The Morris County chronicle., 1904-10-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR ocTo6ER 80.
Subject; Elisha at Dothan, IL Kings, vi.,
S-23 - Memory Verses, 15-17-Goldem
Tent, Psalm xxxfv., S--Coxnane enfayy
ON the Days Lesson.

s-23 = Memory verses, 15-17-Golden
Text, Psalm xxxiv., S--Cosnsn enfary
ON the Days Lesson.
L Elisha assisting the King of Israel
(NN. 8-l2). 8. King of Syria Bennadad
H., who sent the letter about Naaman
q Kings $50. A powerful king. bring
ing thirty-two vassal kings with him 20
the first siege Of Samaria q Kings 20:l).
He was killed by Hazaef (2 Kings 8:7-15)
sWarred S Not an open war but de-
sutory skirmisnlng The plan of the SyT-
ian king was to set an ambush that would
tempt the king Of Israel to his capture.
8. Man of God" Jehovah rescued Isl
rael not by kings, mighty armies or great
generals, but by the man of God, that it
might be. seen that salvation was not
work Of human strength or wisdom, but
due to the God Of Israel Beware. Be
on the lookout; Are come down" Are
coming down" r. VI God knows all
employ this knowledge for the benefit Of
the good. TO- King Of Israel sent =
A party of troops to pre-occupy the plaeeJ
and thus the Syrians found their designs
had been detected. It is probable shat
whenever the Syrians arrived at a point
selected for attack they found superior
Israelitish forces already there: Saved
himself" Those who carefully follow
Gods directions will have no difdcslity in
out-generaling the foe. Not once nor
twice 4 This was done repeatedly.
grined that all his plans were made known
to Israel, and that they could thus treat
all his stratagems with derision. 'Shew
me- When his design was thus repeat
edly frustrated it was natural to think
Of treachery among his own people. V.
Zone of his servants From some Israel
tie this Syrian may have obtained his
knowledge. sTelleth. A confession of
the boundless knowledge, as, before, Of the
boundless power, Of IsraePs God is ex
torted from the Syrians. In thy bed
chamber" In the greatest possible Sc
crecy.
ii. The Syrians seek Elisha Tvs. 1870.
10. Go and spy" How blind TO imagine
that He who could tell his secret counsels
could not also Illustrate the movements of
his spies. In Dothan" Dothan means
"two wells, or the double fountain. It
was situated on the south side of the PLAIN
of Jezreel.
a. Horses and chariots" What UNI
influences! The king sent Horses and
chariots ard great host to take man
whose sword was the word Of God, whose
helmet was the defense of the Most High,
whose breast-plate was righteousnessl
Even had it | IN possible to kin Elisha,
God could easily raise up, and instruct
another prophet. BY night, To take
the city by surprise and Elisha in it With
out any warning or opportunity Tor es~
cape Es' servant. ~or minister, !. y.
margin "A special servant, probably
chosen from one Of the schools of the
prophets" He had only been with him
since Gehazi's dismissal, and had lite ex
perience of his masters powers HIS
faith was easily shaken. Risen early.
Of the Syrieas. Alas" Contrast the ter
ror of the servant with the calmness of
the prophet How shall we do. The
worst of unbelief is, that it not only loses
courage for itself, but assumes that all
other Christians are in the same plight.
III God delivers Elisha tvs. l67l6)
l6. Fear not" Elisha speaks as man
whose eyes are opened and who is sure Of
Gods protection whether he behods the
angelic host about him or not. He quiets
the fears of his servant l. BY showing
his own faith in God. Q. By causing the
protectors Are more" The person who.
has God with him has more than All that
can possibly be against him. One with
God is a majority.
II. Open his eyes His natural eyes
are open and he sees the danger; now
see the protection. The greatest kind
ness we can do for the fearful and faint
hearted is to pray for them. and so to
recommend them to the mighty grace OF
God. The opening Of our eyes Will silence
our fears; the clearer sight we have Of
the power of heaven, the less we shall
fear the calamities Of earth. The Lord
opened" God opened his spiritual eyes,
unveiled his inner sense. Mountain was
full" How thiclSly crowded the spirit
ual world must be when such host could
be spared for Elisha alone. Horses and
to match horses and chariots Of the Syrian
invader. When Judas came to Gethse-
name with detachment of the Roman
guard, Christ said, .Thinkest thou that
! cannot beseech My Father, and He shall
even now send Me more than twelve le.
gions of angels?" The reserves were Of
the same military order as the foe. Fire.
Ezekiel, Isaiah and John, when they de-
scribe the divine equipage, represent it as
a wheeled, harnessed conhagration. That
means purity justice, chastisement, de-
liverance through burning escapes. Char
lot of rescue? Yes, but chariot Of fire.
IS. "They." The Syrian army. Game
down." From the surrounding hills on
which they were encamped. 'To him.
Elisha, to capture him, which was their
object in coming to Dothan. 1t was quite
in the character of Elisha to 60 forth from
"Elisna prayed He had prayed for bis
servant that he might see Gods army.
He now prayed for his enemies that they
might be withheld from doing the evil
they designed to do For the servant the
eyes Of his understanding were enlight-
ened; but for the Syrians their faculties
failed them. The- were SO confused as
not to know tue place to be DotLan or to
recognize Elisha They groped as in dark
ness. 1nus protection came in answer to
prayer. God is rrerciful to sinners when
He defeats their, plans and saves them
from crime. ssSmote with blindness.
Not the usual Hebrew word for blindness,
but compound word meaning to blind,
to shine. The resulting idea would be
that Of dazzling. This would denote hal
lucination rather than total loss Of sight.
w EIisha'e treatment OF his enemies
Tvs. 1929. 10. He led them to Samariav
There is sort of irony in these words of
Elisha, which virtually treated the enemy
with derision.
TO- They saw" Elisha led them twelve
miles to Salnaria and then their sight was
restored and they found themselves cap
tives in the midst of their enemies 2l
When Jehoram, the king Of Israel, saw
them he asked Elisha if he should kill
them. p. Elisha strongly objected to
this and ordered them to be well fed and
sent back to Benhadad 23 The result
of Elisha's kindness was that the Sys-
~ns ceaseo this sort Of warfare against
Israel.