The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-09-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
Lesson xI.-Third Quarter, For
Sept. IL, 1915. /
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Memory Verses, 9, 10-Geldsn Text,
Pa. XVI, 1o-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. q. M. Stearns.
"And Ahab told Jezebel all that Ell
jah had done.". She was. the ruling
spirit in the house of Ahab. the leader
In the worship Of Baal. and hadr4QOs
prophets eat at her own table (xvf. 81;
xviii. 19), and was one Of the most devil
controlled women that ever lived. NOW
she was indeed angry and swore to
have the life of Elijah within twenty
four hours xix, 1, p, and he fed for his
life from this, angry woman and came
to Beersheba, which means thelwellof
the oath and should have made him
think of the f%aittfu1ness Of the ever
lasting God (Gen. xxi. 31-34l This does
not look like the same Elijah who stood
so grandly with and for God on Mount
Carmel. but it is another evidence OF
the utter failure Of man apart From
God. as. the Lord Jesus said. Severed
from me We can do nothing 5t3ohn
XIV, 5, margin).
1t Is truly pitiful to see this, man OF
God in the wilderness. under this tree.
wanting to die; but the secret OF It
seems to be that he had begun to think
himself of some Importance and neces-
sary to God. Notice his thrice repeated.
Il. even / only. an left; remain a proph-
ct Of the Lord" xviii. %; xix, 10. H.
He evidently thought that the hundred
whom Obadiah saved were not worth
mentioning, ahd>he did, not know that
the Lord had 1000 who would not wor-
ship Baal xix. 49,. Self In any form,
even religious self. is very bad and A.
great hindrance. The only safe way Is.
Not l. but Christi mot I. but the
grace Of God" teal. ii. 20: I Cor. XIV. 16).
Even the apostles failed by seeking
greatness for themselves, SO we all
need Jer. xiv. 8. AS for God. he ts al
ways gracious and full Of compassiq@
for he knoweth our frame. he refhe9
bereth that we are dust Fps. GILL 8. 10.
14). Elijah had been through q great
strain. physical and mental. and was
simply worn out. The Lord pitied him
and gave him sleep and sent, aa angel
to prepare food for him and let him
sleep and eat twice. and in the strength
of that food he went forty days and
forty nights to Horeb. the Mount Of
God oversees 5-8l.
How wonderful is the food which
God provides. either for sou iorsb0dy.
We think Of the bread and fish by the
sea Of Galilee for the men who had
toiled all night and caught nothing
John XXI. 81 and Of the way he fed
Israel for forty years iHthe wilderness.
We shall see that this discouraged man
who wanted to die never did die. and
after some 900 years we see him alive
and well. with the only other two forty
day fasters in the Bible story, on the
mount Of TRANSPORTATION. Let all faint
and discouraged ones lopk up and see
Him who so tenderly careth for us.
and pitch us. and notices. whether
the way IS long or short. and just how
much strength we have. for He said
to Elijah by the angel. 1.-The journey is
too great for thee" verse n. There are
many thing too heavy and too painful
for US. but there is nothing too hard
for the Lord eek. xviii. IS: Numb. Il. 49,
Ps. lxxiii. 16; Jer. XVI II. 20. It may
not be easy for us to understand why
Elijah took that long journey to Horeb.
but when he reached there the word
Of the Lord came to him. saying, 4
What doest thou here. Elijah?" Verses
9. 49, Twice the question was asked
him. and twice he answered In the
same way. that he was jealous for the
Lord God of hosts. that Israel had
forsaken His covenant, that he was
the only prophet left. and that his life
was being sought verses 10. 14). That
he was the only prophet, If 1t had been
true, would seem to be q good reason
why he should have remained, and not
run away. Fear for his life does not
sound well from Elijah. The poor man
was evidently quite out of fellowship
with God. and much occupied with
himself.
The God who could rend the noun |
tains with a mighty wind, make the
earth to quake and send fire from
heaven oversees II, 12), was certainly
capable Of caring for His servant, and
It seems to US as If Elijah might hay
relied upon Him. It is not always His
way to do great and mighty things.
and what Elijah needed now was
quietness to hear the still small voice.
The golden text for this lesson has
been we'll chosen. Instead Of special
zeal and energy, which is often Of the
flesh. how often we need to be still.
stand still. sit still, rest in the Lord
and wait patiently for Him. The
Lords instructions to Elijah must have
been very humiliating to him: go, re-
turn on thy way, anoint Elisha
to be prophet in thy room.
have left me 1000 in Israel who have
not bowed unto Baal" oversees 15-1s)-
That looks ike a setting aside Of the