Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-10-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER 80.

|
1923 Memory Verses, 1b-17-Golden
Text, Psalm xxxiv., documentary
on the Days Lesson.
1. Elisha assisting the King OF Israel
| Tvs. 8-l2). s. 'King of Syria" Benhadad
H., who sent the letter about Naaman
| e Kings $50. A powerful king, bring
ing thirty-two vassal kings with him to
the first siege of Samaria Il Kings 2O:O
"Warred." Not an open war but de-
sultory skirmisnlng. The plan Of the Syr;
| ian king was to set an ambush that would
| tempt the king of Israel to his capture.
8. MAN of God" Jehovah rescued Is.
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, bYt
due to the God of Israel. Beware. Be
! on the lookout: Are come down. Are
coming down." R. V. God knows all
that the wicked are doing, and He Will
employ this knowledge fol-. the benefit OF
the good. 10. "King of Israel sent"
A party of troops to pre-occupy the place;
and thus the Syrians found their designs
had been detected. 1t is probable that
whenever the Syrians arrived at point
selected for attack they found superior
! Israelitish forces already there. saved
| hinsf." Those who carefully follow
Gods directions will have no difficulty IN
out-generaling the foe. Not once nor
twice." This was done repeatedly,
IL. "Sore troubled" Vexed and cha
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 Il.
Zone of his servants" From some Israel
lite this Syrian may have obtained his
knowledge. "Telleth" 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, 1919.
l3. "Go and spy" How blind to imagine
that He who could tell his secret counseis
could not also Illustrate the movements OF
his spies. "In Dothan., Dothan means rs
two wells" or "the double fountain" 1t
was situated on the south side of the plain
Of Jezree.
IA. "Horses and chariots." What un
conscious tributes bad men pay to good
Influences! The king sent "hOrses and
,hariots aid 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 righteousness
Even had it ! n possible to kill Elisha,
Sod could easily raise up, and instruct
another prophet. "By night" 10 take
The city by surprise and Elisha IN 1t with
out any warning or opportunity Tor eS'
cape. =,
IS. Servant. Cor minister" r. ",
margin. "a special Iervant, probably
! ,hosen from one of the schools OF the
prophets" He had only been with him
since Gehazi's dismissal, and had little Gx-
?erience of his masters powers. MS !;
| .aith was easily shaken. Risen carly,
| re NAV have been aroused by the arrival
| If the Syrio1s. "Alas" Contrast the ter:
| ror of the servant with the ca mness or
| the prophet "How shall we do, The
/ worst of unbelief is, that it not only loses
/ courage for itself, but assumes that al
other Christians are in the same plight,
| LII. God delivers Elisha Tvs. 1919.
| I6. "Fear not" Elisha speaks as man
whose eyes are opened and who is sure OF
Gods protection whether he beholds the
angelic host about him or not. He qulets
! the fears of his servant, |. By showing
his own faith in God. 2. By causing the
young man to catch a glimpse of their
protectors. care more" The person who
| has God with him has more than all that
can possibly be against him. One with
God is majority.
II. "Open his eyes" His natural eyes
are open and he sees the danger; now
open the eyes of his faith that ne may
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 caamites of earth. "The Lord
opened" God opened his spiritual eyes,
unveiled his inner sense. Mountain was
full" How thickly crowded the spirit
ual world must be when such a host could
be spared for Elisha alone. Horses and
chariots." Horses and chariots were there
to match horses and chariots of the Syrian
! invader. When Judas came to Gethsc-
name with a detachment Of the Roman
guard, Christ said. ''Thnkest thou that
| [ cannot beseech My Father, and He shall
even now send Me more than twelve lie.
| yions 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 1t as
4 wheeled, harnessed contiagratlon. Ihat
means purity, justice, chastisement, de-
liverance through burning escapes, Char
;ot Ct rescue? Yes, but chariot of fire:
IS. "They." The Syrian army. Came
down." From the surrounding hills on
which they were encamped. ITO 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
! the CITY with his now courageous servant
Elisha prayed" He had prayed for his
servant that he might see Gods army.
| lie 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 enhght'
| aned; but for the Syrians their faculties
! failed them. The" were so confused as
not to know tne place to be DotLan or to
recognize Elisha. They groPed as in dark
| ness. thus protection came in answer to
PRAYER. God is rerciful to sinners when
He defeats their plans and saves them
from crime. "Smote with blindness"
| Not the usual Hebrew word for blindness,
/ but a compound word meaning to blind,
| to shine. The resulting idea would be
! That of dazzling This would denote hal.
!ucnation rather than total loss of sight.
". Elisha's treatment of his enemies
! Tvs. 1929 10. "He led them to Samaria...
There is a sort of irony in these words of
Elisha, which virtually treated the enemy
with derision.
20. "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 81.
When Jehoram, the king of Israel, saw
! them he asked Elisha if he should kill
them. g. Elisha strongly objected to
this and ordered them to be well fed and
sent back to Benhadad. %. The result
of Elsha's kindness was that the Syr-
ians ceaseo this sort of warfare against
Israel.
Hens Victims of Old Fogy Notions
MY son and myself" said DR.. E.
F. Hodges, took an automobile run to
MartinSville. EIe was the chauffeur;