November 1924
T HE . K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
717
In a jungle, build a fire around you, and lie down in safety. Never a lion or serpent will cross it. Chariots of fire are sufficient to keep back Satan himself (Psa. 3 :6). . “ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” (3) FRUSTRATING DANGER, vs. 18-23. “ Elisha prayed*** Smite this people***with blindness.” v. 18. Faith plans and executes for God. Faith has a helper named “ works” (Jas. 2:20) “ But w ilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” " The hosts of heaven are there; God is for them; they must move forward. Elisha prays again, “ Lord, shut their eyes.” As in Gen. 19 :IT: “And they smote the. men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the door.” . The same light which guided Israel, darkened the hosts of Egypt (Ex. 14:20). God, Who opened the eyes of the servant, closed the eyes of the enemy. Their faculties were darkened. They did not know what they were doing. Like blind men they followed Elisha,into Samaria (Luke 24 ;lp ). The tables were turned. Elisha is out of danger, but the Syrians are in. Jehoram is there with his cleaver.: “ Shall I smite them?” Had Elijah been there he would no doubt have called down fire from heaven, but Elisha is the type of Christ: ;“ If thine enemy hunger,„feed him.” “ Father, forgive them.” There was no one to warn Ben-hadad and he fell into the trap laid for him. He who counts without God, miscounts. Out of seeming defeat God brings victory. Every attack upon the man of God, or upon the Word of God, will end in defeat and humiliation. The time is coming when Satan will come no more into the land of Israel. (4) FAMINE ANT) FOOD, 6:24-7:20, “ there was a great famine” 6:25. “ they***did eat and drink” 7:8. The Syrian Siege, 6:24-30. Ben-hadad, king of Syi;ia,.besieged Samaria. A famine followed. Jehoram, the king, was a weakling. He lacked conviction and halted between two opinions. We was a fair sample of many preachers and teachers of today. He had some respect for Elisha, and also permitted the worship of Baal (10:18-2 8 )(. He was half-hearted in his relation to Jehovah. We ate better prepared to appreciate the horrors of a famine since we have had to hear of the starving people of the Neat East. Here, the king of Syria threw his army around the whole city and waited for the people to exhaust the provisions in the city. When he heard the story of the two mothers, he rent his clothes and they saw the sackcloth upon his body. He had been listening to the counsels of Elisha, but now his patience is exhausted (1 Kings $¡1:27-29). What would you have done? How easy it is to say, “Why could he not trust God?” Do you? Have you ever been greatly tested? The Sentence of Vengeance, vs. 31-33. The king threatened to take the head of Elisha (v. 31) but Elisha could not be moved, and bade the elders to resist the king’s messenger. There is a limit to the authority of the “ powers that be.” When their orders are in accord with God’s Word, we are to obey, but when they are in con flict with God’s Word, how Could we obeT? (Ex. 20:21; Acts 4:18-20). The king believed Elisha, but Elisha was as helpless as the king, save for his faith in Jehovah. We are always looking for someone upon whom we can lay the blame. Jehoram lays the blame upon the Lord. In every trying cir cumstance is it not well, to remember Hebrews 12:5, 6 ?
The Startled Syrians and the Sequel of Elisha’s Prophecy, 7 : 1 ,- 20 . . “Hear ye the word of the Lord.” -God was moving, as were thè Syrians. The lepers played a part in this Scene Which it would be profitable to enlarge upon. God caused the Syrians to hear the spund. Why question? Why doubt? ... God caused the lepers to early the tidings to the people that the prophecy of Elisha had been fulfilled. Hear their words: “Wé do not well. This is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace.” . God had provided. Here was a good confession,;)“We do not well.” This is where evOry believer ought to'stand and come to the end of self and selfishness. Eating, drinking, feeding on spiritual food, and the world starving! Theirs was, a good resolve, “ Gome, let us go and tell.” How happy their hearts as they ran joyfully to carry thé glad news. If it is a crime to corner bread stuffs, what must it be to withhold the Bread of Life from a starving world? Let us make our confession, “We do not well.’’ ! Let us resolve,'’’Come, let us go and tell.” Topics for Study (1) Is it possible to outwit God? (2) Has God provided a refuge in time of troubles? (3) In whom did Benhadad put his trust? (Psa. 20:7). (4) In whom did Elisha put his .trqst? (Psa. 11:1). (5) Does God know every device of Satan? ( 6 ) Were the heavenly hosts on guard all the time, even when they were unseen? > (7.) What goes hand in hand with faith? (Jas. 2:20.). 6:11. His secret designs, known only to his privy coun selors, being thus repeatedly made known to thé enemy, made him sure that there must be some treachery among his leaders. There was no other way of accounting for his defeats,!— Peloubet. 6:12. Elisha apprised King Jehoram COMMENTS of the, designs of the Syrian king, who FROM THE thereby was enabled to anticipate and COMMENTARIES defeat his guerrilla attacks.-—-Horn. Com. V. V. Morgan 6:13. From its site on so ancient a road through the country, and near the mouth of the main pass from the north into the hills of Samaria, Dothan must always have been a military position of importance.— Ency. Biblica. ' 6:14. Not. a mere guerrilla detachment, but a well- officered army, large for the purpose; showing the impor tance, in the Syrian eyes, of the possession of Elisha; and the danger of approaching so near the capital.^—Peloubet. 6:17. His physical eyes were open and he saw the host of the enemy. Elisha’s prayer was that his spiritual eyes might be opened that he might, see the host that surrounded them for their defense. The heavenly defenders were already there and all that was needed was a vision that could perceive them.—Pract. Com. 6:18. The Hebrew is not the usual word for blindness, but a compound word, a thing not very common in Hebrew. One part resembles the ordinary word— to blind; the other is from a quite different root, meaning—-to Shine. The resulting idea would be that of dazzling; and the whole would denote visual bewilderment, hallucination, rather than total loss of sight.— Taylor Lewis. 6:19. Elisha’s words are not an untruth, as his real residence was Samaria; and in the end he led them to him self, not to harm them, but repay èvil with good. (vv.21-23) Gray. 6:20. A whole army went out to surround one man by night to make him a prisoner, and that one man in the morning took the entire army prisoners and led them to his king.— Pract. Com. 6:24. An interval of some time must be considered since the close of verse 23.—Gray. Evil men wax worse and worse. As Benhadad accomplished nothing by his raids, he made an attack with his entire force.— Lange. 6:28. This was among the woes that Moses foretold would come to pass with this people in case of disobedience. (Deut. 28:53) Kitto furnishes a number of particulars
Made with FlippingBook Online document