Evening journal., 1911-02-04
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Ml BIBLE. STUDIES
THREE AND A HALF TEARS
WITHOUT RAIN.
1 Kings I7:1.I6-February 5.

lney ludl seek lue LOIQ snail nOL
want any good thing. "-Psa. 34:10.
Elijah the Prophet was Gods mes
senger for reproving King Ahab, Jeze-
bel his wife. and the ten tribes of
Of Israel who supported them. AS we
have seen, wickedness and idolatry
ftourished for a time with national
prosperity. Then there came a change,
a drouth for three aud a half years
a special dispensation of Divine prov
idence-a retribution or punishment
upon Israel We do not wish TO convey
the thought that every drouth. famine,
pestilence, etc, should be considered
judgment from the Almighty. The
whole world is under Divine sentence
or condemnation of death, and God
permits cyclones, earthquakes, drouth,
famine, pestilences, without sending
them, except that in a general way
they stand related to the present regin
of sin arsd death, as Of the curse not
yet lifted
But in the case Of Israel matters
were different At Mt. Sinai Israel en-
tered into Covenant relationship with
God and he with them. The special
terms of that Covenant were that God
should deal with their nation differ
emily than with others-that he would
treat them as his people and protect
them from the evils incidental to the
curse, If they would serve and obey
him. Under that compact not only were
they to receive blessings If faithful.
but equally they were sure to receive
stripes, punishments, if they were dis
obedient and forsook the Lord and
their share of the Covenant The three
and half years famine described in
this study was, therefore, in Israel's
case, specifically a rebuke from the
Lord.
This is the signifcation OF the Lords
statement through the Prophet. "Is
there evil in the city and the Lord hath
not done it?' Some have mistakenly
interpreted this to mean that God
holds himself responsible for all the
moral evils Of mankind. Quite to the
contrary, the Lord declares respecting
MS own Government that His way is
/ perfect The word evil in this text is
old style English, signifying any dis
aster or trouble or affiction. With the
lsraelites God wished It to be clearly
understood that he was responsible.
both for their blessings and for their
/ tribulations, all of which were in
tended to purify them.
Elijah the Prophet.
Under Divine guidance, Elijah, at
the appropriate time, presented him
self to King Ahab, clothed according
TO his custom, I'm exceedingly plain
garments. In the name Of the Lord he
reproved the king for the idolatries
praouced in his kingdom and announc-
ed what the king doubtless consid-
cred vain boast; namely, that there
would be neither rain nor dew in the
land OF Israel until Elijah would COM
mand It And the drouth came as the
Prophet of the Lord predicted.
AS months grew into years and the
drOuth continued, the king caused
search to be made for Elijah, with a
view to either entreating or threat
ening him, to the intent that the
drouth might be broken. But Elijah
under the Lords direction, secreted
himself near the Brook Cherith, where
tho ravens brought him food morning
and evening until the brook dried NJ
and. under the Lords direction, Elijah
went elsewhere.
While this story that the ravens fed
Elijah sounds mythical, It has its par
allels. The raven is a wise bird.
story is told of a young man sick in
I prison, to whom a raven brought food
Bishop Stranley's History of Birds tells
of another incident thus: Coming into
the inn yard my chaise ran over and
bruised the leg of a favorite New
/ foundland dog, and while We were ex-
amining the injury, Ralph, the raven
/ looked on also. That night the dog was
| tied up under the manger with my
horse and the raven not only visited
him. but brought him bones and at