14 "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof 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.
20 "And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
22 "And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. But the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast He them from His presence as yet. And Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead. And Joash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash smite him, and recovered the cities of Israel."
Golden Text: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps. 116:15.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) In what condition do we now find Elisha? How was the king of Israel affected by the prophet's illness? How did he express his recognition of Israel's loss? V. 14. Note 1. (2) What did Elisha say to the king? How did the king respond? V. 15. (3) What was the next direction of the prophet? What did the king do? And Elisha? V. 16. (4) What further ceremony followed this? As the king shot the arrow, what did Elisha say? V. 17. Notes 2 and 3. (5) What did the prophet again command? As the king took the arrows, what did Elisha tell him to do with them? With what spirit did the king obey? V. 18. Note 4. (6) How was the "man of God" affected by the king's apathy? What would have been the result if he had displayed more energy? V. 19. Note 5. (7) What was the result of Elisha's sickness? And what followed soon afterward? V. 20. (8) What striking incident occurred during this invasion? V. 21. (9) From whom and how long did Israel suffer oppression? V. 22. (10) How did the Lord regard Israel? Why? V. 23. (11) What was the result of this care? V. 24. (12) Then what victories were gained for Israel? How often did Joash "beat" Ben-hadad? V. 25. Note 6.
NOTES.
1. Elisha's death.—The incidents related in this lesson occurred about forty-five years after those of last week's lesson. At that time a vision of the Lord's angelic army was shown to Elisha's servant at Dothan, while an army of Syrians surrounded the place. At the time of our present lesson Elisha was an old man, and had been a prophet in Israel over sixty years. On the occasion of the destruction of the children for mocking him, soon after Elijah's translation, he was not as old as might be inferred from the language of his tormentors, "Go up, thou bald head." The esteem in which Elisha was held by the king is indicated by the expression, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." It seems to have been a recognition of the great service the prophet had rendered the nation in times of conflict with their enemies. It is worthy of note that these are the very words that Elisha himself had used when his master, Elijah, was taken up from him. See 2 Kings 2:12.
2. Shooting an arrow eastward.—It was an ancient custom to shoot an arrow or throw a spear into or toward the country which an army was to invade. It was a mark not only of intended warfare but of expected victory. No king would think of taking the aggressive in a war in which he did not expect to be successful. So when the prophet told King Joash to shoot eastward, the indication was that he should make victorious war on Syria, and his words, "the arrow of deliverance from Syria," were a confirmation of the symbolic action.
3. Aphek.—A town now called Fik, six miles east of the Sea of Galilee, on the road to Damascus. Thus, beginning with those nearest at hand, Israel should have completely overcome her most grievous enemy.
4. "Smote thrice, and stayed."—Thus the king showed his want of faith in the Word of God as spoken by the prophet. He had not profited by the experience of his predecessors, and the record of God's remarkable deliverances of Israel from this same Syrian power. At this time the physical strength of Israel was at a very low ebb. After the death of Jehu the kingdom became greatly weakened. The Syrians were their chief enemies, and, notwithstanding signal defeats, had taken from Israel all their possessions east of the Jordan (2 Kings 10:32, 33), and had so reduced the resources of the government that there were but fifty horsemen and ten chariots connected with the army of ten thousand footmen (chapter 13:7) when Joash came to the throne. This state of things accounts for the king's lack of faith in smiting the ground in token of victory. However, he is not without his counterparts in our own time—men who can not depend upon the Word of God unless they can see how it is to be fulfilled. From this fact arise the many futile attempts to substitute human effort for the power of God.
5. "Should have smitten five or six times."—He should have shown energy and zeal commensurate with the assurance of success which was guaranteed by the word of prophecy. The "man of God" was wroth, or indignant, because the king was allowing to go by default such a great blessing upon himself and his people. Now they were limited to three victories, which, for want of complete triumph, would be but temporary.
6. Jehoash, Joash.—The two names are the same, Joash being a contraction; just as we have Jehoram and Joram, names given to the son and successor of Ahab, king of Israel, and to the son and successor of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The three times that Joash won decided victories over Ben-hadad were in fulfilment of Elisha's prophecy when the king smote the ground three times.
NOTES
4, 5. (5) What promise did the Lord make to him at Shechem? Vs. 6, 7. (6) How did he show his faith in the Lord both here and at Bethel? Vs. 7, 8. Note 1. (7) How was the Lord's promise repeated in Gen. 13:14-16? (8) What did the Lord tell him to do? V. 17. (9) How did Abram here at Hebron again show his faith? V. 18. (10) When Abram's faith began to waver, what did the Lord say to him in a vision? Gen. 15:1. See also verses 2-4. (11) How did the Lord renew the promise at this time? V. 5. (12) How did Abram regard the Lord's promise? How did the Lord regard his faith? V. 6. (13) What statement did the Lord now make to him? V. 7. (14) What question did Abram ask? V. 8. (15) What did the Lord tell him to do? V. 9. (16) How did Abram now show his faith? Vs. 10, 11. (17) What took place at the time of the evening sacrifice? What did Abram see? V. 12. Of what was this a prophecy?—The bondage in Egypt. (18) How did the Lord interpret the vision? Vs. 13-16. Note 2. (19) How did the Lord further answer the faith of Abram? V. 17. (20) What covenant was confirmed by this act? V. 18. See also Neh. 9:7, 8. (21) After this act of faith on Abram's part, in which the Lord 'counted it to him for righteousness,' and his faith in the promise had faltered, the Lord appeared to him with what statement? What all-sufficient reason did the Lord give Abram for being perfect?—'I am the Almighty God.' Gen. 17:1. (22) On what condition only could the covenant be made with Abram? Vs. 1, 2. On what condition can it be made with us?—Perfection. (23) How was Abram affected by the presence of God? V. 3. (24) What reassurance did the Lord again give him? What change was made in Abram's name? Why? Vs. 4-6. (25) How broad was the covenant now made in time and extent? V. 7, 8. (26) Who are the seed of Abraham? Gal. 3:7; Rom. 8:17; 9:6-8. (27) What was this everlasting covenant? Note 3. (28) What was the token of it? Gen. 17:11.
Suggestive Readings.—'Patriarchs and Prophets,' pp. 125-138, 370, and 371; Gen. 16 and 17:9-27; 'Spirit of Prophecy,' Vol. 1, pp. 93-97.
NOTES.
1. Called on the name of the Lord.—Young translates, 'preacheth in the name of Jehovah.' So also in chapter 13:4. It shows that wherever Abram went he proclaimed the Gospel. Some of his company were converts, 'souls that they had gotten in Haran.' Chapter 12:5.
2. Four hundred years, including the sojourning in Canaan.—From Ex. 12:40 we learn that the children of Israel sojourned 430 years. From the time that Jacob went into Egypt until the day that the children of Israel left there was 215 years, so that the sojourn in the land of Canaan after Abram came out of Ur of the Chaldees was 215 years.
3. The covenant of promise, the Adamic, the Abrahamic.—The new covenant, is the covenant of grace which was made with Adam, with Noah, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with David, with all the holy men of old, and finally with all the children of faith, who become heirs and joint heirs with Christ of the promised possession through the blood of that same everlasting covenant. God, His character, His law, His government, is perfect; and this necessitates perfect obedience on the part of all His subjects. This, however, fallen man in and of himself alone could not render; therefore, before God demanded it of Adam, of Abraham, or of any of their seed, He made known to them the source of their power. He prefaced His requirements with, 'I am the Almighty God.' Abraham understood what this meant, 'because,' as He, the Lord, said, 'Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.' This power is brought to us as a gift by grace in and through Christ Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice. To Him was given all power in heaven and on earth; and when He came He is represented as being 'full of grace and truth;' 'and of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.' 'The wages of sin is death,' but 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' 'By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' When Christ came to seek and save that which was lost, He left His glory with His Father; He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, bearing the sins of many, that while in the flesh we might go from grace to grace; when made perfect, like Him, through sufferings, we might be glorified together; after which it will be no longer from grace to grace but from glory to glory. The everlasting covenant, then, is the covenant of grace, of peace, of and unto perfection, unto salvation, unto glory.
ADDITIONAL STUDY.
(1) Note Abraham's call and obedience. Heb. 11:8; Isa. 51:2; 2 Cor. 6:17, 18. (2) Note the enlargement of the Lord's promise to Abraham at each succeeding time until Abraham saw the promise to be universal and everlasting, applying not only to Jew but to Gentile, not only to the earthly but to the heavenly Canaan. (3) Abraham walked with and obeyed God, and was therefore called His friend. What does Christ call us? 2 Chron. 20:17; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23; John 15:14, 15.
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Casualties and Calamities
Casualties and Calamities.—Princess Chunkaloff and her two lady companions were murdered in her residence in the Crimea by a band of thieves, on July 9......Three men were killed and a number of mail clerks severely injured in a railway wreck at Canton Junction, Mass., on August 8.......Two steamers collided at Lisbon during the departure of the president of Brazil on August 8, and about twenty persons were drowned by the swamping of two small boats......For two days a terrible storm swept the coast of Formosa, and was followed by a tidal wave, which destroyed over five hundred lives and a great amount of property......The wreckage of two river barges has been found at the mouth of the Yukon River, and it is believed that the seventeen persons comprising the passengers and crew have all been drowned......A report from Hongkong states that the steamer Wingfoo has been lost between that place and Manila, with her crew of thirty-one......The failure of the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries has brought disaster to the people living along those coasts, and many are said to be dying from starvation......A report comes from St. Johns, Newfoundland, of another marine disaster in the Straits of Belle Isle, in which a passenger steamer was sunk by collision with an iceberg. The name of the steamer is not known......On August 8, one negro was lynched in Texas, one in Tennessee, and one in Georgia, for attempted assault; while on August 10, four negroes were lynched at Clarendon, Arkansas, for complicity in the murder of a merchant of that place. The wife, who instigated the murder, committed suicide in jail shortly after her arrest.
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
Cuba.—The War Department has begun the work of removing the soldiers from Cuba, and this work will be continued as fast as the troops are able to be transported. General Shafter reports that the fever cases in his army are on the decrease…… The work of transporting the captured Spanish army from Santiago to Spain has begun, and will be continued as fast as the transports arrive…… General Wood, the military governor of Santiago de Cuba, has compelled the shopkeepers of that city to agree upon a fair scale of prices for provisions which they are selling. This action was caused by the exorbitant prices which they had been charging…… The American forces took formal possession of the city of Guantanamo, Cuba, on August 9, after the Spanish troops had been marched out of the city…… The steamer Wanderer, during the week, has landed three different consignments of arms and ammunition on the coast of Cuba…… In Guantanamo Bay the ships of the fleet which sustained the most damage during the battle have been undergoing repairs. On some of the vessels these were quite extensive. Twelve of the Brooklyn's guns had to be remounted.
……General Garcia has captured the town of Gibara, and has demanded the surrender of Holguin, which is garrisoned by 12,000 starving Spaniards. It is reported that the commander has offered to surrender the place on condition that his troops be allowed to return to Havana…… Three small American war vessels, with 1,000 of the marines who made the first landing at Guantanamo, have sailed for the Isle of Pines to capture the Spanish garrison there and take possession of the island.
Porto Rico.—During the week the Americans have taken the towns of Arroyo, Coamo, a village at Cape San Juan, Fajardo, and Guayama, the latter a city of 16,000 inhabitants. General Miles is making a steady advance on the city of San Juan. A report from Madrid states that Captain-General Macias, of Porto Rico, has been ordered to make but slight resistance, and to surrender on the same terms as those granted the Spaniards at Santiago…… American marines have lighted the lamps in the lighthouses along the coast of the island, accomplishing the work without resistance…… The Spanish colonel who abandoned the city of Ponce, with his small force, at the approach of the Americans, has been court-martialed and shot for not offering resistance.
……A two hours' engagement took place at Cape San Juan, Porto Rico, on August 10, between forty American marines who were guarding the lighthouse there and eight hundred Spaniards. The latter were driven back by shells from three American war vessels, and refugees report that about one hundred were killed…… The advance of the American army toward San Juan has been temporarily checked by the destruction of a bridge at the hands of the Spaniards.
Philippines.—The third American expedition to the Philippines has reached Manila in safety after an eventful voyage. Six men and one officer died after leaving Honolulu, and were buried at sea. When a few days out from Hawaii, fire was discovered in the coal bunkers of the Morgan City, and was not extinguished until after the transports arrived in Manila…… On the night of July 31, the Spanish troops attacked the Americans entrenched near the city of Manila. It was pitch dark and a storm was raging. The battle raged for several hours, but the Americans held their ground. The estimated loss of the Spaniards is 200 killed and nearly a thousand wounded. The American loss was 13 killed and 38 wounded. The attack was repeated on the two following nights, but the fighting was at longer range, and only two Americans were killed…… The steamships Charles Nelson and Lakme sailed from San Francisco on August 6 for Honolulu with 1,000 soldiers for the garrison of Honolulu. On the same day the Tacoma sailed for the Philippines with a cargo of vegetables, horses, and mules for the army at Manila.
National.—The government has decided not to disband the auxiliary navy, but to retain converted vessels in commission until peace is actually declared. ……Senators Cullum and Morgan and Congressman Hitt, members of the commission appointed to frame laws for Hawaii, sailed for Honolulu on August 9, to enter upon the duties assigned them. ……The government is making active preparations for the improvement and occupation of Pago-Pago harbor, Samoa, as a naval base for the American fleet in Pacific waters, and extensive coal sheds will be erected there as soon as the work can be completed. This harbor was acquired by America twenty-five years ago, and is considered the best in the group.
Fires.—A $125,000 fire occurred at Jacksonville, Illinois, on August 6…… The best portion of the town of Bismarck, N. D., was destroyed by fire on August 8. The damages will amount to many thousands of dollars…… The packing plant of the St. Louis Dressed Beef Co. was partially destroyed by fire on August 7, resulting in a loss of $50,000.
……On August 9, tramps riding in a car loaded with naphtha, near Truckee, California, ignited the cargo by lighting a cigaret. The car was blown to pieces, the men frightfully burned, 1,800 feet of snow-sheds consumed, eleven cars of merchandise destroyed and all passenger trains delayed for one day
Domestic Miscellany.—The government has ordered the release of the French steamer Manoudia, which was recently captured by the American blockading squadron. The French minister at Washington has requested the release of the steamer Rodriguez, captured under similar circumstances; but a decision has not been reached in this case…… A report from Cuba to the Navy Department states that the wrecking company has succeeded in raising the Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa…… Statistics collected by railway companies and business men show that the wheat crop of the United States for the present year will be the largest ever recorded.
International
International.—Reports from Guatemala indicate that the rebellion under Prospero Morales is not meeting with success. According to these reports two battles have been fought, in both of which the insurgents have been beaten. The losses are reported to be 80 men killed among the government forces and 120 of the insurgents. A massacre has been reported in the western part of Guatemala, in which 40 persons were killed by the Indians……The steamer Hiawatha has returned from the scene of the Bourgogne disaster, where she had gone for the purpose of burying the bodies of the victims which were floating in the sea. A large number were given sea burial by the crew of this vessel……The Turkish Government has finally decided to repudiate the American claim for damages sustained by American missionaries during the Armenian massacres……A despatch from Madrid states that the Spanish Government has taken the preliminary steps for the court-martialing of General Toral for surrendering to General Shafter……Dr. Lilienfeld, of Vienna, claims to have discovered a process of making artificial albumen, which is the most vital constituent of the human body. If true, this is regarded as one of the most important discoveries of the present day……In view of the gravity of the positions taken by Russia and England over the question of interference in China, the English Admiralty is arranging for placing the fleet in readiness for any emergency. All officers and men on furlough or on half pay have been assigned to ships and instructed to be in readiness to join the fleet at the earliest possible moment……Russia having been granted by China a franchise for building a railroad in Northern China, and the natives having revolted against the building, Russia has been given the right to assist with her troops in quelling the disturbance. Russia has thus been given the desired pretext for local intervention. The Russian Government having brought pressure to bear upon China to prevent the granting of a franchise to an English syndicate for building a railroad in the province of New Chwang, England has offered to protect China from the encroachments of any foreign power which might result from granting the railway franchise. Russia has also forbidden the shah of Persia to accept a loan from a British bank with which he was on the point of signing a contract; and she has secured from Emperor Menelek, of Abyssinia, a protectorate over Raheita, near the entrance to the Red Sea, which will enable her to divide with England the control of the Suez Canal, and, in case of war, prevent England sending a fleet through the canal. All these are but indications of an increased tension in the relations between England and Russia. The belief is general in the Orient that these two powers must clash in the near future……The congress of Colombia has voted to pay the Cerruti claim which Italy has been pressing with threats of forcible collection, and the incident is regarded closed.
Religious
Religious.—Serious riots are reported along the entire valley of the Yang-tse-Kiang in China, and grave fears are entertained for the many American missionaries who are located along the river…… The Canadian Sunday law is being enforced in the city of Dawson, and stores and saloons are closed on that day. No business or work of any kind is allowed on Sunday…… Cardinal Rampolla, the papal secretary of State, has telegraphed the bishops of Cuba and Porto Rico to aid with all their power the new political system in the two islands, assuring the Catholics that they will not lose any of their privileges under American protection. Mgr. Martinelli and Archbishop Ireland have been instructed by the pope to influence President McKinley in the direction of protecting all Roman Catholic privileges in the territory now being conquered by the Americans…… The Vatican has telegraphed the archbishop of Manila to place himself and his clergy under the protection of the United States, in view of the threatened attack by the insurgents. This is the archbishop who so severely denounced the Americans at the beginning of the war.
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THE WAR SPIRIT
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TRACTS FOR MANILA
The California Tract Society has just sent one thousand each of the following tracts with the soldiers going to the Philippines:
"Bible Questions and Answers Concerning Man"..................1c
"Elihu on the Sabbath"........................................................1c
"Benefits of Bible Study"......................................................½c
"Choose Ye This Day".............................................................½c
"The Riches of His Grace"......................................................½c
"Coming of the Lord"................................................................½c
In addition to this the "Alarm of War" has been widely distributed in the camp at San Francisco. Are there not other societies desirous of doing a similar work? For tracts address,
