The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-02-23
ELIJAH MEETS
AHAB
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. 26, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

.
| the Goth year OF Ahab, b. G. 800 (or Ses,
| Assyran) between his Syrian campaign
/ ! Kings 20 and the war described In
/ Kings %
PLACE-Ahab's house in samaria and
| Naboth's vineyard Ia Jezreel 20 miles to
the north.
For tour or five years Elijah seems
70 have retired from public life. He
was pracucing 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 TO
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
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 a contagious religious fervor.
These settlements may be described
rs 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.
Eliiah's success was In finding and
training Elisha TO be prophet in hia
stead, training under these newer In
fuences and methods. The great
prophet, so lonely hitherto, had found
a friend. If there was one thing Eli
jah needed to mellow him, # was thatl
Naboth, native Of Jezreel, had for
his vineyard an ancestral possession.
We learn that Naboth was a Worship
er Of Jehovah, and in spite OF the per-
secution Of the prophets did not
shrink from making II known TO the
king by his language, Here was an
example Of one who had not bowed
the 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
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 II 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 ands
the fiery flying serpent" II 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 hlmselI-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
Nnd, the letting abominable tone.
ments to the poor. selling honor and
uprghmoss 10 get rich, grinding tho
races OF the poor dwardng the chill
dreh by oler"ork-all these and many
more flow from the polluted fountain
oil coyetous hearts.
a clear vision OF the evil c0vetous-
ness works I'm tie cOvetous mans own
character and destiny. How it de-
grades him, shuts him up I'm o narrow
ing prison Ike one described among
the tor,ures of the inQu Eitiou, where
the walls drew nearer together by one
holch each day The doors OF oppor-
'uhliy are gradually shut against him,
ana ms part IN the blessing of the
great world.
Inc one essential cure is a change
OF heart that leads TO a change OF
character 1t is to give your heart to
God, to c~nsecrate your whole being
TO MN, 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 so
many calls, but rejoice in the oppor-
tunity; search for opportunities as for
hid treasure. God loves the whole