The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-01-08
GODS OAHe or rEElJAH.
HntsrAssissai 6snday-sshoxl ksssek fSs
LannnrH IA. llAl.

bUhuoys00m0Wl
y M January 10, 1891
tspeoislly Arranged from 8. g. ouasterly.1
LESSON TExr--i kings is.i.iA las3a L
GoIDSn TExT-Thsy that SCH the Lord
shall not want any good thint.-PG 3no. i 1
CENrRAL TRuTh-0od shows His love By
the punishment Of sin, and BY His tender care
Of those who servo Hin.
TINE Elijah appeared 70 Ahab probably
about B. @. 900. in the tenth year Of Ahab's
reign
PLAcE-t1) Samaria. CD The brook Cherith,
east Of the Jordan In Gilead. GD zarephsth.
between Tyre and 6idon.
RULERS --Jehoshaphat, King Of Judah, el4-
$780, Ahab, King Of Israel, 0l8-s0e; Ethbaal,
King Of Tyre
HELPS OVER HARD PLAoEs-i. "Elijah:" Q)
his name means Jehovah my God" (2) He
was q native Of Tishbe, town In Gilead,
Wild mountainous country east of the Jordan.
(3) His dress was girdle OF skin and man
tie, or cape, Of sheep-skin mot be dew nor
rnfn:" 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. Tt famine lasted three years and half
Gas. bl7). g. "And the ravens brought him
bread and flesh" Some think the food was
brought by the Orebites, inhabitants Of neigh.
boring town Of Qrbo. The best scholars gen.
orally take the story as It stands, and under
stand thut II speaks Of ravens."-Todd. z.
AFTER awhile:" probably about year. Elijah
was tnuS uiuueH w 70 preserve MS LIe; W.
70 avoid the Importantly Of the people; Ca) to
be prepared by silent communion with God for
his greater work. II. "As the Lord Nveth:"
showing she was not heather. II have not
cake;" rather loaf the smallest kind Of bread.
Bread was baked in small, round and nat
ioAves, about . span in diameter and q fingers
bre1dth In thickness, shaped not unlike nst
stones Matt 4:3; TOY; and three Of them were
allowed for each person for one meal (Luke
i1:6). "A handful of meal:" wheat, ground In
ahandmill. I'm barrel:' probably an earthen
1ar. "And little oil:" olive oil used % we do
butter. SIN cruse:" at the present time this
vessel is made Of blue. porous clay, and IL Of
. globular form, about nine inches In diameter,
with slender neck about three inches long.
ssT'wo sticks:" L O., . few. 'Dress N:" prepare
II for eating. cook II.
LESSON coMMRNTs
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. II
they were again to be brought to wor-
ship Of the true God severe measures
alone would answer. Gods patience
was not yet exhausted, 80 He prepared
were not willing to be led kindly by .
look Of His eye God proposed now to
hold them in sternly with bit and bri-
die For this purpose He raised up a
stern and dsuntless 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. as4
The solemn warning (verse ~.
"Neither rain nor dew these years" "
This would be q grievous evil, for in
Palast're there were no large rivers and
wide lakes, and the land was absolutely
dependent on Its annual rainfall for its
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 saf-
fer and armies themselves perish. In
this way God proposed to make every
one feel that II was grievous thing tor
| them to forsake Him for Baal. E4
~ The solitary boarder (vers. IN. Goa
! provided for Elijah in this time Of
famine in singular way. He sent him
! into desert ravine, where 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 1t
was enough, and he had learned, what
Paul afterwards also learned, to be oon-
tent in whatsoever state he was. I
doubt not Elijah, with sense Of Gods
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. L lt
The widows boarding-house (vers. g.
l6). She had only one boarder, Elijah,
and he paid nothing for his board. Ask
the scholars how II came to pass MAT
Elijah left the brook. Draw from them
the story Of the coming Of the prophet 10
Zarephath. Have them tell Of the
meeting OF prophet and widow. Show
how bitter the famineliad grown by
this time. so that 1t had spread to
Zidon. outside Of the limits of Ahab'a
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 nAver mora 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 her
hospitality and faith in taking this
penniless boarder were rewarded; she
got in return more than she gave.-Rev.
| A. f. Schauffier, d. d.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
!. Evil always comes to people who
forsake God and the true religion.
| 2. God sends trials in love, to bring
back the people to Himself.
8. God reveals our way step by step,