convert the people, w h at
remained
t h at
V. ELIJAH'S LESSON. , " I £ e y ° r J o f t h e
S w d
b <; d o n e?
T h e re is a kind of p e t-
I p a f f " a t n d V , V Ì Ì e t „ C l U b o f " t he Giant D e- » f , ' , a n d Elijah then, and m a ny now a re h 1< L s u re w o r d oí p r o p h e c y /' 2 £ ' w h i c h c a n n ot cast us d o w n / It ducers w n f r w n C e t h a t " w i c k e d m e n « se- , w a x worse a nd worse," 2 Tim. K f l - 1¿ S i t ™ o f ™ a n y w a x cold.'". Ma tt till the Z e a r e Í? t x p e e t " « t h i ng less of M r S ^ n CO t me oi P e r h a ns a closet s t u dy Elijah , D u t ' 2 8 : 3 2 ' w o u l d h a v e braced IV. ÁNGEL MINISTRY. i_,? ut t h e L o r i i i s merciful, and mindful ° f HI? own, Ma t t. 26:41; P S a 111™ a « É 1 É ? n e I y , J a c ob of old, Gen 28:12, t h e rl were "angels hovering a r o u n d" t he eiile to minister to the heir of salvation I f e b. 1:14 • tion Ma tt 4 o 1 w f t í, t h e L o r d o f Salva- nun, iviart. 4:11. W i th a gentle touch an » n f 6 L r O U S e d filiJah s a ^ n g, "Arise and e a r there w as a cake on t he coals, a nd w a - ter in a cruse! "Come, and dine," said the ^ d . ami "they saw a Are of cSlis, and fish * i thereon and bread," Jno. 21:12, 9 The s £ ° n l e h i l e r r í ? n t S " „ a r e o n e - A f t e r a n o t h er bed like tJrirt Uar angels" w a t c h ed his bea, like t e n d er nurses, he w as a e a in aroused to dine again on a meal sufflcfent m L a / ° r t y d a / s ' f a s t and a two h u n d r ed mile journey, for he " w e nt in t he -Striniti; ?. f . t h ?t m e at forty d a ys and f o r ty night? " fi-^2 d ^ 7 K m o r e s i v « V* this bread " j „ o 6.34. Elijah was "well-fed," by ravens- b v ' und W ^ d< | W V b y . , a n g e l s - 2. The prophet 'now under Instructions proceeded on his "great" journey v. 8. H e w e nt leisurely o? cir- cu.tousiy over the, ground w h e re his ? a t h e r¡ had wandered forty y e a rs t e m p t i ng the Loid r and trying Moses his p r o p h et in the " w a s te and howling Wilderness, Deut, 32:10- H ? b H e journeyed f o r ty days, "a year for', a day," Ezek. !:*. At last he " c a me to the c a v e" at Horeb, perhaps t he v?ry cleft S f h r L S T t W " ' t j í % v o t e e r v f Jehovah," The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant "n goodness, and truth," í¡x. 34:6; w h e re h£ had interceded for Ièraél, E x 33:12; as Elijah R om ' S B P V ' " t e n s i ó n a g a i n s ' t a % h e i ! " ir 5n?ÌS" . < E ' U a h needed the. memorials oíd tessons" 3 of ^grac?. 0 *' Í & * h i m h e r e 'he* If m a n had w r i t t en t he Bible he would h a ve k e pt Elijah in the limelight until he w as carried to heaven. One of t he u n d e- signed _ evidences of the verity of God's Wo rd is its f a i t h f ul p r e s e n t a t i on of f a c ts concerning its heroes. T he m a n who locked and unlocked • the heavens, who faced t he f u ry of priests a nd people, fled f r om t he tace^ of a w o m a n 's w r a t h. T he t r e m e n d o us tension a c c omp a n y i ng his t r i u m ph over the foes of God is followed by relaxation and recreation. The prophet w as occupied with his splen- did successes and lost his center. H e took his eyes off f r om J e h o v ah and his glory became self-centered. H e g a ve w ay to a fit of despondency which w as perfectly n a t- ural, but which does not accord with his accustomed faith. He 1 thinks he w a n ts to die, but h e had fled from Jezebel to escape death. He looks like a petulant, spoiled child. H e h as been faithless, but God is faithful. God k n ows our f r a m e. H e re-
L o r d came to him." question, "What doest thou
I
ouettinn T b e best w ay t o teach is to TV,J IS V A , « u e e t i o n sets a m a n thinking, t h e best selfrexamination is by s e l f - a u e s- s m f l ^ w , ^ ^ a r i , thou c a st down, O S y soul? . will soon bring out t he f a ct t h at there is no real discouragement, t h at t he evils a r e imaginary, or exaggerated, or well deserved, or remediable. "What business h a v e y o u to be here, E l i j a h? Did I tell you to r un a w a y? Is this the place for a prophet to follow his calling? A re you h e re seeking first t he kingdom of h e a v e n? H a v ! you received an honorable discharge or a re you a d e s e r t e r ?" W h a t h as God p u t me here f o r? Am I in t he c omp a ny H e p o m ts m e? Am I doing t h e work H e I s ! S n > e % ? H a ve I sought a n d followed H i s guidance? Am I a r e n e g a d e? 2. Elijah's Answer. It s h o ws t h at he needs t he 5om- sw S er eSS T°t n ' , K 18 n 0 t a s t r a i g h t f o r w a rd a n - swer. it is an accusation of his Deonle ^ d even if he were the only tVue f g g ^ ite, the only prophet left, w as he not the more needed a t the f r o n t? W a s his liffe s a v i ng l f h l s t a g k w e r f o r g | k ™ s ? nf ¡^a Response. (1) T he cyclone. T h i nk ipL ^ ^L, destructive and irresistible force (2) The E a r t h q u a k e. T h i nk of San Francisco Lisbon, Pompeii. (3) T h e Fire. Thfnk of I h t a h ' i S ' W London, Chicago! iilijah, if the Lord felt t ow a rd Israel a i you do could H e not s w e i T p t h em a w a y d li i?« h u r r i c a n e; swallow t h em up a ^ H e - did Korah, L e v 16:23-34; b u rn t h em UD a s H e did t he rebels, Lev. 16^5? T B ut this 's not t he Lord's w a y; n o r, t he m e a ns w o S ^ V 1 ® m e n ' s hearts. These h a ve the"? w ° r k . b ut you could not expect t h e m . to eon- No; the still small voice of the Gos- pel of Grace will alone suffice, T h e L a w hag yet m u ch to do, b ut salvation wait^ oik,"Come unto Me all ye t h at labor a n d a re heavy laden," Matt. 11:28-30? r VI. ELIJAH'S N EW COMMISSION. c h a s t ^ n l " 1 r t t ^ ? * 1 ' o to continue t he work of cnastising Israel. 2. Anoint Jehu, to ex- t e r m i n a te the incorrigible, and " ¿ r r u p t i ne house of Ahab. 3. Anoint Ellsha, who s h a l l voice'" m ° I e h '' t h e S I > i r it o £ the "still small A m e m b e rs t h a t we a re dust. H is aye' w as upon His s e r v a nt and, H e sends ESs a ^ e l to minister to him. God is not through with him There a re lessons yet for him "to learn and work for him to do.' E l i j ah w as jealous for t he God of Israel, b ut he h ad wrong conceptions of H is p l k n f o r t h em H e no doubt expected t h a t t he display ™f G o d s power on C a r m el would t u rn t he tide of Jsra^, Godward. In the cleft of a rock h e learned a sweet lesson. T h e wind t he h S l f e * 5 a n d the fire have t h S r place » ^a r tf 6 of ^ f n l W e h a mm er ' s t r i k ed w ' t h ° u t t ^ s o u ^ H ™ long-suffering and p a t i e nt is J e h o v ah both with H is disobedient people and H i , doubting prophet. H ow t he s t o rm nulets down and the peace of God relgris iS t h ! i U nr b d Ul «h t n heart - T h e y t h at w a i t i i p on h i Lord shall renew their s t r e n g t h. "
Pith and Pivit. T. C. H.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs