The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-02-12
) ELIIAH,s succEssoR.


international sunday-school Lesson for
February 22, 1891.
Especially Arranged from S. 8. Quarterly.l
LESSON TExT-a Kings 2.1e22
GoLDeN TExT-Not by might, nor by power.
but by Ny Spirit saith the Lord Of Hosts
Zech A:8.
CENTRAL TRuTT--The workers die, but the
work goes on.
TIME-B. c. sos-soo immediately after tho
PLAcE-Gilead beyond Jordan, and Jericho.
CrRcUMsTANoEs-Elisha had accompanied
Elijah across Jordan, and was with him when
he was taken up In whirlwind tn Heaven.
Elijah had promised that II Elisha saw him
when he ascended his request for fitness to be
his successor would be granted.
HELps OVER HARD PLACEs.-13 "Saw it,"
Elijah's ascension. my father" showing the
tender and loving side of Elijnh's nature. Tho
chariot of Israeli" the cheriotry, or army OF
chariots. Elijah was the true defender OF his
country. So ten righteous would have saved
Sodom. "Tsent them:" An Oriental token Of
grief. Ia. Where is the Lord God Of Elitah:"
He had done through Elijah, ns sign that God
would mako him his successor. 16 Fifty
strong mcn:" Of the sons Of the prophets. The
search would be long, arduous and dangerous.
'eYe shall not sond;" because he knew It would
be useless. IL. Found him not:" they expect
Cd 70 unu mis- DOuy, Dub " was Cu0ugeu luto U
glorious body. 10. The situation is pleasnnt;"
Jericho wns in a most beautiful situation. 1t
had lntcly been rebuilt, after lying long cent
urics In ruin Il Kings i8i34) 1.-THE water Is
naught," old English for bod" 70. IA new
cruse:" dish, bowl; not the original word
translated ''cruse" in Kings 1913. 81. Cast
the sait in:" salt was symbol Of purifying.
But salt in the spring would make II worse II
any thing. Nor could o little salt permanently
aifeot large spring like this. The healing Of
the spring was miracle. It was type Of
Elisha's work.
LESSON COMMENTS.
When the binding scene Of the char
lot Of fire, and the horses Of flame, had
passed away, and Elisha looked around
him, he began to realize that his master
had really been taken away from him.
But lying on the ground was the man.
tic of the great prophet, the very same
one that Elijah had cast over Elisha's
shoulders when he appointed him a
prophet in Israel Il Kings 1910. This
seems to have been accepted by him as
a sign that Elijah's promise was to be
made good, for, picking up the mantle,
he at once ventured to try his power.
| The Jordan had again resumed its
course, after it's parting by Elijah, apd
the first miraculous act of the new
prophet was the same as the last of the
old seer. 'Where is the Lord God of
Eijah?" he exclsims, as he strikes the
| waters of the river. This is done not
in unbelief, OF even in doubt, but in full
confidence that he is to have an answer
similar to that which had been granted
to his predecessor. The result that he
desired followed, and he too passed over
dry shod.
The sons Of the prophets saw it all,
and realized that he had become the
leader among them in Israel. To him
they did honor. Then In the text fol-
lows the story Of the healing of the
waters, a miracle of great benefit to all
in that section Of the country.
As in the lessons that are to follow
we shall have abundant opportunity to
study about the character of Elisha, we
may this week well turn our attention
to the way in which Gods work In this
world is carried on. We In our blind
ness often are tempted to think that
upon the life Of one man depends the
prosperity Of any good cause. This is O
|
! go, but Gods cause goes on forever.
The whole story Of revelation proves
this, as also the whole of profane his.
tory. If the father Of the faithful dies,
God will care for Isaac his son, and
even when Joseph, the great protector
Of his people in a strange land, lies on
his death-bed, he says: II die, but God
will surely visit you and bring you out
Of this land" Joseph would have made
q famous leader for the children Of Is
rael, but God was not at his wits end
bow to bring them out because Joseph
was !, dead. So too, when Moses
was called away, the natural mar
would have said: ''Moses Is dead; now
therefore there Is no use in trying t<
get into the land, and we had bette,
turn back" But God said: "Moses my
servant Is dead. Now therefore arise
60 over this Jordan, thou and all thi!
people" So when Elijah goes, Elish1
comes, and the truth prospers, and tht
kingdom OF God suffers no real loss. L
was expedient even for our blesset
Master TO go, for when he went thu
Holy Spirit came and carried on tht
work that he had left incomplete. God''
work In this world covers great reaches
Of time and vast outlines OF plan, ant
TO the accomplishment Of Il no on,
human Life is necessary. When Abra
ham Lincoln lay on his des*hrbed, tn
Melton wondered how II could b
brought through the was. At last tn
martyr President passed away, and q
Garfield addressed the multitude Il
Wall street, be began thuss "Abrahau
Lincoln is dead, but God lives still
Thiswss true saying, and many hun
dreds Of times the church has had T.
learn that God h not bound by times
places, or men.
We know but little OF the sesons Of tn
prophets who stood TO view afar of
but No DO know that they knew enougl