The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 64

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 death. VII. A TIME FOB ALL THINGS-A TIME TO GET, AND A TIME TO LOBE, "The labourer is worthy of his hire." Ministers cannot live on air any more than other people. '!'here is a time when, and there are circumstances under which, it is lawful for them to receive such an amount of this world's goods as they need, or even such an amount a.a is offered to them. For any surplus which they receive beyond their needs they a.re trustees, bound to expend such surplus as they deem best for the honour of God and the benefit of man. Prophets were entitled to accept gifts of those who consulted them (1 Sam. ix. 7, 8), and Elisha himself took without hesitation the twenty loaves from the man of Baal-shalisba. But when Na.a.man made his offer, Elisha felt that it was "a time to lose." He had to show that "the gift of God could not be purchased with money;" he bad to impress it on an ignorant but intelligent heathen, that Jehovah was a God not like other gods, and that bis prophets were men not like other men. He bad to teach the doctrine of free grace. His example should be a lesson to ministers, that not every gift, even though it be offered by a willing heart, ought to be accepted. There are times when a minister should decline a testimonial, an augmentation of stipend, the donation of a new pulpit, or a new organ, and when he should be glad to "lose" them for the furtherance of higher objects. VIII. GRATITUDE FOR TEMPORAL BLESSmGs BEST SHOWN BY OUB TURNING TO Goo. When Naaman found that the prophet would receive no gift at his hand, he acquiesced, and resolved to show bis gratitude for the great blessing which he bad received in another way. He would thenceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto any other god, but only unto the Lord (ver. 17). It was a noble resolve. It might offend his sovereigu, it mightha.mper bis promotion, it might deprive him of court favour. Still, he did not hesitate ; he made the resolution, and he proclaimed it. Whether he kept it faithfully or no, we are not told ; we know nothing of his after-life; the curtain drops on him as he departs to his own country. But, so far as the history is carried, it shows him faithful and true. He bears off bis two mules' burden of earth. He means no more to worship Rimmon. He will acknowledge and worship one God only, Jehovah. There may be weakness in the compromise with conscience which he pro- poses in ver. 18; but it is a pardonable weakness in one bred up a heathen. At any rate, he does right, and sets us a good example, in his resolute turning to Jehovah, as the true Source of the ulessing which he has received, and as therefore deserving hence- forth of all his worship and all his gratitude. Vere. 20-27.-The lessons taught by the sin and punishment of Gehazi. Gehazi's is a sad case, but II not unusual one; the case of a person brought into close contact with a high form of moral excellence and spirituality, who, instead of profiting by the example, wilfully casts it aside, and adopts a low standard of life and conduct-a standard which al ways tends to become lower. The first lesson to be learnt from bis case is this- I. IF CONTACT WITH EXOELLENCE FAIL TO RAISE US, IT WILL BINK US, m THE MOR.l.L SCALE. The two disciples closest to our Lord seem to have been St. John and Juda.s IHcariot. The one leant upon Jesus' breast; the other dipped with him habitually (Tb11 prJ.,,,.,.011Ta. /I.ET' lµov ,v Tcj Tpv,B/\l'l') in the dish (Mark xiv. 20). 'l'he one was exalted to a spirituality rarely attained by man; the other sank to such a condition that his Lord said of him, he" is a devil" (John vi. 70). Both elevation aud degradation are equally natural. 'l'he one comes from the imitation of the high example before us; the other from resisting the impulse to such imit,ition. If we resist impulses to good, we do ourselves irreparable harm; we blunt our consciences, harden our hearts, render our- selves less sensitive to good influences for ever after. And the longer tl,e contact with goodness continues, the higher the exaltation, or the lower the deterioration, of our nature. Gehazi had been for years Elisha's servant. Re had been on the closest terms of intimacy with him. He had witnessed bis patience, his self-denial, his gentleness, his kindne~s, his zeal for Jehornh. But the only effect had been to harden him in evil. He had growu proud and contemptuous, as shown by his calling Na.a.wan "this 102 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [on. v. 1-27.