The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-08-14
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, AUG. 2s, 2 KINGS
Q: sis,
Golden Test: THE Angel of the Lord
EncamPeth Round About Them That
rear Him, and Delivereth Them."-
Psa. "a: 1-EIisha at Dothan.

elisha at DOthan.
hIs section should include chan.
showing how God helps his people In va
rlous Kinds of trouble Time.-Not long
aIter the last lesson. Between B. c. S90
, anu oo9 tcom chron); or $50 and S45 (rev
cnroh) Place.-(D Samaria. the capItal
t2) Dothan, on the south side Of the nIoin
o1 JezreeI, twelve miles north of Samaria
mere Joseph was put in the pit, and sold
oy ms brethren Gen. 81: II, etc) Rulers.
TJenoshaphat or Jehoram, king of Judah;
gehoram. son of Ahab, king of Israel;
Benhadad H., king of Syria: Shafmane-
ser. king of Assyria.
*. x Ehsha's Defenders. S-lS. g.
The king of Syria" Benhadad II cf
Damascus.
). And the man of God Elisha: so
called because he was Gods special serv-
ant and messenger. through whom God
revealed his will. Sent unto the king of
israel Josephus says the king of Israel
was starting on a hunting party when
Elisha warned him. Beware that thou
pass not such place" or beware that
thou pass not over such a place, leaving
II unoceupied.-Kell. "Syrians are come
TX. V. are coming) down. He must eth
er avoid the place, lest he be taken un-
awares by the Syrians already there, or
ne must occupy and defend 1t. ready for
the Syrians. who are on the way there.
10. And the king sent to tht
place" several times, and in every case
the prophets warning was correct.
IL. King of Syria was sore troubled"
he was both enraged at the defeat of his
schemes, and perplexed at the unaccount-
able and mysterious manner of his de-
feat. Which of us is king of Israeli"
lie could account for these things only
by some treachery among his intimate ad-
visers.
L. And one of his servants" Perhaps
some one who had been to Samaria with
Naaman, and had conversed with the
netghbors of Elisha. Perhaps they knew
OF his discovery of Gehazrs crime.
H. Go and spy where he is. that 1 may
fetch him." and take him away
| from the power of communicating with
the king. 1t illustrates curious phase
of human nature. that he did not seem to
| think that the prophet might discover this
plan as well as the others.
| a. "a great host" Great for the pur-
pose. They came by night" So as to
| take the city by surprise, and Elisha in
/ 1t, without any warning or opportunity
| for escape.
Is. THE servant was risen ear
! ly. Something unusual had alarmed
him; the noise of the chariots. or the
alarm of the watchmen.
16. And he answered, Fear not" He
comforts him in two ways: % by his own
| faith and experience; (2) by a 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 prosecutes them comp. Psa. "a: 4;
| 55: IS; 81 II; Chron. 80; :, tc.)-Cook. The
prophet speaks not of casual event, but
of something continued and always true
in the providence of God.-Lewis. And
yet what follows seems to imply that Eli
sha's own eyes were opened to see his de-
! tenders, before he asked to have his serv-
ant see them. The Lord gave him the WIS.,
| ion first.
It. Lord, I pray the, open his eyes
| His spiritual vision his power of recog-
niZing the great unseen realities around
| him. Nothing was created or changed for
| him. The heavenly host were 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
mountain The hill on which Dothan
was situated. WAS full of horses and
| chariots of fire" The symbols of the un-
seen powers and forces of God, which de-
Tended the prophet. 'It is picture CON-
rnentary on the psalmist's words, The
angel of the Lord encampeth round them
that fear him, and delivereth them, QPsa.
"a: 0"-Frarrar. The Syrian army sur
| rounded the hill at Its base, so that es-
cape seemed impossible. But between the
| surrounding army and the prophet the
whole space was filled with these fiery
symbols of Gods protecting hosts. They
encompassed the prophet as body guard
and of course protected him from the enc
| nv on every side. So Christ spoke to Pc
ter in his anxiety of twelve legions OF
angels he could have for guard Matt
rs: 53.)
IS when they came down. from the
surrounding hills, Ito him. to take Eli
sha. Apparently he and his servant had
zone out toward the Syrians. ''Smite this
neople. pray thee, with blindness" This
was not revengeful, but a loving prayer
for the tendency of the whole transaction
was C( to teach the Syrians about this
true God and his goodness; ~ to lead
Jehoram. the king, to go to God for his
helm. (3) to deliver the people from these
raids And he smote them with blind
ness" This is not the usual Hebrew wore
for ''blindness," but is compound word
a thing not very common I'm Hebrew
(found only in Gen. 1s: IL One part re
sembles the ordinary word to blind; thu
other is from quite different root, mean
mo IN shine The resulting idea would b'
that of coruscation or dazzling; and th'
whole would denote visual bewilderment
balIucination, rather than total loss o.
sight.-Taylor Lewis.