The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-08-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 7.

srs9ect: God Taking Care Of Elijab.
Kings, xviii, 1-16-Golden Text, PET.
", 7--Memory Verses, is, 14-com-
mentary the Days Lesson.
4 I. Elijah and his message N. y. /:
Elijah This prophet comes suddenly
phets seem to have had their origin in
SamuePs day. and were founded in vari-
GUS parts of the land and in connection
with them Elijah appears. !. His name
means My God is Jehovah. 2. He was
born at Thisbe, in the tribe Of Naphtali,
and was therefore called the Tishbite. 3.
Tradition tells US that in appearance he
was man Of short statue and rugged
4 c0untenance. "Of Gilead" The only
Thisbe mentioned in history in Gallee,
hence we conclude that although native
| Of the tribe of Naphtali in Galilee. he had
dan. Unto Ahab.o Probably in the PAL
ace in Samaria. What courage and faith
this must have takeni Az the Lord
hveth. As Jehovah liveth.
Elijah begins by giving the authority for
! tain it viii be that the prediction / am
about to make will take place. u stand,
As servant or ambassador. Elijah was
| accountable directly to God. Dew nor
\ rain: terrible threat for country am
\ nually parched by six months drought,
and only saved from utter baFrenness By
the early rains of autumn These years.
from Luke 4: 25 and James 5: II, we.
learn that the famine lasted three and
half years. From ] Kings Is: we learn
that the famine ended in the third year,
winch means, perhaps, the third year Of
Ehjah's stay in Zarephath" NY word
That is, as the Lord should proclaim His
will through Elijah The famine was the
| necessary preparation for Elijah's reform.
1t was direct attack upon Baal, who was
regarded as the god of all natural forces,
and the test would show his impotency.
IL Elijah fed by ravens Tvs ~. 2.
| Game How, we know not Gods OBJ
Ject was to protect Elijah from the rage
Of Ahab and Jezebel g. Leave Samaria
and withdrew from the haunts Of men,
Hide thyself-" For the king that sent to
every, land to find him Il Kings is: l0)
would take every possible means to com
pei him to speak the word Of power that
would bring rain. When God intended to-
| send rain He babe Elijah to show himself
to Ahab (chapter is: u Brook Cherith,"
| A torrent bed, deep ravine, down which
N rainy times strong stream flowed The
situation Of Cherith has not been identi-
fed, 1t is probable that Cherith was east
Of the. Jordan. Eusebius and Jerome
place. it there. 4 Commanded the RAJ
vens. This plain, positive statement de<
hes all attempts to explain the facts stat
ca 10 verse SIX on rational or natural prin-
ciples.
| 5. did according He took the word
Of the Lord in the hand Of faith, as the
staff of his pilgrimage, and journeyed for
ward; and, whenever he grew weary. he
leaned upon his staff, and his strength
revived; and when danger threatened him
by the way, IN view of this staff he was
not afraid 6 Ravens brought him. The
bringing to Elijah Of suitable food was
evidently miraculous. Bread and Aesh.''
Ravens feed on insects and carrion them
selves, yet they brought the prophet
man meat and wholesome food As this
was the food appointed by the Lord for
the prophet, we may conjecture that it
was the food Of the people. Z. After a
while, Probably about year Brook
dried up, II this stream had not dried
up crowds Of people would have been
brought thither for water, and thus his
retreat would have been discovered
.'zarephath. The Sarepta of Luke 4: 26.
1t was city Of Zidon in the dominions
OF Ethbaal, Jezebels father Tt was very
much as If one flying from lion was d.
rected to seek refuge in hons den "A
widow woman The condition of the
widows IN the East is helpless in the ex-
treme, so that to receive support, from
such source would be another trial to-
Elijah's faith. 1t was like leaning his
weight on support as frail as a spiders
web.
10. "He arose. His course was not to
reason and to. speculate, but to hear and
obey Gate The abject poverty of the
pick up chance bits of wood which might
have fallen from the trees outside the
city walls. The widow" A widow R.
" II was the" widow whom God had
commanded, but Elijah at first saw only
"a, q widow TdG not then knowing this was the
ter. Ills first need after his long Jour
ney through famine stricken Israel would
be water. The gift Of witer to the thirstI
is always regarded as sacred duty in thu
East, Then, too, as Guthrie says, this
test would let Elijah know whether he hat
found the one to whom he had been sent
II. AS she was going" She readh
went at the first word. She objected mo-
at the present scarcity, nor asked what ht
would give for a draught, nor limited b,
was a stranger, but left gathering stick.
sci Of bread" No doubt the prophet wal
sadly in need Of it; doubtless, too, be wa
listening for divine directions. IL 9TH
God liveth." She recognized Elijah as
worshiper of Jehovah, and her words id
d lIa,s g. reverence ns Ts for God and som
smallest kind Of bread. A fiat, oval oak
Of unleavened dough about ten inches
diameter. Meal Wheat. ground in
hand mill. Barrel An earthen ia.
"Oil" Olive oil. To eat with bread
we do butter. Cruise" A flask for
guilds. Two sticks" As among the CO
mans at this day @two was then equiv
lent to few. Eat it, and die TIE
famine prevailed there, and she was in tie
last extremity.
ID. Fear not" Have no fears abdt
the future; trust God First This us
q test of her faith in God, and would shSv
whether she was worthy of the help r.
9ah offered. It was necessary in ordero
make the provision for her wants a RI
blessing. Here is faith manifested
this poor heather woman such as was ft
found in Israel. Jesus found simik
faith il woman Of this same land (MltA
Is: 28). IA. Barrel = ~ not waite
etc" A special miracle hut Gods cSn
mon way Of providing for mans commo
wants is wonder daily repeated III
teeming earth is like one vast granaf
which God keeps ever full. Until ID
day It is supposed that he was in far
phath about two and half years.
Went and did The increase OF iii
widows faith was as great miracle
the kingdom Of grace as the increase
her oil in the kingdom OF providence
l6. Wasted not !" Here was an exhR
ton of that same divine power that in Il
person Of Jesus multiplied the loaves al
6shes.