El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VIII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 81.

1. "Now Naaman, captain of the host
of the king of Syria, was great man with
his master and honorable" The verse
goes on to tell why. but closes with the
sad statement that he was leper. The
Word of God from beginning to end reveals
God to us working in and through and for
His people and for all who are willing to
receive His mercy. Even by those who do
not know Him He sometimes works as in
this case, delivering Syria by Naaman.
All the great and honorable men of Scrip
ture, such Boaz, the mighty man OF
wealth ruth ii, -; Mordecai, who was
great among the Jews Est. x, 81, and
others lead the believer to say with heart
felt gratitude, ST know greater and
more honorable than all others. and He
can heal even lepers.
=. Brought away captive out of the
land of Israel little maid, and she wait
ed on Naaman's wife. Thus did tho
Syrians with Gods permission, but what
about the little maids father and mother,
and what about her own poor little heart.
1t is very evident that God does not al
ways seek the comfort of His people, but
He does always seek the highest good and
the greatest eternal glory of each one.
Consider Joseph and Daniel, etc.
3. ''Would God my lord were with the
prophet that is in SaInaria! For he would
recover him of his leprOsy." But for the
love of God manifested through the little
maid we might never have had the story
of Naaman. The faithfulness of the little
boy Samuel and of this little girl are great
lessons for all boys and girls. Jesus at
the age of 12 was about His Fathers bust
ness, and it is the business of all who know
Him to make Him known to others.
4. ''Thus and thus said the maid that is
of the land of Israeli So said one to the
king, and thus the message of the little
maid is passed on to headquarters, even
the words of little boy or girl are worth
being passed on and will accomplish God S
pleasure if they concern Him or His serv-
ants who live unto Him. He will use any
vessel that is willing to be used by HIM
that He may be glorified.
5. "And the king of Syria said, Go to,
go and will send Il letter unto the King
of Israel So Naaman departed, taking
as a present 10 talents of silver, 5000
pieces of gold and ten changes of ra1ment.
God gave His Son freely and with Him
freely all things from. iii, "a; viii, 32).
Those do not know Him who think to buy
His gifts, neither do those know Him as
they should who bring Him no thank
Offering.
6. "Now when this letter is come unto
thee, behold 1 have Herewith sent Naa-
man, my servant, to thee, that thou may
est recover him of his leprosy." Our mes
sages for God often get twisted and per-
verified by those who hear them, but God
| will somehow accomplish His pleasure.
| 1t is not for us to worry if We have acted
according to Jer. xiii, %. The little girl
| had said that the prophet, not the king,
| would do it.
z. 'Am 1 God, to kill and to mako
| alive, that this man doth send unto me to
| recover "a man of his leprosy?" Thus said
| the king of Israel when he had read the
| letter and imagined that the king of Syria
sought to quarrel with him. True, he
| was not able either to kill or make alive
| but he should have known the God OF
| Israel and His servants, the prophets, and
have been able to point people to the one
| only living and true God.
8. Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?
| Let him now come to me, and he shall
| know that there is prophet in Israel. ]"
| Thus sent Elisha to the king when he
! beard that the king had rent his clothes
| Here is man conscious of the fact that
| he is on earth for God and that Cos: is
| with him. He has seen the power of God
| in the dividing of the waters, the healing of
| the waters and in the miraculous supply
| of water in the increase of the oil, the
raising of the Summarizes son and the
| healing of the pottage. He knows God
| and feels free to expect whatever will
glorify Him.
9. $50 Naaman came with his horses and
| with his chariot and stood at the door of
the house of elisha" A wonderful sight
| truly to be seen at a poor mans door! 1t
| makes us think of the time when all kings
shall fall dow n before Him whom Elisha
served. when every high thing shall be
brought down and the Lord alone shall be
| exalted in that day rs. Xxi, IL; lisa. ii,
| IL.
10. .'Go and wash in Jordan seven
times, and thy flesh shall come again to
! thee and thou shalt be clean" Thus said
tn
door, for Ellis hu thought it not necessary
to go himself He stood like Elijah before
God and considered no greatness that was
not of God.
II. But Naaman was wroth and went
away and said. Behold, thought he will
surely come out to me-" Naa1nan had 1t
all planned in his own mind just how it
ought to be done, for was not he a great
and honorable man and did he not deserve
to be honored before his soldiers and by
this Israelite? Was he not prepared to pay
well for all he got and was this any kind
of way to treat such as he: His pride
would not stand it, and he went away in
| IA rage.
II. "Are not ALBANIA and Pharpar, riv-
ers of Damascus, better than all the wa
tiers of Israeli The water might be AS
good or possibly better for some purposes,
but they were not Gods way for his
cleansing. Gains fruits were probably
much more attractive than Abels bloody
lamb, but they were not Gods way. Good
works and Il good moral character are very
beautiful and all right in their place hut
they are not Gods way of cleansing the
leprosy of sin, and therefore of no avail.
ID. Glow much rather then when he
saith to thee, Wash and be clean?" His
servants, wiser than he, thus reasoned
with him that he would gladly do some
great thing, and why not this simple
thing? There are many who would give
much money and do many SO called good
works if thus they could BE- saved, but
simply to receive Christ and depend who'll
ly upon Him and to have all their right
eousness count for nothing is too humili-
ating for some people, and they will not
submit (Rom. Y, -.
Ii. "Thcn went he down and dipped
himself seven times in Jordan, according
to the saying of the man of God, and his
flesh came again like unto the flesh of a
little child, and no was clean" He GER
tainly was not worthy, but he was obedi-
ent. and he was cleaned. There is no 9TH
er way but Gods way (Acts iv, 12), and
all, without exception, who accept the