The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-02-09
ELIJ AH'S S
VICTORY
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. IL, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

l
TlME-Three to three and one-halt
years after Elijah irst warned Ahab. Be
| tween u. e. 10000 (or SlS-S5O
| PLACE-The Great meeting was on
mount Carmel. near It's summit. The sit
uauon so far from the capital would
,eaVe the meeting unmolested by the city
hoodIums. and Jezebel's influence
st. James in his epistle tells us that
Elijah had prayed earnestly that ut
might not rain" because the famine
seemed to be the only way by which
people could be brought to repentance.
ana that now, at the end of three
years and half, he again prayed that
It might rain. .
liis heart was full Of pity. lie saw
signs OF repentance. The time was
ripe for reform; and Elijah prayed to
God for the blessed rain. God saw
too But II was wisest and most ef.
tective for all that the rain should
come from God In answer to the prorh.
cts prayer. For the fact that the
relief came from the true God through
MS prophet would complete the work
OF the famine and draw men to the
giver Of the blessing.
Elijah sent for the king 10 some 10
MIN. The prophet was the greater
and had more power. That Ahab came
at all, shows that he recognized the
power OF the prophet, and OF the true
God; and that he had been hunbled
by the famine experience. Ahab's first
words were Are thou he that trou.
bleth Israeli" He had no word to say
OF his own sin; he forgot the iniuuity
OF the people Of the land. In which
he had been the leader; he took no
| note OF the hand OF Jehovah I'm the ca.
lamity, and spoke as II the whole mat.
Ter mad been mere personal differ.
ence between him and Elijah. Elijah
replied. Il have not troubled Israel.
but thou, and thy fathers house" Eli.
jah then proposed that the question as
TO who was the true God should be
put to a fair and satisfactory test.
They built an altar. placed the sac.
rihcial bullock upon It, and put no
fire under II. There were too many eyes
upon them for any trickery. and not
knowing what kind of a test was TO be
expected, they had no opportunity to
prepare for any deceit. It would al.
most seem as II tricks not unlike that
practiced year after year at the
Greek Easter at Jerusalem were IA.
/ miliar TO that age. Some OF the IA.
theirs expressly state that the ldola.
| trous priests of an earlier time we're
accustomed to set fire to the sacrl.
flee from hollow places concealed be.
meath the altar. and II was an old ira.
dition that the Baal prophets had con.
cealed a man for that purpose beneath
their altar, but that he had died from
suffocation." They called on Baal TIL
mid day, and yet no answer Of fire
came. Elijah mocked them lie held
up the mirror before them and point
ed out to the people the real situation
They grew frenzied in their excite.
ment, and cut themselves with their
wepons. Herodlan describes the dance
OF Heliogabalus round the altar OF the
Emesne sun-god. and Apulelus de.
| scribes at length the fanatic leapings
| and castings OF the eXecrable Cali
Their feeling was that God was well
| pleased with such tortures and pains
The only sufrerings with which God
Is pleased are those which men under.
go for the sake of helping and saw.
| Ing their fellow men. such as Christ's
| sunrerings on the cross, and PauIs
suiferings to give men the Gospel.
They prophesied and cried in wild
ecstacles, like those in ancient time
who thus in excited frenzles pretend.
ed to be filled with the power Of their
deities.
There was no answer, though they
continued their eXertlons till the time
of the Offering OF the evening oblation.
And Elijah said. Come near unto
me" so that they could see and hear,
and could know that there was no con
cealment or trickery.
He repaired the altar OF the Lord
that was broken down On this altar
the wood and the sacrifice were laid.
The fire of the Lord fell, not an acct
dental stroke Of lightning. for the sky
was clear of cloud. II was simply
the direct act of Gods will upon the
laws OF nature. No mere natural act
such as Baalites or anyone else could
do, would prove that 1t was God him.
self who was summoning them to ODE.
dience II would be strange God.
and Father, that could not use his
own laws OF Nature to produce
moral effect. The proof was the more
decisive because the divine fire not
only consumed the offering, but the
water and the very stones OF the al.
tar
The people fell on their faces, and
they said THE Lord he is God the
Lord, he is God"
This was decisive, yet no mere
sudden change; but one for which the
famine, announced from God, had for
three years been preparing them; just
as the fire on the day OF Pentecost
came to disciples who had had three
years of training under Jesus
Elijah went up to the highest point
of Carmel where wide horizon of the
sea was visible, and prayed for rain,
prayed the effectual fervent prayer
of righteous man" which "avalleth
much" He sent his servant to watch
for the answer And it came In abun.
dant rain