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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
spirit of Jezebel molded the character of Ahab. His selfish nature was
incapable of appreciating the mercies of God to His people and his
obligation to God as the guardian and leader of Israel. The fear of
God was daily growing less in Israel. The blasphemous tokens of
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their blind idolatry were to be seen among the Israel of God. There
were none who dared to expose their lives by openly standing forth
in opposition to the prevailing blasphemous idolatry. The altars of
Baal, and the priests of Baal who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars,
were conspicuous everywhere. They had consecrated temples and
groves wherein the work of men’s hands was placed to be worshiped.
The benefits which God gave to this people called forth from them
no gratitude to the Giver. All the bounties of heaven,—the running
brooks, the streams of living waters, the gentle dew, the showers of
rain which refreshed the earth and caused their fields to bring forth
abundantly,—these they ascribed to the favor of their gods.
Elijah’s faithful soul was grieved. His indignation was aroused, and
he was jealous for the glory of God. He saw that Israel was plunged
into fearful apostasy. And when he called to mind the great things
that God had wrought for them, he was overwhelmed with grief and
amazement. But all this was forgotten by the majority of the people.
He went before the Lord, and, with his soul wrung with anguish,
pleaded for Him to save His people if it must be by judgments. He
pleaded with God to withhold from His ungrateful people dew and
rain, the treasures of heaven, that apostate Israel might look in vain
to their gods, their idols of gold, wood, and stone, the sun, moon,
and stars, to water and enrich the earth, and cause it to bring forth
plentifully. The Lord told Elijah that He had heard his prayer and
would withhold dew and rain from His people until they should turn
unto Him with repentance.
Achan’s Sin and Punishment
God had specially guarded His people against mingling with the
idolatrous nations around them, lest their hearts should be deceived
by the attractive groves and shrines, temples and altars, which were
arranged in the most expensive, alluring manner to pervert the senses
so that God would be supplanted in the minds of the people.
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