Illustrated bible History - Catholic Apologetics Information

146 HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAhIFZT.
2. God revenletl to them many future events. They prcdicted
the principal circumstrli~cev of llic birth, lifc, passion,
death and glory of the Messiah. Onc of the i~iost celebrated
of the prophets was Elias. EIe lived in tlie reign of Aclmb,
king of Israel. This king nras very wiclred. None of his
predecessors llnd committctl 80 nxmy crimes as he,
3. Hc had married :I Gentile woman ~nanlecl Jezabcl; nnd
he had built ,z temple to 'Ranl, :uld lisd consccrated to tlio
~crvicc of that fnlse god four huntlrctl alitl fifty priesta, mllilst
Be had caused the priests of the Lord to bc put to death. In
nword, his intention seelnecl to be to destroy the true religion
entirely among the ton t.rihes.
4. Eli:~s, clad in a rol~gh sheep-slrin, and with a staff in hia
hand, prcscntcd hinjself hefore Adlab and said : " As the
Lord livelll, the God of Isrscl, in ~~hclst! 6igI:ht I stnntl, tl1er.e
shnll not be rlcrv nor 1xin these thrce pcnrs hul accortling t#o
the words of my mouth." Acliab wmna scry augry to hear
thcse words of lhe prophet, and socretly resolvcd to put Elias
to death.
5, Thcn the Lord knowing the cvil intention of the king,
commanded Elias to go and concenl liin*~~clf near Iho brook
Carith, in the vicinity of the Jordan. The prophet obeyed,
and behold, the ravens bromgl~t hiin bread or flcsll every
morning and every evening for lrlsny days ; and he drank of
thc torrent.
'6. Some timc after, the broolr ran dry, and the Lord commanded
Eliss to go to Sarepta a city of the Sidoilians. X1i:ls
went accordingly, and wllsn he drew near the gate of Uie
city he saw a .rvornan gathering sticlrs, and he called hcr and
said: " Give n3e n little nra.ter in 12 vessel thnt 1: Inay drink."
7. As the woman ~ wgoing s to fetch it: he csllcd after her:
" Bring me also a nlorscl of brcnd." File :mstverccl : " As
the Lord thy God livetll, I have no bread, but only a, h:mdfirl
of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse ; I am gatheritig
two sticks that I may go in and dress it for me and my son,
thnt we may cat and dic."