shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.* Upon making their report to Ahaziah, he asked them wis manner of man it was had sent him such a message; when they described him as a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins, he knew him for Elijah, the Tishbite.† Highly enraged, the wicked monarch immediately sent officer with fifty soldiers to apprehend the prophet of God, a the top of a hill where he had taken shelter; but no soone had the officer commanded him to come down in the name the king, than Elijah invoked fire from heaven, which co sumed the whole troop. A second troop sent on the same errand were consumed by a similar miracle. The wicket monarch, by no means impressed with these awful jud ments, persisted in sending a third troop; the commander ¿ which aware that his life was in his hands, and expecting less than to share the fate of those that had preceded him came, and fell on his knees before Elijah, and said unto him. Oh man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of thes fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold there came fire down from heaven and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties, with their fifties; therefore, let my life now be precious in thy sight.§ It pleased God now to shew, that he could protect servant, as well in the midst of the court and armed guards Samaria, as on the top of a solitary mountain; and that be could restrain the bitter vengeance of Ahaziah by his sove reign power, although he had refused to be softened by his In this affair the words of Elijah were declarative not imprecatory It was the act of Jehovah, and performed for his own glory, and not to gratify the spleen of Elijah. A. Clarke. 2 Kings, i, 13, 14 لماء 20 judgments. He, therefore, ordered Elijah to go down with the third troop, and not to be afraid of Ahaziah; and the prophet, full of faith and confidence in the divine promises, yielded a ready and cheerful obedience. Having, therefore, presented himself before Ahaziah, he delivered his message; Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word; therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.* And, adds the sacred historian, "so he died,"† having reigned two years over Israel; and was succeeded by his brother,§ A. C. JEHORA M. It is for our encouragement, as well as for our profit, that the Holy Spirit so frequently notices the slightest 890. indications of good, in the various characters whom he describes; shewing that indeed and in truth the very thoughts of our hearts, are known to our omniscient Creator and Judge; and that we shall indeed be judged according to our works, although we can never be saved but through the free mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, although Jehoram wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet it was not in the degree that his father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel, had done; for he put away the image of Baal which his father, at the instigation of his mother, had set up. Still, however, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin, and departed not from them. It was in the early part of this reign that Jehovah thou fit to translate the prophet Elijah, like his servant Ex into heaven, without subjecting him to the ordinary l mortality. Preparatory to this extraordinary event, E went with Elisha to Gilgal, where Elijah wished Elisha remain, as Jehovah had sent him to Beth-el. But Elist either aware of the magnificent display of divine p which was about to follow, or too affectionately attaches" his master to leave him, positively refused, emphatic declaring, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I r not leave thee; so they both went down to Beth-el. E then pressed him to remain at Beth-el, whilst he wer! Jericho, but Elisha repeated the same declaration; so the came to Jericho. Once more Elijah tried his pupil's and perseverance, but in vain; and they went on till th arrived at the river Jordan. It appears that it was well known to others, as well as: Elisha, that some extraordinary occurrence was about | take place with respect to Elijah; for the sons of the proph who were at Beth-el and at Jericho, had both warned Elish that he was about to lose his master.* Fifty of these you men had now followed at a distance, to watch what wo take place.† wer from When Elijah arrived at the margin of the river, he wrappe his mantle together and smote the waters, and they divided hither and thither, so that he and Elisha went over on dry ground. When on the other side, Elijah asked Elisha what he should do for him, before he was taken away him. Elisha said, I pray thee let a double portion of thị spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be s * 2 Kings, ii. 3.5. + 2 Kings, ii. 7. har And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.* over. Elisha having made some stay at Jericho, the men of the city complained to him, that the water was naught, and the ground barren, upon which Elisha took a new cruse, and having put salt therein, he cast it into the springs; and assured the inhabitants, that from thence there should not be any more dearth, or barren land, and the waters were healed accordingly.† Passing on to Beth-el, some little children came out of the city, and mocked him, crying, Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head; whereupon Elisha cursed them in the name of Jehovah; and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them.‡ After which 2 Kings, ii. 1—15. + 2 Kings, ii. 21, 22. The Hebrew does not mean children, but worthless, profligate, young men.-A. Clarke in loco, and Levi's Letters to Paine, p. 199. ; by both of whom the prophet is triumphantly exculpated from the infidel charge of cruelty, and the justice of God vindicated. Elisha went to mount Carmel, and thence returned Samaria.* Mesha, king of Moab, who was a sheep master, and i become tributary to the throne of Samaria, and rendered ir hundred thousand lambs, and one hundred thousand ran with their wool,† after the death of Ahab, had rebe. against his immediate successor Ahaziab; but that pris from the accident he met with, and his early death, had tak no steps to subdue the Moabite. an alliance #t Jehoram, however, having formed Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and with the king of Ede now proceeded to chastise his rebellion. Having pas through the wilderness of Edom, and fetched a compas seven days journey, they found themselves without water the host, and for the cattle that followed them.§ The wicks and those who have no communion with, and therefore, confidence in God, are usually the first to give way to desp and thus the king of Israel unjustly complained. "Alas, t Jehovah hath called these three kings together, to delive them into the hand of Moab,'|| but why Jehovah? Jeburs had not sought him, or inquired at his hands whether should undertake this expedition against Moab or D Jehoshaphat, however, said, Is there not here a prophet Jehovah of whom we may inquire? And upon being infor that Elisha was there, all the three kings went down to his When they appeared the prophet said to Jehoram, What bar I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, to the prophets of thy mother; as Jehovah of Hosts liveth, be fore whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward 2 Kings, ii. 23-25. 2 Kings, i. 1. iii. 5. + 2 Kings, iii. 4. 2 Kings, iii. 10. |