The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-08-26
TNE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL
Lesson In the International Series
for August %, 1eo4-"Elijah
Discouraged"
prepared by the Highway and BY
way" Preacher.)
fConyrf0hf 1on1 hv I NJ Edsonl

tCopyrght, 1904, by j. M. Edson.D
LESSON TEXT.
q Kings 1s:1-s: Memory Verses. g. -
j. And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah |
had done. and withal how he had slain /
all the prophets with the sword
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto /
Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, |
and more also. IL / make not thy life as |
the life OF one Of them by tomorrow about |
this time
.. And when he saw that. he arose. and |
went for his life and came TO Beer-sheba, /
which belongeth to Judah. and left his
servant there
4. But he himself went q days Journey |
into the wilderness. and came and sat down |
under juniper tree: and he requested
for himself that he might die: and said, |
IL is enough: now. o Lord. take away my |
life; for am not better than my fathers.
s. And as he lay and slept under Juniper |
tree, behold. then an angel touched him. |
and said unto him Arise and eat.
8. And he looked. and. behold. there was |
a cake baken on the Goals. and cruise Of
water at his head. And he did cat and
drink. and laid him down again.
Z. And the angel OF the Lord came again
the second time. and touched him. and
said, Arise and eat. because the journey is
too great for thee.
s. And he rose and did eat and drink,
and went in the strength of that meat 40
days and 10 nights unto Horeb the mount
of God.
THE LESSON includes only the lesson
GOLDEN TExr.-"In my distress 1 cried
unto the Lord. and He heard me-"-Ps.
I20:L
TIME.-The day after the contest on
Mount Carmel
PLAcE.-JezreeI. and the wilderness to
the south
Comparing Scripture with Scripture.
From Faiths Mountaintop to Unbe-
lief's Wilderness.-James5 5:17 tells us
that Elijah was q man of like passions
with u.s." and 1t is only as we remember
this that we can realize that the fleeing
prophet is the same prophet who "a
hours before had stood upon Mount
Carmel calling down the fire OF God.
God forbid that We should sit in judg-
ment upon this heroic. brave. faithful
servant Of God. Rom. Al. But in
humility and faith we may learn some
lessons from his failure and thereby
strengthen ourselves against like de-
feat. / Cor. 10:11-l2. The causes Of
Elijah's flight were:
O Physical reaction The Journey
Mount Carmel caused ply ysical and nerv-
Gus exhaustion, which was followed by
great weakness and depression. The
place for Elijah was not at Jezreel but
alone somewhere with God where he
could receive spiritual and physical re-
viving. The place for the servant OF
God always. after q service has been
splendidly rendered, In apart from the
busy throng and alone with Jesus. Eli
jah's first misstep was that run to
Jezreel. Having done all he should have
stood and left results with God.
CD Elijah overestimated the effect of
Mount Carmel's revival. He went step
| farther than God led him and figured on
results. and when expectations failed.
encouragement came. Elijah went to
Jezreel in great elation Of spirit expect
| ing that the mighty manifestation OF
God on Mount Carmel. and the food OF
waters, would turn the most hardened
sinner to God; perhaps he even looked
| for the conversion of Jezebef herself
| The servant Of God who figures on re-
suits. who estimates the probable fruit
age. is inviting just such failure as came
to Elijah. God gives the increase" 1t
| is our business to SOW the seed. preach
| the word, and leave results with God.
ii Cor. 1888.
go Elijah took his eyes of God. He
saw Jezebel and her vain threat v. 2;
he saw himself as the only one left who
knew and served God, and he saw the
glaring faults of others. VS.. 10. IA. And
so he had no eyes to see God. The man
who takes his eyes OF God is defeated
n. n.
ten spies saw the giants and not God,
Mum. 13: 33, but Joshua and Caleb looked
beyond the difficulties to God. Mum. IA: g.
| (4) The Ego instead of God. Elijah
had much to say about MY zeal. MY de-
votion. MY life and the failings and sins
of others. When self becomes the CEN
ter OF thought. when self is lauded and
others condemned; when self appears
indispensable to God. then comes the
flight of encouragement. the juniper
tree, and the desire to forsake the task.
even by death.
Elijah's Foolish Prayer.-He wanted
| to die, when the chariot and horses OF
Heaven were preparing to translate him.
II was the prayer of petulancy, of dis
| couragement, Of unbelief. Contrast the
prayer uttered In the Spirit on Mount
| Carmel with its answering fire and
| abundance OF rain. and this prayer un-
| der the juniper tree. Rom. 1925. God
did not hear this prayer of Elijah. John
5:14-15. And how many OF our prayers
| fall short OF the Divine ear for the same
| reason.
Gods Tender Care.-He gave His
| weary, frightened, discouraged, run
| away prophet sleep. V.5. Ps. 1872. He
| sent His angel to minister to him. Heb
liza. He watched over him and sent
| His angel a second time. Ps. 121:3-7
No word of rebuke. No sign Of displeas-
urs. No threat or condemnation; but
| patient waiting. loving. tender watchful
| care. All, how the Fathers love is mani
| Tested. God loved and cared for disobedi-
ent. unbelieving. runaway Elijah, and SO
He cares for and loves you and me when
We fall into sin.-Ps. 103: 13: s6:15.
THE GOLDEN TEXT.
"In my distress / cried unto the Lord
| and He heard me-" A listening God.
He hears the sinners cry for mercy.
He hears the cry of distress of His
| children. He hears the song as it
bursts from the cleansed heart OF the
sinner and the delivered soul of the
saint. But, oh. how often God listens
In vain. The sinner is dumb In his
sin. The saint is forgetful and indif-
ferent. When blessings sunshine In
athwart his pathway he forgets to lift
his song OF praise. and when the
storms Of life rage about him he In
silent in rebellious unbelief.
Averted q Strike.
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