The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-25
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY 22.
Lesson Text: "Elijah's Successor II
Kings, H., 1222-Golden Text:
Zech. w., documentary.

12. "And Elisha saw it." He had asked
and the reply was "If thou sec me taken
from thee, it shall be so unto thee' Tvs 10).
Now we arc told that he saw the chariot and
horses of fire, and the whirlwind which took
Elijah to heaven, and We will expect there
fore, to see in him the spirit Of Elijah.
"And he cried, My father, my fatheri the
chariot Of Israel and the horsemen thereof"
When Israel went down to Egypt to
Joseph his son, we read that wagons were
sent from Egypt to bring him and his house
hold, and that Joseph went out in chariot,
to meet him; but these are the horses and
chariots Of heaven, sent down to meet the
servant Of God aud carry him to glory.
'sAnd he saw him no more" Separated
for the present, one gone out to walk with
Gcd in glory, and the other left to continue
as a witness for God on earth. How often Is
it so still? And though we may have to lay
away the bodies of our loved ones, as Elisha's
was laid away, we may be sure that the mes
sengers Of God have welcomed them home
Nuke xvi, 29.
12, 19. "And he took hold of his own
clothes and rent them in two pieces. he took
up also the mantle Of Elijah that fell from
Of Jordan" Thus be discards himself, puts
himself of and puts on Elijah. Jesus our
Master has ascerded, and has left on earth
many who believe in Him to be His wit
nesses. He has also sent down the Holy
Spirit to live in US, and be In us the power
for service and testimony, and the work can
be done only as our golden text tells us
(Zech. w., o.. &
IA. "And he took the mantle Of Elijah that
fell from him, and smote the waters and
said: Where is the Lord God Of ElijahT He
now acts in the name Of Elijah, using the
mantle Of Elijah, and looking to the Lord
when they said to the lame man: SIN the
name of Jesus Christ Of Nazareth, rise up
and walk" (Acts ill.,, 81. Or to take an older
illustration, so did David when he said to
Goliath: ~ come to thee in the name Of the
Lord Of hosts, the God Of the armies Of
Israeli Il Sam. xviii, 49,. q
''And when he also had smitten the wa,
ters. they parted hither and thither, and
Elisha went over" The same power that
had been manifested on behalf Of millions,
and so recently on behalf Of two men, is now
put forth on behalf Of Elisha only. God will
lavish His omnipotence on one man who Is
simply for the sake Of one man, but for tho
sake Of many that He might be glori1ed.
IS. ''The spirit of Elijah doth rest on
Elisha" Thus testified the SONS Of tho
prophets who from Jericho had witnessed
the dividing Of the waters When the priest
came out from minstering in the holy
place. the odor Of the incense ever burning
there, and which would cling to his gar.
ments, would quickly tell where he had
been.
"And they came to meet him, and bowed
themselves to the ground before him. They
worshiped God in Elisha, or as Paul says,
o1oriSad God IL, mol NSa1 4 CA
Thus Potiphar saw God in Joseph, and SO al
so did the keeper of the prison and Pharaoh
the king (Gen. xxx, 2, 8, 2S; XII, 39.
16. "Let them CO. we pray thee, and seek
thy master; lest peradventure tho Spirit OF
the Lord hath taken him up and cast him
upon some mountain or into some valley"
The SONS of the prophets request that fifty
strong men should 60 and rescue Elijah
from possible difficulties in which the Spirit
of the Lord might have left him; How
little those who live afar off Tvs y under
stand the ways and wonders Of the love OF
God.
II. s'They sent, therefore, fifty men; and
they sought three days, but found him not.
At first Elisha refused to allow them to 60,
but when they urged and insisted he fE,illy
consented, and this is the result In Heb.
xi., 5, it is written that Enoch 'twas not
found" from which we would naturally infer
that he too was sought for, but In vain.
There will be many searching parties for
missing ones in that day when Cor. w., 81,
SO: Thess, iv., 16, II, shall have been full
filed, but they will not be found, any more,
than Enoch and Elijah were found, for they
shall have gone to meet the Lord in the air
to be forever with HIM.
19. "And when they came again to him
flor he tarried at Jericho) he said unto
them, Did not say unto you Go mott? The
energy of the flesh can only be shown its
folly by allowing it to prove its helplessness.
These fifty were sure that they knew better
than Elisha, but their vain efforts have now
done for them what they would not let his
words do, that is, convince them OF their
folly. They had wasted three days time
and strength and accomplished nothing.
Many Christian workers are wasting much
time and strength and accomplishing little
or nothing because they live far Of from
God and know not the power OF His holy
spirit. Elisha. had three days rest from tins
company of such prophets which must have
been great relief to him, and afforded him
time for quiet communion with God. :
19. Behold, pray thee, the situation Of
this city Is pleasant, as my Lord sesth; but
Pleasant to the eyes, but unfruitfulness ano
death was in it; how like the tree OF tht
knowledge Of good and evil in the garden Of
Eden. There is onlv life and fruitfulnaz
where the Spirit OF GOD fs, and howeve1
pleasant or attractive person or q wora
NAV appear, without the Spirit all H deatn
and barrenness.
20. "And he said, Bring me new cruise
and put salt therein. And they brought II
to him" In Deut. xix, %; Jer. WI, o.
Zeph. H., 9, salt is associated with desoisuon
and tarrenness, and every Bi6ie reaoer q
familiar with the Salt Sea lGen: nv, o;
Iosh III 18 etc. J In which 1t Is said nothing
can live. But in Lev. H., 13, we read that
every Offering to the Lord required salt; In
Mum. xviii, 10, we read Of a covenant OF
salt. and in Matt. ", 1S. believers are caleo
the salt of the earth, while in Col. w., D, we
ore fold that our conversation should 90 sea-
snncd with salt. We need not stumble ovea
these seeming contradictions when We y
member that Jesus Himself is to some z
sayor of death unto death and to others
SAVIOR of life unto life III Cor. H.. 10, l6l :,
81 "And he went forth unto the spring OF
the waters and cast the salt in there" Nol
the stream, but the fountain whence tne
stream flows must be healed. Inc slnnef
cannot be healed by any mere reformauon
placed in him an entirely new fountain, norI
even ven after that we may find that there seem,
70 come from the same fountain both sweet
water and bitter JAS ill.,, 10, ~, but W. W.
must learn that his need is to be filled VIVA
the Spirit of God, and only then shall the oia as
nature which gives bitter water be effectuat
" sealed up and prevented from flowing, :
"Thus saith the Lord, have healed thesi
waters" Not Elisha, not tho salt, pul
Jehovah that hesleth thee" lex 1v- SS
The salt was the symbol, Elisha the lnsuu'
ment but the worker, the healer, the power.
was Jehovah Himself. From the throne OF
God and Of the Lamb flows the river Of the
water Of life tRev. xii, y
81, %. There shall not be from thence
any more death or barren land. So the