The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-09-30
THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL
Lesson in the International Series
for October 2, 19o4-"Elisha
Succeeds Elijah"
prepared by the Highway and By
way" Preachsr.)


LESSON TEXT.
QI. Kings 2:l2-22: Memory verses, 1a-l4)
H. And Elisha saw It, and he cried: My
Father. my Father. the chariot OF Israel.
and the horsemen thereof. Ana he saw
him no more. and he took hold Of his own
clothes. and rent them In two pieces.
II. He took up also the mantle Of Elijah
that fell from him. and went back. and
stood by the bank OF Jordan.
t. And he took the mantle OF Elijah that
fell from him. and smote the waters. and
said: Where 10 the Lord God OF Elijahl
Ana when he also had smitten the waters.
they parted hither and thither. and Elisha
went over.
Is. And when the sons of the prophets
which were to view at Jericho saw him.
they said: The spirit of Elijah doth rest
on Elisha And they came to meet him, and
bowed themselves to the ground before
him
-ls And they said unto him: Behold now.
there be with thy servants Atty strong men;
Ie; them 80. we pray thee. and seek thy
master; lest peradventure the Spirit Of
the Lord hath taken him up. and cast him
upon some mountain. or into some valley
And he said: Ye shall not send
H. And when they urged him III he was
ashamed, he said: Send. They sent there
fore ffty men: and they sought three days.
but found him not.
Is. And when they came again 70 him Cor
he tarried at Jericho). he said unto them:
Did / not say unto you: Go notf
10. And the men of the city said unto ELI
sha: Behold. 1 pray thee. the situation OF
the water Is naught. and the ground bar
rem.
% And he said: Bring me a new cruise,
and put salt therein. And they brought IL
10 him.
q And he went forth unto the spring Of
the waters and cast the salt In there. and
said: Thus saith the Lord. ! have healed
these waters: there shall not be from
thence any more death or barren land.
=. So the waters were healed unto this
day. according to the saying OF Elisha
which he spake.
scRIPTURAL sEcrIoN.-Ths sntirs
chapter. with a review of Elisha's call In
! Kings 1876. 1874.
GOLDEN TEXT.-''Lst a double portion
OF thy spirit be upon me" IL Kings 20.
TIME.-Immediateiy following the events
Of the lesson for September IL The proph-
cts ministry extended through about hfty
years.
PLAcE.-The scene OF EliJah's transis-
ton. and At Jericho.
Beginning Of q Great Mission.
The Place of Enduemsnt-Elishs
was destined to I'LL the place Of great
prophet. and our lesson to-day intro
duces us to the initial events In hts
career. which are preparatory to and
prophetic of the future success Of his
mission. II Elisha were to all EliJah'i
place he must be endued with Elijah's
spirit. The disciples to perform the
Lords service must wait for enduemen'
OF power. for the descent Of His Spirit
(Acts /: s, 2: la. The servant OF the
Lord to-day must wait for the power
and inspiration which will equip fol
service. What had brought Elishs
here? The place Of such enduement IL
always marked by D Watchfulness
Elisha watched. (2) Revelation. Elisha
saw the presence and glory Of God az
Elijah was snatched from earth tc
Heaven, and It quickened his heart tc
new consciousness Of God and His
power. The soul that watches eagerly
and persistently will be rewarded with
a revelation of God which will thrill
the whole being and call into life new
capabilities and create new possibili.
ties.
The Place of Testing.-The place ol
testing always lies Just beyond the
place Of enduement. Elisha in the
wilderness beyond Jordan gazing VI
into the heavens. would never prove
an efficient or worthy successor Of ELI
jah. The too-long gazing up intc
Heaven needs Divine rebuke (Acts 1:
III. Elisha must return, and In the
pathway Of the return lay the broad
unfordable Jordan, the Place OF Test
ing. All that he had was the BARI
word OF the prophet and the mantle o.
Elijah, which was the evidence OF ELI
jah's departure. The testing was fol
the double purpose OF revealing to ELI
prophets gazing from the hills OF Jeri
cho the fact that Elkah's spirit hat
descended upon Elisha. Elisha wen
over"-the place of enduement and tn,
place OF testing were Just behind. bu
the place of discipline lay before him
The Place OF Discipline.-For thre'
days while the wIllful. unbelievini
students Of the college pursued theil
fruitless search. Elisha waited at Jeri
cho. Those were days OF discipline
While the search was on for Elijah
Elisha must wait. and waiting is thu
most trying kind of discipline.
The Place of Service.-And now W,
come to the place of service. Endue
ment, testing. discipline and at las
service. The discipline ended, Elishi
finds his position strengthened in tn,
city. Doubtless during those thre,
days there was much discussion m thu
city of Elijah's disappearance. which
| tended to advertise Elisha. People go
TO discussing the miraculous events o.
the past few days and as a resul
faith in Elisha increased. Then cam,
the opportunity OF service. The mer
of the city came making request tha
the noxious waters might be healed
Here was a call to service. But VIII,
salt to cure the brackish waters? 'Lik,
cures like" has long been familiar say
ing. The use of salt suggests Gods meth
| cd of healing the worlds sin. The shed
ding OF blood to cleanse the crimson
stains of sin. Death to cure death.
Bits for Contemplation.
When the soul becomes a singer life