Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-09-10
INTERNATIONAL 4
SUNDNS0lOOL'
LESSON
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER l.
ELIJAH's FLIGHT AND RETURN
(By o, Z. SELLERS, Acting Director o
the Sunday School Course of the Mood.
Bible Institute)

| LESSON TEXT Kings 19:S-Bl (Real
entire chapter).
GOLDEN Textile still and know tina
am God. Ps. 46:l0.
Elijah's great victory over th
| prophets of Baal which resulted A.
their determination is followed by L
most notable prayer service on TIL
top Of Mount Carmel (1S:42-45). 81
confident was the prophet that at tn
arising of "a little cloud" he hastilJ
summoned the feasting king and urge
his departure to his home, that thY
rain stop thee not" The God whon
Elijah had honored so signally tina
day laid his hand upon the prophei
| l1846) so that he was able to outru4
the kings horses to the entrance Of
Jezreel There he Is met by a mes
senger of the wicked queen (19:2R
who had been the protector and pro
WIDER of the slain prophets. Gettin
his eyes off Of God and seeing only y
vile and wicked woman Elijah No
only ran for his life out of Ahab's dc
mains but also went a days journe
into the wilderness" to the protectin
shade of juniper tree ". A..
!. The Discouraged Prophet, W
4-s. Old and young, great and small
we all have Our periods of discourage
ment and frequently despair ChriE
tian's encounter with Giant Despas
appeals to us all for it is so true =
life. At Carmel, Elijah controlled TIL
king; In his palace at Jezreel, Jezebs
soon shattered his good resolutiond
II he had any. We must recall this
1t was her prophets Elijah had do
stroyed. There is a suggestion in thu
fact that Elijah did not enter he
presence (18:46). Yonder in the WI
derness, his Gethsemane, Elij(s
prayed q vastly different sort
prayer than upon Mount CarmF
Jezebel is still in power. Heathenis#
Is not overthrown, his efforts had be-
but trying to dam Niagara with b
PUSHES"
No one who has ever heard the OF
torio Elijah" sung will ever forg
the bitter agony of st is enough
The prophet who alone had been e.
allied to the heights was alone capab
to sounding such a depth Of hums
| despair. The sources of his discou
agement were his physical cenditics
his loneliness, inactivity, mental rec
ton and feeling that his cause W.
lost.
Gods first remedy was to feed hs
fainting servant and then give him
task to perform, viz, a journey
Mount Horeb Mount of Cod, for GSs
loved him just as truly now as Pr
viously at Carmel. In this ne
strength Elijah went forty days" G
8; Pet. 2:2). ~
II. The Encouraging God, w. eli
Gods second remedy was to gsi
Elijah his word though this timei Il.
suggested reproof What doest th)e
here?" Elijah Is out of place. In b
ply he begins to rehearse his loyal
to God. and how bad the others WEI
and then in seeming petulance
adds, "and they seek my life."
only" are the words Of the selfish mt
and when Elijah used them he tt |
was backslidden servant. It is trr
that there was great apostasy in Isra
but the prophet was far from beifl
the only true servant remaining (St'
1874; 20:13; 22:35, Al; 22:S). TIL
is favorite way the Evil One has II
paralyzing our efforts. There is j
evidence but that the 1000 we're 4
brave, certainly at that moment MOI
So than Elijah. God then continue
his treatment by giving the prophl
vision of himself and of his met
DDS for advancing his kingdom
series of symbols made the trut
palmer and more impressive thsl
words alone could possibly hay
done. Leaving the protecting ca
Elijah first met wind which re
the mountains" type of Elijah's pa 4
activity. This was not Gods chfY
| power nor method. The mighty viii
| which destroys is as nothing COZ
| pared to the silent forces which CT
ate.
III. The Result, w 1918. AS SCI
ereign remedy God now sets befoI
Elijah three definite tasks to perforA
Elijah still speaks of his faithfulnea
as though the success of The Caus
depended upon him. The man VII
assumes that attitude in the work Il
Gods kingdom win, like Elijah, soy
be set aside. Elijah's first task VIZ
to avoid Israel and go to Damascs.
and "anoint"-set apart for spscii
service-Hazael ". III. who was
be the instrument of Furnishing Israa
His next task was to end Jehu, II
commander in chief of Ahab's arm
and set him aside to be the king, q.
Immediately but to be in training &
that office.
Elijah's work is now not that Of a.
and wind, but of the "still sms
voice" To others Is delegated ty
more spectacular tasks which thes
typify.
In thio commodities, ~ r7N xhcso . n