prophets and kings-第19部分

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〃If　thou　wilt　not　hearken　unto　the　voice　of　the　Lord　thy　God；　to　observe　to　do　all　His　commandments　and　His　statutes；〃　the　Israelites　had　been　warned；　〃thy　heaven　that　is　over　thy　head　shall　be　brass；　and　the　earth　that　is　under　thee　shall　be　iron。　The　Lord　shall　make　the　rain　of　thy　land　powder　and　dust：　from　heaven　shall　it　come　down　upon　thee；　until　thou　be　destroyed。〃　Deuteronomy　28：15；　23；24。

These　were　among　the　wise　counsels　of　Jehovah　to　ancient　Israel。　〃Lay　up　these　My　words　in　your　heart　and　in　your　soul；〃　He　had　commanded　His　chosen　people；　〃and　bind　them　for　a　sign　upon　your　hand；　that　they　may　be　as　frontlets　between　your　eyes。　And　ye　shall　teach　them　your　children；　speaking　of　them　when　thou　sittest　in　thine　house；

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and　when　thou　walkest　by　the　way；　when　thou　liest　down；　and　when　thou　risest　up。〃　Deuteronomy　11：18；　19。　Plain　were　these　commands；　yet　as　the　centuries　passed；　and　generation　after　generation　lost　sight　of　the　provision　made　for　their　spiritual　welfare；　the　ruinous　influences　of　apostasy　threatened　to　sweep　aside　every　barrier　of　divine　grace。

Thus　it　had　come　to　pass　that　God　was　now　visiting　His　people　with　the　severest　of　His　judgments。　The　prediction　of　Elijah　was　meeting　with　terrible　fulfillment。　For　three　years　the　messenger　of　woe　was　sought　for　in　city　after　city　and　nation　after　nation。　At　the　mandate　of　Ahab；　many　rulers　had　given　their　oath　of　honor　that　the　strange　prophet　could　not　be　found　in　their　dominions。　Yet　the　search　was　continued；　for　Jezebel　and　the　prophets　of　Baal　hated　Elijah　with　a　deadly　hatred；　and　they　spared　no　effort　to　bring　him　within　reach　of　their　power。　And　still　there　was　no　rain。

At　last；　〃after　many　days；〃　the　word　of　the　Lord　came　to　Elijah；　〃Go；　show　thyself　unto　Ahab；　and　I　will　send　rain　upon　the　earth。〃

In　obedience　to　the　command；　〃Elijah　went　to　show　himself　unto　Ahab。〃　About　the　time　that　the　prophet　set　forth　on　his　journey　to　Samaria；　Ahab　had　proposed　to　Obadiah；　the　governor　of　his　household；　that　they　make　thorough　search　for　springs　and　brooks　of　water；　in　the　hope　of　finding　pasture　for　their　starving　flocks　and　herds。　Even　in　the　royal　court　the　effect　of　the　long…continued　drought　was　keenly　felt。　The　king；　deeply　concerned　over　the　outlook　for　his　household；　decided　to　unite　personally　with　his　servant　in　a　search　for　some　favored　spots　where

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pasture　might　be　had。　〃So　they　divided　the　land　between　them　to　pass　throughout　it：　Ahab　went　one　way　by　himself；　and　Obadiah　went　another　way　by　himself。〃

〃As　Obadiah　was　in　the　way；　behold；　Elijah　met　him：　and　he　knew　him；　and　fell　on　his　face；　and　said；　Art　thou　that　my　lord　Elijah？〃

During　the　apostasy　of　Israel；　Obadiah　had　remained　faithful。　His　master；　the　king；　had　been　unable　to　turn　him　from　his　allegiance　to　the　living　God。　Now　he　was　honored　with　a　commission　from　Elijah；　who　said；　〃Go；　tell　thy　lord；　Behold；　Elijah　is　here。〃

Greatly　terrified；　Obadiah　exclaimed；　〃What　have　I　sinned；　that　thou　wouldest　deliver　thy　servant　into　the　hand　of　Ahab；　to　slay　me？〃　To　take　such　a　message　as　this　to　Ahab　was　to　court　certain　death。　〃As　the　Lord　thy　God　liveth；〃　he　explained　to　the　prophet；　〃there　is　no　nation　or　kingdom；　whither　my　lord　hath　not　sent　to　seek　thee：　and　when　they　said；　He　is　not　there；　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　pass；　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。〃

Earnestly　Obadiah　pleaded　with　the　prophet　not　to　urge　him。　〃I　thy　servant；〃　he　urged；　〃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　an　hundred　men　of　the　Lord's　prophets　by　fifty　in　a　cave；　and　fed　them

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with　bread　and　water？　And　now　thou　sayest；　Go；　tell　thy　lord；　Behold；　Elijah　is　here：　and　he　shall　slay　me。〃

With　a　solemn　oath　Elijah　promised　Obadiah　that　the　errand　should　not　be　in　vain。　〃As　the　Lord　of　hosts　liveth；　before　whom　I　stand；〃　he　declared；　〃I　will　surely　show　myself　unto　him　today。〃　Thus　assured；　〃Obadiah　went　to　meet　Ahab；　and　told　him。〃

In　astonishment　mingled　with　terror　the　king　listened　to　the　message　from　the　man　whom　he　feared　and　hated；　and　for　whom　he　had　sought　so　untiringly。　Well　he　knew　that　Elijah　would　not　endanger　his　life　merely　for　the　sake　of　meeting　him。　Could　it　be　possible　that　the　prophet　was　about　to　utter　another　woe　against　Israel？　The　king's　heart　was　seized　with　dread。　He　remembered　the　withered　arm　of　Jeroboam。　Ahab　could　not　avoid　obeying　the　summons；　neither　dared　he　lift　up　his　hand　against　the　messenger　of　God。　And　so；　accompanied　by　a　bodyguard　of　soldiers；　the　trembling　monarch　went　to　meet　the　prophet。

The　king　and　the　prophet　stand　face　to　face。　Though　Ahab　is　filled　with　passionate　hatred；　yet　in　the　presence　of　Elijah　he　seems　unmanned；　powerless。　In　his　first　faltering　words；　〃Art　thou　he　that　troubleth　Israel？〃　he　unconsciously　reveals　the　inmost　feelings　of　his　heart。　Ahab　knew　that　it　was　by　the　word　of　God　that　the　heavens　had　become　as　brass；　yet　he　sought　to　cast　upon　the　prophet　the　blame　for　the　heavy　judgments　resting　on　the　land。

It　is　natural　for　the　wrongdoer　to　hold　the　messengers　of　God　responsible　for　the　calamities　that　come　as　the　sure　result　of　a　departure　from　the　way　of　righteousness。　Those

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who　place　themselves　in　Satan's　power　are　unable　to　see　things　as　God　sees　them。　When　the　mirror　of　truth　is　held　up　before　them；　they　become　indignant　at　the　thought　of　receiving　reproof。　Blinded　by　sin；　they　refuse　to　repent；　they　feel　that　God's　servants　have　turned　against　them　and　are　worthy　of　severest　censure。

Standing　in　conscious　innocence　before　Ahab；　Elijah　makes　no　attempt　to　excuse　himself　or　to　flatter　the　king。　Nor　does　he　seek　to　evade　the　king's　wrath　by　the　good　news　that　the　drought　is　almost　over。　He　has　no　apology　to　offer。　Indignant；　and　jealous　for　the　honor　of　God；　he　casts　back　the　imputation　of　Ahab；　fearlessly　declaring　to　the　king　that　it　is　his　sins；　and　the　sins　of　his　fathers；　that　have　brought　upon　Israel　this　terrible　calamity。　〃I　have　not　troubled　Israel；〃　Elijah　boldly　asserts；　〃but　thou；　and　thy　father's　house；　in　that　ye　have　forsaken　the　commandments　of　the　Lord；　and　thou　hast　followed　Baalim。〃

Today　there　is　need　of　the　voice　of　stern　rebuke；　for　grievous　sins　have　separated　the　people　from　God。　Infidelity　is　fast　becoming　fashionable。　〃We　will　not　have　this　man　to　reign　over　us；〃　is　the　language　of　thousands。　Luke　19：14。　The　smooth　sermons　so　often　preached　make　no　lasting　impression；　the　trumpet　does　not　give　a　certain　sound。　Men　are　not　cut　to　the　heart　by　the　plain；　sharp　truths　of　God's　word。

There　are　many　professed　Christians　who；　if　they　should　express　their　real　feelings；　would　say；　What　need　is　there　of　speaking　so　plainly？　They　might　as　well　ask；　Why　need　John　the　Baptist　have　said　to　the　Pharisees；　〃O　generation　of　vipers；　who　hath　warned　you　to　flee　from　the　wrath　to

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come？〃　Luke　3：7。　Why　need　he　have　provoked　the　anger　of　Herodias　by　telling　Herod　that　it　was　unlawful　for　him　to　live　with　his　brother's　wife？　The　forerunner　of　Christ　lost　his　life　by　his　plain　speaking。　Why　could　he　not　have　moved　along　without　incurring　the　displeasure　of　those　who　were　living　in　sin？

So　men　who　should　be　standing　as　faithful　guardians　of　God's　law　have　argued；　till　policy　has　taken　the　place　of　faithfulness；　and　sin　is　allowed　to　go　unreproved。　When　will　the　voice　of　faithful　rebuke　be　heard　once　more　in　the　church？

〃Thou　art　the　man。〃　2　Samuel　12：7。　Words　as　unmistakably　plain　as　these　spoken　by　Nathan　to　David　are　seldom　heard　in　the　pulpits　of　today；　seldom　seen　in　the　public　press。　If　they　were　not　so　rare；　we　should　see　more　of　the　power　of　God　revealed　among　men。　The　Lord's　messengers　should　not　complain　that　their　efforts　are　without　fruit　until　they　repent　of　their　own　love　of　approbation　and　their　desire　to　please　men；　which　leads　them　to　suppress　truth。

Those　ministers　who　are　men　pleasers；　who　cry；　Peace；　peace；　when　God　has　not　spoken　peace；　might　well　humble　their　hearts　before　God；　asking　pardon　for　their　insincerity　and　their　lack　of　moral　courage。　It　is　not　from　love　for　their　neighbor　that　they　smooth　down　the　message　entrusted　to　them；　but　because　they　are　self…indulgent　and　ease…loving。　True　love　seeks　first　the　honor　of　God　and　the　salvation　of　souls。　Those　who　have　this　love　will　not　evade　the　truth　to　save　themselves　from　the　unpleasant　results　of　plain　speaking。　When　souls　are　in　peril；　God's　ministers　will　not

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consider　self；　but　will　speak　the　word　given　them　to　speak；　refusing　to　excuse　or　palliate　evil。

Would　that　every　minister　might　realize　the　sacredness　of　his　office　and　the　holiness　of　his　work；　and　show　the　courage　that　Elijah　showed！　As　divinely　appointed　messengers；　ministers　are　in　a　position　of　awful　responsibility。　They　are　to　〃reprove；　rebuke；　exhort　will　all　long…suffering。〃　2　Timothy　4：2。　In　Christ's　stead　they　are　to　labor　as　stewards　of　the　mysteries　of　heaven；　encouraging　the　obedient　and　warning　the　disobedient。　With　them　worldly　policy　is　to　have　no　weight。　Never　are　they　to　swerve　from　the　path　in　which　Jesus　has　bidden　them　walk。　They　are　to　go　forward　in　faith；　remembering　that　they　are　surrounded　by　a　cloud　of　witnesses。　They　are　not　to　speak　their　own　words；　but　words　which　One　greater　than　the　potentates　of　earth　has　bidden　them　speak。　Their　message　is　to　be；　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord。〃　God　calls　for　men　like　Elijah；　Nathan；　and　John　the　Baptistmen　who　will　bear　His　message　with　faithfulness；　regardless　of　the　consequences；　men　who　will　speak　the　truth　bravely；　though　it　call　for　the　sacrifice　of　all　they　have。

God　cannot　use　men　who；　in　time　of　peril；　when　the　strength；　courage；　and　influence　of　all　are　needed；　are　afraid　to　take　a　firm　stand　for　the　righ