Ronnie Brown

The Blessings of Birds and Brooks 1 Kings 17:1-9 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. 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. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. The setting of our text is almost 1000 years before Christ was born. The kingdom of Israel had been broken into two through civil war: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. After a succession of kings, each more wicked and godless than the last, Ahab finally came to the throne, a monarch who was dead set on outdoing all his predecessors. Scripture says plainly: "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him… Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." (1 Kings 16:30; 33) But as history has proven, God will not utterly forsake His creation or His people. For it was during these dark days that we see a flash of light come across the stage of time: the prophet Elijah. Elijah was one of the most extraordinary men who ever lived. Alexander Wyatt described him as "a Mount Sinai of a man with a heart like a thunderstorm." Yet one of the most fascinating statements about Elijah is made by James, the half-brother of Jesus: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months." (James 5:17) I thank God for that statement because, as much as we admire Elijah, he was still ordinary. Elijah was mightily used by God, but he was a man subject to the same fears, struggles, and emotions as we experience. He was just an ordinary person, extraordinarily used by God. At the onset of his ministry, Elijah is thrust before King Ahab with a foreboding message: "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." (1 Kings 17:1) Immediately afterward, God sent Elijah away to a place called Cherith, with the promise of His divine sustenance. That supply would come in the form of birds and brooks. Elijah’s time at the brook Cherith offers powerful truths for us when we find ourselves in similar circumstances. There are times in our lives when there is dryness and need, fear and desperation. Yet, we are reminded that God, who remains unchanged in power, meets the needs of His obedient servants. God sent Elijah to brook Cherith—a name meaning "cutting" that signifies separation, like a ravine or gorge. This brook was dry most of the year, flowing only occasionally, hardly an ideal location to survive a drought. From the word “hide” in verse 3, many believe God sent Elijah there for protection from Ahab's wrath. Yet God didn't need to hide Elijah from danger—He could protect him anywhere. Elijah could have camped right outside Ahab’s palace walls, and no one could have laid a finger on him. Yet God chose a place of complete dependence, where Elijah had nothing but God's promise. God knew Elijah would need implicit trust for the future. Before Elijah could call down fire from heaven, he had to learn God's promise alone was sufficient. God often leads us similarly into barren, dry places of necessity and extremity, not as punishment but as training grounds for deeper trust. In these isolating times, we learn to lean solely upon His promises: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) If we want to see God’s provision—the blessings symbolized by birds and brooks—we must trust God when He promises to send them. In Christ, there is always a shelter of trust. When Elijah arrived at Cherith, God promised all he'd need to survive. Ravens—unclean, gluttonous birds known neither for compassion nor nurturing—brought him bread and meat daily. Yet God directed these birds, contradicting their instincts, to sustain His servant. Even today, people or circumstances seemingly against you might be exactly what God uses to meet your need. Proverbs reminds us: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." (Proverbs 21:1) Moreover, God provided a brook—not a river with endless water, but just enough daily provision. Elijah learned daily dependence, saying, "Thank you, Lord, for today; I'm trusting You for tomorrow." God rarely entrusts us with abundant surplus, knowing we might trust our riches instead of Him. Instead, He keeps us dependent, continually looking to Him. Whether through miraculous or mundane means, God's provision is faithful and timely. Elijah stayed at the brook until it dried up, waiting patiently for God’s next command. His next destination, Zarephath, was Jezebel’s homeland, a hostile place. Yet Elijah didn't hesitate. The God who provided at Cherith would protect in Zarephath. Your dry place, your isolation, and your moments of dependence strengthen you for the next step with God. Unlike Cherith, where only Elijah was helped, in Zarephath, he became a lifeline for a widow and her son. I believe the gospel can be seen clearly at Cherith—a barren, lonely place that reminds me of Jesus, who was "a root out of dry ground" (Isaiah 53:2). Though seemingly insignificant, God provided through Him for our spiritual wilderness. Oh, God is faithful! Trust His unchanging faithfulness today. He never wastes our trials or isolation but uses them for His glory and our ultimate good.