The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-25
SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
!.
Lesson Ix!-Third Quarter, For
Aug. g, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

loxr OF tne LESSON Mugs XVIII .I-tos
Memory Verses, 14-16-Goldsn Text,
Peter v, documentary Prepared
by Rev. q. M. stsarns.
We have had q sample Of the kings
bad and good and are not asked by the
committee to consider the life of an
other king until the end Of October.
We have heard the Lords message
through several prophets, and now we
are to have seven lessons on Elijah
and Elisha, two Of the greatest Of the
prophets, both Of whom, as well as
Jonah, are mentioned by name by the
Lord Jesus Guke Nv, 25-2f: Matt. xii.
39-41). He spoke Of Daniel also by
name and said Of all the true prophets
that it was foolish not to believe all
they said Matt. xiv, 10; Luke xiv.
%, 81, A; Acts lii, 21). There We're
false prophets whom God never sent
as we'll as bad kings Ger. xiii. 16, q,
25, 26), but a true prophet was the
Lords messenger with the Lords mes
sage alag. /. 13). This is our first JIM
PRODUCTION to Elijah, whose name sig
nifes Jehovah is my God" and his
watchword is 1.-The Lord God Of Israel
liveth, before whom I stand" Verse 1
and chapter xviii, 15). We are remind
ed of the angels reply to Zacharia's
How shall 1 know" in Luke I, 18,
10, II am Gabriel, that stand in the
presence Of God" and also of Paurs
words in Acts xvii, %, "There stood
by me the angel Of God. whose / am
and whom I serve" .s
A true man Of God. has to do only
with God-take orders from Him only
and look to Him alone for supplies.
Our Lord mentions the three and a
half years without rain, and James
says that 1t was in answer to the
earnest prayer Of Elijah, although he
! was O nan subject to like passions as
we are duke ~, %; Jas. v, II, 3D.
The reason Of his prayer is found IN
the fact that Israel had become dess
| perately wicked, and as to Ahab it's
written Of him that he did evil in the
sight Of the, Lord above all that were
before him Il Kings xvi, 30-33). Then
in the law of Moses it was written
that If Israel sinned God would, among
other things, make the heaven as iron
or brass LEV. XVI, 10; Deut xviii.
23). Elijah therefore. in his Jealousy:
for the honor Of Jehovah, asked God,
to fulfill His threat in this matter that
Israel might be brought to repentance
That Elijah might be out Of the way
of the wrath Of Ahab the Lord sent
!, him for q time to hide himself BY the
brook Cherith. Contrast Get thee
hence and hide myself" with go shew
myself" xvii. g.; xviii, y, The man
Of God has no say, no choice, but, sim
ply to obey.
II Colds to be seer and glorifed self
must be out of sight. It. must be
Not l, but Christi "Not /, but the
grace of Cod ga. ii. 20; I Cor. XIV,
10y. When the Lord sends US He will
provide all that we need In his own
way, and when He shall ask us at
the end Of the journey, Lacked ;ye
anything?" we shall. no doubt, be, able
to answer as did the disciples, Moth
ing duke xii, 35). In this case Eli
jah's food was to be water from the
brook and bread and flesh brought to
him every morning and evening by
ravens, real, literal blackbirds, such
as the one Noah sent out Of the arb.
| No other Interpretation Of ravens Will
stand. Notice that the Lord told Elijah
where to go and then said, II have
commanded the ravens to feed thee
there" To know the Lords care we
must be where the Lord wants u.s.
Strength and. gladness are in His
place" Il Chron. xvi 20. but II we are
not in His place for US we may miss
the strength and gladness. Both Eli
jah and the ravens were obedient to
the word of the Lord, and this Is all
that is required Of us. After awhile
the brook dried up (verse y, and some
day Elijah may tell US If he had any
anxiety as he saw the brook growing
less and less-probably not
If any who read this see their brook
drying up, let them remember the
Lord God Of Elijah and Deut. XXI, 8;
Phil. iv, 10. By the word Of the Lord.
he is now commanded to 60 to the
home of a widow in Zaraphath or Sa-
repta, who has been commanded to
sustain him, and on his arrival there
he finds the widow gathering sticks
with which to prepare her last meal for
her son and herself, for she assured
Elijah that she had no provisions In
the house, but q handful Of meal and a
little oil. Now make this as literally
real as you can and say how you would
feel with such a prospect But Elijah
had the word Of the Lord to rest upon
and he boldly assured her that there
was no cause to fear, and that there
would always be meal In the barrel
and oil in the cruise, and so 1t came to
pass according to the word Of the Lord,
which He spake by Elijah. and she and
he and her house did eat many days.
or 90 In rho margin. a full wear oversees