The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH %.
Lesson Text: "Elisha's Defenders.n
2 Kings vi, S-1S-Golden r
Text: 2 Kings w., 10 80
commentary.

s. "Then the king of Syria warred against
Israel, and took counsel with his servants,
saying, In such and such a place shall be my
camp" Between the story Of Naaman and
Gehazi and this lesson the Holy Spirit has
written the record Of house building near
Jordan by the sons Of the prophets, and tho
miraculous recovery Of lost ak from which
we see the need. humanity speaking, Of the
money which Naaman offered Elisha; but
the prophet prefers to rely wholly and only
upon the God Of Israel, who can make even
iron to swim, and to whom nothing is i'm.
possible. And now see the king of Syria,
the captain Of whose host had been healed
by Israels prophet, making war against
Israel as If the God who could heal the leper
and make iron to swim could not defeat His
enemies. How blind Is unbelief! How full
OF ingratitude the human hearth
9. And the man Of God sent unto the
king Of Israel, saying, Beware that thou
pass not such place, for thither the Syrians
are come down." How often we are re-
minded that 'All things are naked and
opened unto the eyes Of film with whom We
have to do" and that 1.-THE eyes Of the Lord
are in every place beholding the evil and tho
good" Heb. w., IS; Prov. 1v., 81 But here
Is wondrous grace and continued grace to
wicked man. The king Of Israel was Jeho-
ran, son Of Ahab, and he wrought evil in the
sight Of the Lord, cleaving unto the sins Of
Jerotoam, the son Of Nebat lchap. Iii, 1-S),
and yet this is not the first time that God has
shown him kindness through Elisha. See
chapter ill.,, 1919. God would II possible
win this wanderer back to Himself he
would by goodness lead him to repentance
from. H., A. for He is not willing that any
should perish III Pet. ILL.,, o.
10. 'And the king Of Israel sent to the
place which the man Of God told him and
warned him of, and saved himself there, not
once, nor twice" ''God hath spoken once;
twice have heard this, that power belong
eth unto God, and this power Is continually
being put forth on behalf Of oinful man to
God speaketh once-yea, twice-yet man per-
ceiveth it not Cps. xii, IL; Job xxxiii., II,
29. How loving God Is! How hard and
blind is man!
II. Therefore the heart OF the king Of
Syria was sore troubled for this thing" To
was not his sins that troubled him, but the
fact that he could not catch bis prey, and
that his enemy 80 successfully eluded him.
He saw that some one was working againS6
him who knew all his plans. and thought that
it must be a traitor in the camp ono Of hin
own men. who was taking the hing Of Israeps
part and fore-warning him. 8
IL. elisha, the prophet that Is In Israel,
telleth the king of Israel the words that thou
speakest in thy bedchamber" Like the SER
wants of Naaman these servants seem wiser
than their master, for "Great men euot
always wise" Job xuii., 81. = =
1S. "And he said, Go and spy where he Is =
that may send and fetch him. The Lord
so ef7ectually hid Elijah that Ahab and all
his searchers could not find him anywhere IN
all the land II Kings xviii, 10y. He also hid
Baruch and Jeremiah so that their enemies
could not find them (Jer. xxxvi., 26. Yet
this unbeliever thinks to capture one who
could say Of God, Thou art my hiding
place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble;
Thou shalt compass me about with songs OF
deliyerancs" FPS. xx1ii.. y.
"And It was told him saying, Behold, he Is
In Dothan." It was at Dothan that Joseph
found his brethren, when they plotted to kill
him, and afterward sold him as q slave (Gen.
xxxvii., ~; and these are the only two ref
erences to the place in the whole Bible. In
the one case God permits the captivity Of
His child and in the other BE prevents 1t,
but in each case it is for their good and His
glory.
H. Therefore sent he thither horses and
chariots and great host and they came by
night and compassed the city about" Sure
ly they had their man now, and escape was
impossible. Thus it seemed to human eyes.
But on a previous occasion the armies OF
Judah were encompassed by the enemy, and
when they cried unto the Lord He delivered
them. And little later Jehosaphat alone
was surrounded by the Syrian soldiers, who
were abont to kill him, but he cried out and
the Lord helped him, and God moved them
to depart from Him III Chron. xiii, 1915;
xviii, 3I. 20 :.
IS. "And when the servant of the man Of
God was risen early, and gone forth: behold
an host compassed the city both with horses
and chariots." While Elisha slept the enemy
encompassed him about but Elisha's God
neither slumbers nor sleeps. and Elisha rested
/ in Him, and feared no evil. His servant
however had not the faith of his master, and
we may imagine his fears as this sight met
his eyes.
"And his servant said unto him, Alas, my
master how shall we do?' Ho probably felt
something like Israel when they saw the
hosts of Pharaoh pursuing them the noun
tains on either side of them and the sea be-
fore them. 1t was another case OF mans
utter helplessness, to do anything for him
self. but THE Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godiy out Of temptation" III Pet L., ".
16. "And he answered, Fear not" From
Gen. xv., l, to Rev. j., II, how often tnat
precious word "Fsar not' has stilled 'tns
troubled SOUL
"They that be with lis are more than they
that he with them" What is it that Elisha
sees that his servant cannot see3 Is he CIV
ing utterance to hops or to the assurance
of reality? We shall see that he means
just what he says and is fully persuaded Of
every word of it.
II. s'And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, l
pray Thee, open his eyes that he may sex" J"
What a simple prayer, how short, how COM
prehensiye! No prelminaries and no con-
clusion, not even an omen; just single
petition, asking as from a familiar
friend for just what he wanted.
''And the Lord opened the eyes Of the
Young man. and he saw: and behold ths
mountain was full of horses and chariots of
fire round about Elisha" Now we
and why be said to his servant that their
helpers were more numerous than the enemy.
Let no one dare to explain away these un-
seen realities of Gods love and care and
power. But rather let the weakest believer
rejoice that he is ministered unto and
watched over by these unseen ones who love
to do the will Of God Heb. l., 14l, and let us
joyfully anticipate the day when we shall
take part in a great triumphant march OF
heavens cavalry for the rescue aud redemp-
ton Of multituies Of Israel (Rev., xix, 1A.
49, 'And when they came down to him.
Elisha prayed unto the Lord and said
Smite this people, I pray Thee, with blind
ness" Another brief prayer; single petit
ton Can this man ask and receive any
thing he desires? A river divided, a spring
healed, oil multiplied, Son given, life from
the dead, food multiplied, leper healed,
man made lepr Dus iron to swim, eyes open
10 SEQ angels eyes dimmedto to sse not at all or
to see wrongly? How has hs obtain ed this
power? With whom is he in partnership?
All, dear reader, if we would cling to Jesus,
as Elisha clung to Elijah, for double portion
of the Spirit, then we too might know the
meaning of such words as these, "Whatso-
ever 20 shall ask the Father in My name,
that will do, that the Father may be glor1-