The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-07-15
ELIJAH ON CARMEL.
Sun day school Lesson in the Inter-
national Series for July IL,
1s0S-1 Kings 1s.30-4O.
IBasea upon Peloubet's seIeet N0tes.I

PIE saw II, tney IeH on thelr races anu
they said. the Lord, He is the God; the
Lord, He is the God.-1 Kings 1888.
THE SECTION includes the story of the
sacrifice on Carmel and the results. re-
pentant people. and the end of the famine
(chap. 49,.
TIME.-B. C. 1854. revised chronology,
or $685. according to the chronology in
our Bible margins. Three years after Eli
.jah's first appearance to Ahab
EXPLANATION.
/. Elijah and Ahab.-When the peo-
pie were ripe for it, Gods word came to
Elijah to go TO King Ahab, and,to com
plste the work for which the famine
was sent. Ahab's first words 10 him
were: cart thou he that troubleth
Israeli" He had no word to say of his
own sin; he forgot the iniquity of the
people of the land, in which be had been
the leader; he took no note of the hand
of Jehovah in the calamity, and spoke
as if the whole matter had been 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 to put away the sin.
Elijah's purpose now was to bring the
people to the choice Of the true God, and
to accomplish the religious 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 to de-
cision. How long halt ye between two
opipions?"
The question was between Jehovah
and Bdal; true religion and false re-
ligicn; morality, truth, blessing and
immortality and its brood of evils. The
one party was represented by one man
alone-Elijah; the other by $50 prophets
of Baal, sustained by the whole power
of government.
Elijah challenged the other side to
fair test, as to who was the true and liy-
ing God It was the test of fire. The
priests of Baal built analtar, placed the
sacrifcial bullock upon it, and put no
fire under it, There were too many
eyes upon them for any trickery, and
not knowing what kind of test was to
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 till three o'clock.
II. Elijah and His Sacrifce.-Vs. 30
m 1lo1 al fha no rs11Ho 70
him. 30. "And he repaired the altar
of the Lord that was broken 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.
80. Fill four barrels:" Or "water
jars, such as the maidens used to carry
on their heads. Elijah did this to avoid
all possible suspicion of fraud. This
was repeated a second and third time.
SO. SAT the time of the evening
sacrifce:" About three o'clock p. M,
Elijah's wonder harmonized with the
regular worship of God. Lord God Of
Abraham, etc.: IsraeI's covenant God,
who claimed their obedience, and who
had done wonders for their nation in
the past, delivering them from Egyp-
tian bondage, dividing the Red sea,
bringing water from THE rock, and man
ma from Heaven. "Known that
thou art God in Israeli" Art still their
rightful God, and canst deliver them as
of old. "All these things at thy word"
All was Gods doing, not any trick of
Elijah.
50. "The fire of the Lord feal:" 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. Sand the
dust" Cor earth), which, dug up to make
the trench, had been used to fill in the
altar built around with the IL stones.
This fire and its work were Gods sig
nature to Elijah's work.
III. The Decision.-Vs. 80, 40. &c..
when dill Tie pe0PlS saw II, uncy 4S4
on their faces:" In reverent worship
and awe at the spectacle. "The Lord,
He is God:" The test was convincing.
1t helped the people to 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 (1o.19N who had hann, HIDING from
the storm of her wrath, to stand openly
for Jehovah.
40. Take the prophets of Baal," etc.
There were $50 of them, and they were
forced by the people down the mountain
to the brook Kishon, and slain there.
Nv. The Prayer Upon the Mountain
Top.-While A.hab went TO eat instead
of fasting and praying for his sins,
Elijah went up to the top of Carmel.
xx-h Gro the rna WAS snread ont before