The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-16
Sunday School Lesson for July IL.
Elijah ON Carmel.
Kings XVlI 50-3o
BY j. e. GILBERT, d. D., Ii. D.,
Secretary of American Society of Religious Education
1 Kings XVIII: 3O-3o.

times. Genesis, xii, W; and followed with
conservative exactness in subsequent CEN
turtles. Afterward Elijah cut the bullock
in pieces. following the directions of the
law Ueviticus, L. $50 is given to Moses,
the regulations divinely appointed for a
burnt offering. This sacrifice was to be
more than a test. 1t was formal res
toration of that which the law required
each evening, but what had been ordered
by the wicked king displaced. The burnt
offering signified the presentation of the
sacrifice himself, soul and body, to God,
the submission of his will to the will of
the Lord. 1t typified our Lords Offering.
the perfect sacrifice of his will to the will
of the Father. philippians, ii, 81. Elijah
was bringing back again that which the
patrlarchs had Genesis, iv, ~, which Abel
observed. and Noah Genesis, viii. 20)
and Abraham Genesis, xxi, 13) preserved
and transmitted, and which ought to have
been maintained until the Lamb was Of
fered once for all. (Romans, W. 49,
THE WATER.-It was the purpose of
Elijah to show to those about him that
there was no deception in anything he
did. They had seen him build the altar,
and they therefore understood its con-
struction. They had seen him pile up
the wood in it's regular order, and they
had seen the bullock slain. cut up and
laid upon the wood. All this, done before
their eyes. was sufficient to remove from
any candid mind any thought of duplicity
One other point needed to be guarded in
order to produce the best effect The
heather were accustomed to dig holes in
the earth in which fire was concealed.
Proceeding from these were tunnels COM
municating with the top of the altar, so
that the wood might be ignited and the
simple people made to believe that a
miracle had been wrought by the deity.
To prevent such supposition in this
case Elijah adopted a novel expedient.
He dug trench about the altar. Then
he commanded water, twelve barrels, to
be poured upon the sacrifice. The wood
was saturated, and the trench filled.
(Verses 1880. Ordinarily the broth
poured on the victim Judges, vi, 20)
helped the flame. But this large guam
tity of water would extinguish the faint
est spark.
THE PRAYER.-An these preparations
were COMPLETE as the hour approached,
when, under the Jaw, the evening sacri-
flee should be offered. Then Elijah
stretched forth his hands in prayer. There
was nothing in his manner to indicate
any perturbation of spirit. Rather, his
language expressed utmost confidence.
Verse 36). Lord God of Abraham, Isaac
tional deity, and calling the thought of
the people to the ancient faith. EXODUS.
iii, 81. Following this invocation he made
three petitions, desiring God to then dis
play himself, that the people might know
that He and not Baal was the God Of
Israel: that Elijah was His servant; and
| that what Elijah did was by divine COM
mand. This call upon the Almighty was
reverent and fervent, but submissive and
calm. The prophet prescribed nothing
but what might be according to the pleas
ure of Jehovah. The petitions We're re-
peated (verse 30 in slightly changed form,
with the words hear me-" twice uttered
as If the great soul of the good man
struggled a moment before the answer
| not doubling the outcome but laying hold
| more firmly upon God, waiting. expecting,
wrestling, Jacob-like Genesis. xxxii, 26)
until the blessing was received.
| THE FIRE.-While Elijah was vet
| praying the answer came. (Jeremia n
xxxii, -. The fire of the Lord, that is,