1 Kings 16:29-34; 17:1-7
Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him; upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psa. 33:18, 19.
YOU remember, dear children, that Jeroboam was king only over part of the land of Canaan. Solomon had been king over all the land; but now Solomon's son was king over one part, and Jeroboam was king over the other part.
Jeroboam was called King of Israel: and Solomon's son was called King of Judah. Will you try to remember this?
At last Jeroboam died, and there was another king of Israel instead of him, and at last the king died, and then there was another king; and at last he died, and then there was another king: so there were a great many kings one after the other. I am sorry to say that they were all wicked, and that they all worshipped the golden calves that Jeroboam had made. I will not tell you the names of these kings; and my reason is, I am afraid that you will not remember the names of so many. But I will tell you the name of one of them.
At last, after many kings had died, one after another, there was a king called Ahab.
He was more wicked than any of the other kings had been. One of the worst things he did was to marry a woman who worshipped idols. This woman was the daughter of the king of another country. She had been brought up to worship idols, and she was very fond of idols, and she did a great many wicked things. This woman's name was Jezebel. She was called the queen of Israel, because she was married to Ahab, king of Israel.
The name of Jezebel's favorite idol was Baal: and she persuaded Ahab to worship Baal, as well as the golden calves: and Ahab built a temple for Baal in the town where he lived. There were a great many men who used to teach people to worship Baal; and these men were called the prophets of Baal; and Jezebel was very kind to them. For Jezebel was kind to people who loved idols; but she tried to kill the people who loved God. There were some people in the land of Israel who would not worship Baal; and these people hid themselves in caves, lest Jezebel should kill them.
God loved these poor people very much.
I will now tell you of one very good prophet that lived in the land of Israel. His name was Elijah: he would not worship idols, and he tried to persuade other people to love the true God. God often spoke to him, and told him what would happen, and Elijah prayed very often to God.
Ahab and Jezebel hated Elijah because he was good, and they would have liked to kill him. Elijah was very sorry to see so many people in the land of Israel worshipping Baal: and he wished very much that they should be sorry for their wickedness. At last God sent the people a punishment.
God did not make it rain for a great many months, nor did he let any dew come on the grass in the morning: so the hot sun scorched the grass, and the corn did not grow, and the trees did not have fruit. All the people of Israel were very unhappy; but God wished them to turn from their wickedness.
How did Elijah get food when there was no rain? God told him to go to a secret place where there was a brook where he might hide himself from Ahab: and God promised to send some ravens to feed him.
So Elijah went to this brook, and he drank of the water of the brook; and in the morning some ravens flew to him and gave him some bread and meat; and in the evening they came again, and brought him some more bread and meat; and the next day they came again, both morning and evening: so Elijah had breakfast and supper every day; and he wanted nothing more.
Who made the birds so wise and so kind? God can do everything. Most ravens are fierce, but God made these ravens gentle. How glad Elijah must have been when he saw them coming with the food! How he must have thanked God for sending them every day! God has promised to feed all hungry people who pray to Him. God does not send ravens to feed them; but He makes other people pity them and give them food.
Elijah lived quite alone by the brook: but Elijah knew that God was with him. At last there was very little water in the brook; the sun dried up the water, and no rain came to fill it up. There was less water every day, and at last there was none left.
What could Elijah do now? God could have filled the brook with water, but he did not choose to do that. He told Elijah to leave the brook and to go to another place.
I will tell you soon where Elijah went.
You see what care God took of Elijah; He will take the same care of you, if you love Him, and pray to Him.
Elijah by the brook abides,
And there from furious Ahab hides,
And every human eye;
And while he drinks the waters clear,
To bring him food with faithful care,
His winged servants fly.
'Tis God that gives the ravens meat,
And to the prophet's lone retreat
Points out the secret way:
The waters sink below the brim,
But still Elijah trusts to Him,
Who feeds him day by day.
For should the little brook be dry,
Yet God would all his wants supply,
While here he dwelt below;
And then the Lamb his soul would feed,
And through eternal ages lead,
Where living waters flow.
Child
To bring me food no ravens fly,
Yet parents all my wants supply
With watchful tenderness;
And should they soon be breathless clay,
My God would find some other way
To keep me from distress.
Questions on Lesson 24
Was Jeroboam called King of Israel, or King of Judah?
Who was called King of Judah?
When Jeroboam died, were there other kings of Israel?
Were they good, or wicked?
Who was Ahab?
What was the name of his wife?
What was the name of her favorite idol?
What sort of people did Jezebel try to kill?
What punishment did God send to the people of Israel, for worshipping idols?
What prophet was fed by ravens?
Why did Elijah leave the place where the ravens fed him?