THE KING'S BUSINESS
79
Drief Thoughts ^
For Busy Teachers
International Sunday School Lessons by J. H. Sammis Comment "Pith and Pivot" By T. C. Horton
Lesson for April 2, 1911
A SYRIAN SINNER SAVED. Lesson I.—2 Kgs. 5.
not its own burned in her h e a r t; and her tongue was moived by it to apeak words kind as the oil ' on Aaron, a nd sweet as morning dew." 3. Saved to serve, she served to save. Little maids and little men ma ke famous missionaries, home or foreign. A small hand may lead a big blind m an to the doctor; a tiny,' tongue m ay tell the Story; even a servant m ay lead the ma s t er to the Master of all men, and of all mis- fortune. 4. She could- not speak to the great captain in person, but she could reach him through others, and she did:' Tact can find contact. 5. She V/as of a true Israelltish family for she knew the prophet, she k n ew the wonders he did in the n a m e of the Lord, and being b ut a child She knew no distinction in saving grace between persons, between J ew and Gentile, and did not doubt but t h at the God of Israel would sbow kind- ness- to all t h at called .upon Him. 6. Father« anfi mothers, get your little opes safe in the a r ms of Jesus at the earliest oppor- tunity; you'cannot tell how soon some Syrian raider m ay bear t h em f r om you (or you from them), and w h at then? Shall they lead the heathen or be led by t h e m? ill. NAAMAN IN SAMARIA. 1. At the palace. a. Bearing a letter from the King of Syria to the King of Is- rael, and" a royal gift of about $75,000 in gold, silver, and costly garments, N a a m an with his retinue came to the palace of King Joram, who read the letter as follows: "I have sent N a a m an my s e r v a nt unto thee t h at thou ma y e st recover h im of his lep- rosy." A sentence may be read with either a peremptory or . a courteous tone and in flection. J o r am chose the former and found a quarrelsome purpose in the document: b. It is a oontemptible disposition which looks for slights and injuries In the words or acta of others, but a very common one, with a s small occasion for such suspicion as a rule as the King of Israel had in this case. Then and now a concessive question or two would set things in the true light, c. He should have felt honored to be recognized as h a v- ing power with the Most High God and counting among his subjects t he wonder working prophet of God. B u t he had for- gotten God and His prophets, and the gods whom he honored had no more power to help than Benhadad's. Nor had he a ny con- ception of the place of "the Lord's anoint- ed" among the kings of t he e a r t h. T h a nk God there Is a King who can heal; whose Person is royalty to the, hem of His g a r- ment (Matt. 9:20). d. "Am I God?" E v i- dently not! nor a son of God. J o r am was
I.
NAAMAN. 1; "Naaman"
me a ns and Pleasant he seems to have been by n a t u re as by name. See how his king cared for him; how his little captive sympathized with him; haw affectionately his servants pleaded with him; how he yielded to their expostulations and acknowledged his fault; how he humbled himself to obey the prophet; how grateful and generous he was at his c u r e ; - h ow courteous to Gehazi the servant of Elisha. It pays to be pleasant; ..to keep pleasant; to look pleasant; to speak pleas- a n t; but we should show kindness whether It pay« or not. 2.. "Naaman" also means "Fortunate." See then his good' fortune: He was a great m an with his king; was commander-in-chief of the a r my; known as a m i g h ty hero, valiant, courageous, victori- ous, and his country's deliverer. Besides God's favor rested on his enterprises (for the Lord decides the issue of every battle, Syrian, Assyrian, or Samarian). 8. "But" he was a leper." There is no unalloyed happiness in this world. There is a fly in the sweetest unguent . The great "but" and cause of all the evil "buts" Is SIN. But there Is a "but" to cure this universal lep- rosy: "But God who Is rich In mercy for the great love whirfewlth He loved us" (Bph. 2:4-6). II. THE LITTLE CAPTIVE. 1. Naomi? Don't you wish we knew her name? Let us call her "Naomi," which has the s ame meaning as "Naaman" (Ruth 1:20). 2. We might have called her "Ma r a h" had we seen the Syrian cavalcade dashing through her village the day a fierce dragoon seized and lifted her screaming to his sad- dle and disappeared in the dusty distance while her crazed mother vainly followed till she fell fainting in the chase. B ut the Lord had need of her, Judea C a p t a; she must fulfill in t y p e ' , h e r, people's mission, for through their fall salvation comes to the Gentile (Rom. .11:11),.,..She became the first maid missionary, so t h at her light affliction, which was but for a moment, worked for her a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17),.. Pleasant she Was, too. "She was spirit of .peace in a w a r- rior's palace—a living leaf nf, mercy scat- tered among the Gentiles. , Charity seeking "Pleasant,"
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