The Green Forest tribune., 1915-10-08
N1EpNATl0NAl1 l SUNDAYS(IIVli||
 LESSON
LESSON FOR OCTOBER ID
ELIJAH TAKEN UP INTO ur,,,...
the Sunday School Conraaas Dlrector 0l
 Bible Institute. Chicago Se' the Moosl
LESSON TExT-II Kings 21.,,,

rms chapter is in type the oh,,
 tfan's chapter. There are two % aa.
 divisions: CD Translation wv .'ae' ,u
 (2) reception and use of power VI - ,s
 70. The event occurred probably sss @ B. c. This is a wonderful lasso. "
 youth as it emphasizes that tho m... "
 heaven is the way to the best ot T vt
 l. Elisha's Testing, w. 1.s sin"
 Carmel, Elijah had largely been wo,s
 ing according to the "stiu sw., voice." He had revived the schools
 Samuel, but now in some way nosias was sent from God that the tima :. his departure was at hand How p,. sha learned this fact the record aos. not suggest, but he had had ,roa, object lesson in Elijah's faithful ston
 by-step obedience to Jehoyah's wo,a and doubtless was listening kaanIv for Elijah's words and for the voice of Jehovah. This explains Elisba,s tenacity. Gilgal (v. 1) means "wbealD our reproach rolled away, and ia picture of our salvation q. Peter 5,7. Ps. 55:22). Elijah had already learned the lesson of being supplanted by younger man and so he gracefully al. lows Elisha to follow him. "Betbe D the house of God, was a good place to tarry but not for Elisha at this time Now (v. 3 fifty "sons" s"-pupils-of the prophet seek to dissuade Elisha Knowing something was about to happen, they stood to view afar of but were not willing to draw nigh, to follow like Elisha. They thereby failed to reap rich reward (John 12:26). Jericho (v. 4) means fra. grance." It is the place of tempta tion q. Cor. 10:13). This was l4 miles farther and contained a setth ment of prophets. Again Elijah and Elisha passed on, the one to glory, the other to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. At Jericho (v. 5 the sons Of the prophet" evidenced greater h. terest than those at Bethel but m / reply to their challenge Elisha con. manded silence. The last difficulty to 1 confront them was Jordan (deathl, 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" (v. 8). 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. sl2a Even as in the first section we see in type the plan of salvation 80 in tnls section we are taught the resultant facts and the experiments which come to us when the blessing is recelved Elisha is now encouraged to "ask' yet we have a like promise from greater than Elijah which we too often neglect (John 14:13, 15:10. Elilah was such a mighty man Of prayer tJames 5:17, 18) that he was on mtl mate terms with God and could there fore make such an offer to Elisha tsee Acts 8:15, I'D. Notice that the 3nl" sons of the prophets" who stood alai off were not on the right side or tns river to receive a like promise CT en' ter into the same fellowship. IA sense this was Elisha's final teS'' What he would ask would prove wha' he was fitted for. Elisha had 0eeA sufficiently tested so that 1t was per fectly safe to grant him his requests Christ is likewise safe in granns requests to all who abide in nil and in whom his word abides" t1on" 15:D. What he asked was not t~'e that possessed by Elijah but ra.ua the portion belonging to the ensa' son (Deut. 21:17), the one who was " be successor and head Of the nouSe hold Elisha asked for fitness TOT 'le work rather than position in the "o'n' Elijah reminds him that the reaur1, made was a hard thing" for oi @ hard things to impart to another .A. hardest is to transfer spirltuaI sn'' Again Elijah may not have known .n' plan of God that @ man so unlike i'u. self was to take the place or leau" ship. Elijah said, however Il 'n'" see me when l am taken from 'h'e if God gives you spiritual vision ~, use and to understand, then he VI" accept you as my successor iho.d must be persistence to the emu a' spiritual vision. "As they stiii wet on" Elijah went up, not in cn''V, but attended by chariots ana " "whirlwind into heaven" tSee 'u Ezek. IA; II Kings 6:1D' h'i'aa' Snd the man of tempestuous hre an sword. who in his hour Of ~eahneh eht prayed to die. is swept out ol 0'sa amid display of Gods power III "' through nature.
 Note the simplicity of the Tecola one verse-as though such power WI Ia a simple and a common thing io' hovah A
 The translation of Jesus was va different and properly SO (Ac's i'