The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-07-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vi. Auo 7. ? KINGS.
2: o-I5.
Golden Text-"Bow Much More Shall
Your Heavenly Father Give the Holy
Spirit to Them That Ask HImE"-
Luke II: Is.

The section includes 1 Kings . and 2
Kings and 2 the history from Naboths
tineyard to the beginning of Elisha
work. Elijah" is now fulfilling a part
OF his mission. and seeing some OF the
fruits OF his labors. He needs success
sor to carry on his work; successor OF
different kind from himself Time.-B.
c. S92-S90. com. chron.: or S5A-SS2. rev.
chron. The exact date Is uncertain, but
It is inferred from Chron. p: Il that II
was after the accession of Jehoram. as
co-regent with his father in Judah B. c.
R97 or $50; and from Kings 3: IL that II
was before the death Of Jehoshaphat. b.
c. $50 or $50. Place.-Elijah went from
Gilgal, in Ephraim. to the eastern shore
OF the Jordan. where he was translated.
Rulers.-Jehoram. son of Ahab, king of
Israel; Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, was
co-regent with his father I'm Judah; Ben
hadad was king of Syria; Shalmaneser IL.
of Assyria. Homer is supposed by many
to have lived about this time. The Black
Obelisk records events of about this time
by Shalmaneser ii.
8. '"Tarry. / pray thee. here They
were at Jericho. and Elijah was on .the
way to the fords OF the Jordan. where he
could cross over into his native country.
{. THE sons of the prophets" That Is.
the young men attending the theological
seminaries first organized BY Samuel for
the preparation of religious teachers FOR
the people.-Taylor.
5. And Elijah took his mantle OF
sheepskin. The cloak. that outward sign
of the prophets office. became the vehicle
of the Spirits power.-Keil. And wrap
ped ii together" Rolled il up like a
rod. for convenience in handling. 'Smote
the waters" And Moses ''smote" the
River Nile eek. :: 2O). Aaron the dust lex.
8: Id. and Moses the rock (Num. 20: IL
strongly. as one smites an enemy.-COOk.
$. On the farther shore Elijah said
unto Elisha. Ask what I shall do for
thee, before be taken away from thee "
What is your last request. the one SUI
preme thing you desire me to do? He had
no money. no estates, no title to leave his
friend. but he well knew that such things
were not first in Elisha's mind. for he had
left all these when he chose the prophets
work. Let a double portion of thy spirit
be upon meg Not twice as much as Eli
jah had. but the portion of the eldest son
(Deut. q: Ia. The eldest son was the sue
cessor of his father the head of the
household.
TO- Thou hast asked a hard thing 1t
was hard because it was a spiritual sift
the hardest of all things to impart to
another. 1t was hard because it depend
ed on the fitness of the receiver. 1t was
hard because it was the greatest of gifts
worth more than riches or thrones 1t
was hard because the granting OF this
request was not i'm Elijah's gift. and he
knew not yet If God meant to bestow IL:
yet he would seek it with the fervent
prayer Jas. .: 16. III that brought abun-
dant showers from heaven q Kings IS:
42-40). IF thou see me when / am taken
from thee" The words when / am are
not in the original.-Cook. II he was able
to retain to the end the same devoted per-
severance. and keep his eye set and stead
fast on the departing prophet the gift
q
But how could he see him If he did not
watch? All. that is the whole doctrine!
Look. expect. watch: keep your eyes open
fixed. intense.-look as il you wanted the
blessing. and you will get it.'-Joseph
Parker.
II. "They still went on. and talked"
So did the two disciples on the way TO
Emmaus talk together Much of the
heavenly wisdom that has blessed the
world can be traced back to communion
with sanity men and women in the Dor
der-land. There appeared q chariot Of
fire. and horses of FIRE" The Hebrew
word for "a chariot is usually q collec-
tive noun, and means 'chariots" as in
the margin Of the r. V. There vas some
marvellous display OF flame apd fire. And
Elijah went up by a whirlWfrd" The
earthly means of carrying up mis- body.
before the transformation to the spiritual
body of heaven q Cor. Is: f2-4D. THE
popular conception, which we see en-
bodied in such pictures as William BIake's
Translation of Elijah" that the prophet
ascended TO heaven in a fiery car drawn
by horses of fire is plainly read into.
rather than gathered from. the sacred
text.'-Ellicott.
IL. THE chariot of Israel and the horse
men thereof" BY the words MY father.
my father" Elisha expresses what the
departing one was for himself: and by the
words. The chariot of Israel. and the
horsemen thereof" what he was for the
whole nation. One such man as Elijah is
more than equivalent to an entire army.
Such was Luther for the German people.-
Lange.
13. He took up also the mantle of Eli
jah." AS his successor. and proceeded TO
use II as Elijah had done. Ii was a test
and proof whether he mad actually receiv-
ed the promised gift.
IA. Where is the Lord God of Elijah?''
1t was a prayer to see IL God had given
what Elijah had promised. However
strong his faith, it needed the proof of
results. And he found the promise true.
and knew henceforth that he was Elijah's
successor. and -ss to take up his work.
Is This proof was confirmed by his rec
ognition-as Elijah's successor by the sons
of the prophets.
1t was still further confirmed by his
correctness of insight as to finding Eli.
jah's body Tvs. 16 10.