Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-09-09

HE
Elijah's great victory over the
prophets of Baal which resulted In
their determination is followed by a
most notable prayer service on the
top Of Mount Carmel (~1S:42-45). So
confident was the prophet that at the
arising Of "a little cloud" he hastily
summoned the feasting king and urges
his departure to his home, that the
rain stop thee not" The God whom
Elijah had honored SO signally that
day laid his hand upon the prophet
(18:46) 80 that he was able to outrun
the kings horses to the entrance Of
Jezreel. There he is met by a mes
senger of the wicked queen (19:2)
who had been the protector and pro-
wider of the slain prophets. Getting
his eyes off Of God and seeing only a
vile and wicked woman Elijah not
only ran for his life out of Ahab's do
mains but also went a days journey
into the wilderness" to the protecting
shade of a juniper tree ". ~.
|. The Discouraged Prophet, w.
48. Old and young, great and small.
we all have u periods of discourage
ment and frequently despair. Chris
tian's encounter with Giant Despair
appeals to us all for 1t is so true to
life. At Carmel, Elijah controlled the
king; In his palace at Jezreel, Jezebel
soon shattered his good resolutions,
II he had any. We must recall that
1t was her prophets Elijah had de-
stroyed. There is a suggestion in the
fact that Elijah did moi enter her
presence (1S:46). Yonder in the will
derness, his Gethsemane. Elijah
prayed a vastly different sort Of
prayer than upon Mount Carmel.
Jezebel is still in power. Heathenism
is not overthrow, his efforts had been
but trying to dam Niagara with bull
rushes."
No one who has ever heard the ora
torio Elijah" sung will ever forget
the bitter agony of ut is enough"
The prophet who alone had been ex-
allied to the heights was alone capable
to sounding such a depth Of human
despair. The sources of his discour-
agement were his physical condition,
his loneliness, inactivity, mental
ton and a feeling that his cause was
lost.
History is lined with similar expert
ences in the lives of the leaders of
men. Elijah's experience under the
juniper. tree came chiefly from repre-
senting feelings as though they were
facts.
Gods first remedy was to feed his
fainting servant and then give him a
task to perform, viz, a journey to
Mount Horeb Mount of Cod, for God
loved him just as truly now as pre-
viously at Carmel. In this new
strength Elijah went forty days" ".
8; | Pet. 2:2).
u. The Encouraging God, w. s.13.
Gods second remedy was to give
Elijah his word though this time It
suggested reproof. What doest thou
here?' Elijah is out Of place. In re-
ply he begins to rehearse his loyalty
to God, and how bad the others were
and then in seeming petulance he
adds, land they seek my life" II
only" are the words of the selfish man
and when Elijah used them he too
was a backslidden servant. It is true
that there was great apostasy In Israel
but the prophet was far from being
the only true servant remaining. (See
1874; 20:13; 22:35, Al; 22:S). This
is a favorite way the Evil One has for
paralyzing our efforts. There is no
evidence but that the 1000 were as
brave, certainly at that moment more
so, than Elijah. God then continued
his treatment by, giving the prophet
a vision of himself and of his meth.
DDS for advancing his kingdom. A
series Of symbols made the truth
palmer and more impressive than
words alone could possibly have
done. Leaving the protecting cave
Elijah first met a wind which rent
the mountains" a type Of Elijah's past
activity. This was not Gods chief
power nor method. The mighty wind
which destroys is as nothing com.
pared to the silent forces which ere.
ate.
1t is not always the cyclonic fire
and earthquake men and women who
WELD the greatest power and influ.
ence. We are told that man never
feels so abjectly helpless as In an
earthquake. "but the Lord was not in
the earthquake" ". ~. After the
earthquake a fire" ". 12). and that
had been Gods symbol on Mount Car.
mel. Men who crave such visible evi.
dences Of power frequently ignore
those more silent but none the less
effective forms Of ministry as sug-
gested by the still small voice." or
literally, "a sound Of gentle stiffness"
". 12). Stirring revivals are neces- |
sary. even as Ahab needed rain upon
his parched land. but the silent prog
ress OF a religious life Is not soon
passed over for 1t goes on In the pow.
err of an endless life. After these
symbols God again asks his search.
ing question: What doest thou here,
He had had his lesson; now
It is time for him to do something.
~. The Result, w t4-ts. As a SOW.
remedy God now sets before
Elijah three definite tasks to perform.
Elijah still speaks Of his faithfulness
rs though the ucces Of The Cause
depended upon him. The man who
assumes that attitude in the work. Of
Gods kingdom will, like Elijah, soon
be- set aside. Elijah's first task was
% avoid Israel and go to Damascus
md "anoint"-set apart for special
service-Hazael ~. 10, who was to
be the instrument Of furnishing Israel.
His next task was to find Jehu, the