The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-31

DRY Verses, 9, documentary on tn,
Days Lesson.
]. Elijah receives instructions from Goo
Tvs: 9l4). 8. Game thither." He came
to Horeb, or Sinai. The relation of the
two names is not clear. Horeb was either
"a mountain of the Sinai range,> or the
range of which Sinai is a mountain, &" prob
ably the latter. "A cave" Hebrew, the
cave Stanley says there is nothing te
affirm or contradict the conjecture that
this may have been the same spot where
Moses stood llExod. 1922 when Jehovah
passed by. What dost thou here" The
Lord now gives the prchpet an opportunity
to open his heart and tell his grief. The
question here must have a different force
from that which it bears after the mani.
testation OF Gods presence in verse l3.
Here it must signify, why art thou cast
hast thou left Israel, to whom / sent thee,
n come to these mountains? No doubt
there was in the words a gentle reproof.
He who is found'out of place in Gods plan
must render an account of himself. The
inquiry SHOULD pursue others who have
fled to caves in which they would fain hide
themselves from responsibility. ID 1t
m to the %impenitent in the cave of con.
cealment of their sin. (2) 1t comes to the
penitent in the cave of dependency. ~
1t comes to the indolent in the cave Of
sloth. az 1t comes to the sorrowful in
the cave of murmuring. Read this ques-
words in succession. What "doest" thou
here? What doest Chou" here? What
doest thou "here?"
10. Very jealous" Zealously ~avenging
Jehovah's honor by staying those who have
brought idolatry into Israel, thus imitat-
ing the zeal of Phinehas (Num. 25:l-l3).
There isno boastfulness in these words. Eli
jah only. opens his grief and sets forth that
he has done his utmost, but that, in spite
OF all, both king and people are still unre-
p%entant. "Forsaken Thy covenant" The
first stage Of apostasy. They lightly esti-
mated the word of the Lord. Thrown
down Thine affairs" The second stage of
apostasy; desertion from grew into ennity
to; the places of prayer were destroyed;
they were unwilling to have among them
longer anything that reminded them of
their Lord. Slain Thy prophets" Lowest
listen to the truth; he seeks to remove its
witnesses, either by power or cunning. Il
only, nm left" The same statement in l
Kings 1922, but the sense is different.
There Elijah merely said that he alone re-
manned to execute the prophets Office,
which was true; here he implies that he is
the only prophet left alive, whereas a hun
dred had been saved by Obadiah, but none
of them had stood by him at Carmel
md he does not count them. He felt him
self to be alone in an awful desolation.
H.. Go forth" 1t is not quite clear
whether Elijah went out of the cave now
or after the wind and earthquake had
passed ". l3). The account seems to indi-
cate that at this time he went to. the
mouth Of the cave and looked out. THE
Lord passed by" As He passed by Moses,
perhaps in this same cave. God was about
to teach Elijah a great lesson and send
him back to Israel a much wiser man.
Strong wind" A tornado. Rent" etc.
Literally. Tearing up the mountains and
shivering the rocks. Earthquake" One
OF the most terrible manifestations of d.
vine power. IL. Fire" Probably, light
ming: / myself stood for hours one night,
in Manitoba, watching a most vivid, con-
tinual and terrible display of lightning.
Natural phenomena are calculated to i'm
press the mind with Jehovah's power and
indicate the divine resources for the de-
struction of His enemies. WAS not in"
There was a sense in which the Lord was
in the wind, the earthquake and the fire;
they were symbols of His mighty power.
DNt sANAS. WOO q VI lIC ulflu
nature which God would not give to
Elijah which these symbols could not con-
vey, and in this sense Jehovah was not in
them. Still small voice" "a sound of
gentle stillness."-R. ", margin. We are
not told whether the sound was articu-
late or not, but when Elijah heard it he I'M
derstood that the time had come for him
to present himself before the Lord, and
that some further revelation was about to
be given him.
Is. In his mantle" The skins of beasts
dressed with the hair on were formerly
worn by prophets and priests as the SIM
pie insignia of their office. He covered his
face to show his respect; so Moses hid his
face tExod. 500. Went out" Elijah
now leaves the cave and listens to the voice
Of God. God intended to display Himself
to mankind, not in judgment, but in
were only the forerunners of the still
small voice, so the law and all its terrors
were only intended to introduce the Cos
pei OF Jesus. What doest thou here?"
The Lords question and the prophets
answer are repeated. The repetition shows
that Elijah still ~justifes his course. He
had, indeed, been very jealous for the
Lord, but he had expected too much from
his triumph at Carmel"
II. Elijah sent on a special mission Tvs.
1918. Is, l6. 'The Lord said" Three
things God gave to Elijah in this inter-
view: !. A purpose in life-some definite
work to occupy his attention. 2. Comran-
ionship, by having a disciple and success
sor. 8. Assurance that he had not lived
in vain, since seven thousand were still
isi not Yet | e5S;ed return" EIijah's mission
II. Shall come to pass" God assures
Elijah that. the Almighty is still ruling in
Israel and that idolatry is to be over
thrown. Hazael, Jehu and Elisha are to
be the ministers of divine vengeance
against the house of Ahab." Shall Elisha
slay?' These words cannot be explained
literally, for We do not read of any who
were slain by the hand of Elisha, but his
voice and his labors for the overthrow of
false worship were constant, and by tho
sword of his mouth he overthrow the
foes of Jehovah" IS. "Seven thousand"
all Israel shall not be cut off. There will
be found seven thousand who have never
worshiped Baal. Here Elijah learns that
he is not the only I~Sraelite who remains
true to God. AS seven is the covenant
number, the number of perfection, the
seven thousand need not be pressed here
to mean an exact designation of the num-
Der OF true worshipers, but a round num-
Der ever symbolical of the elect of God.
III. The call oi Elisha Tvs. 1920.
Elijah went as he was commanded and
found Elisha blowing in the field. The
prophet threw his mantle upon Elisha and
passed on. This was a symbolical act on
the part of Elijah, investing Elisha with
his own prophetic Office. The sign WIS un.
derstood by Elisha who obeyeG the call.
COOKING with Lard Lost Sc Years.
Charles Noyes, al old-time Missouri