After he said it, God told him, "Now, go to the brook." He didn't tell Elijah what was going to happen at Cherith; he just said, "Go to the brook and hide yourself." Elijah didn't know the future, but he did have God's promise: "I'll provide for you there." 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 . We think we need a GPS system which would tell us the quickest way to get where we want to be but God doesn't actually give that to us. How do we build on it. He was where God wanted him to be, doing what God wanted him to do. This caused idolatry to come into the land because the people worshipped these and were led astray. How easy it is to make the service which God trusts us with a pedestal on which to display ourselves. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. When he went there, there was a nice stream of water with plenty to drink. They are ravens, unclean scavenger birds. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 1 and 2 Kings make up one book in the Hebrew Bible, split into two books in the English translations. The Story of Elijah and the Cherith Brook, The 100 Mile Journey From the Dried Up Brook, "Trusting God in Difficult Times" by Community Bible Church at their YouTube Channel, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/251990541632996864/, https://www.youtube.com/user/cbcofbeaufort. Yet God proved Himself adequate. The place chosen was a great place for hiding but a challenge to survive there. When you look through the Bible, most of God's saints have gone through a 'Cherith'. And woe betide then any church or nation when God removes His Word and its servants from it. She began with pluralism, which meant that it was alright to worship more than one God - both Yahweh and Baal it didn't seem to matter. He would have been high on adrenalin and on grace. I was just thinking about how God speaks to me when I walk my dog. This exegesis is based on the juxtaposition . 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. He said. It's like that with us. Since our start, we've aided two companies in their pursuit to help victims of human trafficking and have donated over $1,000 to The Exodus Road as well as made donations to spread the Gospel by partnering with Living Waters and Answers in Genesis. 'One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.' The funds will help assist in rescue operations, providing shelter, and recovery programs to those in bondage. I have been saved 21 years now and I can honestly say that I have lacked nothing that I actually needed. Sometimes in our lives God will use an unclean vessel to bring blessing to us in the same way that He did for Elijah. It is a declaration that he is working our His eternal purposes, who does all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11) and who works all things together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). He was being removed by God. God was directing him there to strengthen his faith and the faith of a widow that lived here with her son. 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. And the word of the Lord came to him: "Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the . My wife, Wendy, actually shared on this passage about a year ago. But it's not acting out of fear. 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 happened in the life of Elijah at the Brook Cherith, where a time came when Elijah began to watch the water flow daily diminish. God opened up a job for her and she had the job virtually a year to the day and it was the greatest job she had ever had. Cherith is a place where our pride is removed. Wendy couldn't understand why God would bring her provision in that way and then allow it to be gone. (Our) Present Help, and Redeemer. The above picture shows the distance of Zarephath to the Cherith brook. Consider Joseph God told Joseph in a dream that provision was going to dry up. Careful precaution has to be made when making a modern application to today's life as to not take the passage of scripture out of context. When Elijah went to Cherith under the direction of God, he would never dream of that brook becoming exhausted. It will be the same for you. Remember, in verse 1, Elijah confronted King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. - 1 Kings . Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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. There was a famine in Canaan. Israel is split into two kingdoms upon the rise of King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, to the throne around 901 to 209 B.C. God knows where Elijah is. Cherith. They had spurned it, now they will be deprived of it. Be assured that God will never forsake you nor fail you. 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's all about dependence upon God. Now she can look back and say 'I can see God's hand in that'. God allowed the Babylonians to conquer the southern kingdom. (4) You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.". But God always has a way! Only in that most unlikely place and nowhere else, not where we would have chosen as a likely haven! The Blissful Faith Merchandise store helps both this blog to grow and to meet the needs of others. I hope you have seen also how God in such times brings our greatest good out of our worst disasters. The second thing that Elijah had to learn here was His provision. 1 Kings 17:3 Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.. Elijah 1:The Brook of CherithSunday, Feb 28, 2016Pastor James WattsGrand View Church 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. So it was in this context that Elijah came to speak forth the word of judgement in the presence of Ahab. 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). 1. Elijah gets a command to go to Zarephath and the widow gets a command to feed Elijah; God promises to sustain Elijah and Elijah promises the widow that her cruse of meal will never finish. Putting faith to action keeps it from becoming stagnant. The second lesson that Elijah is learning concerns His provision. 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? 'Come aside to a quiet place,' He said. They employed 850 prophets of Baal and his . 2. 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. When we feel God is saying something to us we should actually act on it. After 40 days of that travel, one would have gone 1,200 to 1,440 miles, which would be enough to take one far . No matter the circumstances we will always find God adequate. The first act of the battle scene, as it were, was Elijah the prophet of God standing as Gods ambassador in the very throne room of King Ahab making known Gods judgement to this ungodly King who not only built a temple for Baal in his capital but also actively pursued an anti-God policy which was aimed at the full and final eradication of anything to do with the God of Israel from his kingdom. 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. It will want to be where you are and will desire to be doing what you are doing. 250 combinations! "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 An example of provision from the life of a great saint. Alistair Begg. This brook was not far from where he lived. It wasnt just for a little while that he stayed there, he continued day after day. Dont throw in the towel but wait on the Lord. God directed him to Zarephath, the land of Sidon. Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.". Well Elijah didn't - he stayed put. I read about George Mueller during the week and I thought this man is unbelievable. How to pronounce cherith? God knows that faith only develops under pressure. July 17, 2016. by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:5-7. CHERITH, THE BROOK kr' th ( , LXX , meaning brook of cutting).A stream or valley E of the Jordan. Over the course of the 22 years covered in 1 Kings, Israel has 20 kings that are wicked in God's sight. God was in control, He would not let His servant suffer needlessly. [ imber, signifies heavy rain. Having passed one grade in the school of faith, it was now time for the next. Information and translations of cherith in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Three times in the opening verses we have the phrase the Word of the Lord (v.2, 5 and also v.8). This was a time of severe drought. New merchandise has been added! This must have come as a surprise to the prophet. He went and did what he was told. God's provision and blessing was at Cherith. 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. Life was moving on. Remember Saul as he talked with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus? God provided for Elijah here by using ravens to bring him food and the brook to provide him water. 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 . Or 'Why the brook Cherith?' God Is the Single Source of Supply a) The Supply That Dried Up b) The Supplier That Spoke Up 2. In this God moves us more into the centre of Gods will, or moves us into something better. As I was thinking about this, I noticed the simplicity of it. How we should make use of the opportunities God gives us lest they be taken from us. Elijah by the brook Cherith. 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. 5. 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. 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. It is what John later spoke of when in exile on Patmos he revealed that yet he had sweet communion with His Lord. God instructs Elijah to hide near the brook Cherith, where the ravens would feed him. 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 . God provided the brook, and God dried it up. It is a declaration that he is working our His eternal purposes, There is nothing in Scripture to indicate this on the contrary the implication is that he, 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), When our brook seems to dry and we are tempted to cry out. But its impact is also felt by Elijah, by which we see that God had in mind for Elijah to learn another lesson of faith. After the brook dries up God lead Elijah to the widow in Zarephath where He provides a never-ending supply of oil and flour. Before the more mature faith and ability to handle the Mount Carmels of life, there must be the maturing experiences of the Cherith brooks of life and the widow of Zarephath. The Kerith Ravine is home to a river somewhere east of the Jordan, which marked the eastern border of the land given to Israel. God had spoken to this nation. Last time we looked at the state of Israel at the time Elijah came on the scene. The fact that it didnt yet look serious didnt alter the fact. Over the next few days he watched it dwindle and shrink . He had water but he didn't have anything else yet God provided. Go hide yourself by the Cherith of sick bed, of bereavement We can be too strong, too full of ourselves for God to use, and so by the Cheriths God buries our self-centeredness. Elijah had just declared there would be no rain in Israel until he said so, and Ahab wasn't a very forgiving ruler. See His absolute sovereignty and power that even birds contrary to natural instincts do His bidding on behalf of His people. Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-39). This blogs purpose is to be an evangelical outreach to further the kingdom of Christ. More importantly, here he would be alone with God. Elijah comes out of nowhere he comes out of the mountains of Gilead with this word to Ahab. He can only talk about what had happened with God now that will keep the fleshly pride down! Did his songs of worship grower weaker as the water rolled less noisily across the rocky bed? 65% off Any Hat Pack at AlphaDefenseGear.com 1 Alpha Defense logo hat + 3 face shields just $29.99! Do you remember the story of His disciples when they went out to preach and did all these wonderful miracles and came back to Him really glorying in all that had happened? The first was learning obedience. 100+ hat options: choose from boonie, beanie, trapper or snapback styles. God has prepared a place for Elijah. OBEDIENCE AND THE WORD OF GOD A) Able to Hear God's Voice B) Available to Hear God's Voice 2. And it's true. Cherith. Let me leave you with the lyrics of a song I've come to love: We are pressed on every side, but we won't be shaken. One step at a time. It is a place of humbling before the mighty hand of God. The STANDS4 Network . Elijah prophesies a drought to come upon the whole land as . She said that my dog was really obedient as it was never too far away but was always watching what I was doing. 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. 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. 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. I see another principle here in scripture - sometimes God tells you ahead of time what is going to happen. This is how God trains His young eaglets to fly. No, he waited. The time of testing usually requires sacrifice and faith, both interchangeably. 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. Before he could stand on Mount Carmel he had to learn to sit at the brook Cherith. Double-sided tape maybe? Elijah needed to hide, far away from King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel. Then the company got sold and restructured and the job was gone. It doesnt come easy. The 12 tribes of the Arab nations come from the family line of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and his female servant Hagar mentioned in Genesis 16. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 1 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. Hence, in having Elijahs presence and hearing Elijahs word, they were being given the ministry of God, hearing the Word of God. Australian . There would be none here for Elijah to be tempted to parade himself before. It is a place where you are completely cut off and are totally dependent upon God and His resources. Sometimes God has to force us into it. Have you not from time to time seen such changes happening in your life? It is the struggle of Cherith that sets up the sequence of command, promise, obedience and deferred results in Zarephath. In this even Jesus was not exempt, for in Hebrews 5:8 we read that, Think about that for a moment. Elijah told the current king (Ahab) that there will be a drought in the land of Israel. Lesson: God provides For Elijah And Widow. How strange the reply mustve been to him: Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do. Just one step at a time Saul thats how I operate. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15, Church Mail: PO Box 9007, South Yarra 3141. And this length of time can only be obtained by allowing more than two years for Elijah's stay at Zarephath. He was amazing because his God is amazing! 65% off Any Hat Pack at AlphaDefenseGear.com 1 Alpha Defense logo hat + 3 face shields just $29.99. 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 What a picture of human life this is! God then sends him to a widow who needs him more that he needs her. It's a place where God actually removes you for a specific purpose and the word means 'a cutting off'. 1 /5. "The word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. (Luke 4:25 NLT). If I am in the shower he is waiting for me. (1 Kings 17:2,5) God led him to Cherith, and then God led him out of Cherith. Now Baal was the god of fertility, the god of rain, and the god of the increase of their crops. Furthering the kingdom means stretching outside of the comfort zone, comprehending and working towards meeting the needs of others. C. LESSONS LEARNED BESIDE THE BROOK. After all, as his name indicates, his God is Jahweh. PLEASE NOTE: bidding and explicit material is prohibited on this platform so the links are safe to use. 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. 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. Having passed one grade in the school of faith, it was now time for the next. It is a cutting of all the things of the self-life so that Elijah (and you and I) can be used of God. Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. The temptation to false ideas and harsh thoughts of God are so near. How could this be? Eventually, God told Elijah to move forward after his waiting time at the brook of Cherith. This Bible lesson is targeted for an older elementary Sunday School . Elijah's 'cutting away' at brook Cherith Bible Study. However, before long Jezebel tried to wipe out Yahweh's name from the land. 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. The brook that had provided him so much nourishment and tranquility had dried up and God was pressing him forward. It is against this background that now we consider v.2-6, in which we see Elijah in response to Gods instruction leaving the kings presence and going to the Brook Cherith. Cherith, as mentioned earlier, means 'a cutting away'. What was God doing? There was no water! Then the milkman came past and the wheel fell off his cart right outside the orphanage! 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. when suddenly there was a knock on the door and a baker was there who said 'God has kept me awake all night and I knew I had to bake an extra three batches of bread for you.' 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