Elijah, and the secret of his power

5.3 MB·English

by  Meyer, F. B. (Frederick Brotherton), 1847-1929

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By Rev. F. B. Meyer
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OLD TESTAMENT HEROES
AND THE
ELIJAH, ^ ^
SECRET OF HIS POWER
BY THE
Rev. F. B. Meyer, B.A.
Authorof"TheShepherd Psalm," "TriedbyFire," "Moses,'
etc., etc.
New York Chicago Toronto
Fleming H. Revell Company
Publishers of Evangelical Literature

PREFACE.
SOME ofmyreaders may be disposedto charge
me with rashness in attempting to delineate
—
the life of EHjah this Colossus amongst or-
dinary men, who dwarfs us, whilst his own noble
proportions defy the belittling perspective of long
distance. But my excuse will be found in the
thought, reiterated on many a succeeding page,
that the life of this mighty man was wrought out
through the indwelling of that Holy Spirit which
is equally within reach of those who will believe
and obey.
There is nothing the Church of to-dayneeds so
much as Spiritual Power; and there is nothing
which we can have so easily, if only we are pre-
pared to pay the price.
It is of no use to exclaim, in despairing tones,
"Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" He is here,
waiting to do as much now as forthe illustrious
saints of olden times. Beit ours to emulate their
faith; and to stand as they did in the presence-
chamber of God, prepared to fulfill His least
behest: so shall we be followers of them who,
through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
F, B. Meyer.
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I.
!
TheSourceofElijah's Strength 9 i
CHAPTER \
II.
]
BesidetheDryingBrook 21
]
CHAPTER
III.
Orderedto Zarephath 33
i
CHAPTER IV.
"TheSpiritANDPowerOFElias " 44 j
\
CHAPTER V.
]
TheTestof the Home-Life 56
CHAPTERVI.
—
Obadiah AContrast 70
^
CHAPTERVII. '
ThePlanofCampaign 84
,
CHAPTERVni. '
TheConflictontheHeightsof Carmel 93 )
CHAPTERIX. j'
RainatLast! 104
7
8 CONTENTS.
CHAPTERX.
HowTHEMightyFell 117
CHAPTER XI.
Loving-kindnessBetterthan Life 128
CHAPTERXIL
The "StillSmallVoice" 138
CHAPTERXm.
«'Go, Return !" 148
CHAPTERXIV.
Naboth'sVineyard 157
CHAPTERXV.
TheOldCourageAgain 167
CHAPTERXVI.
Evensong 178
CHAPTERXVII.
TheTranslation 187
CHAPTERXVIII.
A DoublePortion of Elijah's Spirit 196
CHAPTERXIX.
TheTransfiguration 205
CHAPTERXX.
"Filled with theHolyGhost" 214
—
ELIJAH:
AND THE SECRET OF HIS POWER.
I.
xrbe Source of Elljab's Strengtb.
(I Kings xvii.)
THIS chapter begins with the conjunction "And: "
it is, therefore, an addition to what has gone
before; and it is God's addition. When we
have read to the end of the previous chapter
which tells themelancholy story of the rapid spread
and universal prevalence of idolatry in the favored
—
land of the Ten Tribes we might suppose that
that was the end of all; and that the worship of
Jehovah would never again acquire its lost prestige
and power. And, no doubt, the principal actors in
the story thought so too. Ahab thought so; Jeze-
bel thought so; the false prophets thought so; the
scattered remnant of hidden disciples thought so.
But they had made an unfortunate omission in
—
heir calculations they had left out Jehovah Him-
self. He must have something to say, at such a
crisis. He must add a few chapters before the
9
—
10 ELIJAH: AND THE SECRET OF HIS POIVER.
—
—
V.
history is closed. When men have done their
worst, and finished, it is the time forGod tobegin.
And when God begins, He is likely, with oneblow,
to reverse all that has been done without Him;
and to write some pages of human history which
will be a lesson and an inspiration to all coming
time. That "And" is ominous enough to His foes;
but it is full of hope and promise to His friends.
Things were dark enough. After the death of
—
Solomon, his kingdom split into two parts the
southern under Rehoboam, his son; the northern
under Jeroboam, who had superintended the vast
public works. Jeroboam was desperately eager to
keep his hold on his people; but he feared to lose
it, if they continued to go, two or three times in
the year, to the annual feasts at Jerusalem. He
thought that old associations might overpower
their new-born loyalty to himself. He resolved,
therefore, to set up the worship of Jehovah in his
own territories, and erected two temples, one at
Dan, in the extreme north, the other at Bethel, in
the extreme south. And in each of these he
placed a golden calf, that the God of Israel might
be worshiped "under the form of a calf that eateth
hay." This sin broke the second commandment
which forbade the children of Israel to make any
graven image, or to bow down before the likeness
of anything in heaven above, or in the earth be-
neath. So weak and sinful a bid for popularity
is never forgotten in Holy Scripture. Like a
funeral knell, the words ring out again and again:
"Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to
sin."