CROSS OF CALVARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 121, 21 April 1938, Page 16

CROSS OF CALVARY.

Mr Lawson’s Sunday evening lecture, “The Crisis of Carmel in the Light of Calvary,” opened with a brief - review of the history of that once highly favoured people—the children of Israel. “God had brought them forth from Egypt and established them in the land of Canaan,” sa.id Mr Lawson. “There they formed a theocracy, which continued for about 490 years. But as they had so often loathed the manna in the wilderness, 60 now they came to loath their theocracy. They no longer desired to be a peculiar people, with the God of heaven as their Leader. ‘Make us a king to judge us like all the nations,’ they requested Samuel the Prophet. ‘Hearken unto the voice of the people,’ the Lord said to Samuel, ‘for they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.) (1 Sam. 8: 4-7.) There were three kings of the undivided monarchy, Sam, David and Solomon; and just twentyone kings in each of the kingdoms after the division. But we are particularly concerned to-night,” continued Mr Lawson, “with the reign of Aliab, probably the worst king who ever sat on Israel’s throne. He with his heathen queen Jezebel had introduced Baal-worship into Israel. The whole kingdom seemed permeated with this licentious system. One day there appeared in the court of Ahab a strange man with a. stranger message, ‘As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’ (1 Kings 17: 1.) All knew that this was Elijah the Tishbite, the prophet of God. Would there really be a drought in Israel as Elijah had said? Would Baal, the sun-god, the giver of all their blessings, fail them ? Time would reveal this. By and by the streams dry up; springs'"never known to fail, fail now; vegetation is parched ; the cattle are dying. Where is Elijah that he might reverse this terrible judgment? But he cannot be found. For nearly three years the drought continues. Then one day Elijah again appea.rs before the king. ‘Art thou he that troubleth Israel ?’ Ahab asks. ‘I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord .... Now, therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mt. Carmel.’ commands Elijah. (1 Kings 18: 17-18.) So at the king’s command they came from all the kingdom, including 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of the groves. There on Carmel’s height the great test commences. The God who answers l>v fire is to be the true God. Two bullocks are brought,and the prophets of Ba.al dress theirs for sacrifice. From early morning till evening they call upon their god, but no fire falls to consume their sacrifice. Then Elijah repairs the long-dis-used altar of- Jehovah, places his bullock upon it, pours twelve barrels of water over all, then calls upon the God of heaven to honour His holy name in Israel. ‘Lord God of Abra.ham, Isaac and of Israel, let it he known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant. (1 Kings 18; 36-39.) Fire from God falls and consumes the sacrifice, wood, stones and the water in the trench. Then all the people erv: ‘The Lord he is the God: the Lord He is the God.’ “To-day we find a counterpart to this experience in our own world. There is ‘a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of bearing the words of the Lord’. (Amos 8: 11.) The flock of God is scattered as sheep without a shepherd. (Ezelr. 34.) Many thousands seek for peace and rest, but know not where to find it. That peace and rest which the world seeks vainly in its pleasures is found in one place only—at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. Nineteen hundred and seven years ago God did all that it was divinely possible for Him to do for humanity. What docs Calvary mean to us to-day? It should mean the possibility of sins forgiven, of overcoming grace from day to dn.v, and in the end everlasting life with our God. To-day we, too, must choose whom we will serve: the God of heaven or the things of this transitory life. AVith Joshua may we sav: ‘As for me and mv house, we will serve the Lord.’ ” (Josh. 24: 15.)