But when we find that God is better than His Word our faith grows and we advance to further feats of faith and service. They live on carrion yet they will bring him wholesome food. So what do we do if we see our brooks drying up? And it's true. The "brook Cherith" (NASB), or the "ravine Kerith" (NIV), was one of the many waddies or ravines that emptied its waters into the Jordan from the mountains to the east. OBEDIENCE AND THE WORD OF GOD A) Able to Hear God's Voice B) Available to Hear God's Voice 2. Let us remember that though such times may come upon us unexpectantly, but they are never unexpected to God. It is the same for you though hard times will come. How much more will God provide for those that love Him. When she said that I thought to myself that that is the way we need to be with God. God Is the Sovereign Source of Supply a) When Elijah Approached the Widow b) What Elijah Asked the Widow 3. When Elijah went to Cherith under the direction of God, he would never dream of that brook becoming exhausted. Daniel. He was fed by God. More importantly, here he would be alone with God. Alex. He realised that there was actually too much of self in what they had just been doing. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Think of the obstacles to faith: Ravens! Biblical history: The Bible is real history! And in that he certainly had a taste of heaven, of communion with God. Prior to this, but after the beginning of the drought, Elijah lived by the brook Cherith for an unspecified length of time (1 Kings 17:5). See His unsearchable wisdom in that if humans delivered food they may have divulged the hiding place, if dogs, morning and night, someone might have seen this curiosity and followed. It was here that God had said that 'I have commanded the ravens to feed him.' (James 5:17 NLT), "Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. All we can be sure of is that he must have been more than two rears, out of the three and a haft, at Zare-phath. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.'"1 Kings 17:2-4. We need to remember that and confess that Gods way are always right, His purposes are always good and that we can trust God in even the tragic events of life that we can never fully understand here on this earth. 'Come aside to a quiet place,' He said. The brook that had provided him so much nourishment and tranquility had dried up and God was pressing him forward. In other words he was to return home, but not to the comforts of home for he is told to, The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijahs idea, it was the Lords doing. Think of the obstacles to faith: Intentionally Biblical, Confessional, Presbyterian and Reformed, Church Planting and School of Discipleship, Philippines. You see, before Elijah was able to stand on Mount Carmel and challenge the 800 false prophets, he first had to learn certain principles. When God saw that there was suffering in the world but Elijah was unaware of it, He told him to go to Zarephath, the widow (BT Sanhedrin 113a). Have we not know this in our own Christian service? Then the milkman came past and the wheel fell off his cart right outside the orphanage! Wendy couldn't understand why God would bring her provision in that way and then allow it to be gone. Since that single stream of water was his lifeline, he checked it carefully. As Christians, our duty is to trust God even when the brooks dry up and to keep moving forward, trusting that God will provide for and sustain His people. Jesus did the same with His disciples at the end of a tour of ministry, so full were they of the joy of success of their ministry, what they had been involved in: Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while (Mk 6:31). 65% off Any Hat Pack at AlphaDefenseGear.com 1 Alpha Defense logo hat + 3 face shields just $29.99! Why do Luke and James both say the drought lasted 3 years and 6 months? Before the more mature faith and ability to handle the Mount Carmels of life, there must be the maturing experiences of the Cherith brooks of life and the widow of Zarephath. He was where God wanted him to be, doing what God wanted him to do. by Winkie Pratney. It is a place of humbling before the mighty hand of God. Maintain your trust and continue your worship. Have you not from time to time seen such changes happening in your life? Jesus instructs us to consider the birds of the air and how they are provided for. Drought conditions had begun. 3. Jesus did the same with His disciples at the end of a tour of ministry, so full were they of the joy of success of their ministry, what they had been involved in: We ought not be surprised if our Father says. (1 Vote) Very easy. He never shared the needs but just committed everything to prayer and believed that God would provide! It would have been a tragedy for the prophet to remain longer in the wilderness. What this clearly indicates is that Ahab had not changed, he was still hardened in sin of rebellious unbelief. Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. How could it last? - 1 Kings 17:9-11 . That Elijah learned his lesson well is seen in what he said to the widow in v.13,14. You can be the one to help make a difference by purchasing a shirt (coming soon to the blog in a few weeks) or by ordering a downloadable product currently in the store, in which proceeds will go to nonprofits that seek to give a voice to the voiceless. And God loves you far more than these things! Each appearance of the ravens was a reminder of being in Gods will, and in God was ministering to him through those unlikely instruments, and even in that apparently unlikely place of isolation. But further, as a result it meant that the opportunity to apply some pressure on Elijah to pray for a shorting of the judgement was removed. Heres Elijah by a brook, day by day seeing a diminishing water flow. If at this time you have yielded to this temptation to throw in the towel of faith and to rely on your own thoughts or on someone else, if your zeal for Christ has diminished, your spirit of devotion is dying, if you find no delight in prayer, nothing to give praise and thanksgiving for, and can find nothing about you to stir you up and encourage you remember Him who said of His vineyard in Isaiah 27:3, Intentionally Biblical, Confessional, Presbyterian and Reformed, Church Planting and School of Discipleship, Philippines. zar'-e-fath (tsarephath; Sarepta): The Sidonian town in which Elijah was entertained by a widow after he left the brook Cherith (1 Kings 17:9).Obadiah refers to it as a Canaanite (probably meaning Phoenicia) town (Obadiah 1:20).It appears in the Greek form Sarepta in Luke 4:26 (the King James Version), and is said to be in the land of Sidon. 7 After a while the brook dried up because of the lack of rain. But Elijah didn't have to be fully trained before God called him into ministry; God developed Elijah as he went along. What are the "zebeedees" (in Pern series)? In answering this let us note that Elijah's removal was: 1. She said that my dog was really obedient as it was never too far away but was always watching what I was doing. The acquisition of spiritual power is impossible unless we hide ourselves from men and from ourselves in some gorge where we may absorb the power of the eternal God (Martin). This passage details the majesty and sovereignty of God, highlighting that not only will He not forsake His people but also that God is in complete control amidst chaos and confusion. The shortest road distance between the brook cherith to Zarephath is 1870 Mi. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. Did his hopes diminish also? This brook was not far from where he lived. Has God forgotten me?. Mark. Well Elijah didn't - he stayed put. God opened up a job for her and she had the job virtually a year to the day and it was the greatest job she had ever had. He stayed put right up until the brook dried up completely! Blissful Faith was founded on December 19, 2019. Now that the history of Israel has been recapped, 1 Kings 17 will be better understood. But Elijah is not afraid. Elijah orders the people to execute the prophets of Baal at Brook Kishon. Our natural inclination would be to begin to think of the next task. Best Review Site for Digital Cameras He feared that they would not return if they went down there, so he set up temples in which he placed idols and golden calves. The Lord provides Elijah with a brook named Cherith, that keeps flowing and sends birds (ravens) that fly down to bring him meat each morning and evening. At first we yield a timid obedience to the command of God which seems to involve a multitude of difficulties. The Lord told Elijah, the man of God, to go down to the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan, where he could drink of the brook, and the ravens would bring him food. (4) You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." Instantly the word of the Lord came to him and he was told to flee to Cherith and hide there. "Now Elijah, the Tishbite, who said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word" (1 Kings 17:1, NASB). Sometimes a Cherith experience is there to get the world out of us. Our natural inclination would be to begin to think of the next task. Last week we saw there were lessons Elijah had to learn in going to the brook Cherith, and here we see them being put into practice as Elijah waited: (i) one step at a time he waited. The other point is that ravens were an unclean bird. How many stalls for horses and chariots did Solomon have? Remember, being in the centre of Gods will doesnt exclude the possibility of crisis, so when it comes wait on the Lord and dont throw in the towel in unbelief. This is the faith God calls us to as well. Take heart. An Act of Judgement. Morning Service, 24th May 2009. There are 12 kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and 3 kings of the Southern Kingdom (the Kingdom of Judah). Gods purpose throughout all of time has been to redeem for Himself a people that are His very own. In his youth he was a rat-bag and even got put in jail. Very difficult. Let me leave you with the lyrics of a song I've come to love: We are pressed on every side, but we won't be shaken. Elijah gets a command to go to Zarephath and the widow gets a command to feed Elijah; God promises to sustain Elijah and Elijah promises the widow that her cruse of meal will never finish. Let's look at another character study on Elijah. It doesnt come easy. By implication then, the removal of Elijah form the scene was not merely a symbolic but indeed a literal removal of the voice of God from the people. For similar articles please see the below publications. Elijah was a Prophet. The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijah's idea, it was the Lord's doing. Since our start, we've aided two companies in their pursuit to help victims of human trafficking and have donated over $1,000 to The Exodus Road as well as made donations to spread the Gospel by partnering with Living Waters and Answers in Genesis. Cherith. God may teach and test us but He never deserts us. Being in Gods will always provides us with experiences of the blessings of the Lords presence and love. It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. It is what John later spoke of when in exile on Patmos he revealed that yet he had sweet communion with His Lord. Did he lay aside his worship giving himself to anxiety, relentless pacing backwards and forwards? Then he went through a type of crucible at a place called Zarephath. Last time we looked at the state of Israel at the time Elijah came on the scene. Here he was to be alone for at least a year without human company. From Ahab's slaughterhouse. One explanation for the alleged contradiction depends on this: rather than the "third year of the drought," the text is referring to the third year of Elijah's residence in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:9), where is staying at the end of 1 Kings 17. A normal person can walk around 3 miles per hour, so that would be 30-36 miles a day. God was directing him there to strengthen his faith and the faith of a widow that lived here with her son. US English. God saw the need for Elijah to keep things in perspective, and there is nothing like quiet times where we are alone with the Lord to help us find that. Jezebel, the wicked wife of Ahab, wants Elijah dead and so God tells him to hide himself by the Cherith book, east of the Jordan River. They are ravens, unclean scavenger birds. So God's provision came in two ways to Elijah; there was the natural provision in that there was a brook from which he obtained the water he needed to survive. Oswald Chambers made this quote. He had to learn what Cherith means. The temptation to false ideas and harsh thoughts of God are so near. Remember that being in the centre of Gods will is not always made known by the flow of circumstances, that sometimes He removes blessings or changes circumstances even though we are being obedient to His revealed will. What was God doing? Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you" (1 Kings 17:2-9, NASB). If I am in the shower he is waiting for me. Israel is split into two kingdoms upon the rise of King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, to the throne around 901 to 209 B.C. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years Yet it did. The 12 tribes of the Arab nations come from the family line of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and his female servant Hagar mentioned in Genesis 16. He was actually pro-active and he said okay, if there is going to be a famine, let's start storing our grain now to get us through. He had 300 children at one of his orphanages one morning and they didn't have one thing to eat. Dont throw in the towel but wait on the Lord. As we leave this passage are we not lifted up in our vision to see the glory of the God we are called to trust? There was a brook for water, and at His command even the ravens helped provide for Elijahs needs. July 17, 2016. by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:5-7. Elijah prophesies a drought to come upon the whole land as . God told Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there" (1 Kings 17:9). This is how God trains His young eaglets to fly. I hope you have seen also how God in such times brings our greatest good out of our worst disasters. How we should make use of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us. A Brook! So we should not run off and we can only ask 'am I in the place where God wants me to be' You can only say that for yourself before God. It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." What did he do down there? God instructs Elijah to hide near the brook Cherith, where the ravens would feed him. Gods purpose throughout all of time has been to redeem for Himself a people that are His very own. - 1 Kings . Elijah not only preached Gods Word, he practised it he went without hesitation. But God says Hide! Our natural response to this direction would have been to say Hide when there is so much to be done? It is part of the lesson that has to be learned at Cherith. The God who gives water can also withhold it. He said. The modern application of 1 Kings 17 is that even when trials dry up our resources and our prosperity and we are in God's will (because there will be times when Christians are outside His will and He will take provision away in discipline) God is still in control. Elijah was a man of action who boldly confronted Israel's king. It is always when you look back on things that you see how God has been working to take you in the direction that He sees fit. In the dynamics of divine Providence, Elijah was scheduled to experience another miracle in another place. This is a miracle because ravens eat meat so they actually bring Elijah something that they would normally partake of themselves! Eventually, God told Elijah to move forward after his waiting time at the brook of Cherith. There was too much of Saul about it his desire, his enthusiasm, his determination as to what comes next and how it will be done. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, among others, take a different approach. It is a spiritual law of thermodynamics: the increase of heat upon faith produces a parallel increase expansion of faith. That a word came from God to move on to a more public location to exercise his ministry indicated that he had passed these lessons learnt in the private place. In this God moves us more into the centre of Gods will, or moves us into something better. [ imber, signifies heavy rain. Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. How are we to interpret this hiding of Elijah by the brook Cherith? That is what a 'Cherith' is. Without private preparation in the one-on-one intimate relationship with the Spirit of God we will become public . 1. What God teaches Elijah, and us, at brook Cherith. It maybe a drying brook of finance, or it may be of health, or of the removal of a dear Christian friend who has been Gods daily instrument of refreshing your soul in His truth, of a churchs ministry those things given by God to us which we could rely on before to provide for us are no longer there for us. Difficult. They are afraid to let it off the leash because they know it won't listen to what they say. Cherith is a place of isolation. Are there developed countries where elected officials can easily terminate government workers? 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 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. By this method God makes us dependent upon Him rather than upon ourselves. 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