The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-02-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson W.-First Quarter, For
Feb. 5, 1911
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, | Kings xvii, IFS.
Memory Verses, 14-16-Golden Text,
Ps. xxxiv, 1o-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. N. Stearns.
The first sentence of our lesson tells
us all we know Of the parentage OF
Elijah. He comes before us us sud-
denly as meteor and disappears
when his work is done in way that
no one else ever did before or since.
Enoch also was translated without
dying, but we read of no whirlwind or
horses and cllariots of fire. FUjah was
honored to stand with the Lord Jesus
and with Moses on the Mount of Trans
figuration. and Jesus said Of him.
Elijah truly shall first come and re-
store all things" adding that he had
already come in the person of John
the Baptist. but they knew him not
and i'll treated him Matt. xvii, 3: ri.
13,. Therefore we conclude that John
the Baptist, who came in the spirit
and power of Elijah. was to the first
coming Of Christ what the real Elijah
will be to His coming in glory to set
up His kingdom. When some who
will be more wicked than Ahab and
Jezebel shall be showing the power Of
the devil. then Elijah and compan-
ion shall be the Lords two witnesses
in Jerusalem Rev. ri, 3-1H.
His name means my God is Jah."
and one has said that he is the grand
est and most romantic character that
Israel ever produced. His one mis-
sion was to bring apostate Israel back
to Jehovah the true God He was
nurtured in lonely communion with
God, away from the pollutins court
amidst his native wilds (Fausseh.
His first utterance is. 1.-THE Lord God
Of Israel liveth, before whom I
Kings iii. IA We think of Gabriel's
testimony. Il am Gabriel that stands
in the presence of God" luke i. 19.
and he it was who said that the son
Of Zacharias should 90 in the spirit
and power of Elijah. Israel had been
faithfully warned that if they turned
aside to serve other gods and worship
them the Lord would shut Mp the
heaven that there be no rain (Deut
XII 16. Ia, so that Elijah's PRAYER that
it should not rain JAS. V. 10 was
simply 4 prayer that God would do rs
He said and make good His word and
show Himself as the living and true
God, for if He failed to fulfill His
threat the people would think it an
idle tale.
Elijah could say, Tn the Lord have
1 Righteousness and strength" 81 rest
on Thee, and in Thy name I CO. Osa
he WAS not afraid to meet Ahab or to
deliver his message This being done.
he receives two distinct messages
from the Lord telling him where to So
journ for the next three years. and
first he is told to hide himself by the
brook Cherith and is assured that the
ravens would feed him there He did
just as he was told. and the Lord fed
him with bread and flesh by means Of
the ravens morning and evening. and
he drank of the brook. So we'll did the
Lord hide him that he could not be
found by nation or kingdom xviii. 1Ol.
If we obey Matt. vi. 33. we may count
on its fulfillment. but we must be in
no nj ry-fo rs, ovl-
the word there" in verse 4. The
word here translated raven" is used
ten times and in each place refers to a
bird so called. The Lord Jesus in
dorsed the Elijah story duke iv.
1926, and If any part of it had been
not just as recorded He would surely
have told us. These lonely days at
Cherith make us think Of Joseph in
Egypt rs prisoner, or Moses in
MILAN, or John the Baptist in the
wilderness, or Paul in Arabia Moth
ing can take the place Of being alone
with God. Then we must learn to
wait patiently Gods time and find our
rest and joy in Himself If His gifts
seem to fail US, like the brook that
dried up. He has some other way. He
cannot fail; He abideth faithful.
He has promised never to try us be-
yond our ability to bear it II Cor. X.
49,, and in due time He ordered His
faithful servant to another place Of
sojourn, but what an unlikely place it
was as we see things-the home of a
poor widow who had no food in the
house but handful Of meal and lit
tie oil. Elijah found her gathering
sticks with which to make. as she
thought, her last cake, and then she
expected that she and her son would
die (verse ~. But by giving her all
to the Lords servant, as the lad did
his lOaves and fishes, several were fed
for many days, and the meal wasted
not, neither did the cruise of Oil fail
Verse 16l.
From our lesson it would seem that
the prophet was sent to the widow
that she might sustain him (verse 81,
while from the record in Luke iy. 25.
26, it appears that Elijah was sent to
the widow that she might be sustain
ed Well, i. worked both ways. and
the widow was sustained by her Civ
Ing her all to the Lord. No doubt He
also cared we'll for that other widow
who cast all her living into the treas
ury. God was also glorified in this
Sarepta home by the raising to life Of
the widows son. thus Strengthening
her faith in the God of Elijah. &C
eording to verse "a. "Now. By this /