Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/309

 The Omnipotence  of  God.  Winds  and  clouds,  dew  and  rain  obey Him, and  by  His  command  a terrible  drought  pervaded  Israel  for  three years and  a half. The unreasoning  ravens  did  His  will,  and  twice each day  brought  food  to  the  prophet  of  God. "The most  ravenous of  birds”,  says  St.  Basil,  "were  compelled  to  supply  the  prophet  with food; and they,  whose  nature  it  was  to  seize  the  food  of  others,  waited on the  man  of  God. Completely forgetful  of  their  nature,  they  obeyed the divine  behest.”  It  was  by  God’s  almighty  will  that  the  meal  in  the widow’s pot  and  the  oil  in  her  cruse  remained  undiminished. And He who  is  Lord  of  life  and  death  called  the  widow’s  son  back  to  life, commanding his  soul  to  return  to  his  dead  body.

The Goodness  of  God.  God  lovingly  provided  for  the  safety  of His  persecuted  servant,  hid  him  from  Achab’s  bloodthirsty  emissaries, and fed  him  by  a continuous  miracle  in  the  desert. He protected  him on his  perilous  journey  to  Sarepta,  increased  the  meal  and  oil  by  a miracle  for  the  sustenance  of  himself  and  the  widow,  and  called  the poor woman’s  dead  son  back  to  life.

Justice and  Mercy.  The  long  drought  which  was  sent  by  God  at the  prayer  of  Elias  (James  5,  17  &amp;c.),  was  a miracle  both  of  divine justice and  of  divine  mercy. On the  one  hand  it  most  justly  punished the idolatrous  king  and  people;  on  the  other  hand  it  proved  to  the Israelites that  the  fruits  of  the  earth  did  not  come  from  Baal,  but  from God, who  is  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. The famine  was  sent  to them  as  a means  of  inducing  them  to  return  to  the  true  faith.

Confidence in  God.  Elias  showed  admirable  courage  by  fearlessly announcing the  impending  judgment. The prophet  drew  his  courage from his  great  confidence  in  God,  giving  himself  over  entirely  to  His gracious guidance. When the  brook  dried  up,  he  gave  way  neither  to fear  nor  lamentation. He did  not  say : "Now  I must  die  of  thirst,”  but  on the  contrary  he  said  to  himself:  "God  will  help  me.”  When  he  was sent to  the  poor  widow  of  Sarepta,  a town  in  the  kingdom  of  Sidon, he might  naturally  have  thought:  "Why  am  I to  go  among  Jezabel’s people?  Are  they  not  sure  to  kill  me?  And  why  am  I to  go  to  a poor  widow ? How  can  she  support  me ? Why  should  I not  seek hospitality  of  some  rich  person?”  But  the  holy  man  of  God  gave  ear to  no  such  doubts  and  obeyed  God’s  commands  with  simplicity  and confidence.  It  is  in  this  way  that  we  ought  always  to  trust  in  God.

Faith. Achab  and  his  people  would  not  believe  Elias  when  he foretold  the  coming  drought. On the  other  hand  the  Gentile  woman did believe  the  promise  which  he  made  to  her  in  God’s  name. To find faith  the  prophet  of  God  had  to  go  into  a heathen  country. It was hard for  the  widow,  herself  dying  of  hunger,  to  be  told  to  divide  her last morsel  of  food  with  the  prophet;  but  she  did  so,  because  she believed and  obeyed  a secret  inspiration  of  God;  and  God  rewarded her faith  and  charity  by  miraculously  increasing  her  meal  and  oil,  by