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TO THE SCHOLAR.-Learn from this lesson that God always takes care of his children; and if they fear and trust him they need not fear anything else.

NOTES.-Camp, the encampment of the army, from a Hebrew word meaning "to sit down;" hence "to pitch a tent," or encamp. See Ex. xiii. 20; xvii. 1.—Bed-cham'-ber. The palace of an Oriental monarch consists of two distinct parts, one accessible to the public and in full view; the other, the harem, jealously concealed.-Do-than (the double fountain), a place twelve miles north of Samaria, on a "huge" hill of such a shape that the Syriaus might easily surround it; while around its sides, between Elisha and the enemy, might appear "the horses and chariots of fire." At Dothan, also, Joseph found his brethren. Gen. xxxvii. 17. modern name is Dothân.

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

The

Lesson Topics.-(I.) THE TWO KINGS AT WAR. (II.) THE PLOT AGAINST ELISHA. (III.) THE HEAVENLY DEFENDERS.

1. THE TWO KINGS AT WAR. (8.) king of Syria, Benhadad the Great; warred against, was at war with; Israel, the ten tribes; servants, military officers; my camp, the camp of my army. (9.) man of God, Elisha; pass not, do not leave unfortified; are come down, to make their invasion. (10.) sent, sent troops; saved himself, "protected himself" at the threatened point; not once nor twice—that is, several times. I. Questions.-Who warred against Israel?

His name?

Meaning of "Israel" here? With whom did he take counsel? What was his plan? Who informed the king of Israel of it? By what message? State the action of the king of Israel. How often did he save himself? What was the effect upon the king of Syria? Whom did he call together? For what purpose?

II. THE PLOT AGAINST ELISHA. (12.) None, we have no traitor among us; in thy bedchamber-that is, in the most secret manner. Compare Eccl. x. 20. (13.) he, the king; fetch him, bring him away as a prisoner; Dothan, see Notes. (14.) compassed the city, surrounded it, so that the prophet might not escape. (15.) servant, the new attendant in Gehazi's place; a hosti. e., footmen.

II. Questions.-How did a servant answer the king? Who informed Israel of Syria's plans? How much was Elisha able to tell? What command did the king give? Where was Elisha? Describe Dothan. See Notes. What other Bible scene is laid there? How large a force did the king send to Dothan? Why so many? Who discovered them? In what position? State his words to the prophet.

III. THE HEAVENLY DEFENDERS. (16.) more than ... with them, see Rom. viii. 31; 2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8. (17.) that he may see, spiritual things invisible to the natural eye; the mountain, on the top of which Dothan stood; horses and chariots of fire, representing the angelic host. Comp. 2 Kings ii. 11; Ps. Îxviii. 17. (18.) they, the Syrians; came down, from the rising ground on which they were encamped into the valley; blindness, mental, so that, although they saw enough to go to Samaria, they did not perceive things truly.

III. Questions.-How did Elisha cheer his servant? Why was he not to fear? State Elisha's prayer. How was it answered? Describe the young man's vision. After his eyes were opened, what was done to the Syrians? Compare Gen. xix. 11. Tell where they were taken, and how treated. vs. 19-23.

What in this lesson teaches us

(1.) The weakness of God's enemies?

(2.) The safety of God's children? Compare Isa. liv. 17; Ps. xxvii. 3.

(3.) Men's spiritual blindness?

(4.) The nearness of heavenly protection? Ps. xxxiv. 7; Heb.

i. 14.

"The hosts of God encamp around
The dwellings of the just;
Deliverance he affords to all

Who on his succour trust.

"Fear him, ye saints! and ye will then

Have nothing else to fear;

Make ye his service your delight:

He'll make your wants his care."-Tate and Brady.

PERSIAN CHARIOT. HYMN, "It is better to trust in the Lord."-Calvary Songs, p. 100.

MAY 6.]

LESSON XVIII.

THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA.-2 Kings vii. 12-20.

B. C.

RECITE VS. 17, 18.

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12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. 13 | And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of 14 the Israelites that are consumed): and let us send and see. They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the 15 host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. | And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16

And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake 18 when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria : 19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine 20 eyes: but shalt not eat thereof. | And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

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CONNECTED HISTORY.-Benhadad besieged Samaria, and there was so great a famine that a woman boiled and ate her son. She

appealed to the king, who rent his clothes and sent an executioner to behead Elisha. The prophet predicted that upon the next day there would be plenty of food. Four lepers who went out to the Syrian camp found that the enemy had fled. They reported the news, and it was told to the king.

ORDER OF EVENTS.-(87.) The famine in Samaria.

TO THE SCHOLAR.-Read from the beginning of Chapter VII., so as to under. stand the prophecy of plenty and the threat of death, both of which we see fulfilled in this lesson.

NOTES.-Meas'-ure (see picture, p. 63), a seah, which was the third part of an ephah, and contained from a peck to a peck and a half. Shek'-el. At this time money was not coined, but weighed, and its value cannot be exactly determined. The later coined shekel weighed a little more than our American half dollar, and was worth from 56 to 64 cents.-Gate. Oriental gateways are arched overhead, and are favourite places for the transaction of business; the markets are frequently about them.- Windows in heaven, sluices, or floodgates, through which flour and barley might "rain or pour down." Comp. Gen. vii. 11; viii. 2; Mal. iii. 10.

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) THE SEARCH FOR THE BESIEGERS. (II.) THE PROMISED PLENTY. (III.) THE THREATENED DEATH.

I. THE SEARCH FOR THE BESIEGERS. (12.) the king, Jehoram; in the night, as soon as the report was made known to him; his servants, counsellors; to hide themselves, in order to draw the Israelites into an ambuscade. Comp. Josh. viii. 3-19. (13.) which are left, have escaped starvation; behold... consumed— that is to say, they can only die, as many have done already, and as all must sooner or later" (Lange); send and see, whether they are indeed gone, or only in ambush. (14.) two chariot horses, two chariots with their horses. (15.) unto Jordan, 32 miles N. E. of Samaria by the direct road to Damascus; vessels, utensils.

I. Questions.-How was the flight of the Syrians discovered? Tell the story of the four lepers. vs. 3-11. Who brought the tidings to the king? At what time? How did the king account for the sudden disappearance of the besiegers? State the advice of one of his officers. How did the king follow it? How far did the chariots go? What report did they bring back? Why had the Syrians fled in such haste? 2 Kings vii. 6. Repeat God's promise as given in Ex. xxiii. 27.

II. THE PROMISED PLENTY. (16.) the people, from Samaria; spoiled, plundered the tents, probably obtaining money as well as provisions, see v. 8; measure

plenty as given by What did they probWhat was the value

shekel, see Notes; was sold for, became worth; the word of the Lord, as spoken by Elisha, see v. 1. II. Questions.-State the promise of Elisha in v. 1. What did the people do? ably find in the Syrian tents? see v. 8. of flour? Of barley? Give their equivalents according to our standards. How does this show that food was abundant? Who turned the famine into plenty? Show from the Scriptures that God feeds all creatures. Ps. cxlvii. 7, 9, 14; cxxxii. 15; cxlv. 15.

III. THE THREATENED DEATH. (17.) the lord, the captain (Speaker's), or adjutant (Keil); on whose hand he leaned, implying age or infirmity in the king (Speaker's); in the gate, gateway; had said, see v. 2. (19.) windows in heaven, see Notes; see it, the abundance promised. (20.) fell out, happened; trode upon him, he was unable to restrain the crowd in the rush after provisions.

III. Questions.-State the lord's question and Elisha's prediction to him. v. 2. [Notice that the repetition, vs. 17-19. makes this very emphatic.] To what did the king appoint the lord? By whom was he killed? How? How had he shown his unbelief? State how Elisha's prediction was exactly fulfilled. Mention a similar instance of unbelief on the part of the Israelites. Ps. Ixxviii. 19-21. What offer is given to us of spiritual food? John vi. 35. What shall be the punishment of unbelief? Mark xvi. 16.

What facts in this lesson teach us

(1.) That God can put his enemies to flight?

(2.) That he provides for his people?

(3.) That it is a great sin to disbelieve his promises?

HYMN, "This is the glorious gospel word."-Calvary Songs, p. 46.

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