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T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
JANUARY 22, 1921 ELIJAH’S FLIGHT AND RETURN Golden Text: I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1. LESSON TEXT I Kings 19:1-21. (Read Ezek. 2:1-
•7; Acts l e ^ l O ; 18:1-11). came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, E lijah? (14) And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God o f hosts: because the children o f 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. (15) And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Razael to be king over Syria. (16) And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of A.belmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. (17) and it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. (18) Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. The wonderful victory for God on Carmel inspired Elijah with hope that the ways of Ahab might be changed, but Ahab’s ardor had cooled. He told Jezebel all that Elijah had done. He did not seek to bring her to recognize God’s hand in the events that had transpired,— that it was God who had answered by fire. Jezebel’s heart was untouched. She was hot with Wrath and swore an oath that she would have the life of the prophet. She stood between Israel and the true God and His blessing. She was like those of whom our Lord said, “ Neither will they believe though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). Elijah was filled with fear and fled from her for his life. How could a man who had faced Israel and Baal flee from a woman? of the widow; defying Baal; alone in Horeb; crossing Jordan; translated.
(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, E lijah? (10) And he said, I have been very jealous fo r the ' LORD God of hosts: fo r the children c f Israel have forsaken thy cove nant, 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. (11) And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earth quake: (12) And after the earth quake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (13) And it was so. when Elijah heard it, .that he w rap ped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in o f the cave. And, behold, there O utline (1) The Prophet Disappointed and Discouraged, vs. 1-8. (2) The Prophet Divinely Discovered, vs. 9-14. (3) The Prophet Divinely Directed, vs. 15-18. (1) THE PROPHET DISAPPOINTED AND DISCOURAGED, vs. 1-8. Immediately following the scene on Mount Carmel, Ahab went up to eat and drink,— for kings must eat and drink, though priests have to die. Elijah went up to pray. Look IiESSON . at his posture now EXPOSITION and compare it with T. O. H orton his attitude when he prayed before the peo ple. The Word of God gives us eight pic tures in his eventful life,— Before Ahab; humbled by the ravens; submis sive in seclusion; raising the dead son
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