The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-08-27
LESSON FOR AUGUST 20
GODS CARE OF ELIJAH.

GODS CARE or ELIJAH.
LESSON TEXT Kings I7:1-16.
GOLDEN TEXT-Casting all you anx-
!ety upon him. because he careth for you.
I Peter 81 r. v.
We now skip thirty to forty years
to consider the first of those great
prophets whose lives are recorded at
length. Samuel and David fought ami
mails. armies and giants, but these men
fought engagements in the moral and
spiritual realm of equal and greater
importance. Emphasize Elijah as q
real live flesh-anG-blood hero. His
work was with the northern kingdom
and he probably first met Ahab at Sa-
maria, his capital In 912 B. C. CT The
Moabite stone "a D. 1869 is a re-
'markable confirmation Of the Bible
story of this period.
!. The Challenge, v. 1. The lesson
Is a great illustration of faith. Sin
had again made vast inroads upon the
people (ch. 16:3O-33) and this man OF
the hour" whose name means "Jeho-
yah My Strength" a. saw the condi-
tons; (2) responded to the need. and
CD had faith in his cause because It
was that Of Jehovah. The source OF
his faith was the word Of the Lord
God (Deut. 11:18; 1920. He that
"nveth" and before whom the prophet
stood in daily. hourly communication.
Elijah was a man with a mission
Matt. 28:19) who trusted In God and
considered 1t safe to obey His power,
according to my word" was in ratio
according to his life Of faith from.
10:17). He was also a man vt prayer
James SID and showed his faith by
his works Games 2:17. 20. 26).
II. The Command, w. 2-7. Elijah's
faith was not audacious. He took each
step az commanded by God ". -.
There is a time for seeming retreat
as well as for the spectacular charge.
EEjah's first place OF testing was
"Cherith." a gorge to the east of the
river Jordan. This command was con-
trary to human reason. would it not
o be involved in his prophesied
drought"
Again, ravens frequently feed upon
carrion, and he knew all the regula-
tions regarding cleanness. Thus to be
secluded would prevent his observing
the effect OF the drought upon both
king and people. Still the command is
explicit. 1t was there" ". ~, and
there only, that Jehovah was to save.
The miracle of saving was to be
wrought under the most adverse cir
cumstances and by the most unlikely
means. $50 he went" Having faced
and at the proper time God also re.
vealed him (ch. 1912. It was q daily
testing for Elijah at Cherfth, thus to
be fed and to see the water evaporat-
Ing, but 1t was a time OF communion
and after the brook was dry there
came q new command wv. 8. 81. We
are often called to sit by and see dry
ing brooks but II we are in Gods way
he will attend to that. We do not
speculate on the 8 Of the ravens.
that the record Is "poetical language
or the "Orebites" (Arabians), but &C
cept the writer's plain intimation,
ravens. q common bird but a most In.
telligent one, especially when used
and directed OF God.
~. The Continued De~llverance, w.
e-16. Zarephath was Luke 1926 in
the dominions Of Jezebel's father. on
the coast Of the Mediterranean sea be-
tween Tyre and Sidon, a dangerous
journey for Elijah through Ahab's
kingdom (ch. 1910. The word Fare.
phath means smelling furnace" and
it too was suffering from this same
famine. Commanded to hide in Cherith
Elijah is told to dwell" in Zarephath
and that a widow was to be the agent
to supply his need. Again Elijah'a
pride had to be overcome for there
e abundant reasons for disliking
such a journey, such an abiding place
and such q dependence upon q poor
widow. Elijah. however, AROSE and
went" a continuance OF his life OF
obedience. He frst asked for water
and az she went he added his request
for food. 1t was q particular widow to
whom he was sent luke 4:25-27) and
through her God was ready to work q
miracle Of salvation on his behalf.
Though about to prepare what she
thought was to be her own and her
sons last meal ". 12), yet she at once
proceeds to obey the command. Of the
man Of God as It was conditioned upon
the word Of Jehovah ". 14). God,
through his prophets. has commanded
rs, given nj assurance and promised
to sustain (Phil. 4:19). vet we hest
tate. She went and did" the seem
ting impossible, but according to the
word OF command, and those OF her
house did eat many days. Obedience
saved her own, her sons and the
prophets lives. There ID sound philoso-
ply In Prov. 11:24 which found its
complete fulnllment in Jesus who
came not to be ministered unto but
20 minister" Read carefully Prov.
3:7-10 and II Cor. s:e-11. As with the
Israe1ites IN the wilderness the supply
was only from day to day ". 16) moth
fng ahsad. no accumulation, yet ! Der.
petual supply because based On .the
word 81 the Lord ". 1s).
God worked this miracle: III to up.
hold and 70 preserve HIS chosen mes.
senser for his great work IN Israel:
(1) "a show his loving Kindness and
eueeein1ng 9r1ce to the poor; (3) @
strehsthG the faith Or his prophet