The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-08-06
Third Quarter. Lesson VI. Kings XVII,
1-I8 August z, 1904.
God Taking Care of Elijah.

The camel of idolatry first got his
head into the tent of Israel, and ther
in the shortest time possible he was al
In. hump hoof, and tail. At first there
was mo notion of supplanting the
worship of Jehovah. The golden calves
were only set up as substitutes foi
the awe-inspiring furniture of the tenn
pie to which for political reasons the
people were no longer to resort
'These represent thy God" was the
language in which they were dedi-
Gated. They broke the second COM
mandment in an effort to keep the first
making a craven image to remind
them that they must have no other
God but Jehovah. Thus idolatry be-
gan Sin the mildest form possi-.e
But 1t was a start on a down grade
Velocity. augmented. A few decades,
and the whole kingdom landed in total
apostasys Priests of God were In exile
and HIS prophets shut in caves. Under
patronage of Jezebel, her ancestral
worship was made the State religion.
The cruel and lascivious worship OF
Baal and Astarte were substituted for
the pure and elevating theism of the
old Covenant. On the very spot where
Abraham had worshipped the invisible
and Holy One, were now affairs for hui
man sacrifice and groves for the god
0cSS Ol 1--WE sum hiStdSb "S s'iiS
needed heroic treatment. The case
brookedt no delay. Elijah was ply
sician after the Lords own heart He
was not lacking in nerve or skill He
consulted with the Lord only.
The accepted idea of prophet is too
mechanical We have been accus-
toned to imagine one called to this
office as SO possessed by the Divine
Spirit that his personal will and judg-
I'D j..
is moved like an automaton, A verse
in ST. James's epistle turns a strong
light upon the prophetic office. and
corrects our misrepresentation. Eli
Jah was a man of like nature as we
are" In and out of his special funct-
ion, he was a perfectly normal charac-
ter. Over in Tishbe of Gilead he con-
templated the disgrace and impending
ruin of his country His heart was
stirred with patriotic feeling, as
our are by events now now
transpiring Do not take Elijah out
of the category of perfectly normal
human life. St James says his feel-
ings and emotions were just such as
ours would be under similar circum-
stances. In his distress he communed
with God. Is the evil remediless? Can
not the people be chastened? VIII not
drought and famine bring them to re-
pentance? He believes so, He prays
that 1t may not rain. Can he aspire
to be Jehovah's ambassador to the
Court of Ahabs? SO he places
himself unreservedly at the dis
posal of. the Almighty. So, of his
own will, with use of his own judg
ment. in normal manner he becomes
Iraers reformer. Some scholars
have been annoyed at the abruptness
of Elijah's appearance in the nara
tive. The Jerusalem Talmud fills IN
the apparent hiatus with an imaginary
conversation between Elijah and Ahab.
1t is gratuitous Abruptness is in APP
pearance only. From st. James we
know how a season of prayer pre-
pared the prophet for his mission. The
people would recognize him as Jeho-
vah's messenger. Conscience would
tell them why the scourage was sent.
Next this portrait of the prophet
hangs that of the widow of Zarcphath.
Plague of famine has fallen upon her
She is gathering fuel TO bake the last
cake. a footstep. She looks up. a