The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-11
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
MARCH 8.
Lesson Text: "Naaman Healed" 2
Kings ", LA - Golden
Text: Psalm cfii., 81
Commentary.

master and honorable, because by him the
Lord had given deliyerancs unto Syria " The
Bible Is full Of contrasts. The great contrast
is between the Son of God and the devil; then
between those who believe God, stand before
Him and serve Him, aud such as are only
men of this world, serving of sin and Satan.
2. "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 we'll the situation Of this
little maid, stolen from home, which was as
much to her as home is to any child, and now
little slave in far OFF land, with little If
any prospect of sesing father and mother
again; and yet she seems to be faithful in her
new home under these hard circumstances.
Let the boys consider Joseph, stolen from
home by his own brethren and serving as q
slave in Egypt; and yet We read four times In
one chapter that the Lord was with him
(Gen. xxx, Q, 8, 81, 23. ,c
3. would God my lord were with the
prophet that Is in Samaria! for he would re.
cover him Of his leprosy." Not only faith
full as servant, but faithful in testimony,
and taat for the benefit of her enemy, re-
minding us Of Rom. ", $40; Matt ", "A;
Rom. xii, 20, 81. She knew Of the mighty
works done by Elisha, seven Of which are
recorded in the last three chapters, and she
believed that such q mighty man Of God
could heal even leper II Christians had
as much faith in Jesus as this little maid had
in Elisha they would be pointing every sim
sick and heavy laden soul to Him.
4. "And one went in and told his lord, say
ing, Thus and thus said the maid that Is Of
the land Of Israel" The little girls saying
is being spread abroad. It has now reached
his ears for whom it was intended. We
have only to speak Of Jesus as we have OPP
,.-tA L. - II
message will In due time be owned Of God.
s. "And the king of Syria said, Go to; go,
and will send letter unto the king Of Is
rael." The little girl spoke Of heprophet In
Israel, not Of the king Of Israel, but kings
and such prophets as Elijah and Elisha were
not often in sympathy q Kings xviii, II;
xii, IS; II Chron. xvi, 10; xviii, 25, 26l,
and the king Of Syria may have Thoughts
that If there was any power in Israel to heal
leprosy the king Of Israel would surely know
it. But neither of these kings knew the
God Of Elisha nor the power that could heal
the leper.
6. .:Behold have sent Naaman, nv SER
want, to thee, that thou mayeet recover hin
Of his leprosy.n Thus wrote the king Of
Syria to the king Of Israel The Lord who
gave deliverance to Syria is not recognized.
We cannot wonder at this If we consider
the church Of Christ to-day and see her re.
lance upon money and influence and the IA
vor Of this world. while he whose name she
bears is comparatively. unknown and un-
sought and unhonored.
z. cam God, to kill and to make alive,
that this man doth send unto me to recover
of Israel, when having read the letter he
rent his clothes and fancied that Syria's
king sought quarrel with him. Gam I
God?' reminds us OF Jacobs angry words to
his wife Rachel tGen. XXX, q, and killing
and making alive reminds us of Deut.
xxi 80, Sam. H., 8. The king Of Israel
was in the place Of Gods representative,
and instead Of getting angry be should have
felt honored. and been able to point to Him
who alone can kill and make alive.
8. ''Let him come now to me and he shau
know that there is q prophet III Israel" Thus
spake the man Of God when he heard that
the king had rent his clothes. Here Is the
ono to whom Naanan should have come; he
fears not man, nor does he seek honor from
man, but he loves to honor God.
g. $50 Naaman came with his horses and
with his chariot and stood at the door Of the
house of Elisha" A great and honorable
and mighty man Of this world stands at the
door Of this poor and dependent servant Of
in the right spirit. He knows that he is q
leper. that he has deadly disease, and he
has come long journey seeking for health;
but then beis no poor man: :he does not come
as beggar; he Is not like the ieper Of Matt.
viii, nor the ten Of Luke xvii. He is able to
pay for his healing and he wants it dones as
to great and mighty man. BE IS dealing
with men and wants his position beforo men
to be recognized He does not know Luke
xvi, Is.
10. land Elisha sent messenger unto
IL. o. nd in
times, and thy flesh shall come again to
thee. and thou shalt be c!ean." What mag
nifcent indifference to earth's potentates
and earth's favors. What au opportunity
to make q friend with great influence and
obtain O great sum OF money. But, like
Abram before the king of Sodom, be is
conscious that the possessor of heaven and
earth is his friend, and he can afford to say
concerning the king Of Syria's gold and
silver, II will receive none' Tvs. l6). But
what gracious message he sends to Naa-
man. and what a simple require ment and
glorious result. ... ..--.
II. "But Naaman was wroth, and went
away and said, Behold, l thought" =
He wanted health, but he wanted 1t given IN
q style beftting his high position, and ne had
his own thoughts as to how it ought to be
done. He fanciei just how Elisha would
come out and cry to Jehovah, and with great
demonstra tion make him we'll man. But
all his thoughts are swept away. Elisha
does not even come out to him, and there Is
no demonstration, but only kind message
telling him what to, do and promising health.
Many are to-day out OF Christ and unsayed
Just because they have their own thoughts
as to how they ought to be converted, and
they won't come any other way. .rr
IL ..Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers
of Damascus, better than all tue waters OF
Israel| Here are some more Of his thoughts;
Syria is better than Israel, Damascus than
Jerusalem ALBANIA and Pharpar than Jordan.
1t is great humiliation for him, Syrian,
to come to Israel seeking any favor, and he
does not want fayors; he can pay for all he
gets. But to be treated thus and then to be
sent to Jordan, is too much for his Syrian
pride, and he went away in rage
49, My father, if the prophet had bid
thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not
have done it?" Thus reason his servants
with him, showing more wisdom than their
master, for "Great men are not always wise"
Job xxlii., 9l; and they had him, too, as we
say, for that YVES Just the thought OF his
heart.
"A. ssThen went he down" That is good,
for every proud person must come down. and
if they come willingly it will save God the
trouble of bringing them down.
Jordan. according to the saying of the man
of God.n He is now obedient and in the
way of blessing, and blessed he shall be.
Jordan is the river of Judgment. Had there
never been SIN there had never been SICK,
ness. Sin must be judged and condemned
and put away. Seven times denotes perfect
cleansing.
''And his flesh came again like'unto the
flesh Of a little child, and he was clean"
II lal 6cnI
to pass. It always has been, is and will be
last as God says. There is nothing like the
word Of God, and o. our part nothing Like
obedience. Il Is not some great thing we
are to do to be clean, but just come as we
are and accept Jesus as Gods gift to US,