The Raymer enterprise., 1911-02-16
ELIJAH MEETS
AHAB
s.sd.y sel.el L..... fer f.L. Is, 1911
Specially Arranged 10, This Paper
Specially Arranged 10, IhI. Paper

LESSON TEXT Kings a. Memory
verses l7-ls.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Take heed. and be-
ware of covetousness, Luke l2:l5.
T1ME-Four or five years after the last
lesson. Prof. Beecher puts this story In
the 10Th year of Ahab, B. C. 90s Tor Sc.
Assyrian) between his Syrian campaign,
I Kings 20 and the war described In
Kings %.
PLACE-Ahab's house in Samaria, 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 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 to
come into the open. Persecution had
ceased. Others came out and Joined
them. The prophets had no longer to
be hidden in 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
Is spoken Of as their head master.
From these centers and from the
schools at Gilgal, Ramah and Gibeah
they exerted a strong influence and
their appearance at any particular
spot was often the signal for the out
break Of 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
a friend. II there was one thing Eli
1ah needed to mellow him, 1t was that!
Naboth. a native Of Jezreel. had for
his vineyard an ancestral possession.
We learn that Naboth was worship
er Of Jehovah, and In spite Of the per.
secution Of the prophets did not
shrink from making 1t known to the
king by his language. Here was an
example of one who had not bowed
the knee nor given 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
by 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" 1t is the desire. the motive
that lies In the heart, "the prolific
mother of all sins. the cockatrice's egg
from which breaks forth the viper and
the fiery flying serpent" 1t is not an
awful thought that the 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 1t de-
grades him, shuts him up In a 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 are 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.
ousness; love to God and love to man.
Use every opportunity Of giving and
serving others. Don't complain Of so
many calls. but rejoice in the oppor-
tunity; search for opportunities as for
hid treasure. God loves the whole.
souled hilarious giver. Even the poor.
est can give. They can say. as Peter
said to the lame man 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 multi.
tude Of other things.
Elijah confronted the king In his III.
gotten property. The word Of the Lord
m IN N IN Elijah IN vvhot for,,. ,u, H.