The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-08-27

We now skip thirty to forty years /
10 consider the first Of those great f.
prophets whose lives are recorded at
ength. 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
real live fesh-and.blOod hero. His
work was with the northern kingdom
and he probably first met Ahab at Sa.
maria. his capital In 9l2 b. c. 90 The
Moab.te stone "a. d. 1868 is re.
markabie confirmation of the Bible
story of this period.
!. The Challenge, v. I. 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.
'ah My Strength" % saw the condi.
tions: (2) responded to the need. and
(3) had faith in his cause because it
was that OF Jehovah. The source OF
his faith was the word OF the Lord
God Deut. HIS; 32:20). lie that
"liveth" and before whom the prophet
stood in daily, hourly communication.
Elijah was a man with mission
Matt. 2S:l9) 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 (Rom
l0:1D. He was also man Of prayer
James $40 and showed his faith By
his works James 2:17. 20, 26).
II. The Command, w. 2.7. Eliiaht
faith was not audacious. lie took each
step as commanded by God ". p
There is time for seeming retreat
as well as for the spectacular charge
Elijah's first place of testing was
"Cherith." gorge to the east Of the
river Jordan. This command was con
trary to human reason. Would 1t not
soon 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. II was there" w. ~. and
| there only. that Jehovah was to save,
| The miracle Of saving was to be
wrought under the most adverse cir
eumstances and by the most unlikely
means. so he went" Having faced
the peril, God hid him to preserve him,
and at the proper time God also re-
vealed him (ch. 1913. 1t was daily
testing for Elijah at Chsrith, thus to
| be fed and to see the water eyaporat
Ing. but it was time OF communion
and after the brook was dry there
came a new command wv. S, ~.
III. The Continued Dellveranee, w
Bic. Zarephath was Luke 426l in
the dominions OF Jezebels father, on
the coast OF the Mediterranean sea be
tween Tyre and Sidon, dangerous
tourney for Elijah through Ahabs
kingdom (ch. 1910. The word Zare
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 widow was to be the ngent
TO supply his need. Again Elijah's
pride had to be overcome for there
were abundant reasons for disliking
such n journey, such an abiding place
and such a dependence upon poor
widow. Elijah, however, arose and
went" continuance OF his life of
obedience. lie first asked for water
and as she went he added his request
for food. It was a particular widow 10
whom he was sent luke 4:25-27) and
through her God was ready 10 work a
miracle OF salvation on his behalf.
Though about to prepare what she
thought was to be her own and her
sons last meal ". l2), yet she at once
proceeds TO obey the command Of the
man OF God as II was conditioned upon
the word of Jehovah ". l4. God
through his prophets. has commanded
us, given US assurance and promised
20 sustain (phil. 4:l9), yet We hest.
tate. she went and did" the seem
ing impossible, but according TO the
wCrd OF command. and those OF her
house did eat many days" Obedience
saved her own, her sons and the
prophets lives. There is sound philoso-
ply in Prov. ll:24 which found its
complete fulhllment In Jesus who
came not to be ministeTed unto but
TO minister" Read carefully Prov.
1910 and II Cor. 9:6-lt. AS with the
lsraelites ia the wilderness the supply
was only from day to day ". l6) moth.
Ing ahead. no accumulation, yet a per-
petual supply because based on the
word OF the Lord" ". lb).
God worked this miracle: % to up
hold and to preserve his chosen mes
senger for his great work In Israel /;
(2) to show his loving kindness and
sustaining grace to the poor; (3) to
strengthen the faith OF his prophet
against his spectacular conflict on Mt
Carmel; (4 to the end that he might
show Israel and all others down
through the ages a great object lesson
of his sustaining grace and providence
The widows tive mites" are filling
church treasures today. and Mary's
box OF ointment has filed all Christen