Part 10

There were four hundred prophets, as they called themselves, who worshipped Baal, and only one real prophet who worshipped the Lord God. This prophet was named Elijah. He called all the people to a high mountain, and said they should see who was the true God. He said he would build one altar, and that the four hundred prophets should build another; they should each offer a sacrifice, and each should pray to his god, and the God that sent fire to burn the sacrifice would be the true God.

The prophets of Baal tried first. They built their altar and put wood on it, and killed a bullock and cut it up, and they prayed to their god Baal to send fire down. But he was no god--he was nothing at all; and though they cried and shouted, and leaped about, and even cut their own flesh in their rage, not a spark of fire came.

Then Elijah made his sacrifice. And he did a strange thing; for he had water poured all over it, till all the wood was streaming wet--and you know water always put out fire--so how was it ever to be burnt? He even made a trench round, and filled that with water too. Then he knelt down, and prayed that the Lord God in heaven would show His power, and make the people know that no one else was God.

And down from heaven came the fire! It was not stopped by the water! No, it dried that up in a moment, and burnt the wood, and consumed the sacrifice! And all the Israelites fell on their faces, and cried out, "The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God!" For only the Lord God is Almighty, and can do wonders.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the prophet we read of to-day? 2. What wicked thing were the Israelites doing? 3. What is the First Commandment? 4. What was the name of the false god? 5. How many prophets were there for Baal? 6. Who only spoke up for the true God? 7. What did Elijah say they would try? 8. How would they know which was the real God? 9. What happened when Baal's people prayed to him? 10. Why did not Baal send them any fire? 11. What did Elijah do to his sacrifice? 12. Whom did he pray to? 13. What came down from heaven? 14. What became of all the water that Elijah had poured out? 15. Why did not the water stop the fire? 16. What did all the people cry out? 17. What word in the Belief means that God can do everything?

SECOND READING.

"A still small voice."--_1 Kings 19:12._

AFTER the Israelites had called out, "The Lord, He is the God!" and owned that Baal was nothing but an idol, God had mercy on them, and sent them rain again; and their famine was over.

But King Ahab's wife, whose name was Jezebel, was a heathen woman, and she would worship Baal, and did not choose to believe in the true God. And she was very angry with Elijah, and sent men out everywhere to put him to death. Elijah was obliged to flee far away for fear of her; and he went out into the wilderness, and sat down under a juniper tree; and there he was so sad, to think that all he had done was of no use, that he requested for himself that he might die, for he could do no more good with these wicked people.

Then he went to sleep; and when he woke an angel was by him, with a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water; and the angel bade him rise and eat, for the journey was too great for him.

It was a great journey, for he was to go all the way to the Mount of God, where God had spoken to Moses. And there he stood in a cave; and a voice came and asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Then he told how the Israelites had forsaken their God, and killed the prophets, and "I, even I only, am left," he said; "and they seek my life to take it away." Then God showed him His wonders.

First a great strong wind came rushing by--but the Lord was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, that broke the rocks in pieces--but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire--but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small Voice.

Then Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle, and stood in the entrance of the cave, to hear what God would say to him. And God told him he was not all alone, as he thought; for there were many good men still left who had never bowed the knee to Baal, nor deserted the God of their fathers. And God sent him back to return to his work among the people of Israel, and not to think that there was no hope because he could not see it; nor to think he was left alone because he had no friends near him that he could see.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long was there no rain in the land of Israel? 2. Why was there no rain? 3. Who told the Israelites of their wickedness? 4. What wonder showed who was the real God? 5. What did the Israelites cry out? 6. Who was the Israelite king? 7. Who was Ahab's wicked wife? 8. What did she want to do to Elijah? 9. Where did Elijah flee to? 10. Who came to feed him? 11. Where did he go? 12. What had been given on the Mount of God? 13. What was said to Elijah? 14. Why was Elijah so sad?

THIRD READING.

"He laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread."--_1 Kings 21:4._

YOU learn in the Catechism to say, "Thou shalt not covet." Coveting means wishing very much for what we ought not to have; and God tells us not to covet, because all faults begin in bad wishes. Now you shall hear what shocking sin one wish led to.

King Ahab had a grand garden, and he wanted to make it bigger; but the next piece of ground belonged to a poor man named Naboth. Ahab asked Naboth to sell him his ground; but Naboth said it had come to him from his father, and must go to his son, and he could not sell it. Then Ahab coveted, and lay on his bed and would not eat--caring for nothing but the bit of ground he could not get.

Now Ahab had a cruel, wicked wife; and when she saw her husband grieving about Naboth's ground she was determined to get it for him. So she had two very bad men set on to say that poor Naboth had been wicked, and must be put to death.

They bore false witness against him, and broke the Ninth Commandment when they did so; and then, worst of all, this poor innocent man was really put to death for the crime he had never done--and that was murder, which breaks the Sixth Commandment. Then Jezebel called Ahab, and told him he might go and take possession of the ground that he wanted: there was nobody to hinder him. But he never had any pleasure in it.

When he went to it, there stood God's great Prophet Elijah, ready to meet him. And Elijah told him how very angry God was with him and with Jezebel, and that they should be terribly punished for their cruel behavior to this innocent man. Then Ahab was sorry, and wept and grieved for the cruel thing that had been done; but all his sorrow could not bring Naboth back to life again. And oh! how grieved he must have been that he had not kept his wishes in order!--for almost all our faults begin in a wish.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the king we hear of to-day? 2. Who is the bad queen? 3. Who is the poor man? 4. What did Ahab want? 5. Why should not Naboth let Ahab have the ground? 6. How did Ahab behave when he could not get the ground? 7. Who said he should have it? 8. How did Jezebel get Naboth put to death? 9. Who met Ahab? 10. What did Elijah tell him? 11. What had Ahab done wrong? 12. What Commandment tells you not to covet? 13. What is coveting? 14. What Commandment tells us not to tell untrue things of other people? 15. Say the Ninth Commandment. 16. What Commandment was broken by putting Naboth to death? 17. How many Commandments were broken?

Twenty-eighth Sunday.

_ELIJAH AND ELISHA._

FIRST READING.

"A certain man drew a bow at a venture."--_1 Kings 22:34._

WHEN Ahab had let Naboth be stoned that he might get his vineyard, the Prophet Elijah said that Ahab would be greatly punished, and that where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood there they would lick up Ahab's; and that cruel Jezebel should be eaten up by dogs, so that no one could say, This is Jezebel.

Some time after, Ahab went out to fight a battle. He was afraid, because his conscience troubled him, and he thought he should be safer if he did not go out to fight dressed like a king, for he knew the enemies would all come and try to kill him if they saw him in his robes. But he dressed only like a common captain, and thought they would take no notice, and he would be safe. He forgot that if the enemy did not know him God knew him, and that God could see it was Ahab just as well in his common dress as in his robes and crown.

So a man drew his bow, not shooting at anybody in particular; but God's will guided the arrow, and it wounded Ahab so badly that he desired to be taken out of the battle, and he died before he could be carried home. His chariot was full of his blood, and his servants washed it in the place where Naboth had been stoned to death; and the wild hungry dogs came and licked up the blood, just as they had licked up Naboth's blood. So you see no hiding could get away from God.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God say was to happen to Ahab? 2. What was to happen to Jezebel? 3. What did Ahab go out to do? 4. How did he dress himself? 5. Why did not Ahab dress like a king? 6. From whom did he want to hide? 7. But who knew him all the time? 8. How was he wounded? 9. Did the man mean to hit Ahab? 10. How came Ahab to be hit? 11. What was done with him? 12. Where was his chariot washed? 13. What licked up his blood? 14. Who had said the dogs should lick his blood? 15. Why? 16. Why did Ahab let Naboth be killed? 17. Who was angry with Ahab? 18. Can we hide from God's anger?

SECOND READING.

"My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."--_2 Kings 2:12._

THE time had come when God was about to call away His great Prophet Elijah. And it was not as other men are taken from this earth, by dying and being buried, while their souls go away to the God who gave them. No; Elijah went out and visited all the schools, where young men and boys were being trained to sing God's praise; and Elisha, who was his scholar and his friend, went with him.

When they came to the bank of the river Jordan, Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the waters of the stream with it, and they parted, and left a way for Elijah and Elisha to go over dry-footed. Then Elijah said, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me."

And while they were talking together, there came a great wonder from heaven: a chariot and horses, all bright and glowing like fire; and Elijah was parted from his friend, and went up into heaven upon a whirlwind. Elisha stood watching, crying out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof;" as if he knew not what he said. And Elijah, as he went up, threw down his mantle; and Elisha took it up and went his way, much wondering, and full of awe.

And when he came to the river Jordan, he took the mantle, rolled up, and smote the waters, and they parted again, so that he went through with dry feet. And when the young men in the school of the prophets met him, they saw in his face and manner that the same Spirit which had been on Elijah was on him, and they bowed themselves before him.

Only one other man was ever taken up to heaven without dying, and he was Enoch, who lived before the Flood. Our blessed Lord ascended into Heaven; but He went up, He was not taken, and it was after He had died and risen again.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Elijah? 2. Who was his friend? 3. Where did they go together? 4. How did they get across the river? 5. What did Elisha ask? 6. What appeared to them? 7. What happened to Elijah? 8. What did he let fall? 9. Who was to be prophet in his stead? 10. What did Elisha cry out? 11. What did he do with Elijah's mantle? 12. What other man was taken up like this? 13. When did Enoch live? 14. Who only ascended into heaven?

THIRD READING.

"It is well."--_2 Kings 4:26._

ELISHA was the prophet for Israel instead of Elijah. Now there was a good woman who saw him go by, and she said she would make a little room for him by the wall of her house, and put in a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a lamp, so that he could go and rest there whenever he pleased. When Elisha saw it he was pleased, and told her that if she wished for anything very much he would pray God to give it to her. She answered that she dwelt among her own people, and wanted for nothing. But she had no child; and Elisha prayed for her, and God blessed her for her kindness to His servant, and by-and-by she had a son.

But when he had grown into a boy, he went into the fields with his father to see the harvest, and the heat of the sun struck on his head so that he cried out, "My head, my head!" And his father said, "Carry him to his mother." But she could do him no good; he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

She did not stop to weep; she had her ass saddled, and rode away to seek for the man of God. And by-and-by she met him on the way, and she knelt down before him and held him by his feet. Then he knew how it was, and he bade his servant Gehazi take his staff, and hasten on, and never rest till he had laid it on the child's face. Gehazi did so, but there was no voice nor any answer. So he went back and met his master, and said, "The child is not awaked."

Then Elisha came in, and found the child lying dead on his own bed. Then he stretched himself on the boy, and prayed to God that the soul might come back to the little one. And at last God granted the prayer, and the child's flesh grew warm; and Elisha prayed again, and the child sneezed seven times as his breath came back, and he opened his eyes! Then the mother was called, and the child was given back to her; and she bowed herself to the ground, and gave thanks to God and His prophet.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was prophet instead of Elijah? 2. What had become of Elijah? 3. Who made a room for Elisha? 4. What did she put in it? 5. What joy did God give to her? 6. What great grief? 7. What caused the boy's death? 8. What did his mother do? 9. What order did Elisha give? 10. Could Gehazi do anything? 11. What did Elisha do? 12. How did God show His mercy? 13. How did the mother thank God?

Twenty-ninth Sunday.

_ELISHA'S MIRACLES._

FIRST READING.

"Wash and be clean."--_2 Kings 5:13._

THERE was a poor little girl who was stolen away from her own home in Israel by Syrian soldiers, and carried far from her mother and friends, to be a slave. It must have been very sad and lonely; but God lets nothing happen but for good, and so this poor little captive maid did great good. Her master was named Naaman. He was the captain of the army--brave and strong; but he fell ill of a disease that no doctor could cure, and which would go on getting worse till he would die of it.

The little maid was sorry for him; and though she was all alone in a heathen land, she had not forgotten about God and His prophets, and she told her mistress that at home, in Israel, there was a prophet who could cure her master by God's power.

So Naaman set out in his chariot, and came to the prophet's door. He thought the prophet would come out, and strike his hand over the place, and cure him directly--all the more because he was such a great man. But, instead of that, the prophet sent out word to him that he was to wash seven times in the River Jordan, and he would be well.

This made Naaman very angry. He thought the bathing in Jordan would do no good, and that the prophet made light of him; and he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants persuaded him. They said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?"

Naaman was wise enough to listen to them. He did go and wash in the River Jordan, as the prophet bade him; and God gave the water the power to make him quite well again. Then he came back and thanked the prophet, and said he would never pray to any god again but to the One true God, who had healed him.

So you see the little maid did great good to her master, both to his body and his soul, because she was good, and remembered her God, even when she was far away from home.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the great captain we hear of to-day? 2. What was the matter with him? 3. Whom did Naaman go to to cure him? 4. From whom did he hear about the prophet? 5. How came the little maid into Naaman's house? 6. Who made the prophet able to cure people? 7. Had Naaman been brought up to worship God? 8. What did he expect the prophet to do to him? 9. What did the prophet tell him to do? 10. Why did he not like this? 11. Who persuaded him to try? 12. What did they say he would have been ready to do? 13. Don't we sometimes wish to do something grand, rather than just what we are told? 14. But what have we got to do? 15. What came of Naaman doing as he was told? 16. To whom did Naaman say he should always pray?

SECOND READING.

"They that be with us are more than they that be with them."--_2 Kings 6:16._

THE great enemies of the kings of Israel were the Syrians, who lived at Damascus; but whenever the Syrians made a plan to come and fight with the Israelites, God made it known to the Prophet Elisha; and he told King Joram, so that the Israelite soldiers were always ready before hand to fight with the Syrians. The king of Syria began to think one of his own men must tell Joram; but they said it was the Prophet Elisha who told the king of Israel what was said in the most secret chamber of the king of Syria. Then the Syrians sent an army of men to take Elisha at Dothan, and kill him.

They came by night, and when Elisha's servant looked out in the morning, he saw horses and chariots all round the place. He was afraid, and cried out "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" But Elisha said to him, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And he prayed that the young man's eyes might be opened that he might see: and so they were--to see the whole mountain round about full of chariots of fire and horses of fire; many, many more than the Syrians had, and all come to take care of Elisha.

And God made the Syrians unable to see that Elisha was before them, and he led them all the way to Samaria, and put them before King Joram as his prisoners. Joram wanted to put them to death, but Elisha would not let him, and they were all sent safe home, and did not come back as enemies for a long time. And we know that, though we cannot see them, God's angels are still in great armies encamped all round about those who fear Him, to deliver them.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who were the enemies of the kings of Israel? 2. Who always told the plans of the Syrians? 3. How did Elisha know? 4. What did the king of Syria want to do? 5. When did his army come? 6. Who was frightened? 7. What did Elisha say? 8. Who were those who were with them? 9. Who are always round about those who fear God? 10. Why, then, need we never be afraid? 11. What happened to these Syrians? 12. But were they killed? 13. Why not?

THIRD READING.

"This day is a day of good tidings.--_2 Kings 7:9._

IF King Joram had been good he would have had no troubles; but he would let his mother Jezebel worship her false gods, so God sent the Syrians against him again. And they came all round Samaria, and shut it in so close that nobody could get out; and all the food was eaten up, so that even such food as a donkey's head was so dear that hardly anybody could buy it, and everyone was getting starved. Joram was so angry, that he said at last, in his wickedness, he would cut off Elisha's head the next day.

But Elisha said quietly that to-morrow there would be quantities of food in the city, so that it would cost almost nothing. One of the king's lords laughed, and said, "If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" "Thou shalt see it with thine eyes," said Elisha, "but shalt not eat thereof."

Now, that night the Lord made the Syrians hear a great noise, as if an army was coming up to help the Israelites. And they were so frightened, that they all fled away in the night, and left all their tents standing, and their armor in them, and their stores of food.

In the early morning, three poor leprous men, who could not get any food in Samaria, crept down to see if the Syrians would give them anything, or they thought if the Syrians should kill them, that would be better than being starved. But when they came to the camp there was nobody there--no soldiers, no horses, only tents full of rich dresses, and fine armour, and, best of all, plenty of food. The hungry lepers went and ate, and then they thought they ought to go and tell the people in the town that all the Syrians were gone.

So the king sent out to see, two men upon lean, starved horses. They found it was all true, and everybody went rushing out to get food. The king sent the lord who had laughed at Elisha, to stand in the gate to keep order; but the people were so very hungry that they did not mind him, and he was knocked down and trodden upon, and trampled to death: and so it came to pass that he saw the plenty, but did not eat of it, because he had mocked at the word of the Lord.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was king of Israel? 2. Who was prophet? 3. What was the chief town in Israel? 4. Who tried to take it? 5. What was the sad distress in Samaria? 6. What had they to eat? 7. Whose fault was it? 8. But whom did Joram want to punish? 9. What did Elisha promise? 10. Who laughed at him? 11. What did Elisha say? 12. What happened in the night? 13. What became of the Syrians? 14. Who found it out? 15. What did the lepers see? 16. Whom did they tell? 17. What did all the people do? 18. What became of the man who laughed at Elisha? 19. What is it that makes God angry?

Thirtieth Sunday.

_THE RUIN OF AHAB'S HOUSE._

FIRST READING.

"What hast thou to do with peace."--_2 Kings 9:18._

THE Sunday before last you heard how King Ahab was killed in battle, though he had fancied that he could hide from God. His wife, Queen Jezebel, was left; and she had always been worse than he was, and she had brought up her son Joram to be very wicked too. When Joram had reigned as king for twelve years, God told His Prophet Elijah to send a young man to anoint a captain called Jehu to be king instead of Joram. So the young man took some oil, and went to the town where Jehu was, and said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain." Then he poured the oil on Jehu's head, and told him that God made him king of Israel.

The other captains were glad to make Jehu king, and they made him sit on the top of a flight of steps, and blew with their trumpets, and shouted, "Jehu is king." Then they all set out to conquer King Joram.

Joram had his chariot made ready, and went out in it to meet Jehu; but, as soon as they came in sight of one another Jehu shot an arrow, and it struck Joram, so that he sank down in his chariot and died.

Then Jehu went on into the town; and Jezebel thought she would still try to make friends with the people; so, instead of mourning for her son, she painted her face, and put on a headdress, and looked out at a window. Jehu said, "Who is on my side? who?" And some of the servants looked out. He said, "Throw her down." So the servants threw Jezebel out of the window, and her blood sprinkled on Jehu's horses. But he went on, and went into the palace, and was made king, and had a feast.