And woe betide then any church or nation when God removes His Word and its servants from it. Jesus instructs us to consider the birds of the air and how they are provided for. Let us remember that though such times may come upon us unexpectantly, but they are never unexpected to God. When our brook seems to dry and we are tempted to cry out Lord what happened? let us understand that God is developing us through trials; and let us understand that God is able to meet our needs even when we lose the current means He has been using and blessing us with. He said. Cherith was a place of private preparation for Elijah before he met Jezebel's 450 Baal prophets at Mt. We need to be watching what He is doing and attentive to what our Father is asking of us. Zarephath was the second waiting place for Elijah, where the training, testing, and refining would be even more intense. God told Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there" (1 Kings 17:9). That judgement was the application of the curse. And indeed, twice daily, in the morning and in the evening, the ravens came and brought him bread and meat from the royal table of the King of Judah . Elijah orders the people to execute the prophets of Baal at Brook Kishon. 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. It will be the same for you. I read about George Mueller during the week and I thought this man is unbelievable. He did not say 'No, I don't really want to do this can I go a different direction?' They are ravens, unclean scavenger birds. In v.2 we read "Then the word of the Lord came to him". This is where we should always strive to be: to be and doing where and what God in His Word calls us to. So what do you do personally when you see your brook drying up? Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. - 1 Kings . 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. So Elijah comes into his presence and brings this word of judgement to Ahab. - 1 Kings 17:2-6 : 869 BC: God instructs Elijah to go to a widow in Sidon. Encyclopedia. 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. 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. It is here we find a conscience calmed by the Prince of Peace. 1. Let us remember that though such times may come upon us unexpectantly, but they are never unexpected to God. It is a place of humbling before the mighty hand of God. David. "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. He led him to something that wasn't going to last. What God teaches Elijah, and us, at brook Cherith. It also teaches us that life is not meaningless, there is always more to do. How could it last? Have you ever felt God lead you to something that doesn't last? "Of the brook you will drink, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you", Gd promised him. How we should make use of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us. 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. Our natural inclination would be to begin to think of the next task. 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 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. Build your pack now. 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. Elijah was commanded to depart from Samaria, to . Or do we respond like Abraham who no sooner than he arrives in the centre of the will of God of Canaan, this land of plenty that he finds there is a severe famine? Why is water leaking from this hole under the sink? Life itself is a diminishing provision. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of brook Cherith. Did Richard Feynman say that anyone who claims to understand quantum physics is lying or crazy? Gods word through His prophet is removed. In v.2 we read, 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. How do we build on it. Mia. The fact that it didnt yet look serious didnt alter the fact. Elijah' s faith was very strong, as was Abraham' s - look up Romans 4:17-21. (Our) Present Help, and Redeemer. C. LESSONS LEARNED BESIDE THE BROOK. Eventually one day it dried up! 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. We have hope in Jesus. Can I change which outlet on a circuit has the GFCI reset switch? Elijah comes out of nowhere he comes out of the mountains of Gilead with this word to Ahab. Last week we noted that by sending Elijah to the Brook Cherith God was doing several things - He was declaring to Ahab and the nation an act of judgment, such that the Word of God which had been despised was now removed, a famine of the Word; and he was declaring to Elijah that he could fully depend on God and His Word, and daily finding opportunity to . June 15, 2022 by Kelly Henderson. 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. 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. No copyright infringement is intended. Elijah and the Brook Cherith (2 of 5) Series: Bible Brooks Ken Trivette 1 Kings 17:1-7 Outline 1. The second lesson that Elijah is learning concerns His provision. 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, I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; I will even keep it night and day. And of whom it is said in Psalm 84:11, No really good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.. After the brook dries up God lead Elijah to the widow in Zarephath where He provides a never-ending supply of oil and flour. 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. And the word of the Lord came to him: "Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the . It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Now Baal was the god of fertility, the god of rain, and the god of the increase of their crops. And God loves you far more than these things! Elijah is kept safe by the brook Cherith, until it dries up. God had his reasons for isolating David and for isolating Moses and Joseph. Dont throw in the towel but wait on the Lord. Maintain your trust and continue your worship. Check map and driving Directions from the brook cherith to Zarephath helping you find the destination easier. So with Elijah he had complete dependence upon God here to survive. 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. Blissful Faith was founded on December 19, 2019. If dogs are treated properly they are man's best friend. God directed him to Zarephath, the land of Sidon. 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. 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). In this God was teaching Elijah to trust Him contrary to sight. It's a place where God actually removes you for a specific purpose and the word means 'a cutting off'. 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? Breathable, durable, lightweight. 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. You can only live a certain amount of time without water, but he stayed put. Why would God have led him to a place where the water would dry up? 1 and 2 Kings make up one book in the Hebrew Bible, split into two books in the English translations. Below is a sermon by Community Bible Church entitled "Trusting God in the Difficult Times," covering 1 Kings 17:1-7. 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). 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, Elijah had just had a very heady experience. Jesus was the same. In his youth he was a rat-bag and even got put in jail. Elijah was a man of action who boldly confronted Israel's king. Let's look at 1 Kings 17:6: And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. (1 Kings 17:2,5) God led him to Cherith, and then God led him out of Cherith. 1 Kings 17:1-7 ESV / 4 helpful votesNot Helpful. 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. God provided for Elijah here by using ravens to bring him food and the brook to provide him water. Tell him that I will soon send rain! Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. He just watches me intently and I cannot get into the car without his beady eyes on me! And it's true. God knows that faith only develops under pressure. You don't see Elijah debating with God about the direction he should go. It is impossible to say how long Elijah remained in the Wady. It cannot therefore be identified with Wady el-Kelt, to the West of Jericho. Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. This is the faith God calls us to as well. 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? 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. Did Jesus know from the outset that He was the Son of God or did Mary tell Him? But when we find that God is better than His Word our faith grows and we advance to further feats of faith and service. The story of Joseph is one of the most amazing stories - he went from prison to the right hand of the ruler of Egypt in one day, but God had His reasons for putting Joseph there. Ahab and Jezebel were the most wicked and evil rulers Israel had ever known. 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. After all, as his name indicates, his God is Jahweh. But it was no joke. 1 /5. In v.2 we read Then the word of the Lord came to him He was being removed by God. Elijah not only preached Gods Word, he practised it he went without hesitation. There are so many distractions that demolish our best plans. Our natural inclination would be to begin to think of the next task. 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 was here at the drying brook that Elijah was to learn an important lesson relating to this apparent problem in the Christian life that 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. js photo studios. Cherith, Kerith (Hebrew: Naal Kr), or sometimes Chorath (/ k r /; from the Septuagint's Greek: cheimrrhous Chorrhth), is the name of a wadi, or intermittent seasonal stream mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Elijah had a clear statement of Gods will, and He obeyed. The temptation to false ideas and harsh thoughts of God are so near. [ imber, signifies heavy rain. They are afraid to let it off the leash because they know it won't listen to what they say. July 17, 2016. by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:5-7. 6 He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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. See His absolute sovereignty and power that even birds contrary to natural instincts do His bidding on behalf of His people. In a dry season, in a time of drought, a brook is a source of life sustaining water and refreshment. 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. ke'-rith (nachal kerith; Cheimarrhous Chorrhath): The place where Elijah hid and was miraculously fed, after announcing the drought to Ahab ( 1 Kings 17:3 ). God provided for the whole lot. Zarephath: 1) God commanded and the ravens came. Shop Tactical, Military, Combat + Survival Face Shields at AlphaDefenseGear.com. NEW CAMPAIGN SHIRTS ARE HERE! Wendy couldn't understand why God would bring her provision in that way and then allow it to be gone. Sometimes God has to force us into it. We need to see the value of it, which lies in it helps keep things in perspective. She did many evil things such as setting up high places for Baal and she also had the prophets of the Lord killed. If I go anywhere on my property he's right there with me. 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. Remember, in verse 1, Elijah confronted King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. 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. (iii) trust God contrary to sight he waited. He walked, talked, and encouraged others to believe that truly the . Various kings reigned after Jeroboam but the Bible says that the worst king of the Northern tribes was Ahab. (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. He was being removed by God. Even a river would have been regarded as insufficient. But God says Hide! Our natural response to this direction would have been to say Hide when there is so much to be done? (1 Kings 18:1 NLT), And soon the sky was black with clouds. Sometimes in our lives God will use an unclean vessel to bring blessing to us in the same way that He did for Elijah. There he had a supply of water from the brook, while Israel began to experience a drought. If we knew the end from the beginning we might try to devise a better way of arriving at that end, we certainly would be tempted to run ahead of God. Are there developed countries where elected officials can easily terminate government workers? God leads us all differently, but one thing we do need is to hear from God. I will earn a small commission if clicked, at no charge to you. Before Elijah could stand on Mount Carmel, he needed to sit by the brook. We need to wait on God as Elijah did and let Him tell us what we should do. 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. Our brook can be health or prosperity, or perhaps a relationship that is not going well. Karen. 'Let's get down to where things are a bit quieter and your dependence on God is more real.' God rises up Elijah, a Tishbite (a resident of Tishbe), to be a prophet to Israel. The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijah's idea, it was the Lord's doing. How do cessationists interpret James 5:13-18? 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