Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-08

Cherith, until it's waters failed; and
then in the widows home at Jarep-
hath, right under the nose of Jez.
ebel's father, the priest-king of
Sidon.
Three years and six months had
gone by; then God spoke 81 Elijah.
Go shew yourself to Ahab." And
Immediately he obeyed.
Now there was in the palace of
Ahab strange companion. Oba-
diah was one OF those fellows who
tries to keep friends with every
body, be on both sides of the con.
troversy at once. He was a God.
fearing man in the wrong pew He
had shown his love for God tby feed
ing fifty men in a cave when Jez-
ebel had been hunting their lives.
That was very fine; but what about
his doing that at the very time he
was eating at Jezebel's table and
pretending to be the best of friends
with her?
That day he and Ahab started out
OH a mission-he was to take one
route and Ahab go in another, in
search of any spot of green grass or
water to prevent the balance of the
beasts from dying of starvation.
(Think of how these innocent beasts,
even, had to suffer for mans sinsD
In the way Elijah met Obadiah and
made himself known, commission
ing him to go and tell Ahab to meet
him at a certain time and place.
Obadiah's protest showed how re-
sentful Ahab was and how he hated
Elijah. But he finally yielded and
obeyed.
When Ahab met Elijah he accused
him of bringing all this trouble on
the nation. But Elijah placed the
responsibility back on his own sin
where it rightly belonged. And
Ahab did not dare refute it. Then
Elijah challenged Ahab to a contest.
He was to gather all Israel on top Of
Mount Carmel.
At the time appointed Elijah met
the king and people on Carmel-one
man against the whole nation! They
could have torn him limb from limb,
but he stood there before them UNI
afraid, because he stood in the pres
ence of God. He put to them this
question: How long are you going
to go limping between two opinions?
If Jehovah be God, serve Him; but II
Boal be God, then serve Him. Be
one thing or the other. Come clean,
on one side or. the other.
But the people answered him not
a world They couldn't. They had
already cast their lot too far on the
side Of Boal!
The Fire Test
Then he made them proposition,
There were $50 prophets of Boal
there and 400 prophets Of the groves
who fed at Jezebel's table. Let them
bring two bullocks. They would Kill
one and put it on the altar with WOOD
under it, but no fire. He would kill
the other and put it on the altar with
wood, but no fire; then the God that
answered by fire, let him be their
God To this the people readily
agreed. (The prophets don't appear
to have been consulted in the mat
ter; but they were in a trap ana hau
to accept iO. 1t was a fair test
Boal was the sungod. Surely II ne
could do anything he could produce
fire!
Elijah gave them the first go. Az
9 o'clock in the morning they hao
everything in readiness and began 10
cry to their god, 30, Baal, near us;
O, Baal, hear u.s." That Welrd wan
was heard hour after hour, out
there was no response. Nothing hap
nered. the dead bullock was putre-
fving under the blaze OF Syrian
sun. Just before noon they began
one of those dervish dances that are
part of the ritualistic worship or
heather deities. Circling around
with their heads down, running
towards the altar, then at each oth-
err. around and around, here, there
and yonder; now leaping up toward
the altar and falling backward ana
all the while crying. 20, Baal, near
us; O, Baal, hear u.s." But no re-
snonse-the carcass was only draw
At noon Elijah spoke: "Cry loud
or. for he is god. Perhaps ne Is
meditating, or talking to a friend
or he may have gone on a very spe
cial mission, or he may be asleeF
and must be walked up" But ms
humor, his sarcasm, only goade~
these priests on the more. They pc
can offering the bloody sacrifices.
cutting themselves with knives tnat
their own blood might be shed as an
offering to their god. Still there was
no response.
Now these priests were desperate
lv in earnest They were, no DOUBT
also thoroughly sincere. But SIN.
cerity and earnestness, Wnlle very
desira HE and necessary, are not all
sufficient They were wrong oecause
thew didn't have the proper OBJECT
81,
PRAYER is effective only where the
worshipper IS addressing the proper
person, only when the OBJECT is
worthy, not the subject
Marked Contrast
At 3 o'clock, the hour for the eve
ming sacrifice, no result OF their
PRAYER had been reached. They had
had most of the day; the sun is be-
ginning to go down; their Sun-god'
il he would have answered at all
would have done so already; so Eli
iah takes the situation in hand. 1t
is his so now.
He calls the people to come near.
He has no difficulty in getting a
crowd to obey that command; they
are filled with curiosity to see what
He is going to do. He first repaired
the altar-no doubt the very one
that Jezebel had had town down.
Taking twelve stones-one for each
of the tribes; in spite of the fact
that they were divided, Gods serV-
ant still thinks of them as one peo-
ple-he built the altar unto Jeho-
yah. Then he made a trench about
the altar and put wood in order on
the altar and cut the bulloch in
pieces and laid him on the wood.
Then to let them be assured that
there was no trickery in it he had
them fill four barrels with water
and pour the water on the wood
and the offering, once, twice, three
times-twelve barrels in all. until
the wood and offering and altar
were saturated and the trench filled
with water.
Then-oh the, simplicity and the
magnificence of the scene-this lone