The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-09
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LESSON
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 10
ELIJAH TAKEN UP MIRO HEAVEN.
By Il. o. SELLERS, Acting Director of
the Sunday School Course, the Moody
Bible Institute. Chicago.)

This chapter is in type the Chris
tian's chapter. There are two chief
divisions: ~ Translation Wv. 1-12;
(2) reception and use of power w. H.
20. The event occurred probably S99
B. G. This is a wonderful lesson for
youthas 1t emphasizes that the way to
heaven is the way to the best of life.
!. Elisha's Testing, w. 10. Since
Carmel, Elijah had largely been work.
ing according to the still small
voice." He had revived the schools of
Samuel, but now in some way notice
was sent from God that the time of
his departure was at hand. How Eli
sha learned this fact the record does
not suggest, but he had had a great
object lesson In Elijah's faithful, step
by-step obedience to Jehovah's word
and doubtless was listening keenly
for Eli1ah's words and for the voice
oil Jehovah. This explains Elisha's
tenacity. Gilgal ". u means wheel"
our reproach rolled away, and is a
picture of our salvation q. Peter SCI;
Ps. 55:22). Elijah had already learned
the lesson, of being supplanted by a
younger man and so he gracefully al
lows Elisha to follow him. Bethel"
the house of God, was a good place to
tarry but not for Elisha at this time.
Now ". 81 fifty "sons"-pupils-of the
prophet seek to dissuade Elisha.
Knowing something was about to
happen, they stood to view afar off,"
but were not willing to draw nigh, to
follow like Elisha. They thereby
failed to reap a rich reward John
1929. Jericho ". ~ means fra
GRANGE" 1t is the place of tempta-
ton q. Cor. 1913. This was IA
miles farther and contained a settle
ment of prophets. Again Elijah and
Elisha PASSED on, the one to glory,
the other to the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. At Jericho w. 81 the sons
of the prophet" evidenced greater in
terest than those at Bethel, but in
reply to their challenge Elisha com.
manded silence. The last difficulty to
confront them was Jordan DEATH,
but they do not hesitate, for God had
provided even for that contingency.
Neither are we to hesitate but will
lingly die unto self" Here the aged
prophet exercised his supernatural
power and they went over on dry
ground" ". 81. Though this journey
seems to have been revealed only
stage by stage, yet it was direct to
the final goal, and at each stage,
though they saw not the end. they
knew where to go next. This loyalty
of Elisha to Elijah is a great lesson
for us to follow in our service OF
Christ-our privilege of loyalty to his
cause and the blessing which will re-
suit thereby.
u. EIijah's Translation, w. e-12a.
Even as in the first section we see in
type the plan of salvation so in this
section we are taught the resultant
facts and the experiments which come
to us when the blessing is received.
Elisha is now encouraged to ASK"
yet we have a like promise from a
greater than Elijah which we too often
neglect John 14:13, 15:17). Elijah
was such a mighty man of prayer
(James 5:17, 49, that he was on init
mate terms with God and could there
fore make such an offer to Elisha (see
Acts 8:15, 10. Notice that the fifty
sons of the prophets who stood afar
off" were not on the right side OF tho.
river to receive a like promise or en-
ter into the same fellowship. In a
sense this was Elisha's final test.
What he would ask would prove what
he was fitted for. Elisha had been
sufficiently tested so that 1t was per-
fectly safe to grant him his requests.
Christ is likewise safe in granting
requests to all who abide in him"
and in whom his word abides" (John
l5:7). What he asked was not twice
that possessed by Elijah but rather
the portion belonging to the eldest
son (Deut. 21:17), the one who was to
be successor and head of the house
hold. Elisha asked for fitness for the
work rather than position in the work.
Elijah reminds him that the request
made was a hard thing" for of all
hard things to impart to another the
hardest is to transfer spiritual gifts.
Again Elijah may not have known the
plan of God that a man so unlike him
self was to take the place of leader
ship. Elijah said, however. IF thou
see me when / am taken from thee"
If God gives you spiritual vision to
use and to understand. then he will
accept you as my successor. There
must be persistence to the end and
spiritual vision. las they still went
on" Elijah went up, not in a chariot
but attended by chariots and by a
"whirlwind into heaven" (See also
Ezek. Ia; IL Kings 6:17). Elijah,
the man OF tempestuous fire and
sword. who in his hour of weakness
prayed to die. is swept out of sight
amid a display of Gods power in and
through nature.
Note the simplicity of the record
one rse- though such power were
q simple and a common thing for Je-
hovah.
The translation of Jesus was quite
different and properly so (Acts 1:9;
Luke 24;51).
And he saw It,"
Elisha's eyes were open and he saw
his departing chief. therefore he be-
came his successor according to the
promise.
AS a visible proof OF his new APP
poihtment Elijah let his well-known
mantle fall. as he assembled. and Eli
sha took II and is recognized as Eli
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