Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-03-06
NAAMAN is HEALED.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, IN Err
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 3.

Commit Verses. 13, 14-Golden Text,
rs. ciii, documentary by Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.
l. "Now Naaman, captain of the host of
the king of Syria, was n great man with
his master and honorable, because by him
the Lord had given deliverance unto
Syria"
ale was also a mighty man in %valor, but
he was II leper."
Gideon and Jephthah and others who
served God are called men of valor (Judg.
vi, 10; xi, 1; I Chron. xii, s, 3O, but so also
was Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin
q Kings ri, 2S). Some are men of valor or
might for God, and some are valiant for
the devil. May our sons be, Through God
we shall do valiantly" Ops. TX, II; evil. 13).
What awaited all Naaman's greatness since
he was a leper? And what avails all the
might of the world, with all its honor, if
one is "A sinner in the sight of God, and on
the way to endless torment Matt. XIV,
Al, 46; Rev. XXX, 15)?
9. "And the Syrians had gone out by
companies, and had brought away captive
out of the land of Israel a little maid; and
she waited on Naaman's wife"
Let any little girl consider well the situa-
ton of this little maid, stolen from home,
which was as much to her as home is to
any child, and now a little slave in "A far
off land, with little if any prospect of 500
ing father and mother again; and yet she
seems to he faithful in her new home un-
der these hard circumstances. Let the
boys consider Joseph, stolen from home by
his own brethren and serving as a slave in
Egypt; and yet we read four times in one
chapter that the Lord was with him Gen.
xxXix, .. 3, 81, 23).
3. "Would God. my lord were with the
prophet that is in Samarial for he would
recover him of his leprosy."
Not only faithful as n servant, but faith
full in testimony, and that for the benefit
of her enemy, reminding us of Rom. V, s,
10; Matt. V, A; Rom. xii, 20, 81.
4. "And one went in and told his lord,
saying, Thus and thus said the maid that
is of the land of Israel"
The little girls saying is being spread
abroad. 1t has now reached his ears for
whom it was intended. We nave only to
speak of Jesus as we have opportunity,
and we may be sure that the message will
III but IN w Nv I VI 'tONls lIlo hOlt
will not return to Him void lisa. ", ~.
5. And the king of Syria said, &c to; 90,
and | will send n letter unto the king OF
Israel"
"And he departed, and took with him
ten talents of silver and six thousand
pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment.'
6. "Behold | have sent Naaman, my serv
ant, to thee, that thou mayest recover
him of his leprosy."
Thus wrote the king of Syria to the
king of Israel. The Lord who gave deliv
erance to Syria is not recognized. We can
not wonder at this if we consider the
church of Christ today and see her reli
ance upon money and influence and the
favor of this world, while He whose namt
she bears is comparatively unknown ant
unsought and u%nhonored.
I. Am | God, to kill and to make alive
that thism man doth send unto me to recover
a man of his leprosy?"
Thus spake the king of Israel, wher
having read the letter he rent his clothe.
and fancied that Syria's king sought
quarrel with him. "Am | God?" re
minds us of Jacobs angry words to hi
wife Rachel Gen. xxx, @, and killing AM
making alive reminds us of Deut. xxi
80, | Sam. ii, e.
o. Leu ulul COllt HOW W me anu lit Slld!
know that there is n prophet in Israel"
Thus spake the man of Goo when h.
heard that the king had rent his clothes.
9. 80 Naaman came with his horses an,
with his chariot, and stood at the door O
the house of Elisha"
A great and honorable and mighty MAJ
of this world stands in his majesty at tn
door of this poor and dependent servan
of God. He is now in the right place, bu
not in the right spirit. He knows that h
is IA leper, that he has a deadly disease, an
he has come a long journey seeking 70
health; but then he is no poor man; h
does not come as a beggar; he is not Ink
the leper of Matt. viii, nor the ten of LUX
xvii. He is able to pay for his healing an
he wants il done as to a great n might
man. He is dealing with men and want
his position before men to be recognized
He does not know Luke xvi, Is.
10. "And Elisha sent n messenger unit
him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seve
times, and thy flesh shall come again t
thee, and thou shalt be clean"
What magnificent indifference to earth
potentates and earth's favors. What a
opportunity to make a friend with grea
influence and obtain great SUI of money
But, like Abram before the king of Sodon
he Is conscious that the poSSesSor {
heaven and earth is his friend, and he ca
afford to say concerning the king of Syria
gold and silver, Il will receive none
II. "But Naaman was wroth, and wer
away and said, Behold, l thought" = =
He wanted health, but he wanted
given in a style beftting his high position
Il. Are not ALBANIA and Pharpar, river
of Damascus, better than all the waters
Israeli"
Here are some more of his Thoughts
Syria is better than Israel, Damascus tina
Jerusalem, ALBANIA and Pharpar than 10
dan. 1t is a great humiliation for him,
Syrian, to come to Israel seeking any fl
vor, and he does not want ~favors; he ca
pay for all he gets.
ID. "My father, if the prophet had hi
thee do some great thing, wouldst tho
not have lone it,"
Thus reason his servants with hin
showing more wisdom han their maste
for Great men are not always wise" (Jo
xxi, o.; and they had him, too, as we sa.
for that was just the thought of his hear
"How much rather then when he salt
to thee, Wash. n be cleanG"
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