The Tupelo journal., 1904-08-12

Lesson in the International Series
for August IA, 19O4-sOba-
diah and Elijah"
prepared by the Highway and By
way" Preacher.)
Copyright, 1904, by J. NJ. Edson.)
LESSON TEXT.

l. ~ SAtt W IT'S
Ahab. And there was a sore famine in
Samaria. - @
3. And Ah.b called Obadiah. which was
the governor of his house. (Now obadiah
feared the Lord greatly:
4. For it was SO, when yezebel cut of
the prophets of the Lord. that Obadiah took
an hundred prophets. and hid them by
fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water.l RI e
5. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into
the land, unto all fountains of water, and
unto all brooks: perad venture we may mo
grass to save the horses and the mules
alive, that We lose not all the beasts,
6. So they divided the land between them
to pass throughout il; Ahab Went one way
by himself, and Obadiah Went another way
by himself.
:. And as OBADIAH was in the way, pc
hold, Elijah met him: and he knew him.
and fell on his face, and said. Art thou that
my lore Elijah? -.
$. And he answered kim. 1 am: go tell
thy lord, Behold. Elijah is here.
3. And he said, What, havel sinAea, lhat
thou wouldst deliver thy servant into the
hands Of Ahab, to Stay me?
10. AS the Lord thy God ityeth, there 10
no nation or kingdom. whittier my ioro
hath not sent to seek thee: ana wren they
said. He is not there: he took an oa'n
OF the kingdom ana nation, thai they 1ound
thee not. F.FRF.f t&Efe5E@
II. And now thou sayest. Go. tel. Thy lord.
Behold, Elijah is here.
l.. And il shall Gene 10 pass. as soon as
l am gone from tkee. that tie spirit OF 'ne
Lord shall carry thee whittier | Know NOT
ard so when l come and tea Ahap, aNu ie
cannot find thee. he shall! say me; put
| thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.
Is. Was it not told my lord what l did
when Jezebel slew the prophets Of the
Lord. how | hid an hundred men OF the
| lords prophets by fifty ina cave, ana leo
them with bread and water?
IA. And now thou sayest, Go. tell thy 4oro,
Behold, Elijah is here: ana ne sha4i STAY
IL. And Elijah said. AS the Lord Of hosts
liveth. before whom | stand. / VIII surrey
| shew myself unto him to-day =,
Is. So Obadiah went 20 meet Atab. and
told him: and Ahab went 70 meet EliJah.
THE LESSON inciuues the three verses
following the lesson text; Whlch give ~
the account OF the prophets interview with
.Ahab. There is TO parallel in Chronicles.
GOLDEN TENT thy servant fear
the Lord from my youth."| kings Iol2.
TIME-About three and one-Ealf years
after the first appearance OF E!ijah 10
Ahab. ~
PLACE.-Probabiy rot far from Mount
Carmel. in the country northwest OIL Jez-
| reel.
Comparing Scripture with scripture.
The Prophets Return: Note that:
~ It was timed by Cod; after many
| days'-God always acts in the fullness
of time Gal. "A; Eph. l:1O. etc. 1t
was not for Elijah to kno" until God
| spoke. Remember Jesus rebuke, Acts
II.
az 1t was ordered by God. When
God said 60" it vas safe for Elijah to
| return. The place of peace and safety is
with God.-Ps. 31:15.
90 1t meant blessing. God in the
person of His servant Elijah was to re-
| turn to the land. Gods withdrawal
| meant drought. Gods return was to
bring rain. God sends blessings when
| conditions permit. Ps. S6:5. Is. Il will
| send rain upon the earth. We talk NIP
| PANTY of the weather the weather-fore-
| caster gives us. and forget that nature
is under Gods control. and that lie
| sends the sunshine and the rainier.
14:22; Ps. 147:S.
ca Elijah found conditions changed.
| Ahab had been searching for the prophet
| with murder in his heart ", 100; now he
is seeking p%asturages with anxious
dread Tvs. 5. g.. The famine had
reached to the kings gate ". p. o
| the prophets words when predicting the
| drought must have burned into his soul.
How the consciousness OF God must
have been forced upon him. The long
and terrible drought had subdued the
willful spirit Of king and people. 1t
had gained for God a clearinghouse
Sis; Ps. 1884; 107:39. ~r .st
Meeting with Obadian.-Obadiah was
a Cody man (v. 81 in a Goddess house
hold, a man who served sod i'll secret.
How the wicked turn to the righteous
IN time of trouble. Obadiah went out
seeking a spring OF water. and he found
the one whose prayer would bring album
dance of rain. John 7:37-39.) Oba-
diah's faithfulness won for him the
honor OF the first meeting with Elijah.
Rut he was terrified at Elijah's com
mand. Like many Christians to-day,
the fear of man was upon him, and he
forgot that the God who sent him would
care for him.
Meeting with Ahab.-Elijah sent for
the king. The prophet Wen to meet the
G%od-fearing Obadiah, but he summons
the wicked Ahab to come to him. Here
is a suggestion of the dignity and males
ty and power of God which will some day
he manifested as he summons before
His throne those who now wickedly and
rebelliously disdain Him. Matt. 25:32;
Rom 14.1O-12. Note the two views of
the situation. Ahab in hardness of
heart and blind unbelief charges the
prophet with troubling Israel. Eek.
1872; lisa. 60; Matt. 1874. And even
Jesus disciples are sometimes troubled
with blindness. Mark G:52. But the
prophet puts the blame where it belongs.
All, how often the deceitful and wicked
heart Ger. 17:9) charges God with
trouble and misfortune, when the fault
lies at the door of ones sinful self.
THE GOLDEN TEXT.
81 thy servant fear the Lord from my
youth" % A tribute to Cody parents.
Eye fathers (parents) bring up
YOUR children in the nurture and ad-
monition of the Lord" What a re-
sponsibility is that Of p%arenthood. (2)
An argument for early conversion.
Youth is the souls spring time for
the sowing of seeds of righteousness.
Suffer little children and forbid them
not to come unto Me for of such is the
kingdom of Heaven 90 A testimony
to effect of early piety. Train up a
child in the way he should go, and