Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-07-14
ELIJAH ON cARlIEL.
Sunday school Lesson in ,hc Inter-
national Series fer July II.
ISoS-i Kings IS:siO-4o.
TRasad unon PeIonhet,s select Notes /

TBased upon PeIoubet's Select No;esI
GOLDEN TEXT And when all the peo-
pie saw it. they fell on their faces; and
they said. the Lord. He is the God; the
Lord. lie is the God.--1 Kings 1888.
THE SECTION includes the story Of the
sacrifice on Carmel and the results. re-
pentant people. ana the end CT the famine
(Chap. Isl
TIME.-B. c S6S-4, revised chronology.
or @'l-6, according TO the chronology in
our Bible margins Three years after Eli
jah's first appearance TO Ahab
EXPLANATION.
/. Elijah and Ahab.-When ;he peo-
pie were ripe for it, Gods word came 10
Elijah 10 80 % King Ahab, and to com-
p,sje the work for which the famine
was sent. Ahab's first words 10 him
were: Art thou he that iroub.eth
Israei?" lie had no word o say of bis
own sin; he forgot the iniquity Of the
people Of the land, in which he had been
the leader: he cook no note of the hand
of Jehovah in the calamity, and spoke
as If the whole matter had been a mere
personal difference between him and
Elijah. Elijah replied: Il have not
troubled Israel: but thou and thy ia
theirs house." Sin was the cause Of the
calamity, and the only way to escape
the calamity was 10 put away the sin.
Eijah's purpose now was to bring the
people to the choice Of the true God, and
to accomplish the religions reformation
for which the famine had been prepar-
ing their minds. Hence he demanded
of the king to assemble the people ON
the top of Mount Carmel, that they
might make their choice, When they
were assembled, early in the morning,
Elijah summoned the people 10 de-
cision. How long halt We between two
opiplons?'
The question was between Jehovah
and Baal; true religion and false re-
ligion; morality, truth, blessing and
immortality and its brood of evils. The
one party was represented by one man
alone-Eijah; the other by $50 prophets
of Baal, sustained by the whole power
of government.
Elijah challenged the other side to a
fair test, as TO who was the true and liv-
ing God. It was the test of fire. The
priests of Baal built an altar, placed the
sacrifcial bullock upon it, and put no
eyes upon them for any trickery, and
not knowing what kind of test was 10
be expected, they had no opportunity
TO prepare for any deceit. They grew
frenzied in their excitement, and cut
themselves with their weapons. But
there was no answer, though they con-
tinued their exertions tin three o'clock.
II. Elijah and His Sacrifce.-Vs. 30
3s. Then Elijah called all the people to
of the Lord that was brol+en down"
probably one of the affairs thrown down
by command of Ahab or Jesebel.
80. "As great as would contain two
measures Of seed" Literally, "as the
space of two seahs of seed" The seah
contained about three of our gallons.
A trench as deep as the grain measure
containing two seahs.
49, Fill four barrels:" Or water
Jars" such as the maidens used 10 carry
on their heads. Elijah did this to avoid
al possible suspicion Of frand, This
was repeated a second and a third time.
Sc. An the time of the evening
sacrifice:" About three o'clock p. NJ,
Elijahs wonder harmonized with the
regular worship of God. Lord God of
Abraham" ETC.: IsraeFs covenant God,
who claimed their obedience, and who
had done wonders t, r nation in
the rae,. delivering them from Egyp-
tan bondage, dividing the Red sea,
bringing water from the rock and man
ma from Heaven. known that
Cd - 4 ~ -.
rightful God, and canst deliver them as
of old. "All these things at thy word"
All was Gods doing, not any trick of
Elijal4
So. 1.-The fire of the Lord fell:" Thus
they could plainly see for themselves
that there was no trickery, no hidden
fire, but that the answer could be only
from God Himself. And consumed
the wood, and the stones:" OF
which the altar was built. And the
dust" Tor eartl). which, dug up to make
the trench, had been used to fill in the
altar built around with the u stones.
This fire and its work were Gods sig
nature to Elijah's work.
III. The Decision.-Ns. 80, 40. 3d.
when all the people saw il, they fell
on their faces" In reverent worship
and awe at the spectacle. The Lord,
lie is God:" The test was convincing.
1t helped the people 10 stand up against
the power of Jezebel and her terrible
prosecutions. For here, on Gods side,
was a power greater than hers. 1t thus
enabled the 1000 sincere worshipers Of
God (19:1s), who had been hiding from
the storm of her wrath. to stand openly
for Jehovah.
40. Take the prophets Of Baal," etc
There were 450 of them, and they were
forced by the people down the mountain
10 the brook Kishon, and slain there.
~. The Prayer Upon the Mountnin
Top.-While Ahab went 10 eat instead
Of fasting and praying for his sins,
Elijah went up TO the top OF Carmel,