Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-08-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST Ia.

xviii, 12-MenOry Verses, 3, 6-Com'
mentary on the Days Lesson.
T Elijah goes to meet Ahab Tvs. !, y
/. Many days" The waiting time must
have seemed long to Elijah. The thrd
wear" 1t is supposed that he dwelt by
The Cherith about a year and at Iare
nhatb two years and six months. 1t was
now in the third year since he went to
Zarephath. 60" Elijah made no move
only as he had directions from God. The
time had come when the people were in a
state of mind to receive the benefit God
intended them to receive through the ter
rible calamity that had come upon them.
TJnto Ahab." The King had remained
obdurate and unreformed. Another OPP
portunity was to be given him OF repent
ance, and Elijah wa sent in order to de
clare to him the cause OF the national
Judgment and to promise him, on condr
ton of his removing 1t, the immediate
blessing of rain.
2. elijah went" A marvellous proof
of the natural intrepdity of this prophet
or his moral courage and his unfaterng
confidence in the protecting care OF God,
that he ventured to approach the presence
of the raging lion. "SOre famine" Whlie
it is clear, from chapter II: l2-l4, that the
famine extended beyond the Kingdom Of
Israel, it is still probab. that it was es
pecialy oppressive in Samarla and the
provinces Immediately adjacent. Corn
must have been obtained for the peop.e
from Egypt or the adjoining countries,
| else life could not have been sustained so
long.
II. Ahab and Obadiah searching for
food Tvs. 3-6). 8. obadiah" There are
no less than twelve men by this name re-
ferred to in the Old Testament. The most
conspicuous among them was Obadiah, the
prophet. Governor" He was an Officer
| of high rank and great influence in Ahab >
court. Feared the Lord" 1t Is, indeed,
very remarkable that Obadiah, devout
worshiper of Jehovah, was, allowed to re-
| tain his position when Jezebel was putting
| forth every effort to rid the country OF
| Gods true followers. No doubt it wac
because Obadiah could be trusted lie
was man of integrity and industry-Just
the sort of man that Ahab would wish
TO appoint over his household. 1t is rot
uncommon to find wicked Len and haters
of Christianity employing Christians pre-
ferably to others, simply because 1t Is to
their interest to do so
4. "Cut off the prophets" The story OF
Jezebels slaughter of the prophets Is not
given us, but it is referred to in this les
son and in chapter l9: lO-4. Not salts
| fled in establishing the worship OF Baal,
this wicked woman undertook to eX I,
inmate the prophets of the Lord. Ihls
| persecution she had probably ordered IN
Vengeance because Elijah could not be
found and on suspicion that they were
privy to his concealment. No doubt the
larger number whom Jezebel cut off were
sons of the prophets, those who belonged
to the schools of the prophets, which we
learn from Kings were both numerous
and largely frequented 1t was 100 OF
these men whom Obadiah saved in the
time of persecution. "By fifty" That Is,
he hid them in two caves, fifty IN ,each.
| These were they of whom the world was
not worthy, mentioned in Heb. IL: - as a;
noble exemplars of faith Fed them.
This was done secretly, at his own eX'
pense, and at the risk of losing his posi-
ton and his life, and would, therefore,
be a strong proof that he was true wor.
shipper of Jehovah. 5. ''Go through the
land" Or. W 1t is said to be custom
in the East, when a public calamity
reaches its highest point, for the hlng
himself and his chief minister to go forth
and seek relief. This shows further how
high was the position of Obadiah in the
service and confidence of the King.
III. Elijah meets Obadiah Tvs 7-l6). Z.
"Met him." Deeming it imprudent TO
rush without previous intimation into the
presence of Ahab, the prophet solicited
Obadiah to announce his return to the
King. "Knew him." The prophets garb
would make him easy to recognize, and
he must have been seen more than once
in Samaria. "On his face" To Oba1
diah Elijah was Gods true, Representatives
By his actions Obadiah showed his pr
found respect and love for the proph9 =
"Is it thou" (R. W His language 4 Z
actions are full of emotion and surp1
Is it thou, to find whom every royaf
vice has been exhausted; thou, Elijas 5
broad daylight, right here near thed ,
of Samaria. 8. "Tell thy lord" It }
be news of great interest to the XVI I
9. "Wherein have | sinned' j is \
| Obadiah's fear is very natural .hich
asked to carry message to All seem y
another disappearance of Elijah wrath !
to make untrue, in which case "To Z
of the King would fall uponah dis Z
slay me-" Thus we see how etc. OF =
trusted Ahab. 10. mo pitiapply to !
course, Obadiah's words, oind Israel =
| those countries immediaelNpposed to 2
into which Elijah couh Employs the 4
language of Oriental hy Testament =
quently found in tlt d each nation =
dTook an oath" II Grim and swear
to solemnly and for,al in their terri
that the prophet Jaslnfuence Ahab
tory. This shows surrounding ma.
must have had Ger
tions. - shall carry !
II. "Ths spit N allusion to the
tee" This LAY of ] lijah after he
sudden disap" care to Ahab. Evident.
announced the drElijahs concealment
" Obadiah regasgh divine assistance.
as only possible Lord.", This and the
81 feaaot spoken in boast.
following verseely to disclose to the
ing spirit, buaracter and thus move
prophet his tn from what seemed to
Elijah to SD certain death. The true
him to be mot all perished; there
worshipers still held to the pure re.
were someh. l3. "Was it not told"
ligion of xht seems to be that Elijah
| Obadiah iothing but evil of one who h
could beousehold of Ahab. 10, l6.
was in had disDelled all the appre.
After obadiah and had positively as.
hensio he would show himself to
serted day, Obadiah conveyed the
| AhaNlesSage to the King.
nrotah meets Ahab Tvs. l7-l9). When
I'D Ahab met, the King said: "Are
El5that troubleth Israeli" In this
! tll he really charged Elijah with
az the famine upon the nation. Ahab
| VI to awe him into submission, but
| jonhet boldly told the King that the
/ of the national calamity was trace
10 his own ungodly doings in forsak.
The Lord and establishing Baal wor.