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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1934
C_H &/ST/79/0 ^SfiViCfr “HIDE THYSELF— SHOW THYSELF” B y H. C. THIESSEN , Dallas, Texas A p p a r e n t l y unknown and unan nounced, Elijah the Tishbite ap
wise, the prospect o f famine would be alarming to Ahab. When the drought came upon the land, it was so severe that even he, the king, had to send ser vants to seek for grass, to save some o f the beasts. Tbis situation incited Ahab to search for Elijah in every na tion and kingdom, to slay him. Later, when Ahab met Elijah, he called him “ thou troubler of Israel.” What would he and Jezebel have done to Elijah, had they succeeded in locating him dur ing the famine? Elijah had to hide himself for protection. We, too, have an enemy to fea r; we, too, must hide ourselves for pro tection. According to the Ninety-first Psalm, only he that dwells in the secret place o f the Most High has Jehovah for his refuge and is safe against the
peared before Ahab, the wicked king o f Israel, and declared, “ A s Jehovah, the God o f Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Ki. 17:1). Immediately after this hold pronouncement, the word o f Jeho vah came to him, saying, “ Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is be fore the Jordan” (vs. 2, 3 ). A fter a period of three and a half years, the word o f Jehovah came to him the sec ond time, saying, “ Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Ki. 18:1 ). Some very precious lessons are associated with these two commands o f God. The order in which they are given is significant: “ Hide thyself show thyself.” “ G e t T h e e H e n c e . . . a n d H id e T h y s e l f ’ God trains His servants in private before He uses them in public. Joseph had to experience all the pain o f separa tion from loved ones and the privations in an Egyptian prison before he could be elevated to the premiership of Egypt. Moses had to complete his education in the uni versity o f Arabia before he could lead God’s people out o f Egypt. Israel itself was required to pass through the “ waste howling wilderness” before it could enter the land “ flowing with milk and honey.” David, the anointed, must long be a fugitive before he could ascend the throne of Israel. Paul must spend considerable time in Arabia be fore he could become the apostle to the Gentiles. So also Elijah was commanded to hide himself before he could show himself for the fulfillment o f God’s purpose. In each case, God had a definite purpose in thus dealing with His servants, the outworking o f which brought much blessing. P r o t e c t io n o f L if e A threefold purpose of
terror by night and the arrow that flieth by day. All the blessings o f this psalm are conditioned upon the believer’s hiding himself in God. Elsewhere, David says, “ Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, before the sons o f men! In the covert o f thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings o f man: thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife o f tongues” (Psa. 31:19, 20 ). First, we must enter once and for all into that life which is “ hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3 :3 ). N o one is safe against the attacks o f Satan who has not taken refuge in God. And then we must hide ourselves afresh every morning, if we are to stay beyond the reach o f the evil one during the day. In view o f the strength and persistence o f the enemy, we ought to pray with David, “ Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me” (Psa. 143:9). P r o v is io n o f N e e d s Deliverance from the enemy was not the only purpose o f Elijah’s hiding; there was another aim o f equal im
portance— the provision of the prophet’s needs. God’s children share the common experiences of mankind. So it was in the incident before us. The true prophets of Israel suffered in the famine along with the godless in habitants o f the land. Oba- diah, who was o v e r the household o f Ahab, was a godly man, and he hid a hundred prophets in caves and fed them with bread and water; otherwise they would have perished. Elijah him self had to be miraculously su p p lie d with food and drink. First, the raven s
« . « « « < < « « « ■« ■ < « ■< <<■<-<-< < <<<<< -<■<■<<<<< REVIVAL FIRE B y A lice M aude C arvell The time draweth nigh for our Lord’s reappearing, How urgent the need that we watch, and we pray! The portents throughout this wide world give the warning That H e whom we look for is now on His way. How urgent the need fo r a sweeping revival, Throughout the whole church o f our God, at this hour! What need for fresh cleansing from all that defileth, What need to lay hold on His infinite power! Praise God, we may claim, as we pray, full enduement O f power for the spiritual warfare so keen: Then come, Lord, we pray, with the fire o f revival, Burn up all our dross, that Thy power may he seen.
the hiding o f Elijah may be noted. In the first place, it involved the protection of Elijah’s life. God used His se rv a n t to a n n o u n c e a drought to King Ahab. But Elijah’s declaration was a most unwelcome announce ment. To begin with, Jeze bel, Ahab’s wife,, hated the worship o f Jehovah. She had introduced the Phoeni cian worship of Baal and had “ cut off the prophets of Jehovah.” Therefore, she would resent any message from a true prophet. ' Like
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