Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-07-06
international gesson5.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON 10, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY II.
Text OF the Lesson, I Kings xviii, 30-39.
Memory Verses, 36-39-Golden Text, I
Kings xviii, 80 - Commentary by the
Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.

Memory Verses, 3G-30-Golden Text,
Kings xviii, 80 - Commentary by the
Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
Copyright. 1898. by D. M. Stearns.]
80. "And Elijah said unto all the peo-
pie, Come near unto mo. And all the peo-
pie came near unto him. And he repaired
the altar of the Lord that was broken
down." In the third year Elijah is told
to 90 and show himself to Ahab and that
the Lord will send rain. He is as usual
obedient, and starts to seek Ahab but OH
the way he meets Obadiah, servant Of
Ahab, and commissions him to 60 and say
to his master, Behold, Elijah is here!'
Obadiah informs him that he has been
searched for everywhere, and that king
doms and nations had been caused to take
an oath that they could not find him.
How securely hidden are all whom God
hides! How gloriously safe arc all whose
lives are hid with Christ in God! (Col. Ill,
4 81. On being assured that Elijah would
surely show himself to Ahab that day
Obadiah goes to Ahab with the news, and
Ahab starts to meet Elijah. The result OF
the interview is that all Israel, with tho
prophets of Baal and Of the groves, are
summoned to meet Elijah at Carmel. They
are to provide two bullocks, and the proph-
cts of Baal (450) will take one and Elijah
the other and prepare them to be con-
sumed by the fire that shall come from the
true God, whether Baal or Jehovah, and
the God that sends tho fire, is to be &C.
knowledged as the true God.
Eliinb took ctOpnc accord
ing to the number of the tribes of the sons
of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord
came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. "
I 1t was when Jacob was made helpless by
having his thigh put out of joint that he
clung in conscious weakness and obtained
the blessing and the new name of Israel.
His descendants were chosen that through
them and their helplessness God might
make Himself name for the benefit of all
nations QI Sam. vii, 90; lisa. xiii, 12, 14).
In their deliverance from Egypt, life in
the wilderness, crossing the Red sea and
the Jordan, it is the Lord alone who is
seen working SO marvelously in spite of
their unworthiness.
4 32. "And with the stones he built an
altar in the name of the Lord, and he
made trench about the altar, rs great as
would contain two measures of seed. "
Elijah had but one motive-the glory of
God-and but one ain-to make Him a
name. He knew and believed that he
stood before God, and he cared nothing for
the opinions of Ahab or all his people If
only God was glorified. With great calm
ness therefore and quiet confidence we may
imagine him building this altar in the
name of the Lord. See what wonders
might be wrought through us if only we
were willing to live in the name of tho
Lord (John xiv, 13, IA; xv, 16; xvi, %,
24.
33. "And he put the wood in order and
cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on
tho wood and said, Fill four barrels with
water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice
and on the wood" This would entirely
destroy any possibility of deception as to
the source of the fire that was expected.
!, The wood is suggestive of tho cross and
{ the bullock Of the burnt Offering Of Lev.
and of Him who is the only true Offering,
the antitype of all sacrifice, with the tax
ing of whose life human hands had really
naught to do except as God permitted.
"a, 35. "And the water ran round about
the altar, and he filled the trench also with
water" The second and third time was
tho sacrifice and altar delugcd with water,
until even the trench was filed How
amazed the prophets of Baal must have
been to see such strange preparations! Did
you ever try to kindle fire with wet
wood9 If not, you can hardly appreciate
this situation. 1t is only when things are,
humanity speaking, impossible that God
really has opportunity to show Himself.
When Moses thought that the deliveranee
of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh was a
!, hopeless task, then God said, "Now shalt
thou SEQ what l will do" (Ex. vi, y.
50. Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and
of Israel, let 1t he known this day that
Thou art God in Israel and that am Thy
servant, and that 1 have done all these
things at Thy word. " Having made all
these preparations and the time of the
evening sacrifice having come, the servant
of the Lord calmly looks up to heaven and
talks confidently with his God. He says
that he has done everything as God had
told him. So the arrangement about the
water was no thought of Elijah S, but n
command of God. Now he asks that God
will accept and seal it all as His, that His
great name may be known. 1t is only
when We are walking with Him, self sub
dued and fully agreed with Him about cv-
erything, that wo can expect to see His
name magniticd.
81. "Hear me, o Lord, hear me, that
this people may know that Thou art the
Lord God and that Thou hast turned their
heart back again" All has boon done
that the people may know that Jehovah is
tho true God. This was the great aim OF
all Gods dealings with Israel, that all
people of the earth might know tho hand
of the Lord (Joshua iv, 24). Can wo say
that, rs far as VIC know, wo arc living day
by day simply that the hand of God may
be seen upon US to His glory? Is it our
ono aim that, regardless of what it may
cost us or of how or where He may lead
US, we want above all things the life OF
Jesus mads manifest in US? III Cor. iv, II. J
3S. "Thon the fire of the Lord fell and
consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the
wood, and the stones, and the dust, and
licked up the water that was in the
trench" Was there ever fire like that?
! All, Lord God, there is nothing too hard
for Thee Water and even stones arc as
easily consumed by Thy fire rs wood or
flesh. How quickly the answer came, and
on Elijah's part there was no striving or
wrestling, but a calm and holy confidence.
Thus the fire came at the dedication of