第12堂课：他们在你家里见到了什么？

                Lesson 12 What Have They Seen in Your House?

(Isaiah 38, 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32)

第12堂课：他们在你家里见到了什么？

（以賽亞書 38 章，列王紀下 20 章， 歷代志下 32 章）

Copr. 2019, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.  All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc. (TM),  unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: Hezekiah was a great king! He followed God’s will and turned his country away from idol worship. When he faced death, he turned to God for help. In most ways he was faithful to God. But, he lacked discretion and he struggled with pride. These problems brought great harm to his country and his descendants.  How about you? Does your lack of discretion, your pride, or your lack of obedience undermine your desire to advance God’s Kingdom? Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and Hezekiah to see what we can learn!

介绍：希西家是个很棒的国王！他遵守神的旨意，带领国家从偶像敬拜回头。他面临死亡时寻求了神的帮助。总体他是对神忠心。但是，他不够谨慎，也常与他的自尊挣扎。这些问题给他的国家和后代带来了许多问题。你呢？你会不会做事情时不够谨慎，你的自尊或你的叛逆会不会导致你无法扩大神的王国？我们来深入的看神经怎么说，看从希西家身上能学到什么！

1. 缓刑

      A. 读以賽亞書 38 ：1-3. 神已决定希西家已经快到生命的末端了，但给了他时间“整理家务”。希西家以什么原因请求神改变主意？（他回顾了他做过的好事。他非常遗憾）

            B. 读以賽亞書 38 ：4-5. 神为什么会同意再加15年，延长希西家寿命？（他的祷告与痛哭）

                        1. 为什么神并没有提到希西家所做的好事？

            C．读以賽亞書 38 ：6. 神还答应希西家什么？ （他们将不用担心亚述国对他们有害。你应该会记得希西家和亚述国曾有过一段历史。看以賽亞書 36章）

                        1. 神为什么要补加这个承诺？（想象一下多15年的囚禁会是什么样的！）

                        2. 读列王紀下20：6 了解并排的描述。从这里，我们能了解到保护城市的其他原因？（神是为了祂自己，为了大卫而保护了这个城）

                        a. 从这个经历，我们能学到跟神培养好的感情有什么结果？（我们的后代都会有恩典）

                        3. 我经常会关注那些说如果你做“某某事情”你就可以延长寿命至少5年的研究报告。现在我做了那么多这些事情，应该足够我活到150岁！这个故事教导我们寿命与神有什么关系？（我们的寿命由神做主）

            D． 读以賽亞書 38 ：7. 为什么希西家需要一个兆头？神的承诺还不够吗？（读列王紀下20：8的并排故事。希西家要了一个兆头。明显，神的承诺还不够。有些专家解释为并不是希西家信仰不够深，而是当时要求兆头是个很正常的事情）

E. 读列王紀下20：9-11. 你同不同意影子往前比往后挪容易？（据我对科学的了解，这个兆头比让人康复还更难。神是把太阳或把地球的位置挪了！也有可能是神在那个地方改了光线）

1. 从这个故事，我们能看出神对我们的什么态度？（神不仅延长了希西家的寿命，还很容忍的给了一个兆头。并且，还让希西家选择奇迹的细节。）

1.     Reprieve

1. 1.     Read Isaiah 38:1-3. God determined it is the end for Hezekiah, but gives him time to put his “house in order.” On what basis does Hezekiah ask for God to change His mind? (He recites his good works. He is bitterly sad.)

1. 2.     Read Isaiah 38:4-5. Why does God add fifteen years to the life of Hezekiah? (His prayer and his tears.)

1. 1. 1.     Why does God not mention Hezekiah’s good works?

1. 3.     Read Isaiah 38:6. What else does God promise to Hezekiah? (That they will be safe from the Assyrians. You may remember that Hezekiah has a history with the Assyrians. See Isaiah 36.)

1. 1. 1.     Why did God add that promise? (Imagine what it would be like to have an additional fifteen years of captivity!)

1. 1. 2.     Read 2 Kings 20:6 for the parallel account. What reason for defending the city do we find here? (God defends the city for His sake and for David.)

1. 1. 1. 1.     What does this teach us about a great relationship with God? (That it will be a blessing to our descendants.)

1. 1. 3.     I pay attention to research articles that say that if you do “X” then you will have an additional five years of life. So far, I’m doing so many of these things that I should live to be 150! What does this story tell us about our longevity and our God? (Our life is in God’s hands.)

1. 4.     Read Isaiah 38:7. Why would Hezekiah need a sign? Is God’s word not enough? (Read the parallel account in 2 Kings 20:8. Hezekiah asked for a sign. Apparently, God’s word was not enough for him. Some commentators say this is not a sign of Hezekiah’s doubt, but that it was routine to ask for a sign.)

1. 5.     Read 2 Kings 20:9-11. Do you agree that it is easier for the shadow to go forward than it is to go back? (As I understand science, the sign is a much greater display of power then the healing. God has altered the position of the earth or sun! It is also possible that God altered perceptions or changed the light in that area.

1. 1. 1.     What does this teach us about God’s attitude towards us? (God not only increased Hezekiah’s life, but He showed His long-suffering nature by performing a miracle to bolster His word. Plus, He let Hezekiah choose the details of the miracle.)

2. 自尊
   
   1. 读歷代志下 32 ：24-25. 对于神赐保持生命，希西家有什么反应？（从这个并行阐述我们能得到而外的信息，似乎显示当时希西家的反应欠佳）

1. 你猜希西家是怎么在蒙恩到来时被内心的骄傲绊倒的呢？ （我猜他觉得保留生命是他应得的。也许他觉得他不应该那个时候死去。如果读以賽亞書38：9-17有部分支持这猜测的证据）

a. 我们是不是也有类似的态度 – 面对神的蒙恩时觉得是应得的？

1. 2. 以賽亞書39：1 当你生病时，被坐在高处的朋友惦记着是不是一个很棒的感受？
   3. 读以賽亞書21：1-2. 圣经知识解说词典说这个“入侵者”就是写了信给希西家的Marduk。他侵入了亚述国，战胜了巴比伦，被奉为“巴比伦国王”。你觉得这个是个友善的“祝你早日康复”的信吗？（回想我们之前提到希西家和亚述国是有历史故事的吗？他之前被亚述国恐吓和侮辱过，但神在他的蒙恩里解救了犹大。写这封信的人是攻击亚述国的人。他写这封信给希西家想建立一个盟友也是理所当然的事情。）
   4. 读以賽亞書 39：2. 希西家为什么要把他的财富和他的武库的所有兵器展示给Marduk的代表？
   5. 读歷代志下32：31. 神说Marduk的拜访是个测试，测试什么呢？（记：希西家一直与骄傲挣扎）

1. 如果猜对希西家的骄傲是他的绊脚石，那这是一个什么样的测试？（明显的答案是希西家很富有。没那么明显的答案是希西家会是一个很强的盟友）

1. 6. 读以賽亞書 10：5和以賽亞書 10：10-13. 为什么亚述国被称为神“恼恨的杖”？（神在利用这个不信主的国家来惩罚不顺从神的旨意的国家）
      1. 哪些属于不顺从旨意的国家？ （以賽亞曾预言国亚述国会惩罚崇拜偶像的犹太人）

1. 7. 你会怎么分析希西家所做的一切？这个跟测试希西家的骄傲有什么关系？记得他是个好的国王，他也毁灭了所有其他的偶像。（在这个事情上，希西家并没有把事情交托到神的手里。他还是努力的想通过他自己的方式打败亚述国）

3. Pride

1. 1.     Read 2 Chronicles 32:24-25. How did Hezekiah respond to God’s extension of his life? (We see another parallel account which provides the additional information that somehow Hezekiah did not respond properly to what God has done for him.)

1. 1. 1.     How do you think Hezekiah displayed his pride in the face of a miracle? (My guess is that he decided that he deserved to have his life extended.  It was unfair that he should die now. God owed him a longer life. If you read Isaiah 38:9-17 gives some evidence for this theory, although the evidence is mixed at best.)

1. 1. 1. 1.     Do we have this attitude - that we deserve the good things that happen to us?

1. 2.     Isaiah 39:1. Isn’t it great when you are sick to be remembered by friends in high places?

1. 3.     Read Isaiah 21:1-2. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says that this “invader” is Marduk, the same fellow who wrote the letter to Hezekiah. He had invaded Assyria, captured Babylon, and was crowned “King of Babylon.” Now do you think that this is only a friendly, I’m glad you got well, letter? (Recall the earlier mention that Hezekiah had a history with the Assyrians? He had been threatened and insulted by them, and God miraculously delivered Judah. The letter writer was a man who had attacked the Assyrians. It makes sense that he reached out to Hezekiah to gain an ally against the Assyrians.)

1. 4.     Read Isaiah 39:2. Why would Hezekiah show his wealth and his weapons to the representatives of Marduk?

1. 5.     Read 2 Chronicles 32:31. God says that the visit from Marduk’s representatives is a test. A test of what? (Recall that Hezekiah has a problem with pride.)

1. 1. 1.     Assuming that we are correct that pride is the issue, how is this a test of Hezekiah’s pride problem? (The obvious answer is that it shows that Hezekiah is rich.  The less obvious answer is that it shows that Hezekiah is a worthy ally to help defeat the Assyrians.)

1. 6.     Read Isaiah 10:5 and Isaiah 10:10-13. Why is Assyria referred to as “the rod of [God’s] anger?” (God is using that pagan nation to punish the disobedient.)

1. 1. 1.     Who are among the disobedient? (Isaiah prophesied that the Assyrians would punish God’s people for their idolatry.)

1. 7.     How would you analyze what Hezekiah is doing? What does this have to do with a test of Hezekiah’s pride? Remember that he is a good king and he destroyed the idols to false Gods. (Instead of letting God work this out, instead of relying on God’s promise to be safe from the Assyrians during his lifetime, Hezekiah is attempting to take the defeat of the Assyrians into his own hands.)

4. 悲伤的态度

1. 1. 读以賽亞書 39：3-6. 希西家的骄傲和他计划的战略是怎么失败的？ （Marduk攻击了犹大。他并非是想和希西家做盟友。神答应犹大不会败于亚述国，但结果因希西家的骄傲，导致巴比伦成了真正的威胁）

1. 2. 读以賽亞書 39：7-8. 希西家为什么会觉得以賽亞的预言是好事？（只可能从一个自私的角度才会觉得这是“好”事。他的后代，他的家人全部都会被抓。他们会被阉割。真让我无法对希西家有好的评价。）

1. 3. 我们回去回顾希西家的成就。读列王紀下20：20，歷代志下31：21， 歷代志下32：30。希西家一生都在赞美耶和华。他在耶路撒冷执行了后代都能享受的整改。这个跟希西家最后说的“好事”的下场有矛盾，怎么解释？（他把最后的惨剧说成“好事”几乎毁了他一生的功劳）
      1. 什么原因导致希西家一生做了很多带给神荣耀的事情，却在最后毁了一生的功劳？（自尊，骄傲，自私）
      2. 再次读歷代志下31：21. 希西家的所有财富来自于哪里？ （神赐的）
      3. 我们怎么在生命中划分因活得好而的来的蒙恩和因受到的蒙恩而自豪？（再次读歷代志下32：25。神经告诉我们希西家败在对神的蒙恩的反应。他受到神赐的财富，生命，并没有感恩。）

1. 4. 朋友，大家在你的生命见证了什么？他们在你的家里看到了什么？是骄傲吗？是自私吗？还是，对神的爱的感激？要不现在就请神灵赐你一个端正的态度？一个能吸引其他人追求神？

VI. 下周：在末日改变内心

5.     Sad Attitude

1. 1.     Read Isaiah 39:3-6. How does Hezekiah’s pride and his potential war plan backfire? (Marduk will attack Judah. He is not seeking to make an ally of Hezekiah. God promised that Judah would be safe from Assyria, but now Hezekiah has brought Babylon to their door.)

1. 2.     Read Isaiah 39:7-8. How can Hezekiah consider this to be a good word? (Only if you look at this in the most selfish way can this be considered “good.” He descendants, his family, will be captives. They will be castrated. This makes me think much less highly of Hezekiah.)

1. 3.     Let’s go back and review some of Hezekiah’s achievements. Read 2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 31:21 and 2 Chronicles 32:30. Hezekiah’s life was one of promoting the true God and his worship. He improved Jerusalem in ways that would be lasting achievements. How is this consistent with Hezekiah’s “good word” comments about the terrible future for Jerusalem and his family? (I think this is a reversal of everything that Hezekiah has tried to do during his lifetime.)

1. 1. 1.     What is at the bottom of Hezekiah suffering a reversal of everything that he has worked for during his life, including many great religious works? (Pride. Self interest.)

1. 1. 2.     Re-read 2 Chronicles 31:21. Who made Hezekiah rich? (God did.)

1. 1. 3.     How do we separate enjoying the prosperity of a life well-lived from pride in our prosperity? (Re-read 2 Chronicles 32:25. The Bible tells us that Hezekiah’s failure was not responding to God’s kindness. I think this means he did not show gratitude towards God for prospering him and saving his life.)

1. 4.     Friend, what do others see in your life? What do they see in your house? Do they see pride? Self-centeredness? Or, do they see gratitude towards God for His kindness? Why not ask the Holy Spirit right now to give you the right attitude? An attitude that will draw others towards God?

6.   Next week: Turning Hearts in the End Time.