Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-09-08
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, l Kings XIX, g.
IL. Memory Verses, 8, 10-GOiden
Text, Ps. XVI, l0-COmmentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.

In the worship OF Baal. and had 400
prophets eat at her own table xvi, 81;
xviii. 10l. 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, l, y, and he lied for his
life from this angry woman and came
10 Beersheba, which means the we'll OF
the oath and should have made him
think of the faithfulness OF the ever
lasting God teen. xxi. 31-34l. This does
not look like the same Elijah who stood
SO grandly with and for God on Mount
Carmel. but ii Is another evidence OF
the utter failure of man apart from
God. as the Lord Jesus said. Severed
from me We can do nothing John
XIV. 5. marginl
1t is truly pitiful to see this man OF
God in the wilderness. under this tree.
wanting TO die; but the secret OF 1t
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. am left; remain proph-
ct OF the Lord xviii. %; xix, 10. IA.
He evidently thought that the hundred
whom Obadiah saved were not worth
mentioning, and 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 |, but Christ" Not l. but the
grace of God" tGal. ii, 20; Cor. XIV. 10I.
Even the apostles failed by seeking
greatness for themselves. so we all
need Jer. xiv. 3. AS for God. he is al
ways gracious and full e compassion.
for he knoweth our frame. he remem-
bereth that we are dust FPS. ciii. 8. 13,
IA. Elijah had been through Il great
strain, physical and mental. and was
simply worn out The Lord pitied him
and gave him sleep and sent an 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 So.
How wonderful is the food which
God provides, either for soul or body
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. ~ and Of the way He fed
Israel for forty years in the 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 look up and see
Him who so tenderly careth for us.
and pitieth 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. "the journey is
too great for thee" verse y. There are
many thing too heavy and too painful
for us, but there is nothing too hard
for the Lord eek. xviii. IS; Numb XII, IA:
Ps. lxxiii, 10; Jer. xxxvi. II. %. 1t 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,
What doest thou here. Elijah" VERSES
8, 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 it had been
true, would seem to be a 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 IL, ~, was certainly
capable of caring for His servant, and
It seems to us as II Elijah might have
relied upon Am. 1t is not always His
way TO do great and mighty things,
and what Elijah needed now was
quietness to hear the still small voice.
ne kOlutu ltAt IOT luh lesson udb
been well 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 walt 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 Baar' verses 1919.
That looks like setting aside Of the
man who had been so grand for God.
There are certain people whom God
cannot use-the fearful or the self In
dulgent, as I'm the case OF Gideon's
army. or the self important, as In this
lesson. He looks for the weak and
empty ones, the things that are nought
with which TO bring to nought the
things that are. When he wants
man He knows where to find him, as