The National tribune., 1885-08-13
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

L
Practical Duties Taught BY Study of the Inter.
national Sunday School Lesson Appointed for
Aug. 16.-1 XII. IS: 30-fG.
lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.l
Solomon has been dead 60 years. So, three
score and nine years have passed since the divs-
ion of the II tribes into the two kingdoms of Ju
dab and Israel. Ahab is the King of Israel and
Jezebel is Queen. By degrees his Kingdom has
become more and more idoatrous until, indeed,
it is quite Goddess. Some with old memories
and traditions of Jehovah cannot fully rid
themselves of kind of faith in the doctrines
of Moses, or of fear such doctrines may be
true In general the people halted between
Jehovah and Baal. Elijah had suggested
test to-wit that two affairs be arranged with a
sacrifice OH each that then the priests of Baal
pray their god to send down fire and burn up
their bullock; that if they failed. he pray his
God, and that all the nation decide to accept
the one who answered by fire, and him only, as
their object of worship. Baal's priests, after
trial of nine hours, gave up the struggle. Right
here our lesson opens. We find ourselves on
Mt Carmel. The Baalites failing. it is E1jah's
turn. 1t is about 3 o'clock of the afternoon.
Elijah will not use the same altar nor bullock
over which the heather priests have foamed
and sweated and bled and howlcd. In early
days true worship had been offered on Mt.
Carmel. An old altar was still on the spot He
repairs il, using II stones. The number is sig
niicant. He would intimate there should be
no division of the tribes in the matter of wor
ship. The temple being then constructed, no
sacrifices should be offered save at Jerusalem.
1t was only by special command from God, and
in consideration of the great emergency, that
Elijah could presume to use an altar elsewhere.
And Elijah was not a priest of God, and, so,
could not take part in a sacrifice, only by spe-
cal commission in aSpeciic instance. Elijah was
alone, and needed help. At his request some
persons assist him III preparing the altar.
Thus, too, they could scan everything and see
there was no deception. All around the altar
he had n trench dup. The parts of the bullock
were placed in an orderly way on the altar.
Lev, l: 6-S). To make the miracle more i'm
pressive, by removing all seeming possibility of
any deceit he directs that II barrels of water
be poured over the sacrifice and the altar.
Thus bullock, kindling wood, altar-all were
soaked and the trench filled with water.
Heather priests sometimes msled devotees by
surreptitiousy putting fire beneath the altar
in some such manner that it would at length
ignite seemingly in supernatural way. Eli
.jah wanted to escape the least suspicion All
ready, he prays, not to Baal, but to Jehovah,
God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Elijah is
calm; no shouting, no bodily mutilations.
There is grandeur in his authoritative manner.
The decisive moment has come. The prayer is
offered. With scarce an interval of time,
down comes the fire;-down, and not from
under. LEV, 8: 24.) 1t is feariully effective.
1t does not simply consume the sacrifice, but
wood, stones, dust, and even the water. The
people are true to their promise. They accept,
at any rate for the time being, the real God.
They express shame for having paid devotion
to Baal.
Now we reach the reaction. What shall be
done? The law of Moses, and that was the
law of the Israelites, is plain. One who led
the people into idoatry was guilty of a cap
ital crime. (See Deu., IL: 610) Such man
was traitor. Extirpation was the only safe
course. The people must be given to under
stand forever that idolatry is shockingly
offensive to Deity. Accordingly, the priests of
Baal were Immediately put to DEATH
The people have reformed. Rain may again
descend. But it was to be at the command of
God. III: H. So Elijah prays for clouds. |
His attitude is very humble. He offers petit
tions seven times i'll succession, in each case
sending his servant to scan the skies for signs
of storm. At the seventh gaze he sees a mere
speck of cloud, which he reports to Elijah.
Rainstorms along the Levant begin by the
rising of very small cloud, which keeps gath
ering force and size, until it sweeps furiOusly
over the country. Ahab was obliged to hasten
with all might to reach JeZreel. Elijah, think
ing the events at Carmel so convincing, did
not fear to go even to the place where Jezebel
resided.
We now state several practical thoughts. We
can learn something from events which hap
pened $500 years ago.
1. Keep mysteries, much as possible, out of
religious services. Let everything be open,
subject to inspection. Do not nurse supersti-
ton by any strange devices, undertOne incan-
tations, clandestine manuvers. Elijah pro-
tected himself from suspicion by having the
people see the arrangements of the altar. He
made it impossible to question the miracle by
soaking everything in water. Be frank. Do
not become sort of mystery. Explain things.
Do not make any greater demand on faith than
is necessary. Limit to the minimum credal quail
ifications for church membership
9. Repair the affairs. In some cases church
affairs are going to ruin. 1t is a shame. Keep
up religious structures. In many instances
family worship becomes burden and is by
degrees omitted. Repair such family affairs. If
religious buildings or practices be neglected by
reason of the wOrldliness Of the people, there is
call for reconstruction. Much of Christian
work consists of repairing.
3. Do everything systematically. 1t is said
Elijah placed the pieces of wood on the altar in
an orderly way. 1t was not tossed on in
slOvenish manner. Let there be no haste.
There can be kind of dignity about the SIM
piest act. Then, the doing of things orderly
is indication of that deliberateness which re-
suits from confidence. Distrust is nervous. A
man who firmly believes in providence can
afford to proceed in every act with a sublime \
uecOruni, u mastery OrulllneSS, graceful ease
Of manipulation.
A. If going in the wrong way, turn back.
". 81. Instead of following Baal the people
turned about and worshiped the real God. Re-
pentance is manly. Reform is often heroic.
Says Shakspere, in Hamlet, "Try what repent
ance can what can it not?" If on the wrong
road it is wise to turn about. The virtue next
to innocence is repentance. If you have been
serving the world only. and, so, have forgotten
the true God, the quicker you reform the bet
ter. May you see how vain it is to trust in
Baal! Be loyal to Jehovah.
5. Remove evil persons Association is con-
Eliminating. Such severe measures as those
adopted by Elijah would not be ordinarily
proper. In his day, religion itself was in peril.
The time had come which demanded thorough
handling. precedent was to be established
which, in its utility, should go down through all
the ages. The act was, Oh the whole, mercy.
Considered historically, it was the severity Of
goodness. 1t teaches care, to keep aloof from
the wicked. One cannot be too discreet about
his associates. One should be particularly care
full about the moral character of instructors.
The ministry should be true guardians of cor
rect theology. We have reason to be coy of
teachers who treat with rudeness the Bible,
Sunday, religious education, ecclesiastic insti-
buttons. Away with men who would in any
sense substitute Baal for Jehovah-heresy for
fruthf