The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-21

HIS 1EE4AlS 70 BI IL AtEA ~---~AA- -AAAA~ ~
call attention to the career of Gehazi
the CRATER. Gehazi hourished about
twenty-eight hundred years ago. He
was the servant of Elisha. the prophet
of Israel, and with the exception of the
one instance when he gave way to his
greed for gain he seems to have been
a fairly good man. But that single in
stance and the punishment that follow
ed it forms a striking lesson for graft
ere.
When Naaman, the great Syrian, came
to Elisha and asked to be cured Of his
Ioathsome leprosy he brought great
gifts with which to pay Elisha should
the cure be accomplished. These gifts
consisted of ten talents of silver, 5000
pieces Of gold. and ten changes of raj
ment, which would amount to several
hundred thousand dollars.
When Naaman discovered that he had
actually been cured by washing in the
Jordan as Elisha had directed, he has
tened back to the prophet to offer him
the gifts, but Elisha promptly refused
to accept them. It was not his bust
ness to cure people for pay. and not
withstanding Naaman's fnsistence he
would not accept any of the great gifts
Naaman had brought
Now Cehazi, Elisha's servant stood
by, and he apparently could not see why
Naaman should not be allowed to get
rid of some Of his wealth, especially as
he had so much and had been rendered
SO great a service, and after Naaman
had started back to Syria Gehazi has
tily concOcted a scheme to get some OF
that money for himself. The account
in the fifth chapter Of II Kings puts it
this way:
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha,
the man of God, said, Behold, my mas
ter hath spared Naaman this Syrian,
in not receiving. at his hands that which
he brought: but, as the Lord liveth 1
viii run after him, and take somewhat
of HIM"
That doubtless looked safe enough to
! GehazL Naaman was starting back to
! Syria, hundreds of miles away and as
| there We're no mail facilities there was
no danger that the story would get
/ back. There were no newspapers then
SO the Syrian Star or the Damascus
/ Journal could not print an interview
with Naaman telling how much his
/ wonderful cure had cost, nor was there
+ any danger that the Associated Press
+ would telegraph anything about it to
/ the Hebrew Gazette. There was little
/ likelihood. in fact, that anyone who
might know of the occurrence would
/ ever be in the land of Israel again. 50
| Gehazi felt perfectly safe in perpetrat-
/ ing his graft. He had no thought that
/ it would be recorded in Holy Writ and
go down through all ages as a warning
against graft.
But he chose to lie about it tC
Naaman- The CRATER is always also a
/ liar Even if he reasons out to him
self that his graft is perfectly legal. anc
although he starts out with the belief
that he can get the money without
/ compromising himself, he is almost sure
TO lie about it right at the start. Thai
IS what Gehazi did. When he caught
up with Naaman and his company
Gehazi said:
Ny master hath sent me, saying
/ Behold, even now there be come Il
me two young men of the sons of the
| prophets: give then, I pray thee. {
| talent of silver, and two changes OF
garments"
And Naaman, out of the generosity
Of his heart said, Take two talents.
undue urging.
Now a talent of silver was worth
s1,883.25, as near as scholars are able
to figure it out-possibly silver fIuc-
! tuated then as it does now-so tina
| Gehazi received upwards of fou
thousand dollars in graft besides hi
two changes of raiment" It was Sc
! much, in fact. that Gehazi required
] Of =
to get it home.
When Gehazi met Elisha he had t,
lie again. Elisha asked him wher,
he had been and Gehazi denied having
I been anywhere. Then Elisha charged
him with his graft and pronounced
this punishment upon him.
The leprosy therefore of Naamal
shall cleave unto thee. and unto tn,
seed forever And. says the inspire,
word, the went out from his presenc
a leper as white as snow
That is the faint of graft. 1t leave
Ieprosy upon the soul, even if tn
/ CRATER is not legally punished. Tn
time is rapidly approaching. if it
not already here when the mask o
the CRATER will cause truth-loving PEG
pie to scorn and shun a dishonest indf
vidual as they would a leper. Not
the humiliation, for instance. that
/ being heaped upon some of the con
spicious grafters Of the present day.
There is another instance of graf
given in the Bible where dire punish
ment followed the grating. That wa
in the case of Ananias and Sapphire
/ They are usually pointed to as liars
but they were more than that: The
were grafters. They joined the littl
band of Christians in Jerusalem whei
the Christian church was just starting
, and they pretended to sell their Ian
and turn the proceeds into the churcl
treasury. But they failed to accoun
for all of it. They claimed the sell
ing price was less than it really was
! and they exnected to keen the exces.