Heroes of Israel Part 37

297 (--79C). What solemn procession was held? How was the glory of the Lord shown? Read carefully the prayer of Solomon and see that it is reverent and trustful. What is his great hope that G.o.d will do for the people when they pray? We are quite sure that G.o.d will do that. Read I John 1:9.

298 (--79D). Who p.r.o.nounced the benediction upon the people? What does he feel that G.o.d has done for them? What does he hope that G.o.d will do for them?

299 (--80A). This is one of the stories showing the fame of Solomon.

Sheba was in Arabia. Note how much information the story gives us of the products of those times. Tell the story of the visit.

300 (--80B). What does the story tell us finally of Solomon's wealth and wisdom?

WRITTEN REVIEW

Recall the lines about the Duke of Wellington and write them in your notebook. Find out if there is any man in your own state of whom that would be true. Find someone in politics or business or in one of the professions who has been more anxious to do his duty than for anything else and to whom reward has come. Write an account of it.

TWO PROPHETS

XXVIII. ELIJAH, THE CHAMPION OF PURE RELIGION

XXIX. ELIJAH, THE CHAMPION OF JUSTICE

x.x.x. ELISHA, THE HEALER AND COUNSELOR

XXVIII. ELIJAH, THE CHAMPION OF PURE RELIGION

THE STORY

=--81. Elijah and the Drought= (I Kings 16:30-17:24)

A. THE STARTLING PROPHECY

Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pa.s.s, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and wors.h.i.+pped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab did yet more to provoke the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead, said unto Ahab, "As the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."

B. ELIJAH AT THE BROOK

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there."

So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pa.s.s after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

C. THE WIDOW'S CAKE

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."

So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow woman was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."

And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."

And she said, "As the Lord thy G.o.d liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in the barrel, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

And Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, 'The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.'"

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

D. THE WIDOW'S SON

And it came to pa.s.s after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, "O thou man of G.o.d? thou art come unto me to bring my sin to my remembrance, and to slay my son!"

And he said unto her, "Give me thy son."

And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord, and said. "O Lord my G.o.d, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?" And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord my G.o.d, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again."

And the Lord hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, "See, thy son liveth."

And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that thou art a man of G.o.d, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth."

=--82. Elijah's Victory= (I Kings 18:1-46)

A. THE SEARCH FOR PASTURAGE

And it came to pa.s.s after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth." And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab.

And the famine was sore in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly: for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab said unto Obadiah, "Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find gra.s.s and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts."

So they divided the land between them to pa.s.s throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

B. ELIJAH'S CHALLENGE TO THE KING

And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is it thou, my lord Elijah?"

And he answered him, "It is I: go, tell thy lord, 'Behold, Elijah is here.'"

And he said, "Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As the Lord thy G.o.d liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, 'Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.' And it shall come to pa.s.s, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou sayest, 'Go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah is here': and he shall slay me."

And Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day."