Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-03-29
Lesson Second Quarter, For
April 2, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, % Kings v, LA.
Memory Verses, 10, 1+ooIdsn Text,
lisa. xiv, 22-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. NJ. Stsarns.

teaching and TO remember that Jesus
Of the New Testament Is none other
than the Lord God of the prophets,
whose goings forth have been from of
old. from the days of eternity (A1ic. V.
.. margin). In Lukspiv. %. He men,
lions both Naaman and Elisha, and Of
course that includes the little maid
Of Israel aud all the other people aud
incidents OF the story.
In chapter iv. s. we read OF great
woman. and now It Is a great man
and honorable. n deliverer and mighty
man OF valor, but leper. He was a
great man In the eyes of his fellows,
but had he lived In Israel he would
have had to live without the camp.
Leprosy is Il wonderful type of sin.
and. 1t matters not how great n man
may be in other mems eyes. II he is
an unsaved sinner he Is a child OF
wrath. dead In sins. without Christ
and without God (Eph. ii. 1, 3, 12), and
those who die. in that condition are
forever shut out (Rev. xxi, 8, pa. In
as seemingly strange ways as the Lord
brought healing to Naaman He still
wins sinners to Himself. He may use
a captive maid, humble servants. wa.
tiers OF Jordan, etc. but He is always
seeking To save the lost. not willing
that any should perish Oh Pet. III. 81.
The little captive maid stolen away
from her home might have so hated
her captors rs to wish them evil and
be glad that Naaman was a leper. but
she evidently had the spirit OF Him
who taught to love our enemies and
to be subject even TO perverse people
Matt. V. "A; Pet. II, 49,. So she
pitied Naaman and told OF the prophet
in Samaria, of whom she knew or had
heard many wonderful things. From
the slowness OF believers to tell of the
Lord Jesus and His wonderful redemp-
ton the world has a right to conclude
that they have nothing wonderful TO
tell
The result OF the little maids testi-
mony was that the king OF Syria sent
Naaman to the king OF Israel with q
letter and n lot of silver and gold and
raiment, asking from the king health
for his servant. There was n double
mistake in sending to the king In
stead of the prophet and in supposine
that money could purchase heavens
gifts The maid had spoken OF the
prophet in Samaria, not the king, and
true prophet Is spokesman for
God But royalty can only deal with
royalty and, rs rule, has no use for
poor men even If they are prophets.
Such pride must be laid low before
God can help such people.
The king of Israel thought that the
king of Syria was seeking a quarrel
In
and he rent his clothes. Elisha. hear
ing of 1t. said TO the king. Let him
come now to me. and he shall know
that there is prophet In Israel" So
Naaman came In all his pomp and
pride TO the door OF the house of
Elisha, thinking that the prophet would
make a display OF his power and In
some striking way give him health
When the prophet did not deign even
to come to the door, but sent n mes
senger, saying, Go and wash In Jor.
dan seven times. and thy flesh shall.
come again TO thee. and thou shalt
be clean" Naaman was so angry that
he turned and went away in a rage.
When we remember that even Abra-
hams thoughts brought him trouble
Gen. Xxx, III and Mary's supposine
gave her three days of sorrow duke
ii, 44-4G) we do not wonder so much
at the result OF Naaman's thoughts
Simple faith In God and prompt obedi
ence is the only safe way. Servants
sometimes have more sense than Their
masters, and so 1t proved in this case
for, as they reasoned with NaamaI
that he would gladly have done some
great thing, then why not do this sim
| pie thingi lie went and did as Elisha
had said, and his flesh became as the
flesh of a little child, and he was clean
There was no special value or effica
cy in the waters of Jordan, but IL was
to Naaman lesson IN humility anC
obedience and submission to the true
God. In the matter of salvation FOL
the sinner there is only one way, on,
name, one sacrifice, one precious blood
and he who disdainS II cannot be saw
ed. Naaman, being healed, returned
to Elisha with good confession. "Be
hold, now l know that there Is m
God In all the earth but In Israeli 90
and he would fain have rewarded tn
prophet. How grand is the dignity o
the soul that can turn down earth
silver and gold and say to such a
Naaman, "As the Lord liveth befor
whom / stand I will receive none.
Compare Gen. xiv, 22-23; Dan. v. II
See also the rich young ruler who wa
told by our Lord to give all that he ha
to the poor duke xviii, 22) and the
follow Jesus. thus revealing to hiI
his own heart. and that his possession
were his god, and that he was breal
Ing the first commandment. I expec