The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 20.

MefnOry teTses, d, VA
the Days Lesson.
I. The flight of Elijah Tvs. l-3). l.
"Told Jezebel." She was not affected by
the story as she would have been by the
actual events. Elijah had done."' Ahab
did not appear to recognize the hand OF
God in the affair. There are eyes so blind.
ed q Cor. 4:4} and hearts so steeled
against the truth that no evidence can
reach them. Had slain" The slaughter
of the prophets Of Baal, who were prob
ably of the same foreign nature as the
queen, was what stirred all the tlerceness
of her nature. AS she listens to the story
her one thought is revenge.
3. Sent a messenger" Hera was Jack
of shrewdness and forethought, II she
really wished and designed to carry out
her threat, for such an announcement OF
her purpose gave Elijah full opportunity
position. But it is possible that her OBJ
ject was to terrify him and drive him
away from her city. and that she feared to
cope with him otherwise. lest her own fate
should be like that of the false prophets.
| Some have thought that the exact time
which was given him - by tomorrow
about this time"-is a proof that her
threat twas intended and understood as a
sentence of Punishment on pain OF death"
"Unto Elijah" The prophet did not ven
ture into the city, and thus put himself in
would receive the news. 1t is not the duty
of even God's.prophets to rush heedlessly
into the lions den unless directly COM
manded to do so. He used good Judgment
in this matter. "Let the GODS One of
the most tremendous VOWS which mark the
history of the Semitic race, both within
and without the Jewish pale. This was
the most terrible oath she could use. 1t
meant that if she did not STAY Elijah then
let the gods STAY her -"
8. "When ne saw" When he heard of
the rage Of ,Jezebel, and saw the storm
that was coming on him. went Tor his
life" He knew Ahab's weakness and lack
of courage and the. instability of public
sentiment. 1t seemed to him that his ef-
forts had been in vain, that the bright
permanent good, and that Gods cause
was utterly lost. Jehovah seems to have
left him for a season to himself. Perhaps
there was danger that, like the apostle, he
might be exalted above measure by the
abundance of revelations and Of power
which were manifested through him e
Cor. II: y, and it was needful to remind
him by an impressive experience that he
was still a man encompassed with human
passions and inirmities. To many it may
seem that a great opportunity to reform
the worship of the kingdom was lost by
E,ijah's fight. The people were con-
vinced, and it would have been an easy
matter for God to have removed Jezebel
and the remaining false prophets. But
there is a point beyond which divine pow
er will not multiply miracles, and the turn
ing point here was the instability of Ahab.
"Beer-sheha." At the extreme southern
limit of Palestine. and about ninety-fve
miles from Jezreel. Beer-sheba was orig
inallv assigned to the tribe Of Simeon
Josh. 10: y. though in Josh. Is: % it is
included among the uttermost cities OF
Judah. 1t appears that the tribe of ST.
neon had now become largely absorbed in
the tribe of Judah. cleft his servant"
The servant must have attended him from
Carmel to Jezrcel and from thence to the
south Of Judah. The prophet now desires
solitude. In the need of spiritual commu-
Mon with God no comnanion IS desired.
Even Jesus Himself said to His disciples,
"Sit We here. while I 60 and pray yonder"
((N1att. 90: 36). Jewish tradition saws the
servant was the son of the widow of Zare-
phath. and no less a person than the pro-
phet Jonah.
II. Elijah in despair ". A.. 4. "Into
the Wilderness" The wilderness here spo-
htI VI IL luC iCSSlO VI i a Hlou-i
which the Israelites had of old wandered
from Egypt toward the promised land.
He did not feel himself safe until he was
beyond the territory of both Ahab and
Jehoshaphat. He is now led down into
the dark Gepths OF temptation. Juniper
tree" The Hebrew says. literally, one iu-
niper tree, or broom, shrub, and thus de-
picts the desolation Of the country: 1t
was stout enough to be used for fuel lPsa.
l20:41. and in time of famine its roots
could he eaten Job 1913, q. That he
reached its lowest point. Not better"
| etc. His life seemed like a great failure.
In moments OF dependency even Shakes
peare thought himself no poet> and Ra-
phael doubted his right to be called a
painter.
III. Elijah fed by angels Tvs. 5-Sl. >.
clay and slept" Elijah was physically
exhausted. 1t was the reaction after the
intense nervous strain on Carmel. First Of
all God supplied his physical necessities:
He giveth His beloved sleep. can angel"
We hear little of these heavenly minis
trants during the great period OF prophetic
activity. The mediation Of angels was
largely supp.anted by that OF inspired
men. But at times they appear to remind
us that they ever encamp around Gods
SGlNdHlss -1ii.N oAN N"S
provided for him. Jehovah is not yet
done with him, and He miraculously cares
for him as He did for Jonah when he fled
! 6. Cake" A round, fiat cake put be-
tween hot stones laid in embers OF a char
coal fire. but he is too weary to eat a sutn-
cheney and so falls to sleep again. This is
| not the first time that God had given an
gels food in the desert (Psa:: 1925; Neh.
9:2l; Deut. S:l6). "A cruise" A bottle or
jar. 7. "!Angel-came again.' 1t IS well
to note the fact that Elijah's physical
needs were fully met before any effort was
( made to encourage his dropping spirit.
"Our bodies are the temples of tie Hoy
Ghost and we must keep those temples IN
repair" ''Journey-great." The journey
he had already taken and that which was
yet before him.
s. "Went-forty days" He was mirac-
| u!nusiy sustained. On the same mountain
Moses had twice tasted this same length
Of time (Exod. 24:lS, 34:2S). and In an
other wilderness Jesus did the same
Matt. 4:2). "Horeb." This is the same
as Mount Sinai-the noun at which the
law was given. The distance from Beer
sheba to Horeh is not over 2OO mics. Ell
iah was probably wandering in despond.
encv and seeking to hid himself. The
time spent was not what was required for
the tourney only, but far more III medita-
ton and prayer, and seeking from God a
reason why all the toiling and testimony.
which the prophet had bestowed. mad
proved 70 reproductive. The spiritual
conflict of Elijah prefgures the spiritual
conflict ri Jesus. Mount Of Col So
called because God here revealed His maj
eIty and elory anl gaze the law TO Noses
suspends Paper to Marry.
A Richmond Qnd.) dispatch to the Chi
cano Inter-Oceon runs James Culp, edl'
tor and proprietor of the Vernon (lnd.)
- L. -. Loan -,nrrrnl "a NIiSs