Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-08-03
'ELIJAH's SPIRIT ON ELISHA.
,#S5 national Series forAugust z,
81, 1862 Kings 2,0-16.S

sunday school Lesion In the Inter-
,# national Series for August q,
1862 Kings 2.o-1o.
Z BIASED upon Peloubet's Select Notes.1
GOLDEN TExT.-How much more shall
your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask Him?-Luke 1913.
THE SECTION includes Kings q and
Kings and 2. the history from Naboth's
vineyard to the beginning of Elisha's work.
TIME.-B. C. 892-890, com. chron.: or 854- 4
$50 rev. chron. The exact date is uncertain,
but it is inferred from Chron. q :12 that
1t was after the accession of Jehoram. as
co-regent with his father in Judah B. C.
1877 or $50; and from 2 Kings 3:u that It
was before the death Of Jehoshaphat, B.
G. S89 or $50.
PLACE.-Elijah went from Gilgal, in
Ephraim, to the eastern shore of the Jor-
dan where he was translated.
COMMENT.
I. The Call of Elisha.-1 Kings 1921.
We know almost nothing of Elisha's
early history. He seems to have be-
longed to. a well-to-do family of Abel
meholah, in the Jordan valley. Sudden
~ Elijah came to him while he was
blowing with - yoke of oxen and threw
his mantle over the young, man. as an
invitation to follow him and become a
prophet.
II. The Test of Elisha.-When. the
time came for Elijah to leave his earth
~ work and to be taken up to Heaven
In a whirlwind the prophet was at Gil
gal, north of Bethel, with Elisha at one
OF the schools of the prophets. Elijah
seems to have received some revelation
that his last hours had come. He babe
Elisha remain at Gilgal while he went
on to the next school at Bethel. But
Elisha insisted on going with him. This
was reported at the other stations,
Bethel and Jericho, on the direct way
to the fords of the Jordan. Why Elijah
asked Elisha not to accompany him is
not certain. But he may have desired
to be alone in that supreme moment.
III. Elisha's. High Request.-Vs. CLIO.
3. 'Tarry, I pray thee, here:" They
were at Jericho, and Elijah was on the
way to the fords of the Jordan, where
he could cross over in to his native coun-
try.
z. THE sons Of the prophets:" That
is, the young men attending the theo-
logical seminaries first organized by
Samuel for the preparation of religious
teachers for the people.
8. "And Elijah took his mantle:" The
cloak, that outward sign of the proph-
cts office, became the vehicle of the
Spirits power. "And wrapped it to-
gether:" ROLLED it up like rod, for
convenience in handling. "Smote the
waters:" AS Moses "smote" the River
Nile (Ex. 7:2o), Aaron the dust Eek.
SID and Moses the rock (Num. 2o:11)
strongly, as one smites an enemy.
9. 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 su-
preme thing you desire me to do? LET
a double portion of thy spirit be upon
me-" Not twice as much as Elijah had,
but the portion of the eldest son (Deut.
e1:1O. The eldest son was the sue
cessor of his father, the head of the
household. Elisha's request was that
he might be fitted to be Elijah's sue
cessor.
10. 'Thou hast asked hard thing:~
It was hard because the granting of
this request was not in Elijah's gift, and
he knew not yet if God meant to bestow
It; yet he would seek it with the fervent
prayer (Jas. 5:16, ~ that brought
abundant showers from Heaven Il
Kings 1s:42-45). IF thou see me when
I am taken from thee:" IF Thou see
me-" 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
If you wanted the blessing, and you will
get it.-Parker.
Nv. Elijah's Triumph Over Death
VS.. II, IL. II. ''They still went on, and
talked:" So did the two disciples on the
way to Emmaus talk together. "There
appeared chariot of fire, and horses of
fires" 1t was the angelic convoy sent
to attend the prophet in his ascent to
the mansion prepared for him above.
Comp. 2 Kings GID. The emblem is
military one. They are deputed from
the army of the skies to escort to his
Heavenly home in triumph, one who
had fought the battles of the Lord VAL
iantly and well, and who is himself fitly
called by Elisha, the 'chariots of Israel
and the horseman thereof."-Prof. Will
liam n. Green. "And Elijah went I'D bv
a whirlwind:" The earthly means Of
carrying up his body, before the trans
formation to the spiritual body of
Heaven Il Cor. 15:42-49).
IL. 'The chariot of Israel, and the
horseman thereof" By the words 'sMy
father, my father" Elisha expresses
what the departing one was for himself;
and by the words, ''the chariot of Israel,
and the horseman thereof" what he
was for the whole nation. a.,
V. The Legacy of Elijah.-vs. 1915.
Elisha saw Elijah as he assembled, and
thus he knew that his prayer was grant
ed.
13. He took up also the mantle of
Elijah:" AS his successor, and pro-
ceeded to use it as Elijah had done. It
was a test and proof whether he had
actually received the promised gift.
IA. 'Wihere is the Lord God of Eli