After he had warned Ahab of coming drought, the word of the Lord came to Elijah a second time directing him away from Jezebel's power to hide in safety by the brook Cherith, where water and food by ravens were promised. It came to Elijah the Tishbite, a man of faith and prayer dwelling in a mountain retreat in Gilead, who in anguish over Israel's deep idolatry had pleaded for God to arrest the nation in wickedness even by judgments so they would repent. Its coming put confidence and a word of faith and power on his lips to go fearlessly to rebuke sin and press back apostasy as a reformer crying in the wilderness. It shows that God does not abandon His self-sacrificing people in hardship but sustains their needs, so that even when the wicked perish for lack of bread, the bread and water of those who trust Him will be sure. It is an example of waiting for God to reveal the next step and then moving as He directs from place to place, from Cherith to the widow at Zarephath to Carmel to Jezreel, to keep from settling into ease and to prepare for wider usefulness, an evidence of protecting care that should forever keep from distrust.
Context and Divine Direction
The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite in the days of Ahab, a man of faith and prayer dwelling in a mountain retreat among the mountains of Gilead east of the Jordan, far removed from any city of renown and occupying no high station in life. He had watched Israel sink deeper into idolatry with distress, indignation and overwhelming sorrow, for unbelief was separating the chosen nation from the Source of their strength and God's beneficent designs were well-nigh forgotten, though He had delivered them from bondage and given them the lands of the heathen that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. In anguish of soul he pleaded for God to arrest the once-favored people in their wicked course and to visit them with judgments if need be, that they might see in its true light their departure from Heaven and be brought to repentance before they went so far in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to destroy them utterly. The coming of the word came in answer to that anguished prayer and made him confident that God would prepare the way before him and give him abundant success, putting the word of faith and power upon his lips.
That word sent him on a fearless mission devoted to reform and destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil, while as a reprover of sin his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed. This "there shall not be dew nor rain" announcement to Ahab begins the account of the prophets of the northern kingdom, showing that the ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them and transgressors shall fall therein. After Elijah delivered God's warning of drought to Ahab, the word came to him again and directed his course away from Jezebel's power to a place of safety in hiding by the brook Cherith in the mountains. There God would give him water of the brook and command food to be sent him morning and evening by ravens, by an angel of Heaven, an act of honor and loving care marking God's continuing guidance and protection after the warning was delivered.
When the brook dried up because of the drought, the same directing word sent him to Zarephath, or Sarepta, in a heathen land, where a widow was appointed to give him refuge and sustain him. There God wrought a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's household supplied with food. He could no longer find safety in Israel, for he was safer among heathen than among those who had rejected light from Heaven and hardened their hearts against the gospel, and driven by hostility against God's message he sought safety among the heathen at the widow of Sarepta as Paul afterward turned to the Gentiles for protection when Jewish leaders rejected heavenly light.
This directing belongs to a period when God moved Elijah from place to place to keep him from settling down into ease and to prepare him spiritually for translation and for wider usefulness and influence in helping others. The going to Cherith was God's own sending with a definite commission, errand and place to be, and not Elijah's own choice. It stands in line with God's afterward sending him to the widow of Sarepta, commissioning him to return to Israel and stand on Carmel, and girding him with strength to go to Jezreel, and in contrast to his later hasty flight into the wilderness, where God had not sent him and where he had no errand.
Provision and Trusting Obedience
The word coming to Elijah belongs to God's care for him in famine, showing that He does not abandon His self-sacrificing people in hardship but sustains them and provides for their needs. That care assures self-sacrificing people who trust Him that He will provide for them, so that even when the wicked around them perish for lack of bread, their bread and water will be sure. As shown when God provided food for Elijah at the brook through a raven, God will provide for His faithful people so they need not disobey His commands out of fear of lacking food.
The verse is an example of waiting for God to reveal the next step and then moving as He directs, for Elijah followed the directions given through His word. By this word, after Elijah had first appeared before Ahab denouncing God's judgments because of his and Israel's apostasy, God directed his course away from Jezebel's power and hatred and Ahab's search to a place of safety in the mountains by the brook Cherith. The command was an act of honor and loving care, for God sent food to him there morning and evening by an angel of Heaven, and when the brook became dry He sent him to the widow of Sarepta and wrought a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's family supplied with food.
In the later crisis Elijah forgot that God had previously guided and commissioned him to a place of refuge, and fled in fear instead of trusting God's protection. He forgot this earlier evidence of protecting care when he should instead have trusted the God who had commissioned him to protect him. These evidences of love and care should have kept him from ever distrusting God.
After he had warned Ahab of coming drought, the word of the Lord came to Elijah a second time directing him away from Jezebel's power to hide in safety by the brook Cherith, where water and food by ravens were promised. It came to Elijah the Tishbite, a man of faith and prayer dwelling in a mountain retreat in Gilead, who in anguish over Israel's deep idolatry had pleaded for God to arrest the nation in wickedness even by judgments so they would repent. Its coming put confidence and a word of faith and power on his lips to go fearlessly to rebuke sin and press back apostasy as a reformer crying in the wilderness. It shows that God does not abandon His self-sacrificing people in hardship but sustains their needs, so that even when the wicked perish for lack of bread, the bread and water of those who trust Him will be sure. It is an example of waiting for God to reveal the next step and then moving as He directs from place to place, from Cherith to the widow at Zarephath to Carmel to Jezreel, to keep from settling into ease and to prepare for wider usefulness, an evidence of protecting care that should forever keep from distrust.
Context and Divine Direction
The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite in the days of Ahab, a man of faith and prayer dwelling in a mountain retreat among the mountains of Gilead east of the Jordan, far removed from any city of renown and occupying no high station in life. He had watched Israel sink deeper into idolatry with distress, indignation and overwhelming sorrow, for unbelief was separating the chosen nation from the Source of their strength and God's beneficent designs were well-nigh forgotten, though He had delivered them from bondage and given them the lands of the heathen that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. In anguish of soul he pleaded for God to arrest the once-favored people in their wicked course and to visit them with judgments if need be, that they might see in its true light their departure from Heaven and be brought to repentance before they went so far in evil-doing as to provoke the Lord to destroy them utterly. The coming of the word came in answer to that anguished prayer and made him confident that God would prepare the way before him and give him abundant success, putting the word of faith and power upon his lips.
That word sent him on a fearless mission devoted to reform and destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy in Israel, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil, while as a reprover of sin his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed. This "there shall not be dew nor rain" announcement to Ahab begins the account of the prophets of the northern kingdom, showing that the ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them and transgressors shall fall therein. After Elijah delivered God's warning of drought to Ahab, the word came to him again and directed his course away from Jezebel's power to a place of safety in hiding by the brook Cherith in the mountains. There God would give him water of the brook and command food to be sent him morning and evening by ravens, by an angel of Heaven, an act of honor and loving care marking God's continuing guidance and protection after the warning was delivered.
When the brook dried up because of the drought, the same directing word sent him to Zarephath, or Sarepta, in a heathen land, where a widow was appointed to give him refuge and sustain him. There God wrought a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's household supplied with food. He could no longer find safety in Israel, for he was safer among heathen than among those who had rejected light from Heaven and hardened their hearts against the gospel, and driven by hostility against God's message he sought safety among the heathen at the widow of Sarepta as Paul afterward turned to the Gentiles for protection when Jewish leaders rejected heavenly light.
This directing belongs to a period when God moved Elijah from place to place to keep him from settling down into ease and to prepare him spiritually for translation and for wider usefulness and influence in helping others. The going to Cherith was God's own sending with a definite commission, errand and place to be, and not Elijah's own choice. It stands in line with God's afterward sending him to the widow of Sarepta, commissioning him to return to Israel and stand on Carmel, and girding him with strength to go to Jezreel, and in contrast to his later hasty flight into the wilderness, where God had not sent him and where he had no errand.
Provision and Trusting Obedience
The word coming to Elijah belongs to God's care for him in famine, showing that He does not abandon His self-sacrificing people in hardship but sustains them and provides for their needs. That care assures self-sacrificing people who trust Him that He will provide for them, so that even when the wicked around them perish for lack of bread, their bread and water will be sure. As shown when God provided food for Elijah at the brook through a raven, God will provide for His faithful people so they need not disobey His commands out of fear of lacking food.
The verse is an example of waiting for God to reveal the next step and then moving as He directs, for Elijah followed the directions given through His word. By this word, after Elijah had first appeared before Ahab denouncing God's judgments because of his and Israel's apostasy, God directed his course away from Jezebel's power and hatred and Ahab's search to a place of safety in the mountains by the brook Cherith. The command was an act of honor and loving care, for God sent food to him there morning and evening by an angel of Heaven, and when the brook became dry He sent him to the widow of Sarepta and wrought a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's family supplied with food.
In the later crisis Elijah forgot that God had previously guided and commissioned him to a place of refuge, and fled in fear instead of trusting God's protection. He forgot this earlier evidence of protecting care when he should instead have trusted the God who had commissioned him to protect him. These evidences of love and care should have kept him from ever distrusting God.