討論問題

TAFPC Adult Sunday School Bible Study

台美團契長老教會成人主日學三年讀經運動 03/26/2006 討論問題

Question 1:  2 Kings Ch 9-10

Bible described how Jehu clean up Baal’s worshiper by using all kind of tricks (even made burnt offering to Baal).  Nowadays, we know that we cannot kill others simply because they have different religions.  But, do you think that it is appropriate to use all kinds of methods to get people to believe our God is the only God.

Question 2:  2 Kings 18--20
From these 3 chapters, we observe that the following three bullets items are among the reasons that Derteronomistic writers considered King Hezekiah "did what was right in the sight of the Lord":
1) Religious reformation--intolerance to "other religions",
2) Rely on the word of God when facing challenges--praying and listening to God's Prophet (Isaiah), then acting accordingly,
3) Improving self defense with practical measures such as building the water conduit system of Jerusalem.
In 21st Century America, committing ourselves to 2) and 3) is consistent the "normal" social policies---easy to do compared with 1) Religious Reformation--Intolerance to "other religions". In this "post Christiandorm" era, as we reflect on the history of Holocaust and 911, we cannot help but ask Jesus again: "Who is my neighbor?" Can you help me to figure it out, please?
　

Question 3: 2 Kings chapter 18 -- chapter 20

列王紀的作者評論列王的好壞時﹐看起來用的是很簡單的標準。只要是單一敬拜耶和華上帝﹐守自摩西到大衛傳下來的律法和誡命﹐就是好王。不然就是壞王。這樣單純的看法﹐似乎忽略了當時以色列 / 猶大國的社會狀況與外交處境 (列王紀下 18:3 -7) ﹔沒有直接談論王是否照顧人民﹐為人民求取福祉﹔也沒有評論王自己對上帝信心的程度。

就猶大希西家王來看﹐

希西家遇到困難時雖然依靠耶和華﹐所表現的信心和所存的動機卻不見得是好的榜樣。比方說希西家害病﹐只求告上帝的醫治不夠﹐還要求兆頭作應允醫治的憑證 (20: 8-11)。還有﹐當他向巴比倫表示友好﹐可是上帝告訴他巴比倫會是以後使猶大遭難滅亡的國家時﹐只要壞事不發生在他做猶大王的時候﹐他並不覺得有必要為人民難過或代求﹐看起來有點自私﹐似乎沒有做為一個有遠見的國家領導者的擔當。

請問今天我們讀猶太人的王國歷史﹐如果要對照台灣或美國的情勢時﹐這個"單一敬拜上帝和守上帝的誡命"宗教語言的表達﹐到底傳達給我們什麼核心價值﹖請分享你的看法。