The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-16
What Doest Thou Here al

II I
/ .t-::.---..----.--- y XII
what Doest Thou Here n"
tsclcctod for rio Times Dlspaatcl') ..5.st
! "And nfterAthc fire, nfstlll small voice.
And It was SO, when Elijah heard 1t,
That he wrapped his face III his .inrnnrnttlc,
and went out and stood III the ,entcrinlg
III of4the cave. Aid behold, there came
| Il voice unto him and said: What docst
tl,ou hcrc l1lt1nh7' R--1 Kings, xixlS,
We remember how, just before this,
Elijah had treated the prophets OF 1'n tlF
1lo laid them under arrest; brought them
down to tho brook klslon, and slew
tliein there
7vc nrc not told that tho Lord had
commanded this slailghtcr, nor That lie
approved Of it,. False prophets are 2 not
SO treated now.s Error cannot be put
down by force, and even religion, itself
is not to be upheld BY pains and nonalii
| ties inflicted Upon sinbclievnlsi "a
Allab, the King, appears powcrlcss ~ TO
act in this sdlreful extremity. IL his
dilemma he told Jczcbcl, his vito, I'LL
that Elijah had dono-tho challenge the
gathering together Of tho prophets Of
Baal tho building of the affairs; tho call
for 13nn1; tho prayer Of Elijah: the
sudden answcrtby fire. md thcHloud pro-
tcstation Of tho tnslonshcd people: 5'.'lliee,
Lord lie Is God! Tho Lord, Flo Is;
.God!" Iva
Then Jczebel, stunE to madness, sent
messengers inlihot haste "a. elijah to bid
him prepare forS Instant death. 5,sf a;
h "And he arose md went for his life
I,liiuh, who had confronted, tho Klns
ana alone had destroyed four hundred
priests now ran away from his duty ~
tho threat Aof a. woman! In that fatal
step he lost, and forever, tho position.
nc had gained and tho work he might
have done! u s.. s. ", 49,. I, } i
Elijah wanted to &c, but WAS unwilling
to be murdered. There IS all tho ali =.
ference bctweon the two So fcs OF. mind
no DO taken away by the Lord IS one
thing; to consent TO be killed is another
Having arrived at norob, the prophet
hid himself in a cave. AS no tarricd
there, the word of the Lord came. to
him, saying: 'What docst thou here,
sEijah?' IIe willing to justify himself
replies: II have been very jealous for
the Lord God oE.Hosts; for tho children
OF Israel have forsaken Thy COVENANT
thrown down Thy affairs, and slain 4hy
prophets with tho sword; and !, even II
only am left, and they seek my life to-
take it away.psSs3 IS
:, tie or1i i'm?
faith? 1T was Neither. What was II, !.
thcn?s 1t was q reactions almost pm the
verge OF collapse. Remember the work
Elijah Shad.1donc, and i5thc strain under
which he haa labored}| l'rhero are vic
tories 50 cormnplets }Aat thqys almost touch
defeat Theme are PRAYERS 50 Intense
that fhoy. ,,leaYe, tis..brostTate. Z, c .
Perhaps Elijah was not sure he had
done right if Staying '.the ;;prophtets OF.
3l3aals6 Jezebel had touched tho.sorc spot
in tile case; her message came at just.
jthet critical time. and II proved too MUCH
Sfor his ovcrstralneu powers.
{ But observe the marvellous workings Of:
divine Providence Why does Jczcbcl
send warning? Why docs shesdclay for
"a whole day? Why ,not,take, instant re-
:vengc? 1t Is thus that God restraints i the !
wrath of man. and with every trial He
makes q way Of escape. He draws a line
beyond which maJl's weak fury cannot
pass.
Jczebcl takes u day for perfecting her,
plans, and in that day Elijah escapes
beyond the boundso OF her power forever.
Poor soul, he necded"rcst! He was.
strfc-worn. and required, slumbcr. to re-,
store his energies. Surely thesa Lord .
Will attune his voice t. t.. tic, ,pr!oophhcts
WEAKNESS! ft,hr
Now see displayed the Lords resources!
Wind, thunder, fire., tempest, earthquake,
tpcstilcncc-tcrrlbl indeed are the hosts
OF the Lord
Yet note also His consideration. He
did not smite, nor dazzle, nor confound,f
lie whispered as ono would whisper to. 4
an affrightcd child. ut was a. still small
voice, but with tia terrible, n probing,
question. He makes the. man swho Is a
to be Judged state his own case, andans
tended as sef-justiflcation, but God will;
show its TRUTH which will carry. con-
domination With it. EtE
1t Is the same heart-scarchlng, truth
compelling question which tests all man
kind from the days Of Adam to our
own time, 1t now confrontssus, and to5it,
without exception. must zach one reply
for himself.
What docst thou hcre?" Can you
say with Elijahs ~ am very jealous
for the Lord God of Hosts? What work
have you ever done for Him! And what
are you doing now TO bring In Ills king
dom? 10 whom do you carry the Kings
message? Whom do you uplift and
strengthen? 10 whom is your example a
power and antiseptlc2 To whom do
you reveal the Father?
Or are you hiding yourself In selfish
ease, while those around Yainly look to