Evening star., 1922-01-07
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

be added unto you.-Matt.. $50.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
Emerson says that God once in a
hundred years or SO creates a great
man and then breaks that mold for
ever" Elijah. the Tishbite. who sud
denly and abruptly appeared in the
palace Of the King Of Israel. was one
of Gods great men. No other man
impressed himself upon the history OF
the Hebrew people as the rugged
prophet, who surprised Ahab by his
lightning-like appearance and by his
bold message predicting the coming
of a famine that would last for three
and a half years. Immediately he dis
appeared after having revealed the
secret Of his courage and the source
made up OF the two Hebrew words
for deity. meaning that Jehovah Is
my God, indicates the power OF this
rugged mountaineer. who had OBJ
served the nations danger and re-
sponded to the call of God to stand
for Righteousness in the presence OF
the corrupt court.
nation when he left the life of a
shepherd on the hills of Gilead and
started upon his glorious record as
prophet of God. During the sixty
years that had passed since the re-
volt of Jeroboam Israel had been GO
ing upon the downward grade. Its
history had been a sad record of ter
rcr. assassination, suicide and civil
war. due to the practice of idolatrous
worship during the reign of eight
kings. who represented five dynasties
Ahab, who had succeeded his father
Omri. restored peace. He promoted
internal prosperity and opened up
commercial relations with other ma
tions. He followed his success as
military leader by extensive building
operations that encouraged liberal
arts and gratif1ed the tastes of the
court and nobility for splendor and
luxury to an unheard-of extent. While
there had been a development OF po-
litical power and social life, there
had been continuous and rapid re-
generacy which almost destroyed the
old faith.
The low level Of the spiritual life
OF the nation can be traced to the
alliance which AhAb made with the
King. Of Zidon: 1t resulted in his
marriage to Jezebel. one of the
was like many modern soldiers and SER
wants Of the state who let. ,he ie..s.ous
life and love Of their households to
their wives, whose labors for christ
and charity have filled many of them
with joy even when the checks have
been large. The influence OIL Jezeoei
resulted in Ahab's becoming a moral
degenerate. In the hands of the am
bilious and unscrupulous queen he
became her tool in introducing the
worship Of Baal. who was the god of
agriculture. Tie ceremonies at the
so-called temples Of Jehovah. who
had guided Israel during their no.
madic life in the wilderness. and
those of Baal became very similar.
The deification of lust in the worship
OF Astoreth under governmental ap-
proval spread rapidly over the nation
like a moral pestilence.
The prophets who had dared to
lift up their voices agains the sins
of the court and country were
hunted down and slain because Of
the fanatical opposition OF Jezeoel
to the worship of Jehovah During
the revolt OF Jeroboam and before
gressive religious leaders in both the
north and south. The priests Of the
sanctuaries Of Judah and Israel were
conservative as class. 1t was
the voice of the prophets. whose
championship OF the rights OF me me
division and they alone were the
Champions of freedom and leaders
against all forms OF autocratic pow
er. This had made them unpopular
with the militaristic parties, who had
no sympathy with the prophets re-
iigious ideals, which curbed their au-
thority. The prophets refused to be-
come subject to their control. The
military leaders sympathiZed with
Jezebel in her efforts to crush the
prophets power and voice.
It was at this hour that Elijah
stepped into the public
arena. HIS picturesque appearance,
clad in a simple tunic and with a
sheepskin mantle tied around him,
as is still the custom Of the poorest,
BY a leathern girdle or belt. and fast
ened, it is likely, with the thorn OF
think of him as a fanatic" But when
after several months had passed with
out any sea mists or rain. then the
drought with it's attended famine re-
yealed to all thinking men that the
nation was being divinely punisheo q
in accordance with the preoictlon oi
Elijah, who had disappeared as mys-
teriously, as he had appeared. Jeze-
hel. who started the first religious
persecution in history, could not nno
the prophet
in response to the word OF Coo mao
hid in the brook Cherith. The heroic
soul SOU - did not enjoy the solitude OF
the lonely rayine but oh.yss it was tha the pi Or
vine command and while hiding in
one of the many caverns that can be
found in the dark and deep cut gorges
Of Palestine, Elijah was protected
from the hostile searching parties and
FED ed by the providence Of the ever
living God. While we cannot identity
the exact location Of the brook Che-
rith. vet the characteristics of lime
stone gorge are familiar to many.
who have not seen any Of the several
possible ravines. like the one that
the traveller passes upon his way from
to Jericho and the Jordan
A Greek monastery marks the tradi-
tional place. There. men, who are TO
be punished are sent by their eccie-
siastic superiors. 1t was not PUNISH
ment for the prophet to be alone. for
RESCUE MISSION.