St. Tammany farmer., 1908-06-20

| that hour Elisha had been watching
| intently the course of events in Is
| rael, conscious of the solemn re-
sponsibility which Elijah had placed
upon him Of fulfilling the commission
to anoint Jehu king over Israel. But
| as he had waited through the years
there had come no word or sign from
God, and his spirit was sore vexed
| by the delay. Then had come the
war with Syria, and the wel1-nigh NOR
tai wounding of King Joram. Then
| Elisha had said:
Now is the time come when Jehu
shall be anointed king over Israel, and
the judgment Of God will fall upon the
wicked house Of Ahab."
In obedience to this conviction,
Elisha had hastened to Ramoth- -Gilead
and was there when Jehu and the
other captains of IsraeIs army re-
turned. Day after day he had wait
ed, momentarily expecting the death
of King Joram, and the arrival Of the
auspicious moment when Gods word
would come to him to anoint Jehu.
But Joram, to the surprise of every
one, grew stronger and was finally
| able to go to Jezreel to regain his
| full health and vigor, and at last,
as we have said, Elisha had left. Ra-
moth-Gilead for home, disappointed
and perpleXed.
Then what a struggle ensued in the
heart of the prophet. Impatience and
| doubt strove for the mastery, and
feverishly the prophet watched events
at Jezreel and at Ramoth-G -Gilead. The
reports from the former place were
that Joram was fast recovering from
his wounds, and the fact that Ahaziah,
| king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to
visit Joram indicated continuation
| of the alliance between the two kings
which would strengthen the hands of
| both.
King Joram at Jezreel also received
reports from Ramoth-Gilead which
were favorable; his captains to all out
ward appearances remaining loyal to
| him. In fact they had sent repeated
| messages to the king wishing him
full recovery and a speedy return to
| Ramoth-Gilead. True, there was smol-
| dering in the breast of each captain
of the kings hosts the fires of dis
| loyalty, but each was fearful to show
his hand and be the first to take the
| step of revolt. And while each
professed loyalty to the king and sent
messages to the king at Jezreel, each
was watching for the opportunity
which would give him the balance of
| power.
Thus matters stood when Elisha had
visited Ramoth-G -Gilead with the bur-
den of desire to fulfill his commission,
but as he had waited there had come
no word from God and at last he had
departed from Ramoth- -Gilead
And what Of Jehu during these days?
While no hint had ever come to him
Of the Divine word which had been
spoken concerning him there had
grown up within him an irresistible
ambition to rule over the nation.
But" said he to himself, for he
dared not trust his condolences to any
man, ''if this thing is to be it must
be because God is in it, and I must
wait for him to open up the way. I
know the wickedness of the house Of
Ahab and know the judgments which
| God has spoken against them by the
mouth Of his prophet"
The presence Of the prophet In Ra-
moth-Gilead had filled him full Of ex-
| pectancy, but when news was brought
him that Elisha had finally left and
gone to his own city his hopes were
dashed to the ground, and he sum-
moned the other captains that they
| might plan for the return of the king,
for" said he, "the king is making
good recovery and Ahaziah, king Of
judah, hath gone to visit him at Jez-
reel"
I'VE are with thee in this thing"
they all exclaimed with one accord,
when they had come together. But
scarce had they begun their meeting
| when there burst abruptly into their
midst young man of most unusual
appearance, his manner and dress be-
tokening that he belonged to the sons
of the prophets. Every eye was fixed
upon him, as he. exclaimed:
Il have an errand to thee, o cap
tain"
Jehu felt the hot blood rush to his
head as he suddenly realized that his
call had come, but he managed to blurt
out:
Unto which of us all, seeing we be
all captains of the kings hosts"
ITO thee, o captain"
And he went with him, and when he
returned the consciousness that the
amounting oil from God was upon him
made him bold to execute all that it
was Gods purpose should be brought
to pass.
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