The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-03-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson X.-First Quarter, For
March 5. 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of the Lesson, II Kings ii, 1-18
Memory Verses, II, 12-Goiden Text,
Gen. v, 24-commentary Prepared by
Rev, o. M. Stearns.

great profit review and ponder his di-
rect messages from the Lord. which.
if have counted correctly, We're just
eight Il Kings xvii, ., S; xviii. /: xix, 0.
xxi, Il, IS; II Kings j, 8. Isl In the
previous chapter in connection with
the messages from heaven to Elijah
notice how God observes all that is
done for or against Him, and ais"
how He tells His servants when to &"
or stay. The ways of man are be-
| fore the eyes of the Lord, and He pom
dereth all his goings" prov. V. 2D.
! Note the fire from heaven in chapter
I i, 10, y. and compare Rev. vi, 5.
/ We should have noticed in last les
| son the penitence Of Ahab and the
/ Lords forbearance and long suffering
| Il Kings xxi. 27-29l. Truly He is not
1 willing that any should perish III Pet.
/ iii. o..
| Now we came in our lesson of to-
| day to something wholly unique in the
/ Bible story, for. although Enoch also
I was translated, we have no record OF
/ the incidents connected Herewith.
/ Only these two have ever left the earth
/ without dying but a great company
/ will have this privilege when Jesus
/ shall come to the air for His church
| q Cor XIV. 81, 80; Thess IL. 1918.
| There is a fearful record in Rev. xix.
! 20. of two men who shall be cast into
| the lake of fire without dying.
This lesson story of the translation
/ of Elijah and the beautiful devotion
/ of Elisha is one of the most fascinat
ing in Scripture and intensely prac-
/ teal. They are more intimately as
/ ISOLATED here than anywhere else. and
! their names, which are mentioned over
twenty times in our lesson and signify
MY God is Jehovah" and ''My God Is
salvation" are SO suggestive of Him
with whom they both walked.
Elisha's oft repeated LAS the Lord
liveth and as thy soul liveth | will
| not leave thee" verses 2, 4. @ remind
US of the devotion of Ruth to Naomi
and of Ittai to David for the sake of
the God Of Israel ruth i. 16. II: II
Sam Ky, 2D.
| The expressions $50 they went"
$50 they came" They two went on"
! "They two stood" "They two went
over They still went on and talked
/ oversees ,. 4, 6, Z, 8. III. suggest to US
| the possibility of such a fellowship
with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
seeing no one but Jesus only with our
II selves and so occupied with Him that
we shall be blind and deaf to all but
I Him Mark tx, 8: Acts xxi. ID. The
I four places mentioned are easily sug-
gestivc of different stages of Christian
experience. Gilgal reminding us of the
reproach of Egypt rolled away. the
past under the blood Josh. V. q. 1O).
Bethel tells of visions of God minis
tering angels. etc: Jericho was where
the new captain appeared to Joshua.
and the thirteenth round Of the city
brought down the walls.
All this indicates progress in the
divine life. but there is always more
for us to enjoy. and we will increas-
ingly possess our possessions if we
whole heartedly follow on tObad. xvii:
Hos. vi. 81.
To Eliiah's question. ASK what
shall do for thee Elisha promptly re-
piled. LET a double portion of thy
spirit be upon me" (vcrse o.. When
Elijah considered what he had passed
through we do not wonder that he said
TO the man who wanted double por-
fion IF his Spirif s.,Tbou bacf oSlod n
hard thing" Few are filled with the
spirit just for that reason. 1t is 4 hard
thing-not hard for God to grant but
for us to be willing to receive. accord
ing to Luke xiv, &c, -. 33. Many are
called but few are chosen, for the
same reason.
l have often tried to picture these
two men as they walked on together
We may not know which way Elijah
| looked. but there can be no doubt
about Elisha for his receiving his
hearts desire depended upon his SEQ
ing Elijah when he was taken from
him. How could there be more stead
fast beholding of person? If we
looked up as steadfastly into heaven
as Stephen did (Acts vii. 90, there
would be more of Jesus seen in our
/ lives
Well. the whirlwind came. and the
horses and chariot of fire. and Elijah
| was taken. and Elisha saw it. and.
rending his own mantle in two pieces.
he took up the mantle of Elijah that
fell from him and went back and stood
by Jordan. Elijah is gone. but not
so the God of Elijah
With the mantle of Elijah he smote
the waters and said. where is the
Lord God of Elijah" The waters di-
vided. and Elisha went over. and the
sons of the prophets who were watch
ing said. ''The spirit of Elijah doth
rest on Elisha" Some people took
knowledge Of Peter and John that they
had been with Jesus. and there should
be SAVIOR of Him in the lives of ali
His people fActs ". Is: II Cor. Ii. IA.
| 10. To the sons OF the prophets per
sistent plea that they might go and
search for Elijah, Elisha finally yield
ed. They returned after three days of
vain searching and confessed that they
could not find him. There may b.
/ such searching when the church has
been taken. We next see Elijah in
Matt. xvii alive and WELL