Evening star., 1922-01-21
NY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

ny REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
Last week our lesson revealed
Elijah. conouering king. priests ana
people In a contest that ended win
tho conversion of a nation to Je-
hoyah. This week reveals him as
man overcome by a spirit Of despond"
ency. Idolatry was crushed by the
prophets victory on Carmel. out tne
power Of Baalism was not destroyed.
Like many modern revivals' II START
ed but did not complete the religious
life of the converts, who professea
faith in Jehovah as God. In the
Masters great commission ne out
lined three steps in the development
of the Christian life-conversion.
confession and conformation. 20 20
more difficult to secure right NE
than 1t is to start people on the right
way. The stalwart champion or re-
form had to learn this lesson In tne
school of bitter disappointment.
When the contest with the prophets
Of Baal was ended. the prophet pour
ed out his soul in PRAYER Tor ram.
With the appearance of the coming
showers that would break the drought
and restore prosperity to Israel. Eli
jah made a record marathon race "
Jezreel. He paced the fifteen miles
that both Jezebel and the capital
city would acknowledge the suprem-
acy of Jehovah Immediately upon
their learning of the details OF the
dramatic contest upon Carmel. IN
stead Of repenting and renouncing
only to arouse Jezebers religious
fanaticism and savage temper. Ihe
prophet was not prepared for that de-
ccision. which reached him with the
queens threat to take his life WITHIN
twenty-four hours. He had exhaust
ed his physical and nervous strength.
so he fed for his life until he got
beyond her influence and power
/. We ought not to condemn the proph-
ct because he tried to save his ilie'
for Jesus taught His disciples "hen
,Persecuted in one city to fee to an
stayed at Jezreel. faced the angry
rJezebel and fought another battle
without directions as to his duty. he
FASTENED to Beersheba. ninety-nve
ant, who was probably Jonah, the son
Of the widow of Zarephath. Driven
by dread, the disappointed prophet
went another days journey into the
wilderness Of Paran, where: beneath
clouds Of red blossoms. Elijah suf-
fered a complete collapse. He was
physically, mentally, nervously and
spiritually exhausted by the strains
OF the conflict, the journey to Jezreel,
the shock Of Disappointment and MS
ly unnerved. he begged to die.
The cry Of despair was due to the
influence Of his bodily condition upon
his mind and of his mental condition
upon his soul. He thought that he
was a failure. He saw only the dark
dependency Elijah reveals that he
was "a man of like passion with us"
whom God had called to do His work.
The glory of Christianity is that our
Lord can use those whose lives have
been marred by disabilities of sin to
triumphs. like those of Christian
service, were due to the spirit of
God. In that lonely hour he needed
the presence of a sympathetic
friend to help him see his work from
a proper perspective. so that he
is ever destroyed by a single blow
and that a WE'LL intrenched wrong is
never abolished in single day.
When the prophet called for death,
God drew near to cure his despondent
servant by means of rest. refresh-
ment and recall to spiritual service
that awaited his return to duty.
Gods method of treatment of the
despairing prophet points out the way
we can best aid those who are de-
pressed because they have neglected
some Of the laws Of nature. Not
single word of reproof was admins
tered to. Elijah. He was not given
advice. The messenger of God went
to the root of his trouble and COM
menoed to correct it. He was physi--
cally exhausted. therefore he needed
restoration by giving him restful
sleep that builds up body like, the
coral insects lift the islands Of the
sea in silence and darkness. The
petulant prophet was hungry. SO he
fed him.
When the causes of his despond-
ency had been removed, the prophet
was brought to Horeb, the mountain
Of God, for divine revelation that
would complete the cure of his spir-
itual ills and At him to return to Gods
Elijah to the site where God had re-
vealed Himself unto Moses. The cura..
tive effects Of nature. under the bless
ings Of the messenger OF God, had pre-
pared the prophet tor a revelation of
Jehovah in that historic environment.
The vision brought a recall to the line
Of duty.
when Elijah reached the cave,
where. possibly, Moses had stood CEN
turies before, the prophet experienced
the strangest manifestations of ma
ture, that helped him answer the Ques-
tion OF Jehovah. What doest thou
here, Elijah?" When the storm swept
with it's wind: when the earth shook
with the movement of the earth
quake and falling Of the rocks. and
when the flames Of fire leaped upward,
the prophets stern soul was delighted.
The storm, earthquake and fire did
not contain the revelation which he
needed. After these came "a sound
OF gentle Stiffness" which the prophet
recognized as the presence of God, SO
'she Wrapt his face in his mantle. went
ont and stood in the entrance" where
he heard his recall to duty.
Life is intrusted TO US for service.
Elijah was not doing. but moaning.
The prophet had reached the end of
his human resources. He had forgot
ten in a moment of peril to seek the
will of the Lord. He had fed when
he was panick,stricken, but God had
Taught him a lesson on Sinai that the
world and the Church of the Lord
Iesus has been slow 20 learn, viz, that
the silent, invisible forces are the
miehtiest. When we grasp the power
az Tie invisible and silent forces that