Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him.
1-Kings 17:2-5
I like the thought that God protects His people and hides them, providing them shelter and a safe place. But how big was Elijah’s part in what God did for him? Only by walking in obedience and total surrender, listening and doing what the Lord said was Elijah safe. He did not count the risks, He trusted God because He knew Him.
Many of us might think back on tough times, persecutions, unlawful actions or even violence against us. It’s not easy to go through any of those. Yet even so, we can look back at Elijah and think, how difficult were his circumstances? How do we compare and what are the lessons for us in our circumstances? What is the message we can take for the uncertain future?
God knew that His name was about to be questioned and about to be glorified. He needed to prepare Elijah. God prepares His people. In the most dangerous places God knows how to preserve, how to protect, and how to give safety to his people. Think on this, in His power He even directed the ravens to take care of Elijah. I would not be surprised if ravens even fed Elijah directly from the King’s table. God gave Elijah all he needed to live – food, water, and free shelter. He may not have had the comfort we take for granted today, but Elijah was surrounded by God’s divine safety and provision.
Later, God upgraded Elijah to a house in Zarephath in the region of Sidon, where again, He supernaturally provided for Elijah. Here, He directed a widow to supply Elijah with food and shelter.
God used people and even creatures to provide for His saints. His will was to provide for and to care, influencing the hearts of man and animals alike.
Notice how God’s provision occurred during famine.
There are two types of famine: physical and spiritual. During the physical famine, God was supplying for Elijah basic physical needs. Yet during this time, He was also preparing him as a vessel to be used in a spiritual famine. This spiritual famine had developed during an actual physical famine.
Throughout all three years of this physical famine, God was showing His faithfulness to Elijah and to those who cared for him. God provided for every need through provision and protection, giving food, shelter, and life. Obviously, God was not done with Elijah. He still had a plan Elijah needed to complete.
Elijah was under huge spiritual pressure and persecution. Even so, he trusted and followed all God’s directions even though much of this must have seemed illogical in Elijah’s head.
Let’s go deeper… think about it…
- Why Kerith Ravine? Kerith means “cutting” or “separation”. Have you ever thought of God cutting you or separating you from the world, to make you holy and more like Him? Cutting and separation is not comfortable, but it is teaching us to trust God.
- Why ravens? If God used ravens who do not even feed their own children to feed Elijah, how much more is God able and willing to use extraordinary means for our provision. How comforting it is to know that God can provide when circumstances seem impossible. I personally can testify to the goodness of God and his supernatural provision. When my dad was not there to provide, God stepped in and showed His mighty hand. Our family of 7 witnessed the unexplainable. Our only food, potatoes, lasted for three months though visibly we only had enough for two days. This did not happen just once. Even here in the U.S. God used the “widow” to meet my family’s needs. Though silent about our desperate need, God used His “angels” to provide us with groceries and financial support in the most difficult moments of our lives.
- Why Zarephath of Sidon? Place of gentiles. It did not make sense for Elijah. He was an Israelite, and gentiles were counted as unclean. Elijah might have wondered why not his own people? God can use anyone. He has His agents, even among unbelievers.
If you will see this with your spiritual eyes, you will find the hidden messages from God in His divine plan, foreshadowing the future for us.
God works in mysterious ways, but trusting Him in the process is a vital key. Yes, sometimes it’s scary, it sounds weird, but He is faithful. And if we want to experience Him in fullness, we just need to listen and obey!
Elijah’s story does not end here, but it’s another example of trusting God in the middle of danger, and remembering that…
the safest place on earth is to be in the WILL of God.
