Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-03-18
A Sketch Of the Life Of Elijah

Of all the prophets of Israel. We know
nothing of his parentage. his name is
announced without father or mother,
without beginning of days or end Of
life. We only know he came from the
wild and mountainous land of Gilead.
In this wild region the people were exiles
and outlaws, but whether Elijah lived as
an exile or native among such people
we do not know. The fierce sun of the
Syrian heavens had bronzed his brow,
and he had battled with storms, and
traversed the wilderness till his frame
was like iron. His court dress was the
shaggy sheep skin mantle which had
been his covering day and night, in
storm and sunshine. among the noun
tains. His flowing locks gave him the
name of the hairy man, ''and attracted
the wondering gaze of the shepherds
and villagers, when seen striding with
wild and rapid pace, over the hills and
along the solitary footpaths. After
Moses, he was the one man who stamp
ed the imprint of his own strong charac-
ter most deeply upon the heart and
hopes of the Hebrew nation. Up to the
time of his strange flight into the desert,
he seemed to be the very incarnation of
courage, fire:and energy. No threat or
peril could put him in fear. His first
appearance. in the Bible, is when he
suddenly shows himself at Samaria, in
the ivory palace of Ahab, the apostate
king. While standing in the presence
of this startled monarch, with awful
countenance and uplfted hand, he
solemly swears by the living God, that
there shall be neither rain nor dew in
the land of Israel for years to come.
The suddenness, and audacity of this
declaration. secured momentary pro-
lection for the prophet. The startled
king did not recover his surprise to
order Elijah's arrest before he had dis
appeared and could no where be found.
1t is now we find him by the brook Cher
it'll in the wilderness; when the Lord
commanded him to flee from the wrath of
Ahab. Here the ravens fed him with food
from God, and the brook furnished water
for him, but after awhile, because of no
rain the brook dried up, and a great
famine came in the land Then the
Lord commanded him to go to the city of
Zarapath, for he had commanded widow
woman there to feed him. and this
same woman knew nothing of the true
and living God. She had been, and was
until now worshiper of idols, but
when Elijah came to her house, the Lord
performed miracle through him, that
of making handful of meal and little
oil last until the famine was over. She
was willing to accept the God of Elijah.
Her son grew sick and died, but Elijah
prayed to the Lord to let the child's
soul come back into him again, and the
Lord answered his prayer Then in the
third year the Lord told Elijah to go
and show himself to Ahab, and He would
send rain upon the earth. So Elijah
went; but before he could convince the
people that the Lord was God, he had
to order two affairs made and bullock
placed on each; one was for God, which
was one of the old affairs used before,
and Elijah placed into this twelve more
heavy stones, that represented the
twelve tribes of Israel; the other altar
was for Baal, the peoples God: then
each prayed for fire from Heaven, but
none fell on Baal's altar; yet when
Elijah prayed, fire decended and even
consumed the water that was in the
trench around the altar. But Jezebel,
the wife of Ahab, was a wicked woman
and threatened the life of Elijah, so
he had to flee second time to the will
derness. He sat down under the juni-
per tree, and being so discouraged and
weary, asked the Lord to let him die;
but this was wrong, for had not God
protected him before. and surely he
would not forsake him now. Due to his
WEAKNESS and fatigue, he fell asleep,
and an angel came and brought him
food, telling him to rise and eat, and
his strength and courage were renewed.
In this way the Lord strengthened him.
so that he was able to travel forty days
and forty nights, till he came to cave
in Mount Horeb, and there he lay down
and slept. Then the Lord spoke to him
concerning the children of Israel and
their unfulflled promise. and He told
Elijah to go back the way he had come
and annoint Elisha to be a prophet in his
place, because the time was drawing
near when the Lord would take him up
to Heaven. So Elijah did as God told
him. He found Elisha blowing in the field,
and placed his mantle on his shoulders.
and from then Elisha was the constant
servant and follower of Elijah. Now