Marshall County Republican., 1877-02-01
Bible Lesson for Next SUNDAY.


/ Kings xviii: 5-le.
3. And Ahab said unto Obadiah. Go into The
land, unto all fountains OF water, and unit
all brooks: peradveDture We may find grass
10 save the horses and mules alive, tnat we
lose not all the beasts.
6. So they divided the land between then
Z" pass throughout it: Ahab went one way
py himse,i and Obaciah went another way
!. And as Obadiah was in the way. behold
Eiilan met him: and he knew him, and fell
Elijah? ' '''''' 1''' ''ou 'na' my ioro
8. And he answered him. am: 60. tell thy
lord. Behold. Elijah j. here
9. And he said What have sinned. that
thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the
hand OF Ahsb. TO slay me?
To- As the Lord thy God livcth. there is no
nation or Kingdom. whittier NV lord hath not
sent to seek thee; and when they said He is
not there; he took an oath Of the kingdom
and nation. that they found thee not.
, II. ana now thou sayest. Go. tell thy lord
L.. And II shall come to pass. as soon az !
am gone from thee that the Spirit OF the
when come and tell Ahab. and h he cannot ann s1
ind thee. he shall slay me: but thy servant
fear the Lord from my youth.
13. Was II not told my lord what did when
yeZebel Slew the prophets Of the Lord, how
hid an hundred men Of the Lords prophets
and water?
Behold. Eljah is here: and he shall slay
me.
IS. And Elijah said. AS the Lord Of hosts
iiyeth; before & , whom on, ! stand will surely
IS. So Obadiah went 10 meet Ahab. and
to Id him: and Ahab went TO meet Elijah
V. And 1t came to pass. when Ahab saw
Elijah: thSt Aha6 SAID unto him. Art thou he
=. And he answered. have not troubled
Israel; but thou. and thy fathers house. in
Of aaf The Lord. % and thou hast foioWed fiss Baalim
GOLDEN TExT--And Joshua said, WHY
hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble
thee this day. Josh. Vii: IS.
TOPICAL OUTLINE.
The famine was now extreme. Fol
more than three years there had been no
rain. The hills must have been long bart
nf heritage. The terraces, dependent on
irrigation, must have become barren ant
baked under the heat Of the sun. Fol
more than two years the torrent bed,
had been dry, and the grasses aud shrubs
which ordinarily, in the spring, afforded
subsistence for cattle, were withercd ant
parched to the very roots. At length
nothing was left but the Jordan valley
which must have been eaten bare at last
Food for the people was no doubt procured
from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and waite
for domestic uses was carried in skins
from the Jordon.
Finally all resources near at hand en-
tirrly failed. The king himself was com
pelled to seek abroad for subsistence fo
| his own fiocks and herds
lie accordingly started ont, sending hi,
faithful courier in one direction. while h,
| pursued another, hoping To fini SOM
SPOTS vet moist, and some heritage sill
left i'm secluded places
Meanwhile Elijah had been sent with
message 10 the king, anG was on his wal
to deliver 1t, when helcamc suddenly upoI
Obadiah. Eiijsh was recognized. an,
treated with the respect which would hav
been shown tn Ahab. lie commando,
Obadiah To report his presence >tuf III
| king. The response revealed 10 him hi
danger. Ii came out incidentally, tha
during his retirement Ahab hal sough
everywhere to find him. that he Nigh
revenge himself for the sufielings cause,
by the famine. Ii does not seem to hav
occurred to- Ahan that in this u after h
was conlending not with Elijah alone, bu
with Jehovah. at whose word thu prophe
had fpretold the famine, and proclaime,
IL a judgement ON the house Of the kin
for idolatry.
Obadiah evidently thought that Elijal
informed Of the designs of Ahab, woul
not persist In in his purpose To see hin
v;2. He was accordingly afraid To IN
form the king that he had met Elijah. v
IL. He knew he was exposed To th
charge of deceit or trifiing, IL he shoul
report the presence OF the prophet. an
then could not find him. or even with r.
missness. in not seizing and dcliverin
him To Ahab.
But Elijah was not afraid Of Ahab. Not
withstanding the Information he had II
ceived conce-ning his disposition and ir
tentions toward him, he sail. x vi
surely show myselfto him to day"
Then Obadiah conveyed his messac,
And Ahab went to meet Elijah. III
probably expected TO intimidate, IL not I
seize and destroy the prophet.
Ahab approached, surrounded by hi
attendants. Elijah stood leaning on hi
staff. And so they met, the monarch an
the prophet. One was armed with huma
authority. and pomp, and power; III
other with "the word of the Lord" an
the shield Of divine protection. Aha
looked for fear, and trembling, and con
pliance, or even an appeal for clemency
he was not prepared for defiance, and S
he CURLY exclaimed, Art thou here, /,
troubler OF Israely" But instead, he foun
himself arraigned and charged with sir
and held responsible for all the evil ihi
had come upon his people. "Thou ar, Il.
troubler of Israel" was ths sharp an
just retort. iS. The thrust reached I'll
conscience OF Ahab. and he was afraid I
touch his accuser, or so much as 10 max
an answer To his charge against him n,
submitted to his command TO gather III
prophets Of Baal on Mt. Carmel, and prt
ceeded at once TO obey il.