The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-08-25
SCHOOL.
Lesson K.-Third Quarter, For
Aug. 20, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES


Memory Verses, i4-16-GoIden Text,
Peter v, 7-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
We have had 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 we'll as
Jonah, are mentioned by name by the
Lord Jesus duke iv, 1927; Matt. xii.
39-4D. 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, Al; Acts iii, 21. There were
false prophets whom God never sent,
as well as bad kings DER xiii, 16, 81,
%, 26), but a true prophet was the
Lords messenger with the Lords mes
sage alag. i, 49,. This is our first in
PRODUCTION to Elijah, whose name sig
nifies Jehovah is my God" and his
watchword is 1.-The Lord God of Israel
Hveth, before whom 1 stand" Verse 1
and chapter xviii, 15). We are remind
ed of the angels reply to Zacharia's
How shall 1 know?" in Luke /, IS,
10, st am Gabriel, that stand in the
presence of God" and also of PauTs
words in Acts xvii, %, There stood
by me the angel of God, whose 1 am
and whom serve"
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 it was in answer to the
earnest prayer of Elijah, although he
was q man subject to like passions as
we are duke iv, %; Jas. V, IL, 49,.
The reason of his prayer is found in
the fact that Israel had become des-
perately wicked, and as to Ahab it Is
written of him that he did evil in the
sight of the Lord above all that were
before him q 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 lLev. 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 a time to hide himself by the
brook Cherith. Contrast Get thee
hence and hide thyself' with go shew
myself" xvii, 8; xviii, u. The man
of God has no say, no choice, but sim
ply to obey.
If God is to be seen and glorified self
must be out of sight 1t must be
mot /, but Christ" mot 1, but the
grace of God" gal. ii, 20; 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 We
anything?" we shall, no doubt, be able
to answer as did the disciples, Moth
ing" Duke xxi, 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 ark
No other Interpretation of ravens viii
stand. Notice that the Lord told Elijah
where to go and then said, Il have
commanded the ravens to feed thee
there" To know the Lords care we
must be where the Lord wants us
Strength and gladness are in His
place" q Chron. xvi, 20, but If we are
not in His place for us we may miss
/
jah and the ravens were obedient t
the word of the Lord, and this is al
that is required Of us. After awhile
the brook dried up Verse a, and some
day Elijah may tell us If he had AM
anxiety as he saw the brook growing
less and less-prObably not
If any who read this see their brool
drying up, let them remember the
Lord God of Elijah and Deut. XXI, 8
Phil iv, 10. BY the word of the Lore
he is now commanded to go to tn,
home of a widow in Zaraphath or Sa
repta, who has been commanded t.
sustain him, and on his arrival Their
he finds the widow gathering stick
with which to prepare her last meal TO
her son and herself, for she assured
Elijah that she had no provisions il
the house, but handful of meal and ;
little oil. Now make this as LITERAL,
real as you can and say how you would
feel with such a prospect. But Elijal
had the word of the Lord to rest upoI
and he boldly assured her that Their,
was no cause to fear, and that Their,
} would always be meal in the barre
, and oil in the cruise and so 1t came I,
pass according to the word of the Lord
which He spake by Elijah. and she anC
he and her house did eat many days
or as In the margin. full year (verse
1916. 1t was simple and somewha
monotonous fare-meal and oil. oil ant
meal-but we do not hear of any on
: complaining. The story of the dealt
! and resurrection of the widows son II
the rest Of our lesson chapter is tn
[ first Of the kind in the Bible, and ha
many suggestive and practical lessons
: Let us lay It to heart and note vers
"a and trust the Lord to use us to Civ
Hfe to many. Note a similar even
In II Kings ", 32-37. by the hands o
Elisha and consider the three resur
rections by the Lord Jesus and Sc
{ Phil. iii. TO-