Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-03-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson XI.-First Quarter, For
March IL, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


Memory Verses, 32-35-Golden Text,
Rom. vi, 23-commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
The power of the Lord God of Elijah
was first seen through Elisha In the
dividing of the Jordan, the Lord doing
for one man what he had just done for
two, and long before for a whole ma
ton under Joshua. 1t is nothing with
the Lord to help with many or few.
The power of the Lord is next seen in
the healing of the waters of Jericho,
then in the Christening of the young
men who Knocked Elisha, telling him
to go up as Elisha had done; after
that In the bitches filled with water,
for the sake of Jehoshaphat, without
either wind or rain.
In the beginning of our lesson chap
ter we see the same power multiplying
the widows oil until every empty YES
sci was filled, all her need supplied and
something over.
Now we have in today's lesson the
filling of a childless home with glad
ness by the gift of a no doubt longed
for child and the restoration of a
deeper soy by giving him back from
! the dead.
A great woman OF Shunem felt con-
strained as she saw Elisha pass her
house from time to time to ask him In
to eat bread, and it became his habit
to do this. Later she suggested to her
husband that they provide him a room
with a bed, a table, a stool and a can
dlestick, and he seems gratefully to
have accepted their kindness. Then
the question arose in his mind, How
cal I In any way recompense this low
Ing kindness? On inquiry he found
that she needed no favor from any
one, but at the reminder from Gehazl
that they had no children he asked the
Lord for this favor for her, and, receiy-
ing the assurance that 1t would be so,
he communicated to her the fact, which
she at first received very upbelievingly
(verse 16), but as Elisha had assured
her so 1t came to pass.
We think Of Sarah and her unbeliev-
ing laughter, and yet In her case it
came to pass, for rs anything too hard
for the Lord?" Gen. xviii, 9-14) We
look onward to Elizabeth and Zacha-
rias and note the unbelief Of the lat
ter duke 4, 1920, and yet in their
case it came to pass also. SO we are
II 'ght to BE not afraid, only believe"
TX V, 36), and rely on Jer. xxxiii, g..
1t may have been that the child be-
came too much of an idol-we do not
know-but one day in the field with the
reapers he complained of his head, was
carried home and died on his mothers
knees at noon. She laid the little body
on Elisha's bed, shut the door, and
without telling her husband why she
made all possible speed to the man of
God, who was then at Mount Carmel.
Seeing her afar off, he sent his servant
Gehazi to inquire of her II 1t was well
with her and her husband and the
child. Her reply was, ut is WELL" but
she hurried on till she came to Elisha,
and she held him by his feet, and with
the very words which Elisha himself
used to Elijah she clung to him until
he arose and went with her verse 80,
with chapter Ii, 2, 4, O..
Gehazi preceded them and laid the
staff Of Elisha upon the child, but
there was no effect upon the child, no
response, neither voice nor hearing.
When Elisha came he went in and
shut the door and prayed unto the
Lord and then stretched himself upon
the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes,
hands to hands, and the flesh of the
child waxed warm. After walking to
and fro in the house he again stretch
ed himself upon the child, and the
child sneezed seven times and opened
his eyes. The mother was called, and
with gratitude that cannot be described
she took up her son and went out.
The next verses describe a deliver
ance from death that might have taken
away many, and the chapter closes
with g miraculous multiplication of
~bread-life given, life restored, life
saved, life sustained, completing nine
Instances thus far Of the power Of God
seen through Elisha. Elisha was to
this pms a man of God. a holy man
of God oversees 0, 16, 81, p, %, 20; not
30 Gehazi She saw something Of God
IN Elisha. He was to her In Gods stead.
We are here in Christ's stead. and peo-
pie should see something of Him in us
III Cor. iv, IL; v. 20). Let the woman's
pressing ON to Elisha remind us that
we must come TO God Himself through
Jesus Christ alone and not through any
mortal man.
Ordinances may be as useless as
Elsha's stan 1t Is life that Is needs