The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-11

| the east stands symmetrical Takor,
with Hermon towering north OF it.
The village of Main is in sight; Naza-
reth is hidden by the hills; the site
of Zereel is in plain view, while be-
yond the Lake of Galilee rise the
stretching from the foot of the noun
tain is the Mediterranean Sea- In all
the land there is no other theater
equal to this for the staging of the
great drama.
The Lonely Mans Defiance.
A melancholy strain ran through
Elijah's character; even in this hour
by the conviction that, Il, even only,
am left a prophet OF jehovah" None
the less, he dared fling jagged words
of scorn, which Smote like stones up
on the conscience of Israel How
long go We limping between two
sides? If Jehovah be God, follow him;
but if Baal1 then follow him." There
was never any sugar and water about
Elijah's preaching. In speech, as
in habit and outward appearance he
was a rough man; like the bare
rocky mountains of Thebes, where
are the tombs of the Pharaohs, he was
not slightly to the eyes; but within
dwells royalty and kingly treasures.
The prophet had an ally in the
peoples conscienceS; they knew that
IneV ndQ Q6pdTl0Q IIOIII lI10 WOA snip
of the God of their fathers. Moreover,
his proposition that the priests of
Baal prepare one altar with a sacri-
flee and he another, and that the God
who answered by fire should be the
God of the people, appealed to their
instructive sense of justice. People
generally love to see fair play. They
love a contest, if they know it to
be free from fraud. Doubtless the
priests of Baal would have evaded the
test had it not been for this Senti-
ment on the part of the people and
their open assent to EnJah's plan.
1t is generally the politician who is
in the wrong who runs away from
open debate.
The Test of Fire.
There was a gameness about Eli
jah that touched the sporting pro-
clivities of the people. He gave all
possible odds to the four hundred and
fifty priests of BaaI; they had the
choice of bullocks and the first
chance at the ordeal. From morn
ing until noon and from noon until
evening they prayed and cried aloud
and leaped about the altar in frenzy,
gashing themselves with knives until
the blood streamed. What a specta-
Gle was that which the cIoudless and
pitiless sky, and the straining eyes
of the nation looked upon! How Gag
erly they watched for a spark, a puff
OF smoke.
We may imagine Elijah standing
scornfully by until midday. his man
ner speaking his diSdain for the sump-
tuously clad and full fed false proph-
cts Then he gave tongue to his
contempt, and in hooking words that
burned, he taunted his opponents.
He babe them cry louder; perhaps
their god was musing, or on a jour
ney; or peradventure asleep and must
ho oX1ro Cd TI1n Of n q
cries and commissions of the priests
of Baal but heightened Elijah's mock
ings
Then came his turn, and now the
excitement among the people grew
more intense. They climbed higher
on the hillside, crowded one another
more closely on the plateau and
sought for vantage points on bould-
erS and trees. The spectators were
GREATNESS with interest as they
thronged toward the spot where Eli
jah stood. Their imaginations were
their past history, by choosing twelve
stones for an altar, one for each of
the tribes. Curiosity quickened as he
dug a trench about the altar. Then
he arranged the WOOL with the slain
bullock upon it. To the amazement
that memorable number again-of
water poured upon the altar, until the
whole was drenched. and the sur
rounding trench filled. With true
dramatic instinct he did this task Ieis-
urely and also intensified the difficult
ties of his ordeal.
The Answer From the Sky.
After Elijah had prayed. in the
hearing of the host then the fire of
Jehovah fell and consumed the bull
lock, the wood, the stones, the water
while the Woe-Stricken people fell
prone on their faces crying to Jeho
yah for mercy. The duel was over.
Once more the God of Hosts had
indicated himself.
The imagination is not equal to
that scene. I pondered the story as It
Is in Holy Writ as 1 stood on the
fiat roof of the monastery at noon
day, the environment of it all spread
out at my feet as a picture Prob
ably it was about yonder in the mid
die of the plateau, where the cistern
now is, that the affairs were built.
Down below is the bed of the Kishon:
doubtless it was at that nearest
point, where an apparently artificial
mound now rises, that the priests of
Baal were taken and slain. And see
strange coincidence!-even as II
looked there appeared on the horizon |
of the Mediterranean a cloud "aS |
small as mans hand" Yonder runs
the route of Ahab's chariot to Jezreel, |
WHEN ElJdI, SIfOBS lllnDeQ son OF ma |
ture, tucked the folds of his cloak I'M
der his girdle, as men still do to- |
day, that his hairy bare limbs might |
be free for running, and sped on
ahead of Ahab's chariot. What an |
ally of God was this fit and fearless
man-as truly an ally as the fire that
had smitten from heaven, and as the
rain that had streamed from the
same sky upon the thrice thirsty
land. Wonderful are the evidences
of himself that God will give to auda-
cious faith.
From Slave to Prime Minister.
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