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dan’s waters swift and broad rolled be fore them, but the two do not stop. God had made a way through Jordan before and He can again. How many see Jor dan afar off, lying between them and the coveted blessing, and as soon as they see it they stop right there.-—Torrey. v. 8. Waters divided. When God will take up His faithful ones to heaven, death is the Jordan which they must pass through, and they find a way through it, for the death of Christ has divided those waters that the ransomed of the Lord may pass through.— Henry. Went over Jordan. Jordan means “ judgment.” Christ and the believer go together through the judgment of the cross (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6 :3).— Sum. Bible. v. 9. Ask what I shall do for thee. The man of prayer has power to bestow greater blessings than kings (Jas. 5: 16).— Cole. The cessation of our in dividual life should not put an end to our interest in those we are leaving behind. Have no faith in that man’s Christianity who cares nothing for pos terity. Elijah is going to join the an gels, yet he is wanting to do something for this man who is to linger. He had no money to leave. What could he do? Can a poor man do something— can a man who has no will to make yet will a great deal? What can you leave? “ A God bless you,” your old Bible, one more prayer, a last exhortation, a helpful let ter. As we do not know when the last time may be, let every time have in it some grace ot its own, some flower grown in Paradise.— Parker. Double portion of thy spirit. This request was not for power of working miracles ex ceeding the magnitude and number of his master’s nor does it mean a higher endowment of the prophetic spirit, for Elisha was neither superior to nor per haps equally as great as his predecessor. The phrase, “ the double portion,” was applied to the firstborn, and Elisha’s re quest was therefore simply to be heir to the prophetic office and the gifts of his master.— Jamieson. v. 11. Elijah went up. In the pa triarchal age Enoch was translated (Heb. 11:5 ); in the Jewish age, Elisha; in the Christian age, Jesus (Acts 1:9). One whole generation is to be trans lated at the Lord’s coming (1 Thess, 4:16, 17).-|-Bullinger. Elijah was see.i eight hundred years later (Luke 9:30). «^-Sel. In a whirlwind. A fitting scene for the close of a career of storm. God may have made the winds His angels
would put such a peculiar honor upon Elijah before other prophets. Perhaps He looked down upon the darkened state of His people and would thus give a very sensible proof of another life after this and draw the hearts of the faithful few upward.—Henry. Sons of the prophets. Elijah wished to pay a farewell visit to the theological semi naries which lay on his way to the place of ascension. At every place the stu dents spoke to Elisha of the approach ing removal of his master. The revela tion of this striking event to so many was a necessary part of the dispensa tion for it was designed to be, Under thp law, like that of Enoch in the patriar chal age, a visible proof of another state and a type of the resurrection of Christ. — J. F. & B. v. 2. Tarry here. Elijah was not trying to get rid of Elisha. Elijah might very naturally have been jealous of the one raised up to take his place (1 Kings 19:16), but there was no such feeling. He was glad to have Elisha come with him that he might receive the equipment that would fit him for the place. Every time Elisha said, “ I will not leave thee,” Elijah gave way most graciously.— Torrey. Will not leave thee. He had a real apprehen sion of his calling. He knew what God’s call implied. Therefore he had a de termination to follow Elijah and to re ceive the fulness of his power. In his intense devotion to Elijah and his pur poseful following him, lay the secret of his qualification for his future service. We as Christians need to know our call ing and we need to be possessed of a holy purpose. We need to be intensely devoted to our Master. We must be of the “ this one thing I do” kind of Chris tians if we would be successful in gain ing the prize of the high calling (Phil. 3:12-14).— Hottel. v. 6. Will not leave. At Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho he gave him an op portunity to part company and return. Even as Elijah would test Elisha to know what was in him, so does the Lord test those who profess to follow Him.— Haldeman. v. 7. They two. When they passed through Jericho the young theologues had said, “ The Lord will take away thy master today.” Then we read, “ They two went on.” How striking is the word “ they two.” Why not they fifty? Thus Elisha alone received the blessing. How many live beneath their privileges. —Neighbor. Stood , by Jordan. Jor
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