The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-07-08
ELIJAH THE
Sunday School Lesson I'm the intess
national series for july ~
sos-i Kings I7ii-i6.

j hlnkS lsslA
LESSON NOTES.
I. General View of the Course of the
History of Israel from the Division to
Ahab. About 20 Years.. Jeroboam's
worldly policy brought forth bitter
fruits both for himself and his king
dom. His golden bulls used as symbols
of Jehovah soon led the people to real
idolatry and to the immoralities and
cruelties Of heather worship. All this
weakened the kingdom. When Jero-
boam died. after a reign Of - years. rev.
olution followed revolution, in dark
restless times. Then Omri came 10 the
throne. lie was n strong ruler and i'm
pressed himself on the surrounding ma
tons. as we learn from the inscriptions
on the Moabite stone and the black
obelisk. But as TO idolatry, he followed
in the sieDs of Jeroboam. The next
king was his son Ahab. He was a great
warrior. His greatest mistake vas his
marriage. for the sake of political al
lance. with the heather princess. Jeze-
bel of Tyre. who left n terrible mark
on the annals OF the nation.
ii. Elijah's Message 10 Ahab.-v. 1.
"And Elijah the Tishbite CHS name
means my God is Jehovah). who was Of
The inhabitants Of Gilead." The fish.
bite may mean "of Tishbe." The only
Thisbe meNioned in history is in Gal.
lice. in which case Elijah. though a ma
tive of G%alilee. had become a citizen OF
Gilead. east of the Jordan. said unto
Ahab:" With a sudden ~abruptness. al.
most like a flash of lightning from a
clear sky, the prophet of God appears
before Ahab in his palace at samaria
with a message from Jehovah. "As the
LORD (Jehovah. as Lord always means
when printed in capitals in our Bible)
God OF Israel liyeth. Before whom ]
stand" As an officer. and ambassador
bearing His authority. There shall
not be dew nor rain:" The fertility OF
Palestine Is entirely dependent upon
the regularity and ~copiousness of the
rains. and. during the long intervals
between them. upon the heavy dews.
"But according to my world" Not ac-
cording TO his own caprice or judy.
ment. but till the Lord, when He saw
that the famine's work was done. should
make known His will through His serv.
ant Elijah, thus proving that he was
His servant.
III. Elijah's Experiences During
Three Years and Their Meningitis
o-l6. First. At Cherith. Elijah imme.
diateiy left Ahab's presence and hid
himself till Gods time came for His
message To he delivered.
3. "Get thee hence. and return thee
eastward" j. e.. toward the jordan and
Gilead. his own country. And hide
myself by (rather "in") the brook (the
torrent course, or wady) Cherith, that's
before Jordan" Elijah would natu.
rally go to his own country, whose
wilds and businesses would be perfect
~ familiar to him.
4. For drink be had 1.-THE brook" Fol
food. II have commanded the ravens &c
feed thee" Farrar and many critics
think this a highly poetic expression.
a metaphor. conveying the le.son that
the prophet was maintained by marked
interventiors of that providence Of God
which is itself in all its workings super.
natural" But equally simple and more
natural is the literal statement.
Second. At Zarephath. Time. W OF
more years. When the brook dried NJ
Elijah could no longer remain at Che
rith. In some way. we know not how
God mt,e known to him where he
should ~. Possibly. too. if he remained
too long in one place Ahab might dis
cover his abode.
0. "Arise. get thee TO Zarephath, which
belongeth 10 Zidon:" On the shore be.
tween Tyre and Sidon. Here the
prophet would be safe from Ahab. who
would scarcely think Of looking for
Elijah in the territories Of .Jezebel's ia.
Their in the house Of a peasant. II have
commanded" Put it in her heart.
10. 1.-The Cor al widow woman:" The
widow lived by the oath. "as Jehovah
thy God livcth." that she was a wor.
shipper Of the true God. Gathering OF
s;icks:" For her fire. Fetch me
i. a little water:- His first need
after his long walk through the famine.
stricken land would be water.
-. "And she said, As the Lord thy
God iiveth. / have not a cake. but a hand.
ful Of meal in a barrel. and a little oil
in a cruise: and. behold. ! am gathering
two sticks. that I may go in and dress
IL for me and my son. that we may eat IL
and dies" The famine prevailed there,
and she was in the last extremity.
13. Fear mott" DO not be troubled,
but take heart ard trust God. Make
me thereof a little cake ~first:" This
must have seemed very strange and
hard TO her at first, amazingly COOL"
but the favor was not asked from the
selfishness of the prophet. TWAS a test
OF her faith in the promises Of God,
whether she we're worthy Of the help
Elijah offered.
IA. For thus saith the Lord God OF Is
rael:" Now comes the promise on
which she was to rest. 'The barrel Of
meal shall not waste:" In some way
the loss should be supplied.
Is. "And she wentand dds" She had
faith. and her faith produced good
works. Did eat many days" Between
two and three years.