The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-06

Text OF the Lesson, III Kings u, LIZ.
Memory Verses, II, 12-Golden Text,
Pc. xvi, 11-commentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns.
The first book of Kings ends with a
brief record of Ahab's successor, his
son Ahaziah, who walked in the ways
of his father and mother and of Jero-
boam, the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin. There is also the record
Of the death of Jehoshaphat, as well as
a brief record of his good reign. The
second book of Kings opens with a
record of the sickness and death of
the son OF Ahab, how he sent to In
quire of Baal-zebub instead of the true
God, and the Lord sent Elijah to meet
the messengers and tell them that be-
cause the king had turned from God
to idols he would surely die. Then
follows the record of the two captains
and their fifties who were sent to take
Elijah, but were destroyed by fire
from heaven. Compare Rev. xi, SO,
and note that one of the two witnesses
of those days will probably be this
same Elijah.
Turning to our lesson for the day,
we have one of the most interesting and
fascinating records in the Bible, the
translation to heaven without dying of
the man who lay down under the juni-
per tree and wanted to die. There Will
be generation of believers who Will
not die, but be caught up, changed in
a moment, to meet the Lord In the air,
and, for aught we know, it may be the
generation now living q Cor. XIV, 51-53;
1 Thess. iv, 1913. The last walk to-
gether of these two men, Elijah and
Elisha, is thrillingly suggestive. AS
they went from place to place Elijah's
"Tarry here, 1 pray thee" and Elisha's
reply, "As the Lord liveth and as thy
soul hveth 1 will not leave thee" re-
mind us of the devotion of Ruth and
of Ittai ruth /, 1918; II Sam. XIV,
2D and also of Paul when he said:
"None Of these things move me; nei-
ther count 1 my life dear unto myself"
81 am ready not to be bound only, but
also to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus" Yea, doubtless,
and count all things but loss for the
excellency Of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord" (Acts Xxx, "a; xxi, ID;
Phil. fiji, g..
Nothing less than this should be our
devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. The
words in verses 2, 4, 6, 8 and IL are
continually with me. So they went
down, so they came, and they two
went on, and they two stood, they two
went over, they still went on. Thus,
no doubt, that other translated man,
Enoch, walked with God until he went
home. The only requisite for such a
walk is, first, redemption by His blood
and then to be fully agreed with Him
about everything amos iii, 81. How
wonderful that God Himself will dwell
In US and walk In us. and how we do
fail to appreciate or realize it, Oh Cor.
vi, 49, AS they went on together on
the east of Jordan, the waters of the
river having parted for them. Elijah
said to his companion, ASK what
shall do for thee before be taken
away from thee" (verse 81.
Wicked men have oft said something
like this, at least the first part of it,
as the king to Esther and Herod to
Herodias. It is not long since we
heard the Lord say 1t to Solomon. Our
Lord Jesus said it to the blind man,
but what shall we say of John xiv, I3,
Ia, written for us and being said to
US continually, Whatsoever We shall
ask in my name that will do, that the
Father may be glorified In the Son.
Elisha wanted something very definite
ly, and he asked for 1t, and he full
| filed the conditions, and he received it.
The conditions seemed easy, but they
implied intense and unwearied stead
| fastness.
If we would walk with the Lord and
look upon Him and unto Him as in.
tently as Elisha looked upon Elijah
| that day we would see some desires
granted We must ask expectantly
believingly, persistently, in His name
not fail in looking. He saw Elijah
taken and received what he sought
and others saw that he had received
| 1t. He rent his own clothes, suggest
ing the end Of self, took up the mantle
| of Elijah that fell from him, smote
the waters, and they parted hither and
thither, and Elisha went over. The
sons of the prophets were watching
L
and they said, 1.-THE spirit of Elijah
doth rest on Elisha" (verses IA, 49,
| If we are redeemed we are here In
Christ's stead to manifest His life and
do His works by His spirit dwelling
| in us.
The request of the young man to be
permitted to look for Elijah lest the
spirit of the Lord might have taken
him to some mountain or valley was
finally granted by Elisha, though he
knew how vain it would be. WheI
Enoch was taken he also was sought
for, but was not found. as we Learn
from Heb. II, 5. What a search fol
the missing ones there will be wher
the church is taken, but not one shall
be found Yet as truly as Elijah was
seen with Christ on the Mount od
TRANSPORTATION about 900 years later
so when Christ, who Is our life, shall
appear we shall appear with Him II
glory (COl. Ill, A. when He shall re
turn to the earth to set up His king
dom, fulfilling the TRANSPORTATION fore
shadowing.s The constant expectation
Of being caught up to meet the Lord
In the air will tend to separate us from
this present evil age.