The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-03-12
oEHAzi PUNISHED.
International sundny-School Lesson ID
March 10, 1891.

Especially Arranged from s. o. Quarteriy1
LESSON TExr-o Kings 5: 1871.
GOLDEN TExT-De sure your sin will fnd you
out.--Num. e:e3
CENTRAL TnUTH-The love of money is ro4
Of all evil.
TME-Bctwcen 200 and ssi =. c., irnmediato-
ly after the last lesson.
PLACE-Samaria, the capital Of Israel
CIRCUMsTANCES-NGar the commander
Of the Syrian army, canio from Damascus to
Samaria to be cured OF his lcprosy. Elisha
scnt him to tho Jordan, thirty miles away. Ia
wash sever times. Hc went, and was cleans0d
OF bis leprosy.
HELPS OVER HARD PI.AcEs.-15 'TIe 70.
turncd:" from the Jordan to Samaria-, "And
camel" into Elisha's house. Behold, now
know: :" because only God could work such .
miracle. take n bles5ing:" o present, which
expressed blessing. lG Il will receive none.'s
Whyf Because he did not want Naaman en
imagine that the gift Of God could be bought
He wanted him to receive the free grace and love
Of God. He would have him feel the necessity oe
showing his gratitudv to God, by serving Him.
Gratitude would also prevent further raids upon,
the country Of the Israelites. H. 1.-TWO mules-
burden OF EARTH" rs q memorial so that hR
would be reminded Of Isrcers God by the voxY
altar on which he worshipped. 49, II bow mI-
self In the house OF Rimmon": he thought he
could not help going through the form of worship
though he did not worship in heart. All hin
real worship was OF jehovah. "Rinmon," tha
national god Of the Syrians 10. go IN peuce:ssa
either IN approval, 80 far as not to lay burden
on NGaman's consciencoi or an indecislve BEN
ediction, as II he would net withhold permi8-
sion but a not give 1t, believing that furtheB-
light and experience would lead him Alright. NJ
But Gehazi the servant Of Elisha" this last
is mentioned to show how person may be bad
under the best influences 20 From Mount
Ephrairn, two young mem" the hill country oG
Tphraim. Here were GilSal and Bethel two
schools of the prophets. "a talent Of silver:'~
sl COO to 81, 500. 90. Laid them upon two serv>
ants the weight, COS pounds, was too much
for Gehazi to carry so far. "a. "To the tower:ss
the hill near which Elisha nvcd. &C. went not
mine heart with theeG' Did not GO with You
In spirit, and know every thing you said and
didS rs 1t o time to receive money!" when re-
ceivin5 1t would injure the cause Of religion
misrepresent Elisha and hinder the good work.
in Naamanf e. THE lcprosy, etc.:' his body
should appear as diseased Us his soul really
was He broke the first, third, SIXTH eighth,
ninth and tenth commandments. The Cain
mark was upon him, warning to otherar
and as means OF leading him to repent
LESSON COMMENTS.
Last week we had q lesson that be-
gan sadly and ended gladly. This week.
we have one that begins gladly and
ends sadly. Grateful Naaman comes,
back to the house of the prophet, desir-
GUS to testify to his gratitude in some
substantial way. Hc urges the prophet
to take of him present. But Elisha
utterly refused to do this and with good
reason, for, if he had taken reward,
the enemies of Israel would have said
that he used the powers that God gave
him to enrich himself This would
never do, and so he declined to talra
even so much as garment. In this con-
nection, call the attention of the schol-
ars again to the fact that none Of Gods
servants ever used their miraculous
powers for the sake of personal gain.
They had freely received this powez-
and freely they gave its benefits to
others. In this respect they were Elna
the Master himself.
So Naaman goes his way. But nove
the spirit of covetousness seizes Gehazi.
Elisha's servant, and he plans how ha.
may make something out of ''thiH
Syrian" He dares not ask for any
thing for his master, or even for him
| self, so he invents a story about twos
sons Of the prophets having come to,
Elisha unexpectedly, and asks for n
| trifie for them. This and more ton
Naaman gratefully gives, and sends hia
two servants to carry the present home.
There Gehazi carefully hides the stuff
away, and then goes in to wait on hia
master as though nothing had hap
pened.
| But Elisha had followed him with his
| prophetic power, and knew all that had
taken place. So when Gehazi comes
Into his masters presence, he is quesr,
toned, and tries to hide his evil deedss
but In vain. The prophet knows it all,
and with severe rebuke exposes hia
hypocrisy and inficts upon him a terri
BILE punishment, for the leprosy Of. Mar
man appeared on Gehazi, and he went
out from the presence of Elisha as whita
as snow.
Gehazi's sin was very great. And
this for several reasons. In the first
place he had been with Elisha now for
some time, and had had abundant op-
portunity to know what was right and
what wrong. He was no heathan.
brought up in spiritual darkness. There
was no better man living in the world
at that time than Elisha In the nex1
place he had just learned that his maa.
ter was not willing to take any reward
for the miracle that he had wroughA.
And doubt not he knew well the true
reason why he had refused to do this.
Yet In the face Of all this, he concocted
his lies, and backed them up with
others. He was in reality. a liar and q
thief
Gehazi, going secretly through oil the
steps Of that guilty course, did not rcs
sliae that the eye Of the prophet wsa
upon him every moment of the time.
Yet so it was. Elisha knew as well
what he was about as though he were
at the mans side. What q picture 4
this Of the way In which God follows -
and knows all that we do. And MOI
] only does He know all that we do, bul
, ell that we think and feel as well. Oul
hearts are rs open to Him as though
there were only piece Of plate, glasl
: In front Of Them Did you ever. SEQ ,
: glass bee-hive9 Well. II you did yo1
. could look through It and see all TN
, bees at work some coming some mo