Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-02-09

perintendent. or Prime Minister, Obadiah
He was godly man and. OF course. ais
tressed by the idolatrous course OF the
King and the Queen. II he was not SUI
fciently courageous to protest openly. he
was, nevertheless. courageous, for, I'm
time when the servants OF Jehovah were
being prosecuted to death by Queen Jeze-
bel, Obadiah hid one hundred of them and
supplied them with the necessities OF life
evidently at the risk OF his all. When
Obadiah met Elijah and was told to tell
the King that Elijah was there to see
him. Obadiah feared to do SO. He de-
clared that himself and others had
carefully to find Elijah and found him
not He realized that the Lord had hid
den him. He protested that II now he
would declare that Elijah was ready to
see the King the probabilities were that,
by the time the King would get there.
somehow carry Elijah away. Then the
King, Infatuated. would cause Obadiah's
death; but Elijah treasured him.
When the King met Elijah his first word
was. "Art thou he that troubleth Israeli"
This is the worldly custom. The fearless
minister who tells the Truth and relates
the Divine prophecy respecting the re-
wards of evil-doing is held accountable,
as though he had caused the trouble. But
Elijah was not intimidated. He promptly
answered, have not troubled Israel, but
thou and thy parents house, In that we
have forsaken the commandments Of the
Lord and followed Baal. Three years be-
fore the King would have probably or
dered the execution OF Elijah but the full
fillment of his word and the pangs of
hunger had humbled him. He was anx-
ious that the blight should be removed
and responded TO the demands OF Elijah
that the eight hundred and fifty prophets
Of idolatrous Baalism should meet at Mt.
Carmel and that thither all the people
OF Israel, represented by their chief men.
should also assemble. The design, evil
IDENTIFY, was a contest between Elijah, the
representative of God. and these murder
Gus priests Of Baal. proteges OF Jezebel.
CHOOSE Ye This Day"
This gathering of the priests and of the
prophets required time, but was finally
accomplished. When the meeting con-
vened Elijah declared that II was time 10
have testing and showing as to who
really was God, Jehovah or Baal The
test was to be that two affairs were to be
built and two bullocks were to be sacri-
feed. The Baalites were to provide the
bullocks themselves and to make choice
Of the one for their own altar. whichever
God would answer by fire and accept the
offering. would be acknowledged as the
only true God.
10 tnem came the first opportunity.
They had the noontlme opportunity, when
the fierce heat OF the sun seemed almost
warm enough to set fire to the fat Of the
bullock. They prayed; they shrieked; they
cut themselves with knives, entreating
that Baal would answer by fire and prove
himself the mighty god. Hour after hour
this proceeded until evening, when they
were forced to give over and admit their
inability.
Then came Elijah's turn. He command
cd that water be brought and that the
altar which he was to use should be thor
oughly flooded with water. No one must
have room to say that there was a secret
shoulder OF fire beneath. And, since the
sun had gone down, no one could claim
spontaneous combustion. Then Elijah
prayed calmly. earnestly. reverently and
the Divine answer came-a fire from heay-
en- consuming the sacrifice and licking up
the water In the trough of the altar
Then the people recognized the differ
ence. They fell on their faces and said,
Jehovah Is The God great lesson had
been learned.
Christendom are deceived today. as were
the masses of Israel then. And when, by
and by, God shall open their eyes Of I'M
Outstanding through the agency OF Mes
siah's Kingdom, every knee shall bow
and every tongue confess. The knowl-
edge Of the Lord will fill the whole earth.
Complying with the Lords direction
through Elijah. tie Israelites slew all the
prophets Of Baal. We are not to under
stand this to represent the Divine COM