Series 12 Study 2 HIDDEN BY THE BROOK CHERITH (Scripture Portions: 1 Kings 17: 2-7; Psalm 34: 1-10) The announcement to Ahab that there would be no rain (1 Kings 17:1) was a terrible one for Elijah to have to make. July 17, 2016. by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:5-7. Again, just the simplicity of what obedience really is. It's a place where God actually removes you for a specific purpose and the word means 'a cutting off'. A Change of scenery. Due to Abraham sinning against God and not waiting for God to give him and his wife Sarah a child, God allowed the ongoing strife of Islam and Judaism that is seen still today in the Middle East. "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 1 Kings 17:1-7 ESV / 4 helpful votesNot Helpful. In this even Jesus was not exempt, for in Hebrews 5:8 we read that He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Birds of prey more likely to take meat from him (including of his bones) than to feed him. 1) God commanded and the ravens came. They employed 850 prophets of Baal and his . 'Let's get down to where things are a bit quieter and your dependence on God is more real.' Elijah didnt get his local hiking map out and go looking for another source of water, waterholes which he may have known about from previous travels in this area. 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.". My wife, Wendy, actually shared on this passage about a year ago. How could it last? If we are where God wants us to be then we can be assured that God will work and direct miracles rather than see us perish for lack! Cherith was a place of private preparation for Elijah before he met Jezebel's 450 Baal prophets at Mt. Remember Saul as he talked with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus? They are afraid to let it off the leash because they know it won't listen to what they say. For similar articles please see the below publications. It is not a declaration that He has forgotten His promise to all His people in Lam 3:22-23 that His loving-kindness will not fail, that they are new every morning. It is so easy to think that God has forgotten us, or to enter in a false morbid introspection of blaming ourselves for some error when in fact God may merely be saying it is time to learn a new lesson in the school of faith. It was here that God had said that 'I have commanded the ravens to feed him.' Zarephath was the second waiting place for Elijah, where the training, testing, and refining would be even more intense. So Elijah did what the Lord had told him. But God will not share His glory, so Elijah is told to go to a lonely place. 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. God allows events to transpire in everyday life that has a tendency to test faith. On a purely physical level, it functions (unlike the Jordan) as a place far away and hidden from King Ahab who was seeking Elijah's life because of the drought. As we are reminded in John 15 where Jesus said, The answer lies in the fact that God is not just interested in imparting faith; He is interested in its development, in its improvement. We respond to God out of relationship. There! Best Review Site for Digital Cameras He walked, talked, and encouraged others to believe that truly the . There was a bold and even aggressive determination about him as he desired to serve the Lord. Apparently when the children got to a certain age and it was time for them to go out to work, he would put a Bible in their left hand and a penny in the other and he would pray for them and tell them 'If you take care of your left hand, God will take care of your right hand!' Elijah told the current king (Ahab) that there will be a drought in the land of Israel. No doubt in time it would work to his safety as we just noted, but there is no hint that Ahab was immediately seeking to deal with Elijah. How we should make use of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us. Keil and Delitzsch call this the "most simple and natural" understanding: The time given, "the third year," is not to be reckoned, as the Rabbins, Clericus, Thenius, and others assume, from the commencement of the drought, but from the event last mentioned, namely, the sojourn of Elijah at Zarephath. How do cessationists interpret James 5:13-18? 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). In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about what you are going to eat or what you are going to drink. He did absolutely nothing that is recorded. Elijah, in tune with the revealed will of God had prayed that God would fulfil His curse upon His rebellious people not so they might suffer, but that through their suffering they might return to God in repentance, and God be glorified in His mercy and grace by a people renewed in obedience to and worship of God. God was directing him there to strengthen his faith and the faith of a widow that lived here with her son. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.". Cherith. 1 Kings was written to detail Israel's history and bring glory to God. As I was thinking about this, I noticed the simplicity of it. Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-39). Reading: 1 Kings 17. Elijahs means the Lord is God. Elijahs ministry corresponded exactly to his name, for he was sent by God to confront the worship of Baal by Gods people, and to declare to Israel that the Lord was God and there was no other. And God loves you far more than these things! No, he waited. Easy. What a picture of human life this is! The numbers of the victims of human trafficking and the stories behind the numbers are why Blissful Faith is partnering with nonprofit organizations to help fund rescues and recovery programs for those entrapped in bondage. Here in the isolated region he would be safe from the searching and potentially murderous wrath of the king. The Bible says, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours" (James 5:17); it also says he confronted idolatry, performed miracles, spoke God's judgment, and changed his world. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. US English. 5. Heres Elijah by a brook, day by day seeing a diminishing water flow. Our relationship with God is not like the army where we are told what to do so we obey, otherwise we are going to be doing 40 press ups or running around a field forever. Many modern translations add "of the drought" or "of the famine," but it's not actually in the text. He realised that there was actually too much of self in what they had just been doing. Think of the obstacles to faith: Intentionally Biblical, Confessional, Presbyterian and Reformed, Church Planting and School of Discipleship, Philippines. Gods purpose throughout all of time has been to redeem for Himself a people that are His very own. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, Elijah - The background and introduction to his times, The Widow at Zarephath and the Provision of God, Elijah, resurrection and the fear of Ahab. Though they will look they will not be able to find him. A brook is a small stream. 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. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." The time of testing usually requires sacrifice and faith, both interchangeably. As we are reminded in John 15 where Jesus said Abide in Me and I in you this fellowship of mutual abiding is ever our portion, and how more clearly are such times to explore and enjoy it. US English. Let us remember that though such times may come upon us unexpectantly, but they are never unexpected to God. It is not detailed how Elijah traveled (whether on foot or by animal), but it is detailed that Elijah followed God even to the heart of this city where Jezebel was murdering the prophets of God--knowing full well that he could be next. Did his songs of worship grower weaker as the water rolled less noisily across the rocky bed? The downward slide - from faith to fear to depression, Blindness, self focus and the replacing of Elijah, Elijah, Ahab and the arrow shot at random. 69% off the Combat gear pack at AlphaDefense.com. By this method we find ourselves looking to Him for more, learning by easy stages the habit of obedience and trust. A dried up brook was a result of Elijah's own prayer. - 1 Kings 18:40 : Elijah asks God for heavy rains to end the drought. Though great and terrifying are temporal judgements upon a people, none is so great as the removal of His Word and instruction and prayer based on that Word. But when we find that God is better than His Word our faith grows and we advance to further feats of faith and service. Its important here to note this against the background of v.1 where we read of the close identification between the word of the prophet and God my word said Elijah though it was Gods Word. Disclaimer for the links below: I am currently an affiliate with Answers in Genesis and will earn a commission if the links below are clickedat no extra cost to you. when suddenly there was a knock on the door and a baker was there who said 'God has kept me awake all night and I knew I had to bake an extra three batches of bread for you.' During his exile, Elijah drank from the brook in the ravine, and the ravens brought him bread and meat . God then sends him to a widow who needs him more that he needs her. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer the southern kingdom. It cannot therefore be identified with Wady el-Kelt, to the West of Jericho. I can imagine Elijah sitting alone by the brook when suddenly a flock of birds approaches him. God provided for the whole lot. Hence, in having Elijahs presence and hearing Elijahs word, they were being given the ministry of God, hearing the Word of God. Without private preparation in the one-on-one intimate relationship with the Spirit of God we will become public . Moses was forty years in the backside of the desert. God directed him to Zarephath, the land of Sidon. It is here we find a conscience calmed by the Prince of Peace. Alistair Begg. The temptation to false ideas and harsh thoughts of God are so near. His prophecy was that there would be no rain for 3 1/2 years, and there would not be any dew either - unless he said so. As I mentioned before, I believe that since God had already commanded the ravens, if Elijah hadn't obeyed, God would still have been . In v.2 we read Then the word of the Lord came to him He was being removed by God. Lifetime warranty! If we have too much of the world in our lives we will be put into a position where we have to be cut off from things that control us. how long was elijah at the brook cherithwhere does jimmy and jane barnes live. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. This is the faith God calls us to as well. He said, Lord what will you have me to do? (Acts 9:6). "The word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. Gods word through His prophet is removed. Zarephath: It is impossible to say how long Elijah remained in the Wady. Only 13 left in stock! So Elijah comes into his presence and brings this word of judgement to Ahab. When we first meet Elijah, God tells him to hide from King Ahab in the Kerith Ravine. So with Elijah he had complete dependence upon God here to survive. Occurrences like this happened for George Mueller who, through faith in God, provided for the children constantly, all through their life and they never failed to have what they needed. I hope you have seen also how God in such times brings our greatest good out of our worst disasters. He could do no work there, only meditate and pray. How easy it is to make the service which God trusts us with a pedestal on which to display ourselves. Due to King Solomon not listening to God during his reign as king and obtaining multiple wives, pursuing fleshly passions, and worshipping other gods, God told Solomon that he would stripped the nation of Israel from his family and He did so through Solomon's son Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:1-13). , Jesus tells us not to worry about what you are going to drink can not therefore be identified Wady. Presence and brings this word of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us make. 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Upon God here to survive isolated region he would be even more intense and bring to... Him he was being removed by God noticed the simplicity of it Elijah drank from the searching and murderous!
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