The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-01-14
GODS CARE OF ELIJAH.
International Sunday School Lesson 10
January Is, 1891,

International Sunday school Lesson for
January Is, 1891.
Especially Arranged from s. s. QUARTERLY
LESSON TEXT Kings l7:li6
GOLDEN TExT-They that seek the Lord
shall not want any good thing.-Ps. al0
CENTRAL TRUTH-God shows His love by |
the punishment Of sin, and by His tender care
OF those who serve Him.
TIME-Eliiah appeared TO Ahab probably |
about B. c. 900, in the tenth year of Ahab's
reign
PLAcE-u) Samaria. (e) The brook Cherith
east OF the Jordan. in Gilead. (9 Zarephath, |
between Tyre and Sidon.
RULERs-Jehoshaphat King Of Judah, Ola
$50; Ahab, King OF Israel, sls-S9o; Ethbaal.
King Of Tyre.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-i. "Elijah;" (D |
his name means Jehovah my God" (SD He
was native Of Tishbe, town in Gilead, a
wild mountainous country east Of the Jordan. |
(S) His dress was girdle Of skin and man.
tie, or cape, of sheep skim Not be dew nor
RAIN" the fertility Of Palestine was greatly de.
pendent on the heavy dews. But according to
my word" when God should tell him to call for
it. The famine lasted three years and half
(Jns SID. g. "And the ravens brought him
bread and flesh" Some think the food was
brought by the Orebites, inhabitants of neigh.
boring town OF Orbo. The best scholars gen.
orally take the story as it stands, and under.
stand that II speaks Of ravens Todd. Z.
AFTER awhile:" probably about a year. Elijah
was thus hidden ~ to preserve his life; (9
to avoid the importantly Of the people; ~ TO
be prepared by silent communion with God for
his greater work. IL. las the Lord liveth:"
showing she was not heather. II have not o
cake" rather loaf, the smallest kind Of bread.
Bread was baked in small, round and fiat
loaves, about span in diameter and a fingers
breadth in thickness, shaped not unlike fiat
stones Matt 4:3; 100; and three of them were
allowed for each person for one meal luke
1l5). "A handful of neal" wheat, ground in
q handmill. I'm a Darrell" probably an earthen
jar And little OIL" olive oil used as We do
butter. "In q cruse:" at the present time this
vessel is made of blue, porous clay, and is of
o globular form. about nine inches in diameter,
with slender neck about three inches long
1.-TWO sticks:" /. c., q few. Dress IT." prepare
II for eating cook 1t.
LESSON COMMENTS.
Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel had
now for some years been setting the
example of gross idolatry, and had used
all their power to drive the people from
the worship of Jehovah. In this they
had been only too successful Israel had
become almost totally idolatrous. If
they were again to be brought to q wor-
ship of the true God severe measures
alone would answer. Gods patience
was not yet exhausted, so He prepared
severe judgments for them. Since they
were not willing to be led kindly by
look of His eye God proposed now to
hold them in sternly with bit and bril-
die. For this purpose He raised up a
stern and dauntless man, Elijah the
Tishbite. In all the story Of Elijah we
shall see him executing Gods wrath
upon evil-doers in order to draw Israel
back to their allegiance to their own
God.
The solemn warning (verse y.
Neither rain nor dew these years"
This would be grievous evil, for in
Palestine there were no large rivers and
wide lakes, and the land was absolutely
dependent on its annual rainfall for it's
harvests and even for the necessary
water to sustain life; thus God struck at
the very root of the National prosperity;
without rain King and beggar must suf-
fer and armies themselves perish. In
this way God proposed to make every
one feel that it was grievous thing for
them to forsake Him for Baal.
The solitary boarder (vers. ~. God
provided for Elijah in this time Of
famine in singular way. He sent him
into desert ravine, where a brook ran
day and night. There Elijah lived, fed
by birds every morning and evening,
and supplied with water from the
stream. Elijah was alone. In this way
he learned his utter dependence upon
God, and had much time to think about
spiritual things. Then, too, he was
safe from the vengeance of Ahab and
Jezebel, who wanted to kill him. His
board was not very luxurious, but it
was enough, and he had learned, what
Paul afterwards also learned, to be con-
tent in whatsoever state he was. l
doubt not Elijah, with a sense of God s
favor. was happier by the brook, than
Ahab in his palace with an evil con-
science. Riches by themselves can not
make people happy, nor need poverty
make them miserable; but guilty con-
science will make both rich and poor
suffer.
The widows clearinghouse (vers s.
l6). She had only one boarder, Elijah,
and he paid nothing for his board. Ask
the scholars how it came to pass that
Elijah left the brook. Draw from them
the story Of the coming of the prophet to
Zarephath. Have them tell of the
meeting of prophet and widow. Show
how bitter the faminehad grown by
this time, so that it had spread to
Zidon. outside Of the limits of Ahabs
Kingdom. Do not fail to call atten-
ton to the faith of this nameless
widow, who dared venture out on the
bare word OF the man of God. This
faith had to be exercised day by day,
for there was never moro than enough
meal and oil for one day. "Day by day
the mama fell" and day by day was
her food provided. In this way hel
hospitality and faith in taking this
penniless boarder were rewarded; she
got in return more than she gave.-Rev
A. F. Schaufller, d. d.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. Evil always comes to people who
forsake God and the true religion.
9. God sends trials in love, to bring
back the people to Himself.