The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson III.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. II, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, II Kings v, ia.
Memory Verses, z, s-Golden Text,
Elk. XIV, 26-commentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. Stearns.

Elk. XIV, 26-Commentary Prepared by
Rev. o. M. Stearns.
! In our last lesson we saw the tri-
umphant entry into glory, without" dy-
ing, of the discouraged man who want
| ed to die. If we would keep our eyes
on the glory which surely awaits US
we would not be so easily cast down
| Rom. viii, 49,. We also saw the Spir-
it of God in Elijah so manifestly upon
Elisha that others recognized it. So it
| should be with us. Elisha longed for
a double portion of EIijah's spirit and
| by his unwavering beholding he OBJ
tanned it. The Lord wrought through
Elijah six miracles and through Elisha
/ at least twelve. Like Elijah he divid-
| ed Jordan, restored a boy to life. null
| tiplied bread and oil and did other
| wonders which Elijah did not. Pre-
vious to the lesson of today besides
! those just mentioned, there was the
| healing of the waters at Jericho and
of the poisoned pottage and the wa
tiers that filled bitches without wind
or rain.
The multiplying of the widows on
| to pay her debt and save her sons
| Gv, 10 suggests what might be our
privilege if we were empty vessels and
believed God. The bringing to life of
| the Shunammite's son brings US face
to face with Him who is the resurrec-
ton and the life, who alone doeth
wonders and still liveth. The people
| in today's lesson are a proud, mighty
man, captain of the host of the king
of Syria, very self important, but a
| Ieper; q little maid of Israel, who loved
to magnify the God of Israel; man
Of God; who lived before God and
sought nothing from man. and some
servants who were wiser than their
master.
How sad and how suggestive the
words concerning this mighty man in
valor who had wrought deliverance
for Syria, "a leper." an incurable sick
man with the most loathsome of all
diseases. What did his greatness
amount to under these circumstances?
Leprosy is the most remarkable en-
blem of sin in the Bible, and all are
by nature children of wrath, dead in
trespasses and sins, spiritually lepers
CEph. ii, 1-3J. What profit was there
in the abundance or the riches of the
men of Luke xii and xvi when their
souls were required of them? What
does it profit man to be great in this
world or to have millions of money if
he is not a saved man? If he dies out
Of Christ the fate of the rich man of
Luke xvi must be his.
This little captive maid of the land
Of Israel, if she had been an ordinary
child, might have said: 81 am glad
that he is a leper Why did he take
me away from my homer" and other
such rebellious words; but, though she
must have had an aching heart, she
was evidently a true child of God and,
like Joseph in the house of Potiphar,
sought to glorify God even in her very
trying circumstances, She was like
Pollyanna She was sorry for Naa-
man and told his wife. on whom she
waited, of the prophet of God in Israel
who could do such wonderful things.
How she puts to shame the complain
ers who are so prone to murmur be-
cause of their circumstances and also
all who know of the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus. but never tell 9th
ers of it. Where is the spirit of him
who said, LAS much as in me is, 1 am
ready to preach the gospel" by all
means to save some" Rom. i, 14-16; l
Cor. tx, 22). Because of the little
maids testimony kings are moved and
health brought to the leper. but we do
not hear of any reward for the little
maid. The Lord will not forget her in
the resurrection duke xiv, IA; Matt.
X, 42).
The king of Syria sent Naaman to
the king of Israel with letter and
much silver aud gold and ten changes
of raiment oversees ., O.. The king of
Israel was the wrong man to go to,
but Elisha heard of it and said, Let
him come now to me. and he shall
know that there is a prophet in Is
rael' verse s.. Can you see the great
man, with all his retinue. at the door
of the house of Elisha, expecting the
prophet to come out to him and with
some great display give him healthf
Do you see the man of God calmly
abiding in his house and sending
messenger to say. go and wash In
Jordan seven times?' VERSES 9-11)
Then do you see a great, proud man
going away in a rage? Verse 12)
What a fearful thing is pride and self
Importance. and how foolish are our
thoughts! Yet Abraham suffered be-
cause he had his own thoughts, and
Mary had three days sorrow because
she supposed Gen. Xxx, IL; Luke ii, 40.
By the reasonable advice of his serv-
ants Naaman became calm and obeyed
the voice of God by the prophet and
was thoroughly healed, made clean
oversees 10, IA. Now see him and all
his company again before Elisha &C
knowledging the God of Israel as the
true God and urging the prophet to
accept reward or blessing. But the
man of God refused. reminding US of
Abram and the king of Sodom Gen.
xiv. %, 23). There is no salvation for
the sinner except by the blood of Je-
sus Christ, who went down into the
waters of Jordan. or Judgment, for us.
We cannot recompense Him for saliva
ton, but we can serve Him because
He saves US. The gift of God cannot
be purchased (Acts viii. 2O).
Between Two Fires.