The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-02-17
FLIGHT OF
ELIJAH
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. 10, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper


on the Lord shall renew their strength
Isa 4031
TIME-The day after the scene on
Mount Carmel b. C. 500 Cor $3.50, In the
wilderness, and 40 yeards later on Horeb..
PLACE-I. Jezreel, one of the royal
residences, 20 miles northeast of Sa-
maria 2 The wilderness beyond Beer
sheba, 40 miles southwest of Jerusalem,
100 miles from Jezreel. 8. Horeb, one OF
the mountains of Sinai
In our last lesson we left Elijah
running before Ahab's chariot from
Carmel to Jezreel, one of the royal
residences, while the blessed rain was
refreshing the whole country, an en-
blem of what God would do spiritual
ly for the nation. Elijah was too wise
to enter the lair of the tigress. But
Ahab told Jezebel. We can imagine
the bitter objurgations which she
poured upon her covering husband
for having stood quietly by while her
prophets and Balls prophets were be.
ing massacred by rebellious people,
Then Jezebel, scornfully ignoring
her husband and undefeated what
ever may have happened to her proph'
cts, in the intesity of her rage, bound
herself by an oath like that of the
forty Jews who bound themselves
that they would not eat or drink till
they had slain Paul and sent a mes
senger unto Elijah. She felt that
Elijah was in her power. He fled
and his servant went with him.
Elijah was a brave man if ever
there was one, but he was not a brag'
gadocio He was brave enough to let
the ignorant think he was coward.
His going was not a sign of cowar
dice. blu, of wisdom and common
sense. Christ himself babe his dis.
ciples, "When We are prosecuted in
one city flee We to another" kindle
the divine fires elsewhere and there
shall be two flames instead Of one.
elijah flies only when he has done
the mighty work of God, and only
when the life is in deadly peril which
he would fain save for future emer-
gencies of service"
He went a DAYS tourney into the
wilderness. He would be alone, with
out even his servant. in this Gethsem-
ane, as Christ when he went in his
agony to pray alone. He requested for
himself that he might die. He had
hoped to ACCOMPLISH the deliverarce
Of the people but he was terribly dis
appointed. Jezebel still had power.
Heathenism would still flourish. All
his efforts had been but trying to dam
Niagara with bulrushes. "All thy bill
lows have gone over me-" He lay
down and slept, utterly worn out, and
exhausted.
God gave his beloved sleep. and
who knows what dreams and visions
shone in the darkness. Rest for mind
and body. God sent him a friend.
Behold. then an angel touched him.
Gods messenger. human or angelic
More probably the latter. one Of the
"ministeripg spirits. sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs
Of salvation" Eliiah's loneliness
was broken. He was not forgotten.
The outward. visible manifestations
of power, whether in the natural OF
spiritual world while necessary in
their time and place. are but the
smaller results IF the mower that
produced them. For instance. in the
natural world the storms however
great, EXPRESS but the SLIGHTEST effeots
of the air which gives life to all 'iv-
ing beirps men. beast trees. This
world without air would be as dead
as the moon.
How feeble the lightning comnared
with the sileu+ invisible work of cleo
tricity lighting orr cities and homes,
driving our MACHINERY. carrying orr
messages over the wires. It used TO
be thought that the upheaval of the
continents and the rearing of the
great mountains was due to cata-
clysms and CONGREGATIONS and vast ex-
plosions of volcanic force. 1t has
long been known that they are due
only in part to these, but chiefly to
the inconceivably slow notifications
produced by water, and air and heat.
So long as all real progress in re-
ligion. in reform. in the coming of
the kingdom of God, lies always in a
change of will. of character, so long
the change must be made by motives.
and moral influences, not by force.
1.-THE lion shall lie down with the
lamb" but only when the lions ma
ture is so changed that it loves to
eat grass like the OK, and does not
want to eat the lamb.
Elijah was to return, not vet to
Israel, but around it to the wilder
ness of Damascus. Damascus was on
the Dor lers of the desert. Here he
would be beyond the dominions of
Ahab. He was not for the present to
enter into the scene of danger but
to do his work from without Gradu-
ally better times came; and we find
him in the kingdom. and the schools
of the prophets fourishing. Anoint.
It was customary to set apart. by
amounting kings and prophets. 1t oft
en- means merely to set apart for
some special service of God.
Hazael was known as the conf
Dental officer of Benhadad, king