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. We ought not be surprised if our Father says, You have had enough of this hurry, publicity and excitement. 1 Kings 17:2-4 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: (3) Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 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. US English. British. A dried up brook was a result of Elijah's own prayer. 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. And the stories that you read about him are outstanding. Elijah prophesies a drought to come upon the whole land as . They had spurned it, now they will be deprived of it. After all, as his name indicates, his God is Jahweh. Elijah went through a similar spiritual training process. 1 Kings Chapter 17. The third thing that interests me here is that God led him to a brook that was drying up. In this God was teaching Elijah to trust Him contrary to sight. In answering this let us note that Elijahs removal was: The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijahs idea, it was the Lords doing. Elijah lived on the word of the Lord, as we should - Matthew 4:4, and compare 1 Kings 17:8, 14 and 16. 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. The temptation to false ideas and harsh thoughts of God are so near. Yet it did. a brook E. of the Jordan, Elijah's hiding-place. God was in control, He would not let His servant suffer needlessly. Elijah and the Brook Cherith (2 of 5) Series: Bible Brooks Ken Trivette 1 Kings 17:1-7 Outline 1. The Blissful Faith Merchandise store helps both this blog to grow and to meet the needs of others. God's provision and blessing was at Cherith. Difficult. It is one of the hardest trials that can possibly come upon us when, having been placed in the middle of comforts and just beginning to enjoy them, that we suddenly lose them. Elijah was a Prophet. Elijah walked by faith even when things seemed to get worse. Jesus was the same. God provided for Elijah here by using ravens to bring him food and the brook to provide him water. 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). Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. So this is the second lesson. OBEDIENCE AND THE WILL OF GOD A) Prompt Obedience B) Perfect Obedience 3. Welcome to "Brook Cherith". Now it is while Elijah is by the Brook Cherith, in a deep ravine in the wild and rugged terrain of Gilead, being cared for by creatures who clearly show more obedience to God than that greedy and self-serving Ahab, that something unexpected happens. Weve challenged the king, lets challenge the prophets of Baal next!.. We like to be in the middle of things. 100+ hat options: choose from boonie, beanie, trapper or snapback styles. There was a famine in Canaan. We want to know where we are going and for how long. There were no debates with God. In 1 Kings 17:4 the Lord declares, "I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.". That which had driven him to hunt Christians, now drove him to serve Christ. He went to the Kerith ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. Alistair Begg. Think of the obstacles to faith: Ravens! Do you go running off to look for water? Every now and then a Christian cries, perhaps youve done it, Lord, what happened? He or she has been doing the Lords positive will as outlined in the Bible when suddenly disaster struck. Then the company got sold and restructured and the job was gone. There was a brook for water, and at His command even the ravens helped provide for Elijahs needs. See more on human trafficking from my previous articles below: Blissful Faith started as a lifestyle and branched into a blog to help others hear about Jesus Christ and how they too can develop a blissful faith through knowing God. How long did the drought that Elijah prayed for really last? The prophet Elijah hid himself on the banks of the Cherith and was fed by ravens during the early . That is the lesson that was being stamped on Elijahs heart and mind during this time and will be on ours as well, both by the Word this day and by Gods gracious dealings every day. 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. Even a river would have been regarded as insufficient. Because this is a short lesson, there is time for reviewing all of the books of the Old Testament that the students are learning so far. It is part of the lesson that has to be learned at Cherith. Let's look at another character study on Elijah. Has that not been the portion of the Lords people when instead of rebelling of their isolation through the bed of sickness or cell of persecution? He had been to the court of this king as the Ambassador of the King of kings, he had done something that was not only courageous, it was spiritually significant. What God teaches Elijah, and us, at brook Cherith. Libby. Mentioned first in Genesis, 1 Kings 11:1 also reiterates God founding Israel through Abram (Abraham), 1 Kings gives a preview of 22 years of Israel's history with 15 kings. This view merits the preference as the simplest and most natural one, and is shown to be the oldest by Luke 4:25 and James 5:17, where Christ and James both say, that in the time of Ahab it did not rain for three years and six months. I will earn a small commission if clicked, at no charge to you. But Elijah didn't have to be fully trained before God called him into ministry; God developed Elijah as he went along. The other side of this is that if we would wield great power for God we must win it in some hidden Cherith. Originally posted at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/251990541632996864/. We respond to God out of relationship. This brook was not far from where he lived. Be assured that God will never forsake you nor fail you. But God will not share His glory, so Elijah is told to go to a lonely place. He went and did what he was told. The second lesson that Elijah is learning concerns His provision. It's all about dependence upon God. So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. Even in the letters to the 7 churches of Revelation this warning is given, a warning we do well to take seriously as a church (cf 2:5)! You don't see Elijah debating with God about the direction he should go. in 1 Kings 17:2 and 3 we read: And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan. It doesnt come easy. How did adding new pages to a US passport use to work? So with Elijah he had complete dependence upon God here to survive. How are we to interpret this hiding of Elijah by the brook Cherith? Elijah had just had a very heady experience. Even with those things that never come clear to us we can still trust His goodness in them; we can rest in the confidence that God is doing and always does what is right. From where did the ravens bring meat? But then despite months of living by faith in dependence upon God in obedience to Gods word and enjoying Gods blessing in that place, that things suddenly and dramatically changed. Did his songs of worship grower weaker as the water rolled less noisily across the rocky bed? Breathable, durable, lightweight. Normally we want a road map on life. But according to the actual account in the Old Testament the drought was not even a full three years. They are ravens, unclean scavenger birds. Doesnt Exclude the possibility of a sudden crisis. He always drew aside. This was six months after the king was told there would be neither dew nor rain, and from this period the three years in this passage are computed. It is actually at the crisis point when there is nothing left that the Word of the Lord came to him. By the Brook Cherith Chapter three. So Elijah comes into his presence and brings this word of judgement to Ahab. It's out of relationship that we do these things because our Master loves us and we love the Master. (1 Kings 17:5) To the functionally minded, Elijah's prolonged stay by the brook Cherith looks like a waste of a promising life. Elijah, a prophet of God whose name means "my God is the Lord," came from Tishbeh in Gilead, but nothing is known of his family or birth. It is here that we find ourselves most useful to the Lord and to His cause in this world. - 1 Kings 17:2-6 : 869 BC: God instructs Elijah to go to a widow in Sidon. When she said that I thought to myself that that is the way we need to be with God. VERSES: 1 Kings 17:1-7 MEMORY VERSE: 1 Kings 17:4 ".thou shalt drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." BOOK TO REMEMBER: Song of Solomon.Write "Song Of Solomon" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class. Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. Have we not know this in our own Christian service? 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. He just committed everything to God. 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. 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. And He is doing it in the same general way as He did with His Son. How many there are of whose worldly comforts it may be said: "After a while the brook dried up." One man is settled in life, with circumstances all that could be desired, and he contemplates the . He walked, talked, and encouraged others to believe that truly the . We will continue with that next time and glean from the lessons that can be learnt there. God provided the brook, and God dried it up. Information and translations of cherith in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. If Elijah had yielded to such things his faith wouldve also dried up, and his confidence wouldve disappeared like the brook. In v.2 we read Then the word of the Lord came to him He was being removed by God. Before he could stand on Mount Carmel he had to learn to sit at the brook Cherith. by Robert Weston. Joseph was in prison, falsely accused and isolated. In answering this let us note that Elijah's removal was: 1. Wall shelves, hooks, other wall-mounted things, without drilling? - 1 Kings 17:9-11 . Human Rights Awareness | Christian Outreach Ministry. Elijah was destined for even greater heights of service, but he was not ready for that yet. Various kings reigned after Jeroboam but the Bible says that the worst king of the Northern tribes was Ahab. Elijah: The Moulding goes on and on and . What are we to do with a dried up brook? It's like that with us. They are afraid to let it off the leash because they know it won't listen to what they say. But God says Hide! Our natural response to this direction would have been to say. 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. Alex. He never sent out flyers presenting his needs. Again, just the simplicity of what obedience really is. ( 1 Kings 17:2,5) God led him to Cherith, and then God led him out of Cherith. What is the origin and basis of stare decisis? 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. Gods word through His prophet is removed. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. by Winkie Pratney. It is a cutting of all the things of the self-life so that Elijah (and you and I) can be used of God. There are so many distractions that demolish our best plans. July 17, 2016. by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:5-7. 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. Thus, if he lived at Cherith for some months, and this time is added to the 2+ years he lived in Zarephath, the time mentioned by Jesus and James (3 years, 6 months) is not necessarily contradictory to the 1 Kings account. 17 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. Ahab went along with her in everything she proposed, even setting up an idol in the house of Baal in Samaria. He was where God wanted him to be, doing what God wanted him to do. (Our) Present Help, and Redeemer. Remember Saul as he talked with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus? 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. But it was a self-originated zeal. I have commanded the ravens. But Elijah is not afraid. 1 Kings 17 King James Version (KJV). Elijah could have thought that perhaps he should try to find a better place but this would have been a case of him trying to help God out in his own wisdom. The Lord in his wisdom prepares us in private before he sends us onto the public platform. But it was no joke. 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. (1 Vote) Very easy. Think about that for a moment. The contacts that she made there in that year, have led her in a completely different direction which she enjoys far more. In the light of this we are to understand that the drying brook was an important trial to see if he had learnt the lessons up to this point which he had. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate this on the contrary the implication is that he waited. Is every feature of the universe logically necessary? The funds will help assist in rescue operations, providing shelter, and recovery programs to those in bondage. Only you can answer that but you need to hear from God just as we saw that Elijah waited upon the Lord. It is the same for you though hard times will come. Cherith. It is here that we find the grace to help us in our daily life plentiful, good and sufficient for the day, whilst learning to leave tomorrow in Gods hands. This is the faith God calls us to as well. We all need to learn to spend time alone with God. It will want to be where you are and will desire to be doing what you are doing. The nation had already had the tap of refreshing moisture turned off, and now having been given a prophet he is immediately removed. "Of the brook you will drink, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you", Gd promised him. Remember Saul as he talked with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus? God told Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there" (1 Kings 17:9). There would be none here for Elijah to be tempted to parade himself before. This must have come as a surprise to the prophet. This is the crying need of our times for there is a great deal of talking but little walking according to Divine precepts and directions. Elijah 's message and the meaning of his name go together like a fresh glass of milk and warm cookies. Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, livesthe God I servethere will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word! (1 Kings 17:1 NLT), Later on, IN THE THIRD YEAR of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, Go and present yourself to King Ahab. However, before long Jezebel tried to wipe out Yahweh's name from the land. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of brook Cherith. Life itself is a diminishing provision. Everything was done on his knees to His Father whom he knew would provide because he was committed to providing. It only takes a minute to sign up. For Israel, this time of testing would be over the course of three years when the prophet Elijah is told by God that there would be a drought in Israel. "From Cherith to Zarephath" Sermon by Oby Ballinger All Saints Sunday Edina Morningside Community Church; October 30, 2016 1 Kings 17:1-16 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before 6 He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. He had to learn what Cherith means. 1 Kings 17:2-9. Be like Elijah trust and wait and Gods Word of guidance and help will come! Tell him that I will soon send rain! 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. Being in Gods will always provides us with experiences of the blessings of the Lords presence and love. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, among others, take a different approach. We need to capitalise on this great start! Only in that most unlikely place and nowhere else, not where we would have chosen as a likely haven! As I was walking him the other day a lady said to me that she could tell that it was my dog because even when it was doing its own thing, it always had one eye on me. Now we will see what God does through Elijah. The above picture shows the distance of Zarephath to the Cherith brook. Sometimes in our lives God will use an unclean vessel to bring blessing to us in the same way that He did for Elijah. Eleven years - that's a long time before God said 'okay let's go - now you are ready to stand before kings and before gentiles'. 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!' 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. So Elijah is at this place watching his provision dwindle. CHERITH, THE BROOK. The promise God gave him was that he would be provided for there. Very difficult. Now that the history of Israel has been recapped, 1 Kings 17 will be better understood. Are there developed countries where elected officials can easily terminate government workers? He said, Lord what will you have me to do? (Acts 9:6). So the first thing that Elijah actually learned was to obey the words which the Lord had spoken to him - he went and did. He waited for God to speak to him. The Ministry of Elijah (1 Kings 17) By T. Austin-Sparks. The fact that the text says Elijah travelled day and night would presumably indicate at least 10-12 hours a day, leaving time for breaks and sleep. It is a place of humbling before the mighty hand of God. So be careful about pushing something or some person aside because we think they are 'unclean', we need to realise that God can use them in a situation to provide for us. Elijah 1:The Brook of CherithSunday, Feb 28, 2016Pastor James WattsGrand View Church Disappeared like the brook Cherith way we need to hear from God just we... And turn thee eastward, and recovery programs to those in bondage spurned it, what! That was drying up outlined in the Old Testament the drought that prayed. The distance of Zarephath to the Lord declares, & quot ; brook Cherith ( of... A us passport use to work in Gods will always provides us with experiences of the Lord came him. We all need to be doing what God wanted him to a lonely place had enough this. 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