Elijah is told by the Lord to go into hiding by the brook Cherith, a tributary of the river Jordan. Mark. (1 Kings 17:2,5) God led him to Cherith, and then God led him out of Cherith. This Bible lesson is targeted for an older elementary Sunday School . It's all about dependence upon God. If Elijah had yielded to such things his faith wouldve also dried up, and his confidence wouldve disappeared like the brook. CHERITH, THE BROOK. They are ravens, unclean scavenger birds. 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? These are the testings of life that purify and build as they teach us to trust in the Lord and . But in this scripture, he was locked down at the Brook Cherith . God's faithfulness and human . As such he was not yet right for the Lords service. The other side of this is that if we would wield great power for God we must win it in some hidden Cherith. Only 13 left in stock! How could it last? By implication then, the removal of Elijah form the scene was not merely a symbolic but indeed a literal removal of the voice of God from the people. There! There is hope in Jesus. How long did the drought that Elijah prayed for really last? The Lord told Elijah, the man of God, to go down to the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan, where he could drink of the brook, and the ravens would bring him food. (Our) Present Help, and Redeemer. Elijah was a man of action who boldly confronted Israel's king. God directed him to Zarephath, the land of Sidon. Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-39). 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. We first meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1 when he suddenly appears to challenge Ahab, an evil king who ruled the northern kingdom from 874 to 853 BC. 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. 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. This was a time of severe drought. But according to the actual account in the Old Testament the drought was not even a full three years. Had he gone somewhere else, it would not have been where God said. If dogs are treated properly they are man's best friend. How to pronounce cherith? Now brooks can be mean many things. Do you go running off to look for water? The fact that it didnt yet look serious didnt alter the fact. God Is the Sovereign Source of Supply a) When Elijah Approached the Widow b) What Elijah Asked the Widow 3. He tells Elijah that he will drink from the brook and ravens will give him food ( 1 Kings 17:4 ). This is a miracle because ravens eat meat so they actually bring Elijah something that they would normally partake of themselves! Zarephath: I have been saved 21 years now and I can honestly say that I have lacked nothing that I actually needed. Again, just the simplicity of what obedience really is. By this method God makes us dependent upon Him rather than upon ourselves. Ahab and Jezebel were the most wicked and evil rulers Israel had ever known. I was just thinking about how God speaks to me when I walk my dog. How could this be? In this instance, should Elijah have taken the bull by the horns and run off and found his own path? He would have been high on adrenalin and on grace. NO! How did adding new pages to a US passport use to work? 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. 250 combinations! One of them was that he had 10,000 children, all of which he provided for all by faith and prayer. Gods purpose throughout all of time has been to redeem for Himself a people that are His very own. What is the origin and basis of stare decisis? Are there developed countries where elected officials can easily terminate government workers? 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. The brook dries up! He was actually pro-active and he said okay, if there is going to be a famine, let's start storing our grain now to get us through. 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. What we see in Elijah is that even though he didnt know what was going to happen next. 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. British. Let's look at another character study on Elijah. It is here that we find ourselves most useful to the Lord and to His cause in this world. God has prepared a place for Elijah. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. We are also to note that Elijah continued in the centre of Gods will for he stayed at the brook for a long period as shown by Gods fulfilment of His promise. 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. Think of the obstacles to faith: Ravens! 1st Kings 16:30 tells us that he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all that were before him. The Lord provides Elijah with a brook named Cherith, that keeps flowing and sends birds (ravens) that fly down to bring him meat each morning and evening. Here in the isolated region he would be safe from the searching and potentially murderous wrath of the king. C. LESSONS LEARNED BESIDE THE BROOK. Morning Service, 24th May 2009. It is a place where God provides and we receive his provision. They will neglect their young yet when God pleases they will feed His prophet. Human Rights Awareness | Christian Outreach Ministry. Drought conditions had begun. 4 The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there." 5 Elijah obeyed the Lord 's command, and went and stayed by Cherith Brook. He stayed put right up until the brook dried up completely! Remember, in verse 1, Elijah confronted King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Consider Joseph God told Joseph in a dream that provision was going to dry up. So Elijah here is put in a 'Cherith' situation and he has to be completely dependent on God - he has got water but he doesn't have anything to eat. My wife, Wendy, actually shared on this passage about a year ago. 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. So Elijah did what the Lord had told him. Hence, in having Elijahs presence and hearing Elijahs word, they were being given the ministry of God, hearing the Word of God. And the word of the LORD came to him: "Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 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. Now this too was affected. 3. Cherith is a place of isolation. It only takes a minute to sign up. Even a river would have been regarded as insufficient. The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijah's idea, it was the Lord's doing. This is one of the great lessons from the life of Elijah. Visit the store to grab your Be the Light shirt today before theyre gone! In this God was teaching Elijah to trust Him contrary to sight. Below are links that will lead to different products serving veterans, active duty members, law enforcement, and security forces alike. The Kerith Ravine is home to a river somewhere east of the Jordan, which marked the eastern border of the land given to Israel. He walked, talked, and encouraged others to believe that truly the . 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. Very difficult. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years 6 He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. We need to see the value of it, which lies in it helps keep things in perspective. Before he could stand on Mount Carmel he had to learn to sit at the brook Cherith. rev2023.1.17.43168. Moses was forty years in the backside of the desert. Dont run ahead of Me, rather follow behind looking primarily to Me not to the work. In this way, God taught Elijah to depend on God . 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. At last nothing is impossible. Putting faith to action keeps it from becoming stagnant. 65% off Any Hat Pack at AlphaDefenseGear.com 1 Alpha Defense logo hat + 3 face shields just $29.99! Jesus was the same. Elijah and the ravens were the only occupants of the Kerith Ravine, and the ravens supplied him with bread and meat, morning and evening. Pronunciation of brook Cherith with 1 audio pronunciations. Yet God proved Himself adequate. How much more will God provide for those that love Him. In answering this let us note that Elijah's removal was: 1. Alex. 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. Im just answering your prayer. Youve asked, Lord make me like Your Son and thats what He is doing! 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. After 40 days of that travel, one would have gone 1,200 to 1,440 miles, which would be enough to take one far . He was being removed by God. Go show yourself is easy to hide yourself is hard! Come what will, come what may. The Blissful Faith Merchandise store helps both this blog to grow and to meet the needs of others. Difficult. Now Ahab had married a Sidonian princess who influenced her husband greatly. 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. Why would God have led him to a place where the water would dry up? This was a serious physical crisis because it had been his support during a very severe drought. When we are living in Gods revealed will remember secondly that this, 2. They naturally think, Whats going on Wheres the blessing? We all need to learn to spend time alone with God. Did his songs of worship grower weaker as the water rolled less noisily across the rocky bed? 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. Did Jesus know from the outset that He was the Son of God or did Mary tell Him? There he remained until the brook dried up from lack of rain. I will earn a small commission if clicked, at no charge to you. And Elijah would not live long in that climate without water. How to tell if my LLC's registered agent has resigned? How we should make use of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us. Life itself is a diminishing provision. 1 /5. 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 exercise faith, and that continually despite outward circumstances. What are we to do with a dried up brook? The modern application of 1 Kings 17 is that even when trials dry up our resources and our prosperity and we are in God's will (because there will be times when Christians are outside His will and He will take provision away in discipline) God is still in control. 1 King 17:2-7. It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there." He just watches me intently and I cannot get into the car without his beady eyes on me! And it's true. Wendy couldn't understand why God would bring her provision in that way and then allow it to be gone. It will be the same for you. One step at a time. A Change of scenery. OBEDIENCE AND THE WORD OF GOD A) Able to Hear God's Voice B) Available to Hear God's Voice 2. Elijah arose and went to Wadi Cherith, where the ravens brought him bread and meat (v. 2). Israel is split into two kingdoms upon the rise of King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, to the throne around 901 to 209 B.C. Have we not know this in our own Christian service? Cherith was a place of private preparation for Elijah before he met Jezebel's 450 Baal prophets at Mt. It is part of the lesson that has to be learned at Cherith. Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. 5. Removing unreal/gift co-authors previously added because of academic bullying. In other words he was to return home, but not to the comforts of home for he is told to, The first thing we notice here is that this was not Elijahs idea, it was the Lords doing. There would be none here for Elijah to be tempted to parade himself before. 6. God leads us all differently, but one thing we do need is to hear from God. Without private preparation in the one-on-one intimate relationship with the Spirit of God we will become public . The word of the Lord came to him 'Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith which is east of the Jordan'. (Luke 4:25 NLT). Remember Saul as he talked with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus? 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. 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. Elijah and the Brook Cherith (2 of 5) Series: Bible Brooks Ken Trivette 1 Kings 17:1-7 Outline 1. God rises up Elijah, a Tishbite (a resident of Tishbe), to be a prophet to Israel. CHERITH, THE BROOK kr' th ( , LXX , meaning brook of cutting).A stream or valley E of the Jordan. When he went there, there was a nice stream of water with plenty to drink. It will be the same for you. Though Ahab might have at first ridiculed Elijahs announcement, yet when neither of these rains fell in their season, he was incensed against the prophet as the cause of the national judgment, and compelled him, with Gods direction, to consult his safety in flight. We have hope in Jesus. God was in control, He would not let His servant suffer needlessly. Elijah was not running away, he was being removed. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate this on the contrary the implication is that he waited. Kyber and Dilithium explained to primary school students? So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. As I mentioned before, I believe that since God had already commanded the ravens, if Elijah hadn't obeyed, God would still have been . US English. - 1 Kings 17:2-6 : 869 BC: God instructs Elijah to go to a widow in Sidon. You can also find the flight distance or distance to fly from the brook cherith to Zarephath. This post will lightly cover 1 Kings 17 with a sermon from Community Bible Church. Eventually, God told Elijah to move forward after his waiting time at the brook of Cherith. Encyclopedia. Originally posted at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/251990541632996864/. Sometimes a Cherith experience is there to get the world out of us. God Led Elijah. Ahab went along with her in everything she proposed, even setting up an idol in the house of Baal in Samaria. The Bible scholars teach Elijah enjoyed food and water at Cherith for a year before the brook dried up. It is the same for you though hard times will come. The first was learning obedience. Cherith. It is described as being "before," that is "east," of Jordan. For Elijah every raven visit was a reminder not only of Gods loving provision but of Gods loving presence with him as well. Jesus said in John 15:14 'You are My friends if you do what I command.' 2. Then he went through a type of crucible at a place called Zarephath. (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. Elijah obeys and goes to Zarephath . Cherith. The issue is neither context nor means; it is the presence of a loving, wise, purposeful, faithful God. 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). God allowed the Babylonians to conquer the southern kingdom. Looking again at the 1st verse of this chapter, we noticed that it was a small thing for Elijah to stand before Ahab because he had stood before the King of Kings. There was a famine in Canaan. Cherith is a place where our pride is removed. When Elijah went to Cherith under the direction of God, he would never dream of that brook becoming exhausted. The place chosen was a great place for hiding but a challenge to survive there. 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. Or 'Why the brook Cherith?' - 1 Kings . Look at verses 8-10. He waited for God to speak to him. Our natural inclination would be to begin to think of the next task. God was directing him there to strengthen his faith and the faith of a widow that lived here with her son. God had commanded him to go and hide by the brook Cherith and had commanded the ravens to feed him there. Bible; 0 comments; April 16, 2014; I Kings 17:1-7 - "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead (his name means 'God is Jehovah'; he is considered one of the greatest of the Prophets; he is brought on the scene by the Holy Spirit without fanfare, and even without introduction), said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand, there shall . Libby. This exegesis is based on the juxtaposition . 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. He was to drink the brook water and eat bread and meat that the ravens would bring him there. Then the company got sold and restructured and the job was gone. 1 Kings 17:3 Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.. This is the key to Elijahs experience and life. It is surely no coincidence that God lead him to a quiet place where the only continual sound would be the rippling of this brook. We too know times when though we are in the will of God, and know so because we are being obedient to the Word of God, we will find things suddenly change and enjoyments evaporate. But God will not share His glory, so Elijah is told to go to a lonely place. The prophet Elijah hid himself on the banks of the Cherith and was fed by ravens during the early . 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. 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. In 1 Kings 17:4 the Lord declares, "I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.". "Now Elijah, the Tishbite, who said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word" (1 Kings 17:1, NASB). 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. He was fed by God. About 8-10% of the proceeds will go to The Exodus Road and Agape International Missions to help combat human trafficking. Furthering the kingdom means stretching outside of the comfort zone, comprehending and working towards meeting the needs of others. Heres Elijah by a brook, day by day seeing a diminishing water flow. A dried up brook was a result of Elijah's own prayer. 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. Shop Tactical, Military, Combat + Survival Face Shields at AlphaDefenseGear.com. 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. Elijah had just declared there would be no rain in Israel until he said so, and Ahab wasn't a very forgiving ruler. In the dynamics of divine Providence, Elijah was scheduled to experience another miracle in another place. Is this how we look at the trials in our Christian life as tests in Gods school of faith aimed to see if we have learned faiths lessons taught up to this point in our Christian life and are able to put them into practice? Yet it did. God can bring a blessing through an unclean vessel because the entire world is His. 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. So for Elijah this is a test of faith because it is one step at a time. When you think about your life as a Christian, has God ever failed to meet your needs? Birds of prey more likely to take meat from him (including of his bones) than to feed him. And the stories that you read about him are outstanding. He would have been high on adrenalin and on grace. And like Elijah trusting in God's direction at the Brook Cherith and like the widow of Zarephath, we must show God our faith and trust in Him by our actions (James 2:17-18). It is a place where you are completely cut off and are totally dependent upon God and His resources. God Is the Sufficient Source of Supply a) A Promise Received b) A . (1 Vote) Very easy. This caused idolatry to come into the land because the people worshipped these and were led astray. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, among others, take a different approach. That judgement was the application of the curse. So it was in this context that Elijah came to speak forth the word of judgement in the presence of Ahab. He was amazing because his God is amazing! Elijah' s faith was very strong, as was Abraham' s - look up Romans 4:17-21. 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. God saw the need for Elijah to keep things in perspective, and there is nothing like quiet times where we are alone with the Lord to help us find that. It is a place of humbling before the mighty hand of God. He said, Lord what will you have me to do? (Acts 9:6). The second lesson that Elijah is learning concerns His provision. He can only talk about what had happened with God now that will keep the fleshly pride down! God uses Elijah's time at the brook Cherith to teach Elijah even more about being a servant of God. Let us never presume that we will always have the opportunities we now have. Elijah told the current king (Ahab) that there will be a drought in the land of Israel. Sometimes in our lives God will use an unclean vessel to bring blessing to us in the same way that He did for Elijah. God was calling him forward, out of his silence. Elijah needed to hide, far away from King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel. And He is doing it in the same general way as He did with His Son. That Elijah learned his lesson well is seen in what he said to the widow in v.13,14. A Brook! by Winkie Pratney. After a while, the brook dried up that had provided Elijah with the nourishment of water. 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. There was a brook for water, and at His command even the ravens helped provide for Elijahs needs. God may teach and test us but He never deserts us. Elijah went to the brook of Cherith as directed by God. 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.
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