Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-07
In the Religious World

underlying and transcending all the
day-by-day developments, SO our pur-
pose in this lesson Is to interpret the
one plain and all-comprehending Issue
represented by the conflict between
Ahab and Elijah.
Apostate to the faith of his fathers.
completely under the sway of his
clever heathen wife, and loyal only to
selfish eXpediency. Ahab represented
the dominance OF Baal in Israel The
nation had deteriorated until it was
little different from its neighbors-
and to be like the neighbors was then,
as now. most persons idea of success.
What tragedies surround us all, or
lives meant to be distinctive and in
dividual, that have been ironed out
into, conventional sameness! God is
forever striving to help us be our own
best selves; and most of us are as
siduously endeavoring to be like the
crowd around us, even tho we have to
become worshippers of Baal or
Mammon.
To this state Isreal had sumpcd-
altho the profane histories seem to re-
prosperity. So Il nations soul may
shrivel While its body thrives. Elijah
, represented the remnant, which. as it
always is, was larger than even he
knew, of those who had not bowed the
knee to Baal. lie came out of the dcs-
ert as Jehovah's advocate. In the aus
tere life OF cave and tent he had unused
upon the glory and greatness of the
true God. His was a stern and un-
compromising theology. No court
preacher" he. Great and consuming
passion Tor God and the people filled
his soul. So he Joined issue with Baal-
worship, by flinging the vengeance of
dchovah into the teeth of the apostatc
king himself.
WILL A PROPHET COME?
Hcart-hungry almost to hopeless
ness. spiritually minded men and wom-
en- all around the world arc praying
for prophet to come. We have had
all kinds OF limitations, especially the
commercially minded. press-agcnted
evangelists, who attract more atten-
ton to themselves than to God. A
later substitute is interdenominati tional
organizations. which are going to save
the world by machinery and by mes
sages" addressed to rulers and gov
ernments. as If by new relation of
church and state the kingdom of
heaven is to come. Not by the or
ganized greatness OF religion and not
by multiplication of societies Is the
world to be saved. Better one Elijah
than a thousand of these pompous, ex-
pcnsivc and largely futile general or
ganizations of the churcnes.
When the prophet comes 1t may be
suddenly, unexpectedly. like Elijah. lie
will be man wanting nothing and
fearing nothing for himself He viii
have stern words of righteousness to
speak, as well as winning words of
love. Probably he will not find favor
with the great. but only opposition.
We may know him by his willingness
to suffer as well as 10 serve.
For Elijah, with tho freedom of
movement of a Bedouin unlmpeded by
possession. had to flee to the Brook
Chcrith, a stern and majestic ravino
leading into the Jordan near Jericho.
l remember 1t well, for there / was
once almost thrown from horse on
to tho rocks below. In his lonely cave
the reputed site of which is now a
monastery of the Greek Church-ElUah
was fed by tho ravens Of tho afr.
When the brook failed, he fled afoot
across the width of Isreal to Phocni-
shared with him her crust and cruise,
which thcnceforth farcd not while the
famine lasted. SO was hospitality re-
wardcd. Even more, the widows son
was restored to life by the wayfaring
guest. the man of God.
1t was hard. hard period for Ell
jah, and for Isreal. but II was part OF
the conflict whereby Jehovah was to
be vindicated as not merely tribal
deity who might be ignored in favor OF
another more fashionable. but as the
one supreme God, Lord over all. Is
racrs way back to true prosperity lay
thru loyalty to the God Of Abraham
and Moees.
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