??Introduction：Have you ever seen a whirlwind or tornado？Elisha stared up into the sky, where just a few seconds before he had seen a whirlwind catch up his precious friend and teacher, Elijah. Old Elijah had disappeared into Heaven, leaving only his cloak behind.
??"I want a double portion of your spirit!" Elisha had answered when old Elijah asked for his last request. Elijah had said, "If you see me when I go up to Heaven, you will have that request." Elisha had seen Elijah go up, but perhaps he still wondered, "Do I have that double portion of Elijah's spirit？"
??Picking up the cloak, Elisha turned to go back to the edge of the Jordan River. There were 50 men watching from the other side. They were called the sons of the prophets, and they were men whom Elijah and Elisha had taught. Suddenly they saw Elisha take the cloak and hit the waters of the Jordan. "Where is the God of Elijah？" cried Elisha. Suddenly the waters parted, just as they had for Elijah, and Elisha walked across the river.
??"The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha!" the prophets said in awe, and they came to bow down before Elisha to show their respect for his authority. They said to him, "Look now, we have fifty strong men, so please let us go and look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord took him up, and then cast him down on some mountain or in some valley.
??Elisha knew the Lord had not done any such thing, and he said, "No, you shall not go." But even though the prophets had bowed to show their respect, they now argued with Elisha. The Bible says they kept on insisting until Elisha was ashamed, so he told them to go ahead with their plan. Do you think they really respected Elisha as a man of God？
??Main Teaching：Have you ever been guilty of showing disrespect for God's workers？
??If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to show respect for His workers. Can you say today's Bible verse with me？Hebrews 13：17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves..." Hebrews 13：17. Showing respect means treating others politely and listening to what they say. We should show respect for everyone, but we are to especially respect God's workers. The fifty sons of the prophets were not showing real respect for Elisha as a prophet of God, because they didn't believe him.
??Elisha finally told them, "Go on and look for Elijah." Do you think they found old Elijah's body？II Kings 2：17 says the men looked for three days, but did not find him. When they reported to Elisha, what do you think Elisha said？"Didn't I tell you not to go？" They should have respected and obeyed Elisha's word.
??Elisha was in Jericho at that time, and the men of the city came to him with a problem.
??"Look at our city, the location is so pleasant as you can see, but the water is terrible. The water is so bad it keeps the plants from growing and bearing fruit." Because they respected Elisha as a true prophet of God, they were telling him their problem with great expectation that he could help. Elisha said, "Bring me a new pitcher and put salt in it."
??Quickly the new pitcher with salt was brought to the prophet. They followed Elisha to the spring of the waters, where they watched him cast the salt into the water. "Thus says the Lord, I have healed these waters; from now on there shall not be any more death or barren land." II Kings 2：22 says, "So the waters were healed...according to the saying of Elisha."
??Did Elisha heal the waters？No, he was very careful to give glory to the Lord! And the men of Jericho were very careful to show respect for the prophet of the Lord!
??Main Truth：If you are a child of God, God wants you to show respect for His workers. What are some ways you can show respect for God's workers？When your pastor or teacher is teaching God's Word, do you play or draw or misbehave？God wants you to listen attentively and reverently, for your pastor and Bible teachers are God's messengers to you. You should not only listen, but pray for your pastor and teachers, and obey their words. Why not go to them and politely thank them for teaching you？??Your parents are also God's workers to teach and train you. My niece who is now grown and married said recently, "Aunt Dee, I once resented my grandmother making me help in the kitchen. But now I am so proud to know how to work in my kitchen and make delicious food for my husband, all because of Grandma's good training." Your parents are God's workers to teach you how to work, and learn to do practical things and right things. You should respect them by obeying cheerfully, by listening quietly without interruptions and complaining. You should speak well of your parents to others.
??Remember, you are pleasing the Lord greatly when you show respect for His workers.
??God was quick to show Elisha how to heal the waters of Jericho, perhaps because God saw the respect the men of the city had for His messenger.
??As Elisha left Jericho to go to Bethel, the Bible tells us that a group of young people came to meet the prophet. It grieves me to tell you these young people were NOT showing respect for God's prophet. II Kings 2：23 says they began to mock Elisha, saying, "Go up you bald head; go up, you bald head." If they were so rude to mistreat God's worker, how do you think they felt about God Himself？
??Gospel：God says when we mistreat even one of the least of His children, we have mistreated Him. How awful to think of mistreating the God Who created us, to use the breath He gave us to say rude things about Him or His people! What a terrible sin! Ephesians 2：4 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, " All of us have sinned against God, the Bible tells us, and the punishment for sin is everlasting death away from God and Heaven. But our Creator loves us. He loves us and made a way for our sin to be forgiven. When God sent His perfect Son Jesus to earth to die and take the punishment for our sin, the people were rude and mocked Jesus too. But how did Jesus respond？From the cross where He hung dying for our sin, Jesus cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Jesus willingly took the mocking and beating because of His great love for us. He died, was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead. Now the Lord Jesus is in Heaven at God's right hand, and He is ready to forgive those who have sinned when they come to Him, repenting of their sin and believing on Him.
??How could anyone mock and say rude things about such a wonderful, loving God？God says that when we say rude things about one of His workers, we have said those things about Him. The young people did not realize they were really mocking God as they called out, "Go up, you bald head; go up, you bald head." Elisha turned around and looked at them. He called on the Lord to bring punishment on them. The Bible tells us that suddenly there came the frightful sight of two angry mother bears, rushing out of the nearby woods. Before the young people could run away, the bears attacked the group and badly wounded forty-two of them!
??Evidently the bears did not harm Elisha for he continued on his way. But we can be sure there were some young people who learned an unforgettable lesson on the seriousness of not respecting God's worker! If you know the Lord Jesus, will you commit to showing a greater respect for God's workers？We should show respect for all those in authority over us, but especially to those who know the Lord Jesus and work for Him. Can you name some of God's workers in your life？This week will you write down your memory verse, and under it list ways you can show respect for God's workers. Then put a check by those ways when you do them this week. Remember to pray, asking God for His help.
??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, God's Word says that you must bear your own punishment for sin, which is everlasting death and separation from God. Why not come to the Lord Jesus today and let Him take that burden of your sin, and let Him give you His everlasting life instead？Go right now to "How to Be a Child of God."
??小朋友, 你有没有见过旋风, 也叫龙卷风？我们上一次的故事里, 旋风把以利沙的朋友和老师以利亚接到天上去了。以利沙站在那里, 眼睛望着天上, 直到以利亚完全消失。以利亚只留下身上掉下来的外衣。
??以利亚离开之前, 曾经问以利沙有什么要求。以利沙说, 愿感动你的灵加倍的感动我。 以利亚说："我被接去离开你的时候, 你若看见我, 就必得着。" 现在, 以利沙已经看见以利亚被接升天, 他也许在想, 感动以利亚的灵有没有加倍的感动我呢？
??以利沙捡起以利亚身上掉下来的外衣, 回去站在约但河边。有五十个人在河对面远远地看着。他们是先知门徒, 是跟随以利亚和以利沙学习的。
??突然, 他们看见以利沙用以利亚身上掉下来的外衣打水, 说："耶和华, 以利亚的神在哪里呢？。" 打水之后, 水也左右分开, 以利沙就过来了。这些先知门徒从对面看见他, 就说："感动以利亚的灵感动以利沙了。" 他们就来迎接他, 在他面前俯伏于地, 表示对以利沙的尊崇。他们对以利沙说："仆人们这里有五十个壮士, 求你容他们去寻找你师傅, 或者耶和华的灵将他提起来, 投在某山某谷。" 以利沙知道神并没有这样做, 所以说："你们不必打发人去。" 虽然这些先知门徒已经拜过以利沙, 他们却与以利沙争论。圣经上说, 他们再三催促他, 他难以推辞, 就说："你们打发人去吧。"
??小朋友们, 你觉得他们有没有真的尊敬以利沙为神的仆人呢？你有没有不尊重过神的仆人呢？如果你称主耶稣为你的救主, 神就要你尊重他的仆人。请跟我一起读这一节圣经：希伯来书13：17："你们要依从那些引导你们的, 且要顺服... "尊敬就是要对别人有礼貌, 听他们所说的话。我们应该尊重每一个人。但是我们更要尊重神的仆人。那五十个先知门徒们没有真正地尊重以利沙为神的先知, 因为他们不信他。
??以利沙后来对他们说："你们打发人去吧。" 你觉得他们有没有找到以利亚呢？列王记下2：17说, 这些人寻找了三天, 也没有找着。他们回来, 把这事告诉以利沙, 你知道以利沙说什么吗？"我岂没有告诉你们, 不必去么。" 他们应该尊敬以利沙, 并顺服他的话。
??那时候, 以利沙在耶利哥, 那城里的人带着一个问题来找他, 说："你看这城地势美好, 只是水是苦的。" 因为他们尊重以利沙是神的先知, 就把他们的问题告诉他, 也期待他能帮助他们。以利沙说："你们拿一个新瓶来装盐给我" .他们马上就把瓶和盐拿来给这位先知。他们跟着以利沙到水源那里, 看着他把盐倒在水里, 以利沙说："耶和华如此说, 我治好了这水, 从此必不再使人死, 也不再使地土不生产。" 就象以利沙说的那样, 那水治好了。
??是以利沙把水治好的吗？并不是!他把荣耀归给我们的主。而耶利哥的人也完全尊重这位主的先知。
??如果你是神的孩子, 神要你尊敬他的仆人。你怎么样去尊敬神的仆人呢？当牧师或主日学老师教导神的话的时候, 你有没有心不在焉甚至捣乱呢？神要你去留心倾听他的话语, 因为你们的牧师和教师们把神的话语传讲给你们, 你们不仅要听, 还要为你们的牧师和教师们祷告, 并且顺服他们。你可以去谢他们把神的话语教导给你。你的父母也是神的仆人, 他们用神的话语来教导和训练你们。我的侄女现在已经长大成家了, 她最近说, 安蒂阿姨, 我以前很讨厌我的奶奶叫我在厨房帮忙, 可是我现在真的很高兴我能给我的丈夫做一顿可口的饭菜, 这都是因为我奶奶给我这么好的教导。
??你们的父母就象神的仆人一样, 来教导你们怎么样去做每一件事情, 教导你们什么是有用的, 什么是对的。你们应当乐意服从他们。要安静地听, 不要打叉或报怨。记住, 当你们尊敬神的仆人的时候, 你就讨神的喜悦。
??神很快告诉以利沙怎样去医治耶利哥的水, 这也许是因为神看到耶利哥人对他先知的尊重。
??当以利沙离开耶利哥去伯特利的时候, 圣经告诉我们, 有一群年轻人看到以利沙, 我很难过地告诉你们, 这些年轻人不尊重神的先知。
??列王记下2：23说："他们就嘲笑以利沙说'秃头的上去吧, 秃头的上去吧'。" 如果他们对神的仆人这么不尊重, 你想他们会尊敬神吗？神说, 当我们不尊重他孩子里最小的一个, 我们就等于是不尊重他。不尊重我们的创造者是多么糟糕的事情！用他给我们的气息来羞辱神和他的子民, 这是一件多么可怕的罪啊！
??以弗所书2：4说："然而神既有丰富的伶悯, 因他爱我们的大爱, 当我们死在过犯中的时候, 便叫我们与基督一同活过来。"
??我们都犯了罪, 圣经告诉我们, 罪的工价就是永远的死亡, 并与神和天堂隔绝。但是我们的创造主爱我们, 他爱我们, 就预备了一条赦罪的路。当神差遣他完美的儿子耶稣到这世上来, 为我们的罪担当了刑罚, 并死在十字架上。可是那时候那些人也是羞辱, 嘲笑耶稣。你知道耶稣怎么回答吗？当他在被钉在十字架上的时候, 耶稣大喊着说："父啊, 赦免他们, 因为他们所做的他们不知道。" 耶稣甘愿被羞辱, 被鞭打, 因为他深爱我们。他死了, 被埋葬, 在第三天, 又从死里复活。现在主耶稣在天堂里, 在父神的右边。他已经预备好去赦免那些曾经向他犯罪的人。只要他们肯来到他面前, 为他们的罪悔改, 并且相信他。
??怎么可能有人来嘲笑, 辱骂这一位爱我们的神呢？神说当我们不遵重神的仆人的时候, 我们就不尊重他了。那些年轻人没想到他们嘲笑以利沙的时候, 就是在嘲笑神。"秃头的上去吧, 秃头的上去吧" , 以利沙回头看他们, 就奉耶和华的名咒诅他们。于是有两个母熊从林中出来, 撕裂他们中间四十二个人。
??我们知道那俩只熊没有伤害以利沙, 因为他继续往前走。但是我们可以肯定那些年轻人学了一个永远不会忘记的功课。如果不尊重神的仆人是一多么严重的事情。如果你相信主耶稣, 你愿意下决心尊重神的仆人吗？我们应当尊敬所有掌权在我们之上的, 但我们更是要尊敬那些服侍主耶稣的人。你能想出一些你周围神的仆人吗？请把你要背诵的经节写下来, 并且列出你要怎样尊敬神的仆人。当你做一件的时候, 就在旁边打一个勾。记住, 你要祷告, 求神来帮助你。
??如果你还没有相信主耶稣, 神的话说, 你必须承担自己的罪, 那就是永远的死和与神分离。你愿意今天就到主耶稣的面前, 让他把罪的重担接过来吗, 让他把永远的生命赐给你吗？请你现在就去听"怎样成为神的孩子。" |