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 G.o.d"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 cla.s.s.
PATRIOTS IN TROUBLOUS TIMES
x.x.xI. NEHEMIAH, THE BUILDER
x.x.xII. ESTHER, THE PATRIOT QUEEN
x.x.xIII. JUDAS, THE HAMMERER
x.x.xIV. DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS
x.x.xI. NEHEMIAH, THE BUILDER
THE STORY
=--90. Nehemiah"s Plans= (Neh. 1:1-4, 11. 2:1-9, 11-13, 16-18)
A. NEHEMIAH"S SORROW FOR JERUSALEM
Now it came to pa.s.s as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, "The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."
And it came to pa.s.s, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the G.o.d of heaven, and said, "O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." (Now I was cupbearer to the king.)
B. THE KING"S PERMISSION TO REBUILD
And it came to pa.s.s in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been before-time sad in his presence. And the king said unto me, "Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart."
Then I was very sore afraid. And I said unto the king, "Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my father"s sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?"
Then the king said unto me, "For what dost thou make request?"
So I prayed to the G.o.d of heaven. And I said unto the king, "If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers"
sepulchres, that I may build it."
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) "For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?"
So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pa.s.s through till I come unto Judah; and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king"s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into."
And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my G.o.d upon me.
C. NEHEMIAH"S ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM
Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king"s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and hors.e.m.e.n. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my G.o.d put into my heart to do for Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the valley gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the n.o.bles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
D. THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK
Then said I unto them, "Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach." And I told them of the hand of my G.o.d which was good upon me; as also of the king"s words that he had spoken unto me.
And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
=--91. Nehemiah"s Difficulties= (Neh. 4:1-4, 6-9, 16-20; 6:1-9)
A. SCORNFUL JEALOUSY OF THE ENEMIES
But it came to pa.s.s that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice?
will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?"