735
November 1927
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
omon. At this time the Northern King dom had departed so very far from God that God had to bring things to an issue hence, He raised up His faithful servant who lived in the wilds of the East Jor danie territory, to deliver a startling mes sage to King Ahab of Israel. Suddenly Elijah appeared at the king’s court and announced that God would withhold the dew and rain from the country, giving it Only at his word ; immediately he dis appeared. The drought came ; the veg etation perished; and both man and beast suffered. During this time Elijah was in hiding by the Brook Cherith, and was fed by the ravens. God always takes1care of His own and will, if necessari, inter vene with miraculous power to assist them. During this time, Ahab continued his search for Elijah, but was unsuccess ful until Elijah made his appearance on the scène again. Upon his appearance Elij ah challenged “the powers that be” to a- contest on Carmel, which challenge was accepted by them.’ With confidence the worshipers of Baal and Astarte, led by their priests, met on thè appointée! day, and: having prepared their altars, cried unto Baal long and loud to answer by fire, since the giving of such a sign was to be proof of the living God. In des peration they finally gashed their flesh, hoping by so doing to appeal tò Baal. In contrast with their excitement and disap pointment, Elijah stepped forward in full assurance of faith, gave command to his servants to construct the altar and to sac rifice the bullock. This being done in faith, he called upon God to answer by fire in order that the poor, deludëd, de ceived people might have the opportunity of seeing who was God. TO such a prayer of faith, prayed in utter abandon ment of self, with an eye single to God’s glory, God immediately replied with fire, which was evidence that Jehovah was the true God. This victory was a victory of faith; According to .the prophetic prédiction found in the last two verses of the Old Tèstament, Elijah will appear in Israel before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come. John the Baptist was “an” Elijah in that he resernblèd Elijah in boldness and fearlessness, “going before the face of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah,” but he did not fulfil the prediction ; hence, wë may expect Elij ah in the lattèr days.- Elijah, the giant of faith at Carmel, be cause of self-pity and bémoaning his lot, was changed into a weakling who fled at the threats of the wicked Jezebel. His fluctuating faith reminds one of Peter’s experience in walking on, the water to thè Savior, Peter, at the bidding of the Lord, stepped forth from the boat on to the water and by faith walked sonie distance; but, having taken his eyes off of the Lord and having'looked at the dashing of the waves, his faith failed ; hence, he began to sink. One must look at events and cir cumstances through Christ “Who strength ened! us” and not at Christ through events or circumstances. While Elijah was under the juniper tree the angel of Jéhovah spoke to him a second time, tell ing him to arise and eat food, in the strength of which he went forty days and nights to Mount Horeb. ' At Horeb God told him to enter a cave. While he stood in the entrance, a terrific storm passed, but God was riot in the wind; then an earth- quakè ; next a fire, but God was not in them ; lastly there was a still small voice,
preparation, “The Lord took me from following the flock,” he says, “and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (7:15). Though his call may have been a mo mentary event, we know that he must have had some heart preparation, for he was ready to obey the call, ’and he was equipped for its performance. He had a great conception of God (9: 2; 8:9; 4:5, 8 ; 6:1; 9:7). The silent life of the desert with the beautiful hills of Moab before him, and the defending of his flock, tended to nour ish the exalted view of the Divine Maj esty which we find'in his book. - These scenes furnished the imagery in which his thoughts were set (1:2; 3:4; 4:13; 5:8; 9:5). Rustic though he was, there was no rudeness in his style. He had a mind which was responsive to the orderly work ing of God in nature around him. He appeared at Bethel, capital of the Northern Kingdom, to denounce the sins of the nation. His plain speaking finally drew upon him the resentment of the authorities, and he was ordered to leave the country (7:10). We can only conjecture that he finally withdrew to his native place and put down in writing a condensed record of the discourses he had dfelivered. The book is especially valuable from the fact that the writer was one of the earliest prophets, and furnishes a trust worthy standard for fixing the dates of other books, the time of which is not so precisely determined. HOSEA The prophet of Northern Israeli Al though not directly stated in his book, there can be little doubt that his ministry was in the kingdom of the ten tribes. There is uncertainty as to the dates of the beginning and end of his work, but it seems clear that he began in the middle of the eighth century 1 and that he saw the rise and fall of several kings (I;!).. He is described as the son of Beeri, who is otherwise unknown. His book is very difficult of exposition, due to the peculiarity of its style. ’ One is'impressed by the fact that Hosea was deeply affected by the situation in which he was placed. The sentences fall from him like the sobs of a broken heart. The sins of. the people were like stabs, to his heart. . His theme is two-fold: God’s love and Israel’s, indifference to that love. . He traced the crime and vice of the na tion to the fundamental evil of, idolatry and apostasy from the true God. The references in Hosea to the earlier period of history are valuable, seeing that his date may be located approxi mately and that the dates of the books recording that history have been in dispute, MICAH The name means “Who' is like Jeho- vah ?” His. native" city, More-sheth-gath, was situated near Gath. According to Jer. 26:18, Micah prophesied in the reign of Hezekiah. According to Micah 1:1, he ftjabored also under Jothani and Ahaz. He was a younger contemporary of Isa iah, and like Isaiah, prophesied in Judah, perhaps also in Jerusalem. Micah combats the heathenish abuses which had found their way to Judah. He
IN O U R N E X T I S S U E WE START THE 1 9 2 8 L e s s o n s in th e G O S P E L O F M A R K (First Six Months') Our Correspondence School now offers a Verse by Verse Course in this Gospel at $2. Teachers especially will find this of great value. Lesson material may be purchased at a reduced price by those not wishing tb enroll.
rebukes social injUstice’ (2 :1 ;'3 :2 ), dis honesty and unfaithful conduct in gen eral (6:10; 7:2). ' He had to defend himself against false prophets who threatened árid antagonized him. Micah’s style is vigorous and vivid. He indulges in dramatic interruptions and answers. He makes’a striking prophecy concern ing the birth of the Messiah at Bethle hem (5:2), and sees in Him the only hope of Israel. —°— ■ G olden T e x t I llu stra tio n God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son (Heb. 1 : 1 - 2 ) . There is tremendous truth in these words. The Old Testament reads: “The word of the Lord came unto the prophet,” or “Thus saith the Lord” But God has now spoken once for all by His Son. We never read that ■ the truth'was. revealed unto ,Jesus 'by the Spirit. He WAS “the living Word,”. He was “the Truth." We find JesUs saying, not “Thus saith the Lord? but p?Verily,~ verily, I say unto you.” We ascend to the marvelous truth that Jesus not merely, declares to us the message of the Father,- but He IS. that message. All God has to say to us is “Hear ye Him.” “The Scriptures and the Lord Bear one most holy Name. The written and the incarnate Word In all things are the same.” . —^~o — T N THIS lesson we are to review the outstanding characteristics of the proph ets whom we have studied during this quarter, the first one'of whom was Elijah.
One of the central thoughts' of the con fession. of Israel is Contained in the word “Elijah,” which means “Jehovah is God." The God W h o revealed Himself to Moses at the B u r n i n g Bush (Ex. 6:1 f) had for merly revealed Him
self to the patriarchs as “El-Shaddai,” “God Almighty,” but here revealed Him self as Jehovah, “the uncaused Cause of all things.” Elijah lived about three-quar ters of a century after the death of Sol
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker