆出自耶路撒冷后,他就…… 

  4:19-20 亚达薛西曾说:耶路撒冷“自古以来常有背叛列王、反叛悖逆的事。”他翻查历史记载,发现君王皆出自耶路撒冷,他也许担忧此城一旦重建起来,会再兴起一位强大的君王。过去所罗门曾统治庞大帝国(参王上 4:21 ),而耶路撒冷的王亦屡抗强权,例如西底家起誓效忠尼布甲尼撒,但最后仍背叛了他(参代下 36:13 )。故此亚达薛西不愿帮助重建这个城邦。 

  拉 4:23> 被逐回归,心只想建殿却又受阻,怎不灰心──不然!为什么? 

  4:23 被逐的以色列人祸不单行( 4:1-22 ),饱受挫折,重建的工作又停滞,心中既痛苦又沮丧。虽然环境有时由不得人控制,领袖们也应尽忠,使工作继续进行。当你被困扰,感到寸步难移时,切记仍要在主里刚强站立。 

  拉 4:24> 停止了,却也不是永远不再动── 

  4:24 从这一节开始,以斯拉再次按年月顺序记录。这节所发生的事情,距百姓动工重建圣殿之时约有十年之久。重建工程停止了,至公元前 520 年,即大利乌王在位第二年才恢复( 5 章)。──《灵修版圣经注释》