The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-24
CBY WILLIAM T. ELLIs.)


traveller whose horizon has
wfdened. The vast reaches
of the themes studied are
perceived in a review, ana "hat re4d-
ton each bears to all Ihefe Is no
subject that so well repays repeated
study as the Blble; IKE ooloIii ~. y
storehouse, it produces treasures new
and old. OF necessity, the uniform
series Of Sunday School Lessons, Whlch
are studied around the world, cover
whole ranges of history ana moral
teaching by a Few selected incidents
and passages. The present year , WE
is a survey Of the history Of Israel ana
judah. with brief glimQses into the
prophecies which made the period
immortal contribution to literature.
Two Children of Old.
OF the twelve lessons, the first. the
third and the fourth, give very hu-
man glimpse of two little children, in
widely contrasted spheres-tne he
brew slave girl in Naaynan'S mousse
hold. and the boy Joash on the throne
of Judah. The great Naaman was a
leper. but because a little girl in his
household was true to her religious
teachings, he was brought into rela-
tions with Elisha, the prophet, and so
was cured to the glory of Jehovah and
the service of Israel The part of the
two kings, the general and the prophet,
in the beautiful drama appeals less to
our Imagination than that borne by the
little Hebrew maiden, an exile IN
slavery from her own laEo. the truth
for today in the story is that there are
religious duties which even a child can
accomplish, and that the bearing or
witness to God in revereDt. opportune
WAYS. never fails to bear fruit for the
kingdom of heaven.
Like every boy, but in a more tenn
poral and technical sense, Joash was
Ia L ont
out of his rights for a time, even as
many children today are deprived of
their inheritance Of joy and education
and opportunity. Personal ambition
and greed were factors in human af-
fairs of old as today; only we are fam
to believe that they are less unbridled
than formerly, and that virtue and
truth have a better chance. 1t was
religion that came to the help of Joash,
in the person of the high priest and his
party, and the kingdom got back its
rightful ruler by a fine bit OF strategy
that could well be copied in all re-
forms Instead of getting up a revolt
against the usurper the wise cid Je-
hoida simply crowned the rightful
king, a procedure learned from David
in the coronation of Solomon. There
is no way so efficacious, for driving out
the bad as to exalt the good. Do not
harp on the evil which individuals and
society
and make it beautiful. 1t is both good
politics and good pedagogy to Grown
Joash."
The boy so dramatically brought to
the throne justified the hopes of his
friends. He became a good king, and
his reign is notable for the repair of
the temple. He had been brought up
in it's courts and that kind of a boy
is the one to be counted on for the
future Of religion. The great moral
problems of the day are to be solved
by men who had q definite moral
training in youth. The Sunday School
is doing more than tea Oh boys and
girls about the Bible; It IS training the
future friends and upholders of reli-
gion and righteousness.
Two Sent Men.
Dramatic figures in these stormy
times OF the Hebrews were Elisha and
Jonah. Both were men of action.
Other prophets we shall study but they
are men of great words, muserS upon
the eternal problems Of religion. Eli
sha was so important a factor in his
day that he was feared and pursued by
a foreign king. He was more feared
by the Syrians than was the king of
Israel SO. as no Syrian plot prospered
while Elisha lived II was planned to
capture him at Dothan. Now that king
did not realize the seriousness of at
lacking the Lords anointed. It is a
business which has always had serious
In our own time there
IS scant respect for the sacred calling
as such; underpaid, lampooned SIAN
dered and looked down upon by the
thOughtless, the ministry is yet Gods |
chosen means of making known his
Will to mankind. That teacher is do
Ing good service who inspires in the
minds Of his charges a respect for the |
gospel ministry; and that minister is in |
bad business who does aught to bring |
his sacred calling into disrepute On |
the side of Gods servants all the forces |
Of the unseen world are arrayed. The |
very stones Of the field are in league !
with him. So when the city Of Dothan |
was beleagued, there were other fac
tors in the case than the besieged
prophet and the encircling Syrian host. |
Elisha knew this and was at peace. |
But his servant did not; he was a man
Of little faith. So Elisha prayed that |
the young mans eyes might be opened !
10 see the enVirOning angels of God |
Faith is a matter of eyes; of ability to |
see and rate at their true value the
spiritual verities. If we could see the |
forces in ali the world that are active |
IN our behalf, we should never witness
hat paradox, a discouraged servant of |
God.
The other prophet who experienced |
strong evidences Of JehOVah's power |
was Jonah, whose dramatic story is
Dne Of the gems of literature. He
5hirked a hard job because he had /
little faith. Sent to Ninevah. he tried i
20 run away, forgetting what the
Psalmist had said about the futflity of /
rying to escape from the presence of /
IehOvah God has many messengers
% see that His win is done, and while |
he showed Elisha the angelic hosts.
le accomplished His purpose in the l
.ase of the runaway prophet by means
If a great fish. The erd was that /
Jonah went to Ninevah. that great and |
wicked city, and learned that God can
10 what He wills to do The effect i
II Jonah's message was miraculous:
tut so is the effect Of the preaching of l
he gospel in all times. The experience 4
f Ninevah is duplicated, on an indi-
'idual scale. every day in the year.
Prosperity and Peril.
The boy king, Joash, IS he viii al
Ways be called, despite his later reign