The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-08-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 81.



3s--Cominentary ON the bays Lesson.
I. Elijah's sacrifice prepared Tvs. SO-35).
30. Come near" He will have them eve
witnesses of all he does, and witnesses to
what God will do. Jesus did nothing in
corner, so neither the servants of God
need do anything in secret REPAIRED the
altar. Built in 1sraels earlier and hap.
pier days, but thrown down by Jezebel
This k.iiJah restored and consecrated anew.
a hint to builders OF SAN tuaries. A type
OF the certain restoration of tn. true and
the downfall of the false. 81. Twelve
STONES. 1hls was an act showing that
the twelve tribes were ready one people
and had one God in common: So Gods
true church is one. Israel thy
walls, with God. There are two records OF
the bestowal of this name on Jacob See
Gen. 32: %; 35: 2.lO.
32 In the name,' etc. BY the author.
ity and. for the glory OF jehovah "A
trench" To catch the water poured over
this solemn object lesson. Measures OF
seed: The seah is estimated as contain.
ing from one and half to three gallons.
| There Is difference of opinion as to the
size of the trench There would be no
necessity for large trench, and it is
hardly probable that it was as deep as the
measure that held three gallons, as some
seem to think. Terry is probably nearer
correct in supposing the whole trench
held three gallons
3S. "Wood in order" He obeyed all the
inlunctions of the law with respect to the
Offering of burnt sacrifice Uev. /: 6-s).
| He thus publicly taught that the ordi.
nances of the law were binding upon the
Kingdom of Israel. Barrels" Common
jars still used in the East for carrying wa
sniscs sef, containing from s three to FIVE gallon,
time" To prevent any kind of suspicion
that there was fire concealed under the
shaded by noble old tree, is large, nat
ural cstern of sweet water, which the
people say is never exhausted. Terry and
others think it more likely that the water
was brought from the brook Kishon,
where - Elijah slew the false prophets.
II. Fire. from heaven Tvs. 36-3s). 80
"At the time" About o'clock p. m. The
prophet waited for the usual hour for the
evening sacrifice, thus directing the minds
OF the people to the worship of Jehovah.
'.The. prophet" But here he performed
the duties of the priest. While the priest
could could not OF right be prophet, the pro-
mission and his higher function, act as a
priest: Game near" He expected an an.
swer by fire, yet came near to the altar
with boldness, and feared not that fire.
abraham, Isaac" Words first used by
God at the burning bush, when He re.
vvealeed Himself in flaming fire (Exod 8:
The honor OF God is his ruling passion, the
source and end OF all his zeal Thy ser.
want" That he, Elijah was not their en-.
emy, as Ahab had announced him to be,
but Jehovah's servant. "At thy word"
That his words and works were not OF
himself, but of God.
81. Turned their heart back again"
The end of a controversy is never the
mere establishment of truth, but the con.
version of the people. Stern and relent.
less as Elijah had been, his heart was full
OF Gods yearning tenderness, and he
longed for their salvation. We are some.
times called to preach bitter things, but
the end of our ministry should be conver.
sion. not condemnation. 80. Fire, fell"
1t did not burst out from the altar. This
might still, Notwithstanding the water,
have offered some ground for suspicion
that fire had been concealed, after the
manner of the heathen, under the altar.
Fire converted apostate Israel. The Holy
Ghost converted many in the apostles
day. That same fire, invisible to immortal
eyes, works as remarkably to-day. Con
sumed." The process is remarkable. /.
The fire came down from heaven. 2. The
pieces of sacrifice were first consumed. 3.
The wood next, to show that it was not
by the wood that the flesh was burnt. 4.
Twelve stones were consumed, to show it
was no common fire, but one whose agen.
cy nothing could resist. 8. The dust, the
earth of which the altar was constructed,
was burnt 6. The water in the trench was,
by the action of the fire, entirely evapo.
rated. z. The action of this fire was in
every case downward, contrary to the ma.
ture of all earthly and material fire.
Moses altar and Soomon's were conse-
Grated by the fire from heaven; this was
destroyed.
~. M
40).
80. "Fell on their faces" In reverent
worship and awe at the divine manifesto.
ton, they fell on their faces and with one
voice declared, Jehovah, He is God" The
test was convincing and would help the
people to stand against Jezebel and her
Baal" There were 45o Of Of them. It ap.
pears that the 400 prophets of Asherah
1.-THE grovel were not present. Brook
Kishon." This brook flows along the very
base of Carmel on the side towards the
sea. Here Sisera was overthrown by Ba.
rak ,lJudg. A; y. Slew them" We can
them to death. He is only said to do that
which he caused the people to do. The
priests of Baal hardened their hearts, per.
sisted in their rebellion, refused submis.
sion and were destroyed.
~, Ehjah's prayer and the answer Tvs.
N-48).
Al. EAT and drink" During the ex.
citing scenes of the day there had been no
time or inclination to partake of food. |
Abundance of rain" Faith in God was
the foundation for this positive declara.
tion from the prophet. AZ. Both Ahab |
and Elijah returned to the top of Carmel, |
the one to eat and the other to pray. The !
prophet withdrew himself from the pres.
ence OF the King and cast himself down |
upon the earth before the Lord. See |
james 8: II. 43. Said to his servant"
Tradition tells us that this servant was
the widows son whom he had raised from
the dead (chapter II: 23). Elijah told his
servant to look towards the sea, for from
that direction the storm would come. The
servant looked and said, There is moth.
ing" Then Elijah said, GO again seven
times" A. At last, at the seventh time,
he reported a cloud like mans hand. I'm
mediately the prophet sent to Ahab to
hasten home lest the rain stop him. As.
"Ahab went to Jezreel" Jez-
reel became one OF the most famous of the
royal residences. 1t did not supersede
Samaria, but here Ahab built palace |
(chapter 81: u, and it was his summer
home. 40. Ran before Ahab." The spirit
of the Lord was on Elijah and he was Civ. |
en- supernatural strength.