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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Elijah’s Flight and Return SEPTEMBER 12, 1915. LESSON XI. 1 Kings 19:8-18. (Commit vs. 9, 10.) G olden T ext : “Be still, and know that I am God. Ps. 46.10.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS Mon., Sept. 6—1 Kings 19:1-8. (The Lesson.) Tues., Sept. 7—1 Kings 19:9-14. (The Lesson,) Wed., Sept. 8—1 Kings 19:15-21. (The Lesson.) Thurs. Sept. 9—Jonah 1:1-10. Fleeing from duty. Fri., Sept. 10—Psalm 43. “Why art thou cast down?” Sat., Sept. 11—Ezek. 2:1-7. “Be not afraid.” Sun'., Sept. 12—Luke 22:39-46. A ministering angel.
EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
spairing is to Horeb, the Mount of God. v. 9. "And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold the Word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, ‘What doest thou here, Elijah!” The “Word of the Lord” had often come to Elijah in the past, and at Horeb he hears the old familiar voice again, but now it speaks in gentle reproof. The question that God put to Elijah was a searching one, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” God is putting to many of us today the same ques tion He put to Elijah. We are not where God would have us, and God is whispering to us, “What doest thou here ?” Let us face the question squarely and give God an hon est answer. v. 10. “And he said, ‘I have been very jealous for the LORD God of Hosts; be cause the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away.’’ Elijah did not at first make a good honest answer to Jehovah’s question; he did not tell why he was there; the answer was not creditable to Elijah, and it was hard for him to face God and say, “I am running away from duty.” So Elijah begins to talk about how loyal he had been and how badly others had acted. In the days of his victory and power, Elijah
v. 8. “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the Mount of God.’’ God's dealing with Elijah was wondrously tender (vs. 5-7). God loved Elijah just as much when he lay there under the juniper tree, discouraged, petulant, sin ning, as He did the moment of His mighty victory on Carmel. He still had work for Elijah to do, but first of all He had some personal dealing to do with Elijah him self. He restored Elijah’s nerve force by needed sleep and food before He tenderly exposed to him his folly, and declared to him his removal from his position. It would be well if we, when we have to deal with some erring brother, would treat him as ten derly and wisely as Jehovah did Elijah, and not seek to rebuke his sin when he is in a condition of utter nerve exhaustion, and when he needs encouragement and strength ening before he can appreciate rebuke and correction. It was, indeed, a wonderful table that God spread before Elijah—he went “in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights.” God alone can furnish food like that. The place to find it today is in His Word (1 Peter 2:2). Elijah showed that he was not utterly for saken of his former wisdom by going to the right place, Horeb the Mount of God. The place to go when we are crushed and de
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