Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-19
ELIsHA's DEFENDERS
international Sunday-School Lesson
for March %, 1891.

Il
CENTRAL TRUTH-Many and powerful unseen
defenders guard Gods people from evil.
| TIME-Probably between B. C. 500 and 50
Whether before or after the events Of the last
lesson is uncertain.
| PLACE-Samaria, the capital and Dothan q
small city twelve miles to the north Here Jo-
seph was sold by his brethren (Gen. 81: II; ETC.
| HELPS OVER BARD PL.ACEs-S The King OF
| Syria" Benhadad IL "Warred:" sent rowing
bands for plumber and to weaken his enemy. It
| was kind Of guerrilla warfare. 9. Beware
that thou pass not such place. do not 60
there and expose yourself; or do not pass over
it, but guard it. Tho Syrians are Gomez" are
coming. Such was their plan H. 'Sore:"
| Exceedingly. Which Of us is for the King Of
Israeli" as their plans were known only TO the
| leaders, he was sure that some one Of them
| must be q traitor. l2. Elisha telleth the
| king" they must have learned this from some
Of their captives or the men Of Israel with whom
| they came in contact. ia "He is in Dothan :"
| (See Place.. II. "a great host" great COM
paratively, for such q purpose H. 'The
mountain was full OF horses and chariots Of
| fire." the mountain was the hill on which
Dothan was situated The Syrians were on
the surrounding bills. The space between
them and Elijah was filed with the unseen de-
tenders. The chariots Of fire we're symbols Of
the angels and spiritual beings, and secret
forces Of nature, which nre always around Gods
y
them with blindness the word means not
complete blindness, but dazed and bewildered
vision, that could not see things as they were.
Elijah could not lead host OF totally blind
people twelve mics. When Elisha, in the
next verse, says that This is not the way,
neither is this the CITY," he spoke the plain,
simple truth. Dothan was not Ellsha's city,
nor was it possible, defended Us Elisha was,
for them TO find him there. He took them to
mis- home city, and they found there the man
they were eeking. TIE fact that they did not
understand how it was to be done, and imag-
ined some other way. does not destroy the fact
that Elisha told them the plain. exact truth.
LESSON CONTENTS.
The main points of the story to-day
are the plans of the King of Syria for
the overthrow of Israel, and their re-
peated failure, owing to the supernat-
ural knowledge of Elisha. Benhadad
could not understand why he was so
often frustrated in his designs, and
thought there must be a spy in his own
camp. When told the cause of all his
failures. he at once set to work to
capture Elisha himself To this end he
sends an army to Dothan to seize Elisha.
One morning, on awal1ing, Elisha's serv-
ant is filled with alarm on seeing the
Syrians ell around the small city. He
cries to Elisha in despair. Then, at the
prayer of the prophet, the servants
eyes are opened SO that he sees that the
hosts of God are just as near as those
of the enemy. Again, at Elisha's re-
quest, the eyes Of the Syrian host are
affected, and they are so mystified about
things, as not to recognize places or
people. Elisha then apparently de-
ccived them, and led them into Samaria,
where they were completely IN the
power Of the King of Israel. Elisha,
however, refused to let the King fall
upon them, but treated the Syrians kind
", and sent them safely home. Thus,
for awhile, at least, the land was deliv-
cred from Syrian invasions.
How strangely Bcnhadad must have
felt when he realized that all his most
secret movements were perfectly well
knywn to his opponent! Against such
a man the King was simply powerless.
All his armies availed him nothing; for
Elisha's knowledge brought their plans
to naught. So he rightly felt that, if
possible, he must put this one man out
Va bAAS way DClOAC 1AC COu1u gam DEOS-
per. In this, however, he failed, for God
helped His servant; and the result of it
all was that the Kings armies marched
out and marched back again without
having accomplished any thing.
Would we like to feel that any one
knew all that we did, and even all that
we wanted to do. There is no one who
would like to be in that condition. We
do too many sinful things, and think
far too many evil thoughts, to make it
pleasant for us to have any one know
them all. Yet God knows them all,
from our childhood until the present
moment. What a record that is even
for the best man that ever lived,
MY thoughts, before they are my own,
Arc to my God distinctly known;
He knows the words mean to speak
Ere from my opening lips they break"
If the King of Syria was astonished
at 'Elisha's knowledge, no less was
Elisha's servant amazed when his eyes
were so opened that he saw into the
spiritual world and discovered so many
defenders of Gods servant near at hand.
He had thought all was lost, because
he only saw the Syrian army But he
had only to see Gods army to realize
that all was well. Now there are hints
in the Bible that leads us to believe that
Gods angels do watch over Gods chill
dren in this world. In Heb. TIA the
apostle says: "Are they (the angels)
not all ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister tor them who shall be heirs of
salvation?" Even children have guard
ian angels, for Jesus said: Take heed
that We despise not one of these little
ones, for say unto you, that in Heaven
their angels do always behold the face
of my Father which is in Heaven"
Matt. S:1O).-Rev. A. F. Schauf1er,
D. D.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. We should be patriotic, and aid our
country even when our rulers are i'm
perfect.
.. God knows every secret thought
and feeling.
8. This is comfort to the friends Of
God, for he understands us while others
misunderstood He knows when we
try to do right, whatever our failures.
4. 1t is a terror to be wicked, for no
cloak of appearance can hide evil pur-
poses and feelings.
5. There is vastly more in the Bible,
in nature, in life, than appears to the
ordinary sight.
6. The Christian has countless unseen
defenders: () God himself; (2) the ev-
represent Jesus; (3) the Comforter; "a
1ninistering angels; (5) the forces of