Lièwángjìshang 19

1 Yà hā jiāng Yǐlìyà yīqiè suǒ xíng de hé tā yòng dāo shā zhòng xiānzhī de shì dōu gàosu yé xǐ bié .

2 Yé xǐ bié jiù chāiqiǎn rén qù jiàn Yǐlìyà , gàosu tā shuō , míngrì yuē zaì zhè shíhou , wǒ ruò bú shǐ nǐde xìngméng xiàng nàxiē rén de xìngméng yíyàng , yuàn shénmíng chóngchóng dì jiàng fá yǔ wǒ .

3 Yǐlìyà jiàn zhè guāngjǐng jiù qǐlai taó méng , dào le Yóudà de Bièshìbā , jiāng púrén liú zaì nàli ,

4 Zìjǐ zaì kuàngyĕ zǒu le yī rì de lùchéng , lái dào yī kē luó téng shù xià ( luó téng , xiǎo shù míng , sōng leì . xià tóng ) , jiù zuò zaì nàli qiú sǐ , shuō , Yēhéhuá a , ba le . qiú nǐ qǔ wǒde xìngméng , yīnwei wǒ bú shēng yú wǒde lièzǔ .

5 Tā jiù tǎng zaì luó téng shù xià , shuì zhe le . yǒu yī gè tiānshǐ pāi tā , shuō , qǐlai chī ba .

6 tā guānkàn , jiàn tóu páng yǒu yī píng shuǐ yǔ tànhuǒ shāo de bǐng , tā jiù chī le hē le , réngrán tǎng xià .

7 Yēhéhuá de shǐzhĕ dì èr cì lái pāi tā , shuō , qǐlai chī ba . yīnwei nǐ dāng zǒu de lù shén yuǎn .

8 Tā jiù qǐlai chī le hē le , zhàng zhe zhè yǐnshí de lì , zǒu le sì shí zhòuyè , dào le shén de shān , jiù shì Héliè shān .

9 Tā zaì nàli jìn le yī gè dòng , jiù zhù zaì dòng zhōng . Yēhéhuá de huà líndào tā shuō , Yǐlìyà a , nǐ zaì zhèlǐ zuò shénme .

10 Tā shuō , wǒ wèi Yēhéhuá wàn jūn zhī shén dà fā rèxīn . yīnwei Yǐsèliè rén beìqì le nǐde yuē , huǐhuaì le nǐde tán , yòng dāo shā le nǐde xiānzhī , zhǐ shèngxia wǒ yī gèrén , tāmen hái yào xún suǒ wǒde méng .

11 Yēhéhuá shuō , nǐ chūlai zhàn zaì shān shàng , zaì wǒ miànqián . nàshí Yēhéhuá cóng nàli jīngguò , zaì tā miànqián yǒu liè fēng dà zuò , bēng shān suì shí , Yēhéhuá què bú zaì fēng zhōng . fēng hòu dìzhèn , Yēhéhuá què bú zaì qízhōng .

12 Dìzhèn hòu yǒu huǒ , Yēhéhuá yĕ bú zaì huǒ zhōng . huǒ hòu yǒu wēi xiǎo de shēngyīn .

13 Yǐlìyà tīngjian , jiù yòng waìyī méng shàng liǎn , chūlai zhàn zaì dòng kǒu . yǒu shēngyīn xiàng tā shuō , Yǐlìyà a , nǐ zaì zhèlǐ zuò shénme .

14 Tā shuō , wǒ wèi Yēhéhuá wàn jūn zhī shén dà fā rèxīn . yīnwei Yǐsèliè rén beìqì le nǐde yuē , huǐhuaì le nǐde tán , yòng dāo shā le nǐde xiānzhī , zhǐ shèngxia wǒ yī gèrén , tāmen hái yào xún suǒ wǒde méng .

15 Yēhéhuá duì tā shuō , nǐ huí qù , cóng kuàngyĕ wǎng Dàmǎsè qù . dào le nàli , jiù yào gāo hā xuē zuò Yàlán wáng ,

16 Yòu gāo níng shì de sūnzi yé hù zuò Yǐsèliè wáng , bìng gāo Yàbó mǐ hé là rén shā fǎ de érzi Yǐlìshā zuò xiānzhī jiēxù nǐ .

17 Jiānglái duǒbì hā xuē zhī dāo de , bì beì yé hù suǒ shā . duǒbì yé hù zhī dāo de , bì beì Yǐlìshā suǒ shā .

18 Dàn wǒ zaì Yǐsèliè rén zhōng wéi zìjǐ liú xià qī qiā rén , shì wèicéng xiàng bā lì qūxī de , wèicéng yǔ bā lì qīnzuǐde .

19 Yúshì , Yǐlìyà líkāi nàli zǒu le , yùjiàn shā fǎ de érzi Yǐlìshā gēngdì . zaì tā qiántou yǒu shí èr duì niú , zìjǐ gǎn zhe dì shí èr duì . Yǐlìyà dào Tānàli qù , jiāng zìjǐ de waìyī dā zaì tā shēnshang .

20 Yǐlìshā jiù líkāi niú , paó dào Yǐlìyà nàli , shuō , qiú nǐ róng wǒ xiān yǔ fùmǔ qīnzuǐ, ránhòu wǒ biàn gēnsuí nǐ . Yǐlìyà duì tā shuō , nǐ huí qù ba , wǒ xiàng nǐ zuò le shénme ne .

21 Yǐlìshā jiù líkāi tā huí qù , zǎi le yī duì niú , yòng tào niú de qìjù zhǔ ròu gĕi mín chī , suíhòu jiù qǐshēn gēnsuí Yǐlìyà , fúshì tā .

Lièwángjìshang 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

Elijah flees to the wilderness. (1-8) God manifests himself to Elijah. (9-13) God's answer to Elijah. (14-18) The call of Elisha. (19-21)

Verses 1-8 Jezebel sent Elijah a threatening message. Carnal hearts are hardened and enraged against God, by that which should convince and conquer them. Great faith is not always alike strong. He might be serviceable to Israel at this time, and had all reason to depend upon God's protection, while doing God's work; yet he flees. His was not the deliberate desire of grace, as Paul's, to depart and be with Christ. God thus left Elijah to himself, to show that when he was bold and strong, it was in the Lord, and the power of his might; but of himself he was no better than his fathers. God knows what he designs us for, though we do not, what services, what trials, and he will take care that we are furnished with grace sufficient.

Verses 9-13 The question God put, What doest thou here, Elijah? is a reproof. It concerns us often to ask whether we are in our place, and in the way of our duty. Am I where I should be? whither God calls me, where my business lies, and where I may be useful? He complained of the people, and their obstinacy in sin; I only am left. Despair of success hinders many a good enterprise. Did Elijah come hither to meet with God? he shall find that God will meet him. The wind, and earthquake, and fire, did not make him cover his face, but the still voice did. Gracious souls are more affected by the tender mercies of the Lord, than by his terrors. The mild voice of Him who speaks from the cross, or the mercy-seat, is accompanied with peculiar power in taking possession of the heart.

Verses 14-18 God repeated the question, What doest thou here? Then he complained of his discouragement; and whither should God's prophets go with their complaints of that kind, but to their Master? The Lord gave him an answer. He declares that the wicked house of Ahab shall be rooted out, that the people of Israel shall be punished for their sins; and he shows that Elijah was not left alone as he had supposed, and also that a helper should at once be raised up for him. Thus all his complaints are answered and provided for. God's faithful ones are often his hidden ones, ( Psalms 83:3 ) , and the visible church is scarcely to be seen: the wheat is lost in chaff, and the gold in dross, till the sifting, refining, separating day comes. The Lord knows them that are his, though we do not; he sees in secret. When we come to heaven we shall miss many whom we thought to have met there; we shall meet many whom we little thought to have met there. God's love often proves larger than man's charity, and far more extended.

Verses 19-21 Elijah found Elisha by Divine direction, not in the schools of the prophets, but in the field; not reading, or praying, or sacrificing, but ploughing. Idleness is no man's honour, nor is husbandry any man's disgrace. An honest calling in the world, does not put us out of the way of our heavenly calling, any more than it did Elisha. His heart was touched by the Holy Spirit, and he was ready to leave all to attend Elijah. It is in a day of power that Christ's subjects are made willing; nor would any come to Christ unless they were thus drawn. It was a discouraging time for prophets to set out in. A man that had consulted with flesh and blood, would not be fond of Elijah's mantle; yet Elisha cheerfully leaves all to accompany him. When the Saviour said to one and to another, Follow me, the dearest friends and most profitable occupations were cheerfully left, and the most arduous duties done from love to his name. May we, in like manner, feel the energy of his grace working in us mightily, and by unreserved submission at once, may we make our calling and election sure.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 19

This chapter gives us a further account of Elijah, of his being obliged to flee for his life through the threats of Jezebel, 1Ki 19:1-4, of the care the Lord took of him, providing food for him, in the strength of which he went to Horeb, 1Ki 19:5-8, of the Lord's appearance to him there, and conversation with him, 1Ki 19:9-14, of some instructions he gave him to anoint a king over Syria, another over Israel, and a prophet in his room, 1Ki 19:15-18, and of his finding Elisha, and throwing his mantle over him, who left his secular employment, and followed him, and became his servant, 1Ki 19:19-21.