The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-10-08

LESSON FOR OcToBER 10
ELlJAH TAKEN Up lksTo nEAvEl

E6sSVU ANeN
LESSON TEETH Kinss 1:1-l.a-
GOLDEN TExr-In Thy proeenc. q
funness Of Joy: at thy Ffohk hnnd thsre
are pleasures forever moxe.-R1.1 Nh
This chapter 10 In typs the Chris
tian's chapter. There ara two chief
divisions: C1) Translates ". LIZ:
f2) reception and use Of power ~. IL
s.. The event occurred probably 899
B.. C. This 10 . wonderful lesson for
youth ~ It emphasizes that thesway to
heaven IL the way TO the best OF life.
I. EIisha's Testing, w. - 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 adlhad q great
object lesson in Elijah's faithful, step
by-step obedience to Jehovah's word
and doubtless vas listening keenly
for Elijah's words and for the voice
OF Jehovah. This explains E1isha's
tenacity. Gilg&l ". u means"wheel"
our reproach rolled away. and 10 .
picture of our salvation q. Peter ST;
Ps. 55:22). Elijah had already learned
the lesson Of being supplanted by q
younger man and 30 he gracefully AZ
lows Elisha to follow him. Bethel"
the house Of God. was Q 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 altar on
but were not willing to draw nigh. to
follow like Elisha. They thereby
failed to reap q rich reward John
1926. Jericho ". y means IRA
grance." It is the place of tempta-
ton Il. Cor. 1913. This was II
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 ". 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 yer on dry
ground" ". 81. Though this journey
seems to have been revealed only
stage by stage. yet It was direct to
the-fnal- goaA-a
though they saw not the end. they
knew where to 60 next This loyalty
Of Elisha to Elijah IL . 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 Translator, w. 9-12a.
Even as in b 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 Il received.
Elisha is now encouraged to TASK"
yet we have q like promise from q
greater than Elijah which we too often
neglect (John 1913. 1917. Elijah
was such q mighty man Of prayer
flames SIT. 18) that he was ON init
mate terms with God and could there
fore make such an offer to Elisha (see
Acts 8:15. ~. Notice that the fifty
sons Of the prophets" who stood afar
Oh" were not on the right side OF the
river to receive q like promise or en-
ter into the same fellowship. In q
sense this was Elisha's final test.
What he would ask would prove what
he was fitted for. Elisha had been
sufficiently tested 80 that It was per-
fectly safe to grant him his requests.
Christ 10 likewise safe In granting
requests to all who abide In him"
and IN whom his WORD abides" (John
15:7). What he asked vas not twice
that possessed by Elijah but rather
the portion belonging to the eldest
o (Deut. 21:17), the q who was TO
be and head OF the house
hold. Elisha asked for illness for the
work rather than position In the work.
Elijah reminds him that the request
made was q hard thing" Tor 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 = man 30 unlike him
self was to take the place Of leader
ship. Elijah said. however. III thou
e me when ] am taken from thee
Il God gives you spiritual vision to
~ and to understand. then he will
accept you as my successor. There
must be persistence to the end and