The Tupelo journal., 1904-08-26
THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL

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THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL
Lesson in the international Series
for August 90, 1oo4-"Elijah
Discouraged"
prepared by the Highway and By
way" Preacher.)
Copyright, 1904, by J.. M. Edson.)
LESSON TEXT.
Il Kings 1918; Memory Verses, 8, ~
I. And Ahab told Jezebel all that EliJaf
had done. and withal how he had siair
all the prophets with the sword.
2. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto
Elijah, saying. So let the gods do to me
and more also, If 1 make not thy life al
the life of one of them by tomorrow about
this time.
3. 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 a days journey
into the wilderness, and came and sat down
under a juniper tree: and he requested
for himself that he might die; and said
1t Is enough; now, o Lord. take away my
life; for l am not better than my fathers
S. And as he lay and slept under a juniper
tree, behold, then an angel touched him
and said unto him Arise and eat.
6. And he looked, and. behold, there was
a cake baken on the Goals. and a cruise o.
water at his head. And he did eat ano
drink, and aid him down again.
7. And the angel of the Lord came again
the second time, and touched him. anc
said, Arise and eat; because the journey = Is
too great for thee.
8. And he rose, and did eat and drink
and went in the strength of that meat A
days and 40 nights unto. Horeb the noun
of God.
THE LESSON includes only the lessor
GOLDEN TEXT.-"In my distress criec
unto the Lord, and He heard me.'-Ps
1901.
TIME.-The day after the contest OF
Mount Carmel.
PLACE.-Jezreel, and the wilderness te
the south.
Comparing Scripture with Scripture
From Faiths Mountaintop to Unbe'
lief's Wilderness.-James SIT tells III
that Elijah was man of like passion:
with u.s." and it is only as we remembel
this that we can realize that the fleeing
prophet is the same prophet who ~
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. 2:1. But IL
humility and faith we may learn some
lessons from his failure and thereb,
strengthen ourselves against like de
feat. / Cor. 10: 11-12. The causes Of
Elijah's flight were:
% Physical reaction. The journey
from Zarephath and the events o.
Mount Carmel caused physical and nerv'
GUS exhaustion, which was followed by
great weakness and depression. Tn
place for Elijah was not at Jezreel but
alone somewhere with God where ht
could receive spiritual and physical re-
viving. The place for the servant o.
God always, after a service has e
splendidly rendered, is apart from the
busy throng and alone with Jesus. Eli
jah's first misstep was thai run te
Jezreel. Having done all he should have
stood and left results with God.
(2) Elijah overestimated the effect Of
Mount Carmel's revival. He went a steL
farther than God led him and figured or
esults, and when expectations failed
Encouragement came. Elijah went tc
Jezreel in great citation 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 Jezebel 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" II
is our business to SOW the seed, preach
the word, and leave results with God
L Cor. 1888.
90 Elijah took his eyes off God. He
saw JeZebel and her vain threat v. 2;
he saw himself as the only n 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 off God is defeated
and ready for fight. Prov. 1925. The
ten spies saw the giants and not God,
Mum. 1888, but Joshua and Caleb looked
beyond the difficulties to God, Mum. 14:8
"a 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 ONE the
fight 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 oil
Heaven were preparing to translate him.
It was the prayer of petulancy, Of dis
couragement, of unbelief. Contrast the
prayer uttered in the Spirit on Mount
Carmel with it's answering fire and
abundance of rain, and this prayer un-
der the juniper tree. Rom. 1926. God
did not hear this prayer of Elijah. 1John
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. VS.. Ps. 1872. He
sent His angel to minister to him. Heb,
TIA. He watched over him and sent
His angel a second time. Ps. 121:3-7
No word of rebuke. No sign of displeas-
ure. No threat or condemnation; but
patient waiting, loving, tender watchful
care. All, how the Fathers love is mani
tested. Godloved and cared for disobedi-
ent unheliaving- runaway Elijah. and SC