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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Personal Volume

Elijah the Prophet

page 5

Elijah the Prophet.

There is one that, either as a parable or as an allegory, may help to inspire us: it is the story of Elijah the Prophet, in the First Book of Kings, ch. xix. What a telling picture it is! A great Hebrew prophet, a true patriot, appears before us. He is ready to sacrifice his life the people will not listen to him, and he is threatened by the is no one in all Isreal who listens to his message. He has to flee for his life the people will not listen to him and he is threatened by the Government. He has preached what he believes to be a true religion, but all the nation—King, rulers, and people—have abandoned their religion and followed what he believes to be a false God.

His countrymen had declared for the continuance of the religion of Baal with all its attendant wickednesses, and if "slang" had been used in ancient Israel, no doubt there would have been hurled at his head, by unmannerly Baalites, some Semitic word meaning "wowser." He flees to Mount Horeb and hides in a cave, and for forty days and forty nights he is without food. Then there came to him what the Hebrew historian calls the "Word of the Lord." Some other human beings have had similar messages, but they have called the bearer of them by other names. There were Quakers who had the "inner light," and others have spoken of "a compelling conscience" and of "a Divine Spirit." The "Word," it is said, spoke to him and told him to go forth from the cave and to stand upon Mount Horeb. He obeyed, and the story continues:

"And behold, the Lord passed by and a great and a strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, 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."

Our translators say that this Hebrew phrase, literally translated, means "a sound of great stillness." What a beautiful phrase! There was Peace! The story continues and tells us of a conversation between the "Voice" and the prophet. Elijah, however, felt that his mission had not entirely been a failure, for were there not in the small and thinly-peopled kingdom seven thousand who thought as he thought, and who had not bowed the knee to Baal? What an uplift was that to a discredited prophet ! His life-work had not been a failure. There were still many left who were upholders of truth and righteousness. If there are any Social Reformers who have lost heart, let them ponder over Elijah's story.