The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH Is.
Lesson Text: "Gehazi Punished"
2 Kings v, 1921 Golden
Text: Numbers xxxit.,
23-Commentary.

"Of truth it is that your God is God OF
gods and Lord of kings" 'Ipraise and e1-
tol and honor the King OF heaven, all whose
works are truth, and His ways judgment;
and thuse that walk in pride He is able to
abase."
16. "But he said, As the Lord liveth, be-
fore whom I stand, l will receive none And
he urged him to take il; but he refused"
Thus spake and acted the man Of God. he
was not rich in this world g goods, AMI yet he
turns away from riches when voluntarily
offered to him. and apparently from CRATE
full heart. How different from most
people!
II. ''Thy servant will henceforth offer
neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto
seems truly to have turned from idols to
serve the living and true God Il Thess. l., 81,
and he desires to take home with him some
of the earth Of the Lords land Hos. IL, 81,
that when he offers sacrifice to the Lord he
may do it literally upon holy ground, though
in far country.
1s. "When I bow down myself in the
house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy
servant in this thing" Naaman was in the
employ of one who worshiped idols, and 1t
was necessary for him to attend his master
to the place Of idol worship. His own heart
would bow only to Jehovah, but by force OF
circumstances he must appear to worship
Rimmon.
19. "And he said unto him, Go in peace"
This is the decision Of the man Of God In the
matter, and this is his blessing. See In II
Chron. Xxx, 1920 how the Lord pardoned
His own people, and allowed them to eat the
passover otherwise than as 1t was written
And observe that the attitude OF the heart
toward God is more in his sight than the
outward form.
20 "But Gehazi. the servant Of Elisha,
the man of God, said, as the lord
liveth will run after him and take some
what of him" Here is an idolater indeed
an idolater in Israel, an idolater in the house.
of q holy man of God, for covetousness !s
idolatery (Col. i'll s.. He forgot that the
law taught to hate covetousness, and that
Achan was stoned and burned because Of his
coyetousness (E1. xvii, 81; Sosh. <ii., 21).
| Let us all remember that the Lord abhorreth
the covetous, and that the holy Spirit asso.
ciates them with thieves and drunkards, and
| saws that they cannot inherit the kingdom OF
| God FPS. 4, 8; Cor. vi, 10y.
..21. $50 Gehazi followed after Naa-
man, When Elisha said: "Go in peace,"'
Naaman departed; but 1t seems that hs went
but little way ere this covetous Genazi
| overlook him. Living with one like Ehsna
how was it that he had not more OF Eiisha's
| spirit9 The same question might be asked
Concerning ths twelve apostles. The best OF
society, even the society Of Jesus Christ
Himself, did not make the apostles what they
ought to be, but the Holy Spirit wrought In
them nightly and made them new men:
Not outward associations, but the inward
work Of the Spirit. is the only way.
land when Naaman saw him running
after him, he lighted down from the chariot
to meet him, and said, Is all well?' Or. as
in the magin: lis there peace? There was
| little peace in that covSCous soul. There Is
no peace. saith the Lord, unto the wicked"
lisa. Xviii, %; lvii., 2D. :,
81. land he said, All is we'll. My master
hath sent me- I" First covetous and
then living. It is easy to see whose employ
he is in. There is one Of whom Jesus said,
"He is a liar and the father Of it, John viii,
a.. He began it in tho garden Of Eden
Gen iii. A. and viii keep at it, even after
| his Thousand years imprisonment, until he
is finally cast into the lake Of fire (Rev. xx.,
| TO.
] %. sAnd Naaman said, Be content, take
| two talents.n His little scheme was working
we'll Living seemed to be a paying business
He had only ventured to ask for one talent
of silver, and now two talents are pressed
upon him, which, with some urging W, ne
| consented to receive. Some three Thousand
dollars for ,ne lie: many man has lied for
even ten or five dollars or less, and boys and
Girls have leen known to lie for very small
amount Then Gahazi has two suits OF
clothes thrown in; truly he seems to be dong
we'll, And two servants to wait upon him,
poinp before him bearing his treasures, as II
he were one of the great ones OF eartni
"These are the ungodly who prosper IN
the world; they increase In riches. Iner
eyes stand out with fatness; tney nave
more than heart could wish" (fs. l11in.'
Z, 19. .bo +oror tr,or.
pin. secret place) he took them from their
hand. and bestowed them in the house: and
he let the men 20, and they departed" He
had no desire to make great dls'
play of his riches, at least not for the pres
emit. He had that which he coveted, lt was
safely In his possession and securely de-
posted, and no one about the premises was
any the wiser, as he thought; and ike tne
rich fool of Luke xii, 49, he perhaps said to
himself, What a good time I can now
Ok "He went in and stood before his mas
ter" AS if nothing had transpired worth
mentioning, as II he were very devoted anu
| faithful servant, as if he would say. My
dear master thou man Of God, what IS thy
nleasuree' We read in Eek. xx1iii., 81, or
some who "sit before the servant Of God as
the people of God, and they hear His WORDS
| hut thev will not do them; for with their
mouth they show much love, but their heart
goeth after their covetouSness." How strange
3fhat neonle think to deceive Godl But what
can we saw when we read that they tried TO
deceive Jesus to His face Nuke Xxx, 2N:
"And Elisha said unto him, Whence
comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, my
servant went no whittier" Lie upon lie.
This is at least the third in this transactlon
How hard the heart growsl. 1t is deceltlui
above all things, and desperately wicked
| (Jer xvii, 81. What gulf has opened De-
tween him and his master!
%. "Went not mine heart with thee, when
the man turned again from his chariot again
TO meet thee?" All, Gehazi. he's got you
now. Covetousness is a bad thing, and lying
won't help it any. "Be sure your sins Will
And YOU out" IA lying tongue is but for a
moment" Mum. xxi, 23;: Prov. xii, ~.
| We should always remember that tne eyes
of the Lord are in every place bshotdlns tne
evil and the good, and that; al! tnings are
naked snd opened unto the eyes OF him Win
whom we have to do prov. XIV, 8; Heb. iv.,
81. s'Theleprosy, therefore, of Naamaa Shall
claave INTO thee, and unto thy seed forever.
And he went. out from. his. presence
lsnar as white AS snow" A moment of sim
lifelong punishment. he begins at onceto
eat the fruit Of lies (Hos. x., 49,. 1t did not
nav after ALL. His joy was very short lived.
His thousands could not purchase heaitn;
his coveted raiment would. only cover q lep'
rous body. Not often does the trangressor
so quickly reap the fruit of his doings ouS
always in due time, unless tnere IS LeRen.
tance and cleansing in the only blood thar
can cleanse Miriam was punished with !ep-
rosy, rosy but She was healed IN short time
(Sum. Iii, 1O-15l. Uzziah's leprosy cont.n,
ued till his death III Chron. XVI, 2n. - All
suffering in this life. is as nothing when com. com
nared with eternal torment Let all sinners
dee quickly to Jesus lest the lake OF hre %.
come their portion tRsv. Xxx, l5.--Lsssou
HslNr. .-sEziSasss.