The Raymer enterprise., 1915-08-26
INTERNATIONAL
SlINDAYSQlOOL
LESSON
IBy Q: z. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course OF the Moody
Bible Instliute.)
LESSON FOR AUGUST 20
GODS CARE OF ELIJAH.

LESSON TEXT Kings El-ls.
GOLDEN TEXT-casting all yoyr a,..
iety upon him. because he careth for you.
Peter III X. v.
We now skip thirty to forty years
to consider the first Of those great
prophets whose lives are recorded at
length. 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 a
real live flesh.andblood hero. His
work was with the northern kingdom
and he probably first met Ahab at Sa.
maria, his capital In sl2 B. c. % The
Moabite stone GA. ID. 1863 Is a re.
markable 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 tch. 16:30.33) and this man OF
the hour" whose name means "Jeho.
yah My Strength" a. saw the condi.
tions, t2) responded to the need, and
tsl had faith In his cause because IL
was that OF Jehovah. The source OF
his faith was the word OF the Lord
God iDeut. l1.l8; $500. He that
"Hyeth" and before whom the prophet
stood in daily. hourly communication.
Elijah was a man with a mission
Matt. 28.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.
10:17). He was also man OF prayer
James SID and showed his faith by
his works James 2:l7. 20. 26).
u. The Command, w. 2.7. Elijah's
faith was not audacious. He took each
step as commanded by God (v. ~.
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. 1t was there" ". a. and
there only. that Jehovah was To save.
The miracle OF saving was to be
wrought under the most adverse cir.
cumstances and by the most unlikely
means. so he went" Having faced
the peril. GOO hid him to preserve him,
and at the proper time God also re.
vealed him tch. 1913. 1t was a daily
testing for Elijah at Cherith, thus to
be fed and to see the water evaporat.
Ing, but 1t was time of communion
and after the brook was dry there
came new command wv. S, 81.
Ill. The Continued Dellverance, w.
Bis. Zarephath was luke 26J in
the dominions Of Jezebels father, on
the coast Of the Mediterranean sea be.
tween Tyre and Sidon. dangerous
journey for Elijah through Ahabs
kingdom teh. 1910. The word Zare.
phath means smelling furnace and
1t too was suffering from this same
famine. Commanded to hide in Cherith
Elijah is told TO dwell" in Zarephath
and that a widow was TO be the agent
TO supply his need. Again Elijahs
pride had to be overcome for there
were abundant reasons for disIiking
such a journey, such an abiding place
and such dependence upon a poor
widow. Elijah, however. arose and
went, continuance OF his life Of
obedience. He first asked for water
and as she went he added his request
Tor food. II was particular widow to
whom he was sent luke $3.50 and
through her God was ready TO work
miracle OF salvation on his behalf.
Though about to prepare what she
thought was TO be her own and her
sons last meal lv. l2l. yet she at once
proceeds to obey the command of the
man of God as ii was conditioned upon
the word of Jehovah ty. I4t God.
through his prophets. has commanded
us. given us assurance and promised
to sustain tPhil. 4;l9l, yet We hest.
tate. She went and did" the seem
lLg impossible, but according TO the
word 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. 11:24 which found its
complete fulfillment in Jesus who
came net to be ministered unto but
to minister" Read carefully Prov.
3:I-lJ and II Cor. 9.6-l1. As with the
lsraelites in the wilderness the supply
was only from day TO day ". lG) moth.
ng ahead, no accumulation, yet a Der.
petual supply because based on the
word Of the Lord" ". 1e1.
God worked this miracle: l) TO up.
hold and TO preserve his chosen mes
senger for his great work in Israel.
~ TO show his loving kindness and
sustaining grace to the poor; (3l to
strengthen the farh of his prophet