The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-02-23
ELIJAH MEETS
AHAB
Sunday School LesOs for Feb. 26, 1911
Specially Arranged Tor This Paper


lesson. Prof. Beecher puts this story in
the goth year Of Ahab. B. c. 9O6 (or 1863.
Assyrian) between his Syrian campaign, /
! Kings 20 and the war described In 1
Kings 22
PLACE-Ahab's house In samaris. and
Naboth's vineyard in Jezreel. 20 miles to
the north.
For four or FIVE years Elijah seems
to have retired from public life. He
was practicing the lesson he had
learned on Horeb. He was at work,
but in a different way His stormy
work was not in vain. That plowed
the ground. and now was the time for
sowing the seed. The seven thousand
hidden believers were permitted 10
come into the open. Persecution had
ceased. Others came out and Joined
them. The prophets had no longer to
be hidden in a cave by Obadiah.
Elijah encouraged and was at the
head of the organized communities or
schools of the prophets which existed
as far back as Samuel. In his last
Journey he visited the sons OF the
prophets" at Bethel and Jericho, and
Il spoken of as their head master
From these centers and from the
schools at Gilgal, Ramah and Gibeah
tfey exerted strong influence and
their appearance at any particular
slot was often the signal for the out
break of a contagious religious fervor.
These settlements may be described
as training schools for religious pur-
poses. Elijah was thus educating the
people in the true religious life. He
was working in accordance with the
still small voice of God.
Elijah's success was in finding and
training Elisha to be prophet in his
stead, training under these newer in
fluences and methods. The great
prophet, so lonely hitherto, had found
friend. II there was one thing Eli
jah needed to mellow him, 1t was that
Naboth. a native Of Jezreel. he d for
his vineyard an ancestral possession.
We learn that Naboth was a worship
or Of Jehovah, and in spite OF the per.
secution OF the prophets did not
shrink from making It known to the
king by his language. Here was an
example of one who had not bowed
tho knee nor given a kiss to Baal.
JeZebel coveted this vineyard
Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take
possession Of the vineyard And Ahab
went. The Septuagint adds that he
rent his clothes and put on sackcloth,
as though shocked at his crime and
anxious to prove his innocence to his
own conscience and to the people. But
the hypocrisy of the act was shown
b. his willingness to accept the fruits
of the crime. This mourning for the
means but acceptance of the fact
would not be in disaccord with Ahab's
moral weakness
Covetousness is "a root of all kinds
OF evil" II Is the desire. the motive
that lies in the heart, the prolific
mother of all sins, the cockatrices egg
from which breaks forth the viper and
the fiery flying serpent" 1t is not an
awful thought that he deadly sin OF
Judas and of Ananias sprang from
greed? Still as Of old, man by him
self is priced; for thirty pieces Judas
sold himself-not Christi"
Much OF the sin and danger to our
land springs from covetousness. The
graft. the dishonesty. the liquor sell
ing, the bribery, the fraud of every
kind.
A clear vision of the evil covetous-
ness works In the covetous mans own
character and destiny. How it de-
grades him, shuts him up in narrow
ing prison like one described among
the tortures of the inquisition, where
the walls drew nearer together by one
notch each day. The doors of oppor-
tunity ar gradually shut against him
and his part In the blessing of the
great world.
The one essential cure is a change
of heart that leads to a change OF
character. 1t is to give your heart to
God, to consecrate your whole being
to him, to love and obey him, to strive
with the whole soul to build up his
kingdom. Love is the cure OF covet
BUSINESS; love to God and love to man
Use every opportunity of giving and
serving others. Don't complain OF SC
many calls, but rejoice in the oppor
tunity; search for opportunities as for
hid treasure. God loves the whole
est can give. They can say, as Peter
said to the lame m an at the Beautiful
gate Of the temple, such as | have
give I thee" There Is much more to
give than mere money; sympathy
work, time, aid in sickness, feeding
the hungry, shelter, care and a multi
tude of other things
Elijah confronted the king in his Ill
gotten property. The word OF the Lord
came to Elijah. In what form we dc
not know. any more than we know all
the ways In which one spirit infiu
ences another. But that II was Gods
word is a fact. 1T Is implied that
Elijah found Ahab--strode into his
presence--in the vineyard
Ahab walks around his newly gotten
vineyard. He admires trellis and clus
ter Suddenly Elijah stands before
him. He had not seen Elijah for Ave
vaara And Ahah said In Elijah Ha al