09/11/2021

前言 :

在列王记下第18章的经文里我们都一直看到其实希西家在他的前半段的执政生涯里，当他如何走在正路，神就如何地与他同在并保守他。今天来到这一章，很可惜的，我们会看到来到希西家王下半段的执政生涯，他犯下了一个重大的错误，导致他的后代都被牵连。

而今天这一章经文对于希西家王下半段执政生涯的记载，其实我们也可以用箴言18:12来作为一个概括，就是‘败坏之先，人心骄傲。尊荣以前，必有谦卑。’所以我想把今天这一章经文的主题定为《谦受益而满招损》。

一、谦卑得福(V1-11)

1. 谦卑领受医治（V1-7）

那时希西家病得要死。这个到底是什么时候呢？这里大部分的学者认为，这其实就是之前经文所描述的亚述王西拿基立正开始攻击犹大的时候。此时希西家做王第14年，而他是从25岁开始登基的，就是说他这时才39岁，但他已经得了一个不治之症。

先知以赛亚就告知他：你快要离世了，你要速速交代好接下来的你的家应该怎样来打点，当然这也包括接下来整个的犹大国要怎样来管理。然后当希西家听到这个消息过后，他就自卑地来到主的面前，他把脸转向墙来祷告神，求神纪念他对着神的委身，纪念他按着诚实正直来为神行事，并且哭泣在神的面前。我想他真的很不甘心，因为如今国家正在一个这么危急的关头，但是他却快要死了。所以神也很快就对着他的祷告做出了回应，就在以赛亚还没有走到很远的时候，神就告诉以赛亚说祂要医治希西家，让希西家第三日就可以健康地上到神的殿。并且神要给希西家多十五年的寿数，也要救希西家和耶路撒冷城脱离亚述王的手。然后以赛亚就这样回去对着希西家讲述神所要赐给他的医治恩典，也告诉他要把一块无花果饼放在患病的疮上。而当他的仆人也这么做的时候，他就得到了完全的医治。

这里我们看到希西家领受医治的关键就在于他的谦卑，我们可以看到他的心真的很渴望能够继续来服事犹大的百姓，好让他们能够走在正路而得蒙神的赐福和保护。V5神形容希西家为我民的君，这是神对希西家的肯定。所以因着希西家的谦卑，他那一颗愿意贴近神的心，神就非常乐意地医治他，并延长他的寿数，好让他可以继续来服事犹大的百姓。

谦卑能够让人经历神的医治。希西家的经历今天仍在发生。几年前香港611的董帖心牧师发现自己罹患了乳房恶性肿瘤，但香港611灵粮堂的主任牧师张恩年牧师鼓励她经历希西家王毒疮得医治的神蹟，她说：“我就把无花果饼放在肿瘤上，贴了一个晚上，第二天依旧还在，一个月后，1节半食指大小的肿瘤竟然完全消失、不痛，经过检查确认它不见了！”如果帖心牧师没有谦卑，她也无法领受这份医治的恩典。

鼓励患重病的弟兄姐妹可以效法希西家这样来经历神，谦卑来到神面前，也对神诉说你想要继续来服事祂的心志。当然谦卑，不仅仅会让人领受医治而已，谦卑更是会让人经历神其他各样的恩宠和恩典。

2. 谦卑领受厚爱（V8-11）

刚才在V7我们看见希西家已经得了痊愈，但仿佛来到V8的故事记载里，我们看到他有点小信，担心自己没有完全得医治。所以他向神求了一个‘他第三日真的能够上到神的殿’的印证。然后他也选择了一个难度更大的神迹去印证神必完全地医治他，就是日影要往后退10度的神迹。按着当时日晷的设计，其实就是要时间倒退40分钟。

从宗教的角度看，这是他的小信。但从生命树的角度看，这里我们没有看到神的责备。对于一个刚生一场大病的人，神知道他的软弱，所以神给他选择一个这么难成就的神迹来作为印证，来提升希西家的信心。在历史上，神让时间改变，只出现两次，一个是在约书亚年代，以色列人攻打亚摩利人的时候；一次就是在希西家执政的时候。科学家其实已经证实，在太阳系的循环时间与周期中，刚好少了一天，就是圣经中所记载的约书亚年代少了23小时20分钟和希西家年代少了40分钟（感兴趣者可上网搜索更多的细节）。可见希西家在神的眼中是大大蒙爱的。

希西家的谦卑让他蒙受神的厚爱，今天我们也是一样。让我们观察一些特别蒙神恩宠的人，我们总是能看到这类肢体生命中的谦卑。

二、骄傲招祸(V12-21)

1. 炫耀财富招祸（V12-15）

当巴比伦王儿子比罗达巴拉但听见希西家患不治之症中得了痊愈，比罗达巴拉但非常地惊喜，也就写信和送礼物来恭喜他。为了表示对送信，送礼物使者的欢迎，希西家就把他自己家中还有整个犹大国的宝物都给使者看了。甚至他对着先知以赛亚还表达说：他没有一样好东西没有给从巴比伦来的使者观看。

其实当时希西家就是在经历痊愈后一时兴奋，因为领受神的恩宠实在太大了，就骄傲了起来，然后就埋下了祸根。其实今天我们都有听说过，钱财不可露眼，但有时可能我们心高气傲的时候也会这样。比如，向同学炫耀我们有最新的手机。当然钱财不可露眼，在新加坡还好一点，因为毕竟这里法律还比较严。但这在其他许多国家真的要不得的。所以让我们学习谦卑，尤其我们要把我们有的物质也好，恩赐也好，反正就是我们拥有的东西，我们所蒙受的祝福，都归荣耀给神，而不要在人面前去炫耀。

2. 不知悔改招祸（V16-21）

除了因为骄傲而炫耀财富招祸，其实希西家家族招祸的问题更在于希西家听到神的审判后不知悔改（V16-21）。

当希西家告诉先知以赛亚他把所有宝物给巴比伦使者都看了过后，以赛亚就对希西家发预言：他家中从列祖积蓄下来到今天的一切产业，都会被掳到巴比伦去。然后他自己所生的子孙后代中，也会有人被掳到巴比伦的王宫做太监。听到如此审判的信息，希西家的回应非常奇怪，他觉得神的话甚好，觉得只要自己活着的年日国家太平稳固就好，但却没有悔改之意，也没有考虑会遭殃自己的子孙后代。果然150年后，巴比伦人攻破耶路撒冷，把人和财物都掳到巴比伦去，以赛亚的预言也就得到了成就。

是希西家的骄傲，导致他被蒙蔽，不知悔改；也让他没有对子孙的爱。曾经我就听过有人说：我下一代怎样我管不了，我顾好自己就好了。仿佛这也就是这里希西家的问题，是很扭曲的一个观念。我们不应只考虑自己，我们要爱我们的孩子，孙子，让他们都走在神的正路，并持守在神所应许给我们的福分当中。让我们也把有关爱的真理注入我们的生命，爱是乐意舍己的。所以有爱的人都乐意为孩子、孙子舍己，甚至是舍命。

这事过后，V20就是记载希西家引水入城的功绩而已了。他的治理好不好，是很好的。因为曾经耶路撒冷被亚述人围困，当时缺水真的让人很绝望。所以这些引水入城的工程是很值得肯定的。但当希西家离世和列祖同睡后，我们看到接续他作王的是他儿子玛拿西，当我们再看后面的经文就知道他是一个多么恶的王。希西家如果懂得悔改，向神求恩，并好好地教育下一代，我相信神是乐意施恩，整个的局面也会扭转的。可是最终的结果是，希西家事工做得很好，但是育儿却很糟糕。这是对我们极大的提醒：今天我们有教养我们的孩子吗？还是只是顾着做好事业，做好服事？

总结:

谦受益而满招损，我们要持续领受福气，领受神的恩典，就要持守在谦卑中。

让我们都除去‘高抬自己，而不把荣耀归给神’的骄傲、自满还有自大，更是要除去生命中扭曲的非神信念，懂得常常悔改来到神的面前，好让我们能够保守自己一直活在属神的谦卑当中，并且让祝福一直传递到我们的子子孙孙当中！

2 Kings Chapter 20

Title: Humility brings benefits but pride brings loss

Introduction:

In the scripture of 2 Kings Chapter 18, we can see King Hezekiah in first half of his reign, when he walked at the right path, God led him, was with him and protected him. Today as we come to this chapter, very regrettable, we send the 2nd half of his reign, he made a great mistake and caused him descendants to be implicated.

Today this chapter recorded the 2nd half of the reign of King Hezekiah, We can describe it by using Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. So, I would like to set today’s title as Humble brings benefits but pride brings loss.

1.The one who is humble will receive blessings (v1-11)

(1).The one who is humble receives healing (v1-v7)

That was the time King Hezekiah was sick and near death. When was this happened? A lot of scholar believed that this happened when King Assyria, Sennacherib started to attached Judah. This was the time King Hezekiah reigned for 14 years, and he was a king when he was 25. That means he was at the age of 39 years old. However, he has an incurable disease.

Prophet Isaiah went and said to him, you almost die and you shall quickly take care of the matters in your household, definitely this includes how to manage the nation of Judah. When King Hezekiah heard of this news, he came before God and turned his face to the wall and prayed to God, pleaded to God to remember him of his commitment towards God, remembered him for doing what right for God according to honesty and cried before God. I think he was not willing, because the whole nation is in this deep crisis, but he was near death. So, very quickly God responded to his prayer. Before prophet Isaiah left to a further place, God spoke to Isaiah and said He wants to heal Hezekiah and he shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day. Furthermore, God wants to give Hezekiah another 15 years and will save Hezekiah and Jerusalem from the hands of King Assyria. Then, Isaiah went to say to Hezekiah God will grant him the grace of healing, and say to him to take a lump of figs laid it on the boil. When his servant did this, Hezekiah was completely healed.

We can see here Hezekiah was healed because he was humble. We can his heart really desire to continue to serve the people of Judah, to lead them to the right path and receive God’s blessings and protections. V5 God described Hezekiah as the king of his people. This is an acknowledgement from God to Hezekiah. Due to the humility of Hezekiah, his willingness to draw to the heart of God, God is pleased to heal him and extend his years of living, for him to continue to service the people of Judah.

Humility can enable a person to experience God’s healing. Hezekiah experienced it and it is still happening even today. A few years ago, Hong Kong 611 Pastor Deborah was diagnosed with breast cancer. But Hong Kong 611 bread of life senior pastor Reverent Joshua Cheong encouraged her to experience the miracle healing of Hezekiah bad tumor. She said, I put the lumps figs on top of the tumor, stick it for a night. The second day, the tumor is still there. After 1 month, the tumor as the size of middle finger was disappeared. If Pastor Deborah is not humble, she shall never receive this gracious healing.

I encourage brothers and sisters who are in great sickness to experience God as Hezekiah, humbly come before God and tell God you are determined to serve God. Definitely to humble yourselves not to experience healing alone, but humility will enable a person to experience different favors and grace.

(2).The humble one receives great love (v8-v11)

Just now in V7 Hezekiah was healed, but however V8 recorded that we see he has little faith, afraid that he will not get healed completely. So, He asked God “On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. He chose a very difficult miracle to confirm that God will completely heal him, that is “shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?” According to the design of sundial, it has reversed 40 minutes.

From religion perspective, this is small faith. From the perspective of tree of life, we did not see God rebukes him. For a person who was sick to death, God knew his weaknesses. So God allowed him to choose a very difficult miracles for confirmation to elevate Hezekiah’s faith. In history, there were only 2 times, God allows the change of time. Once was at the time of Joshua, Israelite was attacking the Amorites, the other time was when Hezekiah reigned. The scientist has confirmed that solar system cycle time, it is to less 1 day. In the bible recorded at the time of Joshua, time was less for 23 hours and 20 minutes and at the Hezekiah, time has less for 40 minutes. We can see that Hezekiah was greatly favoured in the eyes of God.

The humility of Hezekiah has made him received great love from God. It is likewise for us. When we see some members received special favour from God, we can also see the humility in their lives.

2.Pride brings disaster (v12-v21)

But we shall be cautious to walk in God’s will. When we received God’s favour, will we be over excited, and our lives has entered from the original humility into pride. Proverbs 18:12 reminded us ‘Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty. Unfortunately, the life of Hezekiah really experienced in this way as an example in the Isralite’s history.

(1).To show off wealth and disaster (v12-v15)

When Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan heard of Hezekiah was healed from the incurable disease. Berodach-Baladan was very surprised and wrote letter and sent gifts to congratulate him. In order to welcome the messenger who gave letter and gifts, Hezekiah showed all the great treasures he had and what the nation of Judah had to the messenger. There was nothing he did not show to the Babylon messenger.

That was the time when Hezekiah was overly excited after his healing. It was because he received great favour from God and started to become proud and it lead to disaster. Today we heard of the saying, do not show off with your money. However, there were times when we are overly excited of proud, we will do the same. For example, To show off our new handphone to our friends. Do not show off your money, it is good to be in Singapore where the law is very strict. However, this behavior in many countries are unacceptable. So, let us learn to be humble, especially we shall glorify God and do not show off the things we had before people, the gifts we had, everything we had and the blessings we had.

(2).Not repenting leads to disaster (v16-v21)

Other than the reason of prideful and showing off the wealth has led to disaster. Actually the descendants of Hezekiah faced disaster was because Hezekiah had heard of God’s judgement but never repent.

When Hezekiah told prophet Isaiah he showed every treasure he had to the messenger of Babylon, ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord.  ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will [f]descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” After hearing the judgement, Hezekiah’s response was strange. He thought the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good! As long as the nation was very peaceful during the reign of his time. He did not have any will of repenting and never thought of the disaster that would come upon his descendants. Truly after 150 years, Babylon attacked Jerusalem and man and treasures were carried out to Babylon, the prophecy of Isaiah had come to pass.

It was because of the pride of Hezekiah that made him blinded, never repent and there were no love towards his descendants. I heard before there was someone who said I do not care what will happen to my descendants, I just need to take care of myself. This is the Hezekiah’s problem and it was a very distorted mindset. We shall not only think of ourselves, but also love our children, grandchildren and lead them to walk in the right path of God, and continue to be in the blessings that God has promised. May we also infuse the care and love in our lives, love is willing to lay down ourselves. So, people who has love is willing to lay down their lives for their children, grandchildren.

After this has passed, v20 recorded that the great work of Hezekiah of bringing in the water into the city. Did he reign well? Yes, he did well. This was when Jerusalem was besieged by the Assyrians, water shortage to feel hopeless. So, this project of bringing the water into the city is something should be acknowledged of. However, when we see Hezekiah was about to depart and slept with his ancestors. We saw his son, Manasseh who reigned in his place, at the following scriptures we can see he was an evil king. If Hezekiah repented, asked for the grace of God and taught his next generation well, I believe God is willing to extend his grace to him and the whole scenario will be turned over. However, the ultimate result was Hezekiah did very well but was bad in teaching his children. This serves as a great reminder for us. Do we teach and nurture our children? Or we just focus on doing well in our career and do well in the ministry?

Conclusion:

Humility brings benefits but pride brings loss. In order for us to try to continue to receive blessings, receive the grace of God, we shall be in humility.
May we remove the pride of “lift ourselves up and did not give God the glory”, prideful and arrogant, even to remove the distorted beliefs that were against God and knew to always come before God to enable us to continue to keep living in godly humility and to pass down the blessings to our next generations.