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THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
FEBRUARY 5, 1921 ELIJAH TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN Golden Text: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. Rev. 2:10. LESSON TEXT II Kings 2:1-11. (Read Mark 9:2-8; II Tim. 4:1-8).
(5) And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD w ill take away thy master from thy head today? and he answered, Tea, I know it; hold ye your p ea ce.. (6) And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jor dan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I w ill riot leave thee. And they two went on. (7) And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they tw o stood by Jordan. (8) And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so Outline (1) The Parting Walk, vs. 1-7. (2) The Passing of Jordan, v. 8. (3) Pleading for the Blessing, vs. 9, 10 . (4) The Prophet’s Portion, vs. 11-13. Introduction Our lesson today gives us one of those dramatic scenes in the history of Israel typifying the life experiences of the pil grim who is to walk by faith. The steps in the testing of LESSON Elisha are clearly de- EXPOSITION fined. The unchang- T. C. Horton mg purpose of Elisha is dramatically demon strated. It is a lesson for every true believer who desires the largest mea sure of blessing from Him whose hand is waiting to bestow it upon His faith ful followers. (1) THE PARTING WALK, vs. 1-7. For several years there is no mention of Elijah with two exceptions,—-his judgment upon the two fifties that were sent by Ahaziah, king of Israel, to cap ture him (2 Kings 1 ); and the written message sent to Jehoram, king of Ju-
chat: they two went over on dry ground. (9) And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that E li jah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. (10) And he said, Thou hast asked"a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. (11) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. dah, (2 Chron. 21:15). On Elijah’s way back from Horeb he had, according to the command of God, cast his mantle upon Elisha, the son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah (1 Ki. 19:16); and from that day Elisha had been his faithful servant and friend, ministering to him and receiving in struction for his office as a prophet, ( 1 Ki. 19:19-21). However stern Elijah may have been as a prophet, he had won the heart of Elisha, the gentle-hearted. Elisha knew, as did the sons of the prophets, that Elijah was to be taken away, and he. is determined to go with him to the brink of the eternal sea. The mantle of Elijah meant identification, and he was one with him from that time. The walk commenced at Gilgal, the land where the manna ceased and they ate of the old corn of the land, (Josh. 5:9-12). It was at Gilgal that Israel was cleansed from all remembrance of Egypt, and where the people were set apart for God. Here the camp was set. fixed for Joshua’s victorious warfare. It was a fitting starting place. If Elisha
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