The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson vIl.-First Quarter, For
Feb. IL, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Prepared by Rev. o. M. stsarns.
After Elljah's long sojourn at
Cherith and Zarephath the word of
the Lord came again to him. Compare
verse and chapter xvii, 2, 8. The
majority of believers are appointed
| to glorify God In very quiet, com
monplace kind Of life, not often so
| quiet and lonely as Cherith nor so
lowly as Zarephath and yet very or
binary. May the thirty years Of Jesus
at Nazareth be a great encouragement
to all such.
Then, as to knowing when to move
from where we are. may the pillar
of cloud and fire be our guide. See
Mum. tx, 1923 Remember also that
when Joseph was Sent to Egypt with
Mary and the child Jesus it was said
to him, BE thouz there until I bring
thee word Matt M 49,. No will but
His and a prompt obedience to His
word will give us days Of heaven ON
earth Deut. ri, 2D. rAss plainly as he
was told, sect thee hence and hide
| thyself" (xvii, 81, So now he Is told,
'Go shew myself unto Ahab." We
think of Ezekiel, who was told, arise;
go forth into the plain" and later,
go shut thyself within thine house"
(Ezek. iii, 22-24). Perfect acquiescence
and unquestioning obedience are the
only way Of rest andspeace.-
We are now introduced to Obadiah,
the governor Of Ahab's house, good
man In a hard place. But Joseph and
Daniel were somewhat similarly sit
uated, though they did not choose
their situations. Whether this Oba-
diah did or not we are not told. We
are glad to learn that he was the
means Of preserving the lives of a
hundred prophets and that he was a
man who feared the Lord from his
youth. His name means servant of
Jehovah" and we trust that as a good
servant his aim was to please God
rather than man (Eph. vi, 81.
When Elijah would have Obadiah
tell Ahab that he had come he was at
first afraid, but afterward went, and
30 Ahab and Elijah met, with the
greeting from the former, cart thou
he that troubleth Israeli" to which
Elijah replied that the guilt was upon
him and his fathers house. And with
out further talk he ordered him to
gather to Mount Carmel the $50
prophets who ate at Jezebel's table.
Ahab seems to have been promptly
obedient and soon Elijah is face to
face with the prophets of Baal and
challenges them and the people with
the wards: How long halt We between
two opinions? If Jehovah be God fol-
low Him, but IL BaaI then follow
him" verse 21). ...s
1t is probable that many OF the
people were in doubt about BaaI, mas
much as he did not deliver them from
their distress. The proposition that
they and Elijah should each prepare a
sacrifice and then decide upon the God
that should answer by fire commended
itself to the people, and all the people
answered and said ut is well spoken"
or, as in the margin, "the word is
good" Elijah gave the prophets Of
Baal the first opportunity, and, having
prepared their sacrifice, we see them
from morning until noon and from
noon until the time of the evening sac
rifice calling upon their gods, Elijah
urging them on with his Cry aloud,
for he is a god. Either he is talking
or he hath a pursuit, or he is in
journey, or paradventure he sleepeth
and must be awaked." But, although
they cried aloud and cut themselves
till the blood gushed out, there was
no response whatever. One would
think that the devil would have done
something to encourage his devoted
worshipers, but the hand of the Lord
must have restrained him.
When they had utterly failed ther
Elijah said unto all the people, "Come
near unto me-" With what interest
or perhaps in sullen silence they must
have watched the repairing Of the
altar of the Lord, the placing of
twelve stones to represent the lively"
tribes, the digging of a trench and
then the placing OF the sacrifice on the
wood! IL they had been at all indif-
ferent up to this time they would sure
~ be amazed at the threefold drench-
ing Of everything with twelve barrels
of water until even the trench was
filed, Now, what could fire do even
If IT, came? Listen now to the prayer
lverses SO, 80 which, uttered distinct
" and slowly, does not occupy half
minute. The fire Of the Lord fell,
consuming even the stones and the
dust and the water In the trench.
When the people saw it they fell on
their faces and said Jehovah, He is
the God! Jehovah, He is the Godp
Then Elijah had all the prophets of
Baal brought to the brook Kishon and
slain there. Not one escaped. Ahab
went up to eat and drink, and Elijah
went up. to the top. lot Carmel to pray.
Note in Elljah's prayer for fire that
his one cry was that Jehovah would
show Himself as God, and he asked
nothing for himself but to be known
Rs the Lords servant Consider the
ford answering by fire In Lev. TX, "a;
Judg. vi, 81; Chron. XXI. %; III Chron.
VII, 1, and have no doubt that the
sacrifice of Abel was also accepted I'm
the same way--fire from the sword In
Eden reaching out to the sacrifice,
while Gains ngfarfnp wnS untouched