Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-08-25

Him. and delvereth them.-Psa. S4:7
THE SECTION should include chapter
6. showing how God helps His people In
various kinds OF trouble.
TIME.-Not long after the last lesson.
Between r. c. $50 and SSf (cOm. chron.)s
or So and SIS (rev. chron.).
Placed Samaria, the capital CO
Dothan, on the south side of the plain Of
Jezreel u miles north Of Samaria. Here
Joseph was rut in the pit, and sold by
his brethren (Gen. 5:l7, etc).
EXPLANATORY.
l. Elishas Warnings.-Vs. s-12. 5.
''The king of Syria:" Benhadad IL, of
| Damascus. -, - -. s.syz.s.
Q. And the man of God:" Elisha:
so called because he was Gods special
| servant and messenger. through whom
God revealed His will sent unto the
king of Israeli" Josephus says the
king of Israel was starting on hunt
ing party when Elisha warned him.
| Beware that thou pass not such a
place" or beware that thou pass not
over such place, leaving it unoccu-
pied.-Keil "Syrinas are come (R.V..
are coningl down." He must either
avoid the place, lest he be taken una
wares by the Syrians already there,
or he must occupy and defend it, ready
for the Syrians, who are on the way
there.
10. and the King sent to
the place" several times, and in every
case the prophets warning was cor
rect.
IL. King of Syria was sore
trouLied:" He was both enraged at
the defeat of his schemes, and per
picked at the unaccountable and mys-
FERROUS manner of his defeat. (Which
Us is for the king of Israeli" He
could account for these things only by
some treachery among his intimate
advisers.
-. "And one of his servants:" Per-
haps some one who had been to
Sumaria with Naaman and had CON
versed with the neighbors of Elisha.
II. Elisha's Defenders.-vs. 1918.
10. go and spy where he is, that may
fetch him." and take him away
from the power of communicating
with the king.
IA. "A great host:" Great for the
purpose. They came by night" So
as to take the city by surprise, and
Elisha in it, without warning or OPP
portunity for escape.
IS. THE servant was risen
early" Something unusual had
alarmed him; the noise of the chariots,
or the alarm of the Waterman.
16. And he answered, Fear not:"
He comforts him in two ways: % by
his own faith and experiences; (2) by
vision of those who defended him.
They that be with us are more than
they that be with them:" We need not
suppose that Elisha saw the angelic
host of which he here spake. He only
gave utterance to the conviction of all
Gods saints when the world perse-
cutes them.
II. Lord, l pray Thee, open bis
eyes," His spiritual vision, his power
of recognizing the great unseen real
tiles around him. Nothing was created
or changed for him. The heavenly
host was really there, but unperceived.
as the stars are in the heavens, and
the flowers in the field, though the
blind man sees them not. All he needs
is opened eyes. Behold the noun
tain" The hill on which Dothan was
situated. WAS full of horses and
chariots of fire." The symbols of the
unseen powers and forces of God,
which defended the prophet.
IS. when they came down." from
the surrounding hills, ito him." TO
take Elisha. Apparently he and his
servant had gone on toward the Syri-
ans. "Smite this people, l pray Thee.
with blindness:" This was not re-
vengeful, but loving prayer, for the
tendency of the whole transaction was
% to teach the Syrians about the true
God and His goodness; (2) to lead Je-
horam, the king, to go to God for his
help; 60 to deliver the people from
these raids "And He smote them with
blindness: This is not the usual He
brew word for blindness" but is
compound word; the whole denoting
visual bewilderment, hallucination,
rather than total loss of sight.-Tay-
Ter Lewis.
Then Elisha went up to the leaders,
and offered to guide them to the place
Nii' LIZ A'iNAi nv 9Ch = III A2OihC VI
them thought Elisha was guilty of de-
ception when he said This is not the
way, neither is this the city; follow
me, and l will bring you to the man
whom We seek. But he led them to
Samaria." The fact is that Elisha told
them the plain, simple truth.
Elisha led them IL miles to Samaria,
the capital. Here, their sight being re-
stored, they found him in his own
city, but they were captives in the
midst of their enemies. Jehoram
wanted TO kill them; but ElishaAin-
dignantly objected to this, and instead
supplied them with abundant food,
and sent them home. He "heaped Goals
of fire or their heads" He slew his en-
emies by sparing them. Only when he
had them in his power could he do
this effectually; otherwise it would
have been attributed to fear. AS the
result, the plundering bands which
had been in the habit of ravagiDg the
territory Il Kings. 5:2) ceased their