圣经故事 67 约沙法信赖耶和华

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有一大群人，他们正上战场去，行在前头的人在唱歌。你也许会问：“这些歌手为什么没有拿着刀剑去作战呢？”让我们看看。

约沙法是以色列两个部族王国的君王。他和北部10个部族王国的亚哈王和耶洗别生活在同一个时候。但约沙法是个好国王，他的父亲亚撒也是个贤明的君王。因此南部两个部族王国的人民多年来都安居乐业。

但现在却发生了一些事情，使人民害怕起来。报信的人向约沙法报告说：“摩押、亚扪和西珥山的一大队军队要前来攻击你。”许多以色列人聚集在耶路撒冷寻求耶和华的帮助。他们来到圣殿，约沙法在那里祷告说：“耶和华我们的上帝啊，我们不知道怎么办。我们无力抵抗这大军。我们仰望你的帮助。”

耶和华垂听这个祷告，于是派他的仆人告诉人民说：“这场战争不是你们的，而是耶和华的。你们不必争战，只要观看就行了，看耶和华会怎样拯救你们。”

于是第二天早上，约沙法对人民说：“要信赖耶和华！”然后他派歌手走在士兵前头。他们前进的时候，都高声唱歌赞美耶和华。你知道他们走近战场时，有什么事发生吗？耶和华使敌军自相残杀。当以色列人来到的时候，敌军全都死去了！

约沙法全心信赖耶和华，岂不是明智之举吗？我们信赖耶和华也同样是明智之举。

列王纪上22：41-53；历代志下20：1-30。

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DO YOU know who these men are and what they are doing? They are going out to battle, and the men there in front are singing. But you may ask: ‘Why don’t the singers have swords and spears to fight with?’ Let us see.

Je·hosh′a·phat is king of the two-tribe kingdom of Israel. He lives at the same time as King A′hab and Jez′e·bel of the northern 10-tribe kingdom. But Je·hosh′a·phat is a good king, and his father A′sa was a fine king too. So for many years the people of the southern two-tribe kingdom enjoy a good life.

But now something happens to make the people afraid. Messengers report to Je·hosh′a·phat: ‘A large army from the countries of Mo′ab, Am′mon and Mount Se′ir are coming to attack you.’ Many Israelites gather at Jerusalem to seek Jehovah’s help. They go to the temple, and there Je·hosh′a·phat prays: ‘O Jehovah our God, we do not know what to do. We are helpless against this large army. We look to you for help.’

Jehovah listens, and he has one of his servants tell the people: ‘The battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not have to fight. Just watch, and see how Jehovah will save you.’

So the next morning Je·hosh′a·phat tells the people: ‘Have trust in Jehovah!’ He then puts singers out in front of his soldiers, and as they march along they sing praises to Jehovah. Do you know what happens when they get near the battle? Jehovah causes the enemy soldiers to fight among themselves. And when the Israelites arrive, every enemy soldier is dead!

Wasn’t Je·hosh′a·phat wise to trust in Jehovah? We will be wise if we trust in Him too.

1 Kings 22:41-53; 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.