XXX. ELISHA, THE HEALER AND COUNSELOR

THE STORY

§86. The Payment of the Widow's Debt (II Kings 4:1-7)

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "Thy servant my husband is dead: and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be slaves."

And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?"

And she said, "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil."

Then he said, "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full."

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, "Bring me yet a vessel."

And he said, "There is not another vessel."

And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons on the rest."

§87. The Healing of the Leper (II Kings 5)

A. NAAMAN'S VISIT TO ISRAEL

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away a captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy."

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel."

And the king of Syria said, "Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel."

And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy."

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

B. NAAMAN HEALED

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, "Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?"

So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and be clean'?"

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

C. NAAMAN'S GRATITUDE

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant."

But he said, "As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none."

And he urged him to take it; but he refused. And Naaman said, "If not, yet I pray thee let there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord."

And he said unto him, "Go in peace."

So he departed from him a little way.

D. PUNISHMENT OF GREED AND DECEIT

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him."

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"

And he said, "All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, 'Behold, even now there be come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.'"

And Naaman said, "Be content, take two talents."

And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master.

And Elisha said unto him, "Whence comest thou, Gehazi?"

And he said, "Thy servant went no whither."

And he said unto him, "Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and menservants and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever."

And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

§88. Mysterious Capture of the Syrian Soldiers (II Kings 6:8-23)

A. THE SYRIANS' FEAR OF ELISHA

Now the king of Syria warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp."

And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are coming down."

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.

And the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, "Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"

And one of his servants said, "Nay, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber."

And he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him."

And it was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan."

B. THE UNSEEN ARMY OF THE LORD

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And his servant said unto him, "Alas, my master! how shall we do?"

And he answered, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see."

And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, "Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness." And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And Elisha said unto them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek." And he led them to Samaria.

C. THE RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS

And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?"

And he answered, "Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."

And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

§89. Elisha's Last Counsel (II Kings 13:14-19)

Now Elisha was fallen sick of the sickness of which he died: and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over him, and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!"

And Elisha said unto him, "Take bow and arrows." And he took unto him bow and arrows.

And he said to the king of Israel, "Put thine hand upon the bow." And he put his hand upon it. And Elisha laid his hands upon the king's hands.

And he said, "Open the window eastward." And he opened it.

Then Elisha said, "Shoot." And he shot.

And he said, "The Lord's arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them."

And he said, "Take the arrows." And he took them.

And he said unto the king of Israel. "Smite upon the ground." And he smote thrice, and stayed.

And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

325. Different kinds of men are needed for different times. Severe contests require vigorous men: times of trouble require patient men. When the king and all Israel were going into heathen worship, the strong, stern Elijah was the man to force them back to right conduct. But when the kingdom of Israel fell into great weakness and was beaten again and again by the Syrians, there was need of a prophet who could comfort and encourage the nation. The young man who had been trained by Elijah was fitted for this work. What was his name? He must have been a most kindly and helpful man as there are more wonderful stories gathered about his name than about any of the other heroes of Israel. We shall study four of these stories.

326 (§86). This story shows us how harsh the old law of debt was. Why were the widow's two sons to be sold as slaves? She came to Elisha in her trouble, and he said that they would use whatever she had. What did she have? How was the debt paid?

327 (§87A). Locate Syria on the map to the north of Israel. What is the capital? These people had been fighting against Israel and had taken many prisoners and made slaves of them. What was the name of the Syrian general? He was a great man, but he had the terrible disease of leprosy. It is a most frightful malady, slowly eating away the body. The general's wife had a little Hebrew slave. How did she get her? What did the little slave say to her mistress? Tell the story of Naaman's visit to Israel.

328 (§87B). How was the king of Israel troubled, and what did Elisha say to him? Describe the grand visit of the general with all his servants to the simple home of the prophet. What message did Elisha send? Why was Naaman angry? What did his servants say to him? How did it all turn out?

329 (§87C). What great change of feeling came over Naaman? What did he wish to give Elisha? The prophet did not want any present, because he wished Naaman to know that the Lord's prophet would help anyone in need without money.

330 (§87D). What did Elisha's servant think of this conduct of his master? Tell the story of his greed and deceit. Notice how one sin leads to another and one lie leads to another. But the prophet understood the wicked servant. What terrible punishment came upon him?

331 (§88A). How did Elisha help his people against the plans of the Syrians? What did the Syrian king think of it? It seems evident that Elisha was the counselor of Israel. Locate Dothan on the map.

332 (§88B). Tell the story of the two armies, one of them visible and the other invisible. This is a beautiful way of telling of God's power and care that are always over us. How did Elisha lead the army to Samaria?

333 (§88C). How did the Syrians find that they were in the capital of their enemies? What did the king want to do to them? How did Elisha say they should be treated? Do you remember that several times we have called the heroes "magnanimous"? Elisha has this character. After all, forgiveness is the best revenge.

334 (§89). At last the old prophet who had been the counselor of several kings was about to die. Who visited him? Notice he used the same words of him that Elisha had used of Elijah. What did it mean? Tell the story of the bow and arrows. The king was not a strong character and he showed it in this little bit of play. Elisha meant to tell him that great things in the world can only be done by determination. In the Civil War our great generals did not give up after three endeavors. Grant said "I propose to fight it out on this line, if ..." (finish the quotation), and Lee held together his gallant army to the last limit of endurance.

WRITTEN REVIEW

Tell your parents, or some friend, what you have learned about Elisha, and explain that you are to write a short story in your notebook on "A Hero of Helpfulness." Ask them if they can tell you about some good doctor who was unselfish and kindly and gave himself for the good of others. Or perhaps they know some pastor who was always seeking to help his people and cared very little what good things he got himself. Or they may be able to tell you of a good woman who spent her life in doing good to people. She would be "A Heroine of Helpfulness." Find out some strong character who did good unselfishly like Elisha, and write the story for the next class.