PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 432,569 words · 453 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 61
--oon~ent t.n reecivP- double what thou ha~ hnvo been te.ken in qnite a dift'erent sense, BBked. Nna,nmn is Rnxions to show his gmtitude by giving ns much e.s he can Ew~ld regards ':l!~, " my heart," e.e desig- indnce the other eide to a,cccpt. Ho sug- nating Gehazi, and meaning "my lovod one gests two talents, pro…
1,084 wordsSECTION 62The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 62
HOMILETICS. Vars. 1-19.-The lessons taught by the story of Naaman. "The Rtory of Naaman," e&ys Menken, "is a worthy part of the history of those revelations and manifestations of the living God which, in their connection and continuation through many centuries, and in their tendency towards one goal and object, were d…
761 wordsSECTION 63The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 63
issur, 1md was not of the sligbkst practioal service. Joram bad to acknowledae himself utterly powerless (ver. 7), and, but for the prophet's interference, would prob:bly have represented to the King of Syria that there was no more help to be obtained for NRaman in Isi:ael than in hi_s own country. Groat _ci_vil per,so…
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from those who nre fo.r wiser tha.n ourselves. Na.amo.n showed his good sense in giving up his original intention and adopting the advice of his servants. To have persisted for consistency's so.ke would have been foolish obstinacy, and would ha.ve re!!Ulted in his remaining o. leper and an idolater to the da.y of his d…
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Syrian " (vrr. 20), a sw~arer (ver. 20), covetous, untruthful, careless of his master's honour, secretive (ver. 24), shameless. He had no sense of God's watchful eye and continnnl presence, no respect or love for his masrer, no care for what Naaman and the other Syrians would think of him. He thus did as much as in him…
838 wordsSECTION 66The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 66
thoy had spent in donations to the poor Churches of France and Belgium, or of the Waldensee m Italy. Happily, all travellers are not like this. Many Christian tourists like to find a Snnday blessing, and to hear a word of refreshing, in some little country church among the hills of Scotland or of Switzerland, or in the…
949 wordsSECTION 67The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 67
go out into th~streel;s and lanes, into the highways and)1edges, and,'by the power of lrre- si8tible persuasion, oompel them to oome in. Don't trouble yourself by thinking of your own, fituees or unfit~ess. Are you willing to be of use in Christ's work? .Are you anxious t-0 be a blessmg to others? That is the great …
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duty to benefit Naaman'e eoul as well as his body, and the first thing he must do is to humble him, Naaman'e leprosy was an enemy to hie happiness. But be had a far worse enemy in hie own heart. That was pride. How bard it was to expel it ,ve shall see, Elisha did not go himself to speak to Naaman, but sent a messen…
936 wordsSECTION 69The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 69
remedies the phyRiciA.n hM ordered, but, if he bM common sense, he uses the remedies at. once. s;,m,,,·, the cure/or your disease is a simple one. "Believe on the Lord Jee\18 Christ, and thou shalt be i;;aved." It is the only one. " There is none other Name under heaven given among nwn whereby we can be saved," except …
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general'.e tempting gift. Of the two, I think Elisha's was the harder and therefore more heroic deed. Look at the temptations which he must have felt. The fame of him hnd spread into Syria, so much so that this haughty general, the foremost man in all Syria. except its king, comes to him to be healed of his leprosy. Th…
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money and clothes, just 11s if be was so :fickle as not to know his own mind, nnd so mean as uow to send and beg that which but a little time before he had sturdily declinPd. Geha.zi's greed for money had blunted all the finer feelings of bis nature, No wonder that our Saviour said, "Take heed and beware of covetous…
915 wordsSECTION 72The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 72
Instance& in history of the fenrful consequences of even II single act of deceit. The one grent stain upon the memory of Lord Clive, the hero of Plassry, anci on0 of the greatest men who ever administered British rule in India, is his single act of deception practised on an Inclian prince. 'l'he worcls which Lord Macau…
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Ian~ of_ Israel." This little girl, who bad been tom from hor nativo country, and carried 11;1to the land of strangers by the ruthless hand of war, told her mistress of a prophet 1~ Israel who_ ~ad the power to ~ea\ lepers. 'l'his l~d the King ot Syrie. to persuade Naaman to VISlt Jud1011, and to give the leprous ca…
926 wordsSECTION 74The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 74
olassee. The gospel overtops all adventitious distinctions, and directs its doctrines end offers its provisions to man as man. V. 'l'he force of CIUILTY BUBPIOION. '' And it came to pass, when the King of Israel bad read the letter, that he rent hie clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man…
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when be ~aith to thee, Wash, and be clee.n?" The means to Nae.man seemed to bo too ;:,ir'.1ple to ans~Pr the end he sought. Had there been somo severe regimen, or some pam;,ul operat!?n, or some co_stly expe~diture, he would _have e.ccepted it more readily; but to was~, seemed too s1~ple. 'Ihe means of spmtual recov…
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brcnth in their race for wealth. 2. This avarice is in one asso~iated with the most generous of men. Ho was the servant of Elisha, who, when Naaman offered some ,1cknowledgment of bis gratitude to him, exclaime<l, in the most solemn way, "As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none." One would have tho…
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Hebrew maid, led to his visit to Elisha, ended in his cure and his conversion to the faith of the God oflsrael. He was one who could say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted" (Ps. cxix. 71). How often are seeming crosses and trials thus over- ruled for good ! "Men see not the bright light which is in the c…
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bo,re with h\m ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten chan:;cs of rn1ment, '1.hese _enoyrncus e~ms were, no doubt, !hougl,t certai1;1 to purchase the cure. Another heathemsh idea, akm to the modern not10n that anythm"' can be bouc,ht wit,h Il!oney. Elisha t011ght him differently when the cure was …
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there wns the simple oommand to wash in Jordan. " 7hat a down-come from the imposing cei:emonial he expected I Men have their preconceived ideas about religirn, about salvat~on, about the methods of spiritual cure, which they oppose to God's ways. They say Wlth Naaman, "Behold, I thought, He will surely" do this or …
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of God. "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel." '£his is not a comparative statement, but an absolute one. Naaman is convinced that the gods of the heathen are nullities, and that the God of Israel is the only true God. Be was brought to this ackuowledgment through the great miracle …
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sm:~1~thi~g fro7. bi~. "As _the ~ord liveth "-mark the pr~fane mixing up of religion an,1 1mp1cty- I will run alter him, and take somewhat of him." Morality goes down befor~ the gre~ of gain. 3. !fis unblushing falsehood. (1) Naaman beheld Gehazi run~ung after _him, ~nd was delt~hted to think that he might, after al…
1,016 wordsSECTION 82The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 82
EXPOSITION. dwelling, or set of dwellings, was thought OHAPTER VL to be necessary; but the scholars would Ver. 1-cb. vii. 20.-FUBTHEB MIBAOLES me.ke no change without the sanction of WBOUGBT BY ELISHA. The h~torian relates their master. When he comes on one of his circuits, they make appeal to him. first a (compar…
750 wordsSECTION 83The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 83
The troo must have been one that grew 2) shall be my CAmp ; or, my encampment. clOBC to the river'e edge. Ae the man n\mn appeare to be "a uouu in the form hewed II way nt the stem a little nbove th 3 of ihe infinitive.'' It doea not occur oleo- root, the axe-hcnd flew from the ha.ft, into where. which it wu insccu…
1,064 wordsSECTION 84The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 84
the King of Iare.el the words that thou oho.riots; rather, an host oompasaed the city, 1pee.keat in thy bedohamber; litere.lly, '11 and horses, and chariots. A force of foot- the secret place of thy bedchC1mber. How the men, e. force of horsemen, and e. chariot Byrio.n lord knew this, or whether he merely force, are…
1,071 wordsSECTION 85The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 85
mcenn in order to reRCh Elieh&, not to de- honourable title of "father," whioh implied ,emd. We mnst. therefore, with F. Meyer, respect, deference, snbmiBSion. Oompare the 'J'h<>nius, and Bii.hr, translate, "When they use of the same expression by Joneh (eh. [Elislll\ and liis scr\"ant] came down to them xiii. 14), …
1,014 wordsSECTION 86The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 86
letter merely, but In the epirit. He enter- literally. Both o.nima.l a.nd hnmo.n excre- tained the coptivee at a grand banquet ment have been eaten in sieges (Josephus, (Joeephue, 'Ant. Jud.,' ix. 4. § 3), o.nd then 'Bell. Ju,!,,' .v. 13. § 7; Cels., 'Hierobot.,' gave them leave to depart. And when they ii. p. 233), wh…
1,081 wordsSECTION 87The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 87
the busb1tnd of her bosom, and towe.rd her impreoation of evil on one's self, if one did, or llOn, and tm1·ard her daugliter, and towe.rd if one failed to do, a certain thing. Why her young oue that cometh out from between Jeboram should have considered Elislm as her feet., and toward her children which she responsi…
1,041 wordsSECTION 88The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 88
not the aouud of his master's feet behind him 1 ehnrtly Arrived. Tho king waR, of cnurse, Elisha adcls this us e. renson why the elders admitte,l, e.ncl, being admitted, took the should stop the messenger. He could not word, a.n,l ea.id, Behold, thie evil is of the in a geuore.l way hnve expected them to Lord; what-rat…
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Ven:. 8-23.-Wicked men vainly attempt to outwit God. Benhad:v1 after the mirncle wrought upon his favourite Naaman, had abundant reason to know' that Israel wa~ the people of God, 11.nd enjoyed special Divine protection and superintendence. Had he been trul): wi~e, he would have laid aside his hostile designs agaius…
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Vers. 16, 17.-77ie spirit-world, and the power to discern it. The little episode of the alarm felt by Elisha's servant, and the manner in which Elisha. removed it, teaches us principally three things. J. THE REALITY, AND PERPETUAL PRESENCE, AROUND US AND ABOUT US, OF THE BPIRIT-WOBLD, The existence of an order of spir…
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faith wavered,_ and. t~ere was a tendency to confine the supernatural within the narr0wcst possible hm1ts. It was eal!y to enQ:gest that the expression "the o.ngels of God.," WI\S a periphrasis for God himself, and that he harl no need to ao't and therefore p~obably did not ec_t, by intermediaries. But the faith of …
1,212 wordsSECTION 92The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 92
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHOR&. Vere. 1-7.-.An early theological college; its life and lesson,. Oar theological colleges, where young men are trained for the office of the Christian ministry, do not receive from the Christian public that attention and sympathy which they deserve. More interest ought to be taken in educat…
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support themselves by their own exertions at farming or other work. But this also has been found very undesirable, and it has been under serious consideration to abandon the custom altogether. But whether they engage in manual labour or not all ministers and all students for the ministry should be, as these students…
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in his own heart and life I The lnte Rev. Dr. Cooke of Belfast once said that "an educated ministry is desirable, but a converted ministry is essential."-C. H. I. Vere. 8-16.-God's presence with his people. There has been a sudden change In the horizon of Elisha's life. From the quiet work of cutting down trees and bu…
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the miBtake of those who persecuted the Reformers of England, Scotland Frnnce 1md Switzerland. It was the mistake which Pharaoh made when he refused to let th; children of Israel go. It was the mistake which Herod made when he thought to crush the new kingdom that was yet to arise, by slaughtering the helpless b!lbes i…
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the man who lived near to God, and realized that God was near to him. Hence it is that we find Elisha saying, " Fea\· not: for they that be with us are mol'IJ than they that be with them." So it bas been with God's true servants in all ages. They have realized that God's presence was with them, and in the strength of t…
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that is, t.o him that bath made a good use of his talents; "and from him that bath not" -from him that hRs so neglected his talents that they arc practically- not hi•-" shall b€ taken away even that which he bath." 11. En:s OPBNED. 1. The Syrians' eye.~ were opened to see their true condition. Instead of be(ng ": v…
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one mo.n in their midst who hoil often before proved a wise counsellor and friend. They had Elisha, the man of God, in their city-the man who, by counselling them to make the vo.lley full of ditches, had delivered the Moabites into their hands; the man, too, who had revealed Benhadad's secrets, and smitten the Syria…
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bes_t co1111sel ~ 5::ught before a step was taken. These sone of the prophets went to Ehsra an~ said, Let ~s_go, _we pray thee, unto Jordan." Though they were young, perhaps with all the stu~ng impulses of youth, they were conscious of their need of c?unsel, a~d they sought it. In these modern times in England-we sp…
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of Byrie.'e bloody enterprise were known only to his most confidential officers, and that they were revealed to them in his bedchamber. There, and perhaps there only, did be detain them, and perhaps with closed doors and soft whisperings. Wicked men, in order to get on in the world, are bound to be secretive. An<l the …
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e.way, 11nd tbey went to their master." What wa.s the result of this generous treat- ment? Did they go away with the old passion of vengeance burning in them? Awo.y to reorganize themselves in greater numbers and with greater force to make another ntt.Hck? No. Here is the result: "So the bands of Syria came no more int…
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suggestion mny work a far moro fearful ruin than incarcerating us in dungeons, or sending ue to the mnrtyr's stake and flames. I call those forces mine enemies that are unfa.vouro.ble to my spiritual interests. Whatever dims my inner vision, and tends to veil from me the sublimities of the "unseen;" whatever deadens my…
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under the suthority of the Infinite. His Spirit inspires them, hia will they obey hi1 energy is their strength. &tan, the master of the evil spirits, is himself the cre~ture and slave of God. The moral usurper cannot move or breathe but by the permission of him wh~ "ma~eth his angels spirits, and his ministers a fla…
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Vere. 24-33.-Subfects worth considering. ".And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria." etc. These verses, brimful of the wicked and the horrible, press the following subjects on our attention. I. THE INHUMANITY OF wAR. ".And it came to pass aft…
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Vers. 1-7.-The b,,,,.,.owed au. This is another of Elisha's miracles of aid. The story belongs to the same class of acts as those related in eh. ii. Hl-22; iv. 1-7, 38--44. L THE AXE-READ l!!EEDED. The first verses present us with a picture of exy,ansion and extension. 'l'he place where "the sous of the prophets" dwel…
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C'unning more thRn Ptrength that the king relied on. He "took counsel with hie Ferva_nt~" 11s t0 the best met hod .of carrying out his plane. Men are apt to overvalue C'unnmg. It plays II hrge p~rt m the conduct of worldly, especially of political and military, affairs. 2. The failure of plans. If the plotters were …
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III. GooD FOR EVIL. 1. The supernatural blindness. Descending from the neigh- bouring heights, on which they had encamped during the night, the Syrians now approached to take Elisha. He, on his part, prayed the Lord, "Smite this people I pray thee, with blindness." 'l'ho prayer was granted, though the word means rat…
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"An ass•~ head was ~old fo~,fourscore pieces of silver,'' etc. Hunger is one of the most ?ommand~ng of appet!te~. In every land and in every age the first and most interest- mg question the mRJonty of men have to practically solve is, • How are we to get bread ? ' ~fan's social, moral, and spiritual welfare turns to…
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OHAPTER VIl. chcapneSB is promised, but only an enormous fall in prices from the rate current at the Ven. 1-20.-TBE SIEGE o:r SutABli moment (eh. vii. 25). Bnch a fall implied, (continued): THE DELIVERANCE. almost necessarily, the discontinne.nce of the siege. Jeho:ram appears to have accepted Vere. I, 2.-The separ…
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Disbelief ie exprC'ssecl., not only in the pro- them, the inmates of the city having barely phetic , craoity of Elish&, but in the power enough wherewith to sustain themselves (oh, of Gnd. Henoe Elisha'~ stern reply. And vi. 25). Thus they were on tile point of he said, Behold, thou she.It see it with thine perishin…
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evidently regards the event as ruiraculo11e: Dariae Hystaspie, when he began his re- "The Lord /iad made the boat of the Syrians treat from Bcythia (Herod., iv. 135), left hie to bcnr a noise," eto. Nothing can be more camp et.anding, and the camp fires lighted, wenk nnd irrelevant than to remark, with and the asses…
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and hiding away their booty. They ought, mAde prisonen, while the town itself, left as soon B.B they had BBtisfied their hunger, without defenders, would be captured. Com- to have hurried baok to the oity and spread pare the capture of Ai byJoshua(Josh. viii. the good news. ThiB day is a day of good 3-19), when the chi…
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These strewed the line of the retreating of anxious e.nd excited people. Aa the me.n ormy's mBrOb. And the messengers returned, of God had ae.id, who spe.ke when the king and told the king. Gove a full e.nd complete came down to him. The varieties of reading occount of whe.t they had seen. here do not affect the genera…
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thought himself entitleil, not only to disbelieve the announcement, but to pour contempt upon it. "It is too often the case that high-born and apparently well-bred men at court, take pleasure in mockeries of the \Vord of God and of its declarations with~ut reflecting that tbev thereby bear testimony to their own inn…
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Vera, 4-11.-.Affliclions may alienate men from God instead of bringi11g them near to him. This tn1th is remarkably exemplified in the conduct and reasonings of the lepers. Here are four poor men, severely afflicted by a malady which was reckoned to come, more directly than most others, from God's hand, whom we should h…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1, 2, with 12-20.-17.e wMel:ieving lo1·d. Elisha interrupts the king's evil • design by a prediction of plenty in Sa.maria. His mention of a fixed time doubtless induced the king to wait until he should see if the prophecy was fulfilled. "Thus saith the Lord, 'l'o-morrow about this…
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impossihle dream, then laughed e.t e.s impractice.ble, and fiue.lly accepted ,vhen it bece.me impo11sible to deny the truth of the one or the usefulness of the other. The impossi- br7ities of to-day turn out to be the possibilities of to-morrow. It is well to remember this, that, because we are unable to conceive of…
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Vera. 3-8.-The force of will. "And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate," etc. Here we have- I. MEN INVOLVED IN THE MOST WRETCHED CONDITION. .. There were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate." Of all the diseases which afflict mankind none is more painful, loathsome, and disastrous th…
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Vers. ~11.-The right and the prudent. "Then they said one to another, We do not well." etc. These verses record tbe conference which these four lepers had with one another after they bad succeeded in working out their resolution to go unto the "host of the Syrians; " and in this conference we discover- I. 'l'EE RIG…
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Vere. 1, 2.-The unbelieving lord. The spirit of despair had taken possession of Jehoram. It was at this point the.t Elisha interposed with his promise of deliverance. I. PnEDIOTED DELIVF.RANOE. Elisha made what must have seemed an incn·dible announcement. 1. The city was at that moment suffering the extremest horrors …
944 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.