LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 1st Kings 17 Even when a nation's political and religious life is increasingly more sinful, the true spiritual life of God's people is there when they act and live by faith. The kings of Israel were getting eviler in their leadership with each succeeding king. There were no priests of God, only the false priests of Baal who were leading the people into pagan darkness. But mixed among the population were those who were almost overlooked, and it seemed like they didn't even know there were so many. There was among them Elijah, who thought he was alone. It was very appropriate that his name means "Jehovah is God" because that was the essence of his message to Israel.
This chapter begins the history of the ministry of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was the first of a long line of prophets who, for three hundred years, were sent to rescue the people of Israel and Judah from its spiritual decline and moral decay into which they had fallen. Elijah’s name, “The Lord is God,” is the key to his message. No prophet like Moses had been sent for generations until Elijah came on the scene.
Idolatry associated with Baal worship is similar to the hold humanism and materialism have on people in our day. The piety, righteousness, and faithfulness associated with those who seek to live for God set them apart from most of the population. When crisis times come, brought on by people's departure from the fundamental standards of moral conduct and obedience to the basic laws of humanity, those who are committed to obeying the Lord will stand out and have to speak up.
The crisis brought upon Israel by Ahab’s act of making Baal worship official was the opening scene of Elijah going public as the man God sent to be His representative. The kings and prophets had failed, and Elijah’s prayer for the Lord to withhold rain was answered. Divine judgment came on the nation and demonstrated that Baal, the god of fertility, was powerless. With God-given courage, Elijah went right to the source of the problem, Ahab, because God had chosen him to be the answer to his own prayer.
Two things are necessary for a person to have the right to speak for God. There must be the righteousness of life and the fellowship of prayer with God. We must be alone with God before we can speak for God in public. We know from the Book of James that Elijah was earnest and effective in prayer, so his prayer “availed much.” Prayer without righteousness is an exercise in futility. The righteousness accompanying faith gives power to accomplish God’s will in public.
When we have been with God and learned from Him, there will be the freshness of the work of the Holy Spirit working through us, and the light of truth will come from the words we speak. We are associated with the nation we live in, so we will experience the same things as those around us when the justice of God is carried out. But believers have a way to escape the temptation of sin that God gives us so we can bear whatever comes without complaining or thinking that we should be treated better than other people.
Elijah vigorously opposed in word and deed the worship of Baal and those who engaged in that worship. He began by going right to the top—to Ahab, the king. His message was the same as the Lord gave Moses: national apostasy will be followed by nationwide drought [De.11:17; 28:4]. It was not only divine judgment from God but also a demonstration of the powerlessness of Baal, the god of fertility.
Elijah was not to stay around and "rub salt into the wounds" but was to absent himself from the evil that was going on and leave the consequences of sin in the hands of the Lord. Too often, people try to step in and determine that punishment for sin has gone on long enough rather than wait for evidence of real repentance and the change repentance brings. In Elijah's absence, the judgment of God was intensified and confirmed to the people of Israel.
When we walk with the Lord in fellowship with Him and are faithful to accomplish what He has given us to do for Him, we can expect God to do whatever is needed in His own time and way. Who ever heard of birds that live on flesh and whatever they can find to deliver both meat and bread to a man twice a day without eating it? The miracle of the food supply never diminishing was a miracle of creation. The Creator was again creating what was needed by His word's power.
The same authority that sent Elijah to bring the message of judgment to the king and the nation told Elijah to separate himself from that place and those people. The absence of the prophet confirmed and intensified the judgment. God does not only respond to evil with words but also with actions. When evil persists, and repentance does not happen, we withdraw to leave people isolated from God and His blessings and let the Lord deal with the matter in His own time and way. That happened in the church at Corinth when the Lord dealt with sin in the assembly Himself apart from human action. "For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
It was a miracle that in a nation responsible for providing for the prophets, the Lord provided the food Elijah needed through the actions of ravens (unclean birds) that normally would have devoured food of any kind. The food source is not mentioned, but mysteriously, twice a day, the ravens appeared with the needed food. Eating meat twice daily was usually the fare of kings and wealthy people. Elijah had food from the table of the Lord God.
God has ways of providing the help we need from sources we least expect. His provisions go way beyond our expectations and preconceived ideas of solutions to problems. In hopeless situations and bitter trials, God is there to do what He knows is right and for our ultimate blessing. He may use what we consider unclean or someone we would never expect to do His will on our behalf.
God is not dependent on people, but people are dependent on God no matter who they are, even if they don’t know. Elijah got his food from the table of the King of Kings, not from the birds. Jezebel’s prophets ate at her table while the Israelites, who had been led into apostasy by those same people, went hungry. God had told Elijah to turn eastward toward the sun rising.
We who wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come for us look toward the rising of the sun for the Dayspring from on high. Not only should we be looking for Him to come, but we should not allow ourselves to become prominent and popular in the world. We should “hide” ourselves from all around us, which is evil. Despite commotion, chaos, and conflict in the world, we pray for the powers that be and that we may live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.
Morning and night, we need the food God has provided for us to nourish us with the spiritual provisions God has for us in His word. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” We don’t have to go anywhere else because, like Elijah, the Lord promised to “feed you there,” right where you are.
Following the Lord's guidance and doing His will, even though it may seem much different from what we expect, is how we live by faith. God will have lessons for us to learn and work for us to do as long as we are here. Our responsibility is to live righteous lives and keep our fellowship with God warm and meaningful through reading the scriptures and praying earnestly and thankfully.
God was in command of nature by using ravens to do His will and meet the needs of His servants. He is also in control of people and circumstances. When the word of the Lord told Elijah to go to the center of Baal worship at Zarephath, where Jezebel came from, and that a widow would take care of him, by nature, he would have resisted on all points. But by obeying the Lord, Elijah was kept by the grace of God, and others were blessed because of his obedience to God.
Faith in the Lord is not a reason for pride or self-exaltation but humility and appreciation. The refining process in our lives will never let us reach a place where we cease to depend on the Lord. If the time ever comes when we have no difficulties, we will likely become complacent and start looking around instead of looking up to God.
The "word of the Lord" that sent Elijah to Cherith later sent him to Zarephath in Sidon, where Jezebel had come from. That was right where the religion of Baal was being promoted and from where it had come to Israel. Even in that dark place, God had a widow who believed "the Lord thy God liveth." Elijah acted by faith in the "word of the Lord." Now, this widow acted in faith in the "word of the Lord" through Elijah.
By the brook Cherith, Elijah didn’t have much to do but lay back, enjoy the sound of the water, and eat good food. God did not back down on His promise when the water in the brook dried up. When the day came when there was no water to drink, Elijah might have wondered what to do. The word of the Lord left no question: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath…” He doubtless jumped to his feet from where he had been lying in despondency to listen to God's instructions.
Like Elijah, we have lessons to learn about ourselves, other people, and our Lord. He was not given a dignified way to supply his needs and bless others by helping them. We must learn that obedience to the Lord is our obligation and of utmost importance. To serve God right, there can be no place where “self” can be in the process. “It is God that works in you to will and do His good pleasure.”
Elijah was told to leave Cherith (“separation”) and go to Zarephath (“place where gold is refined”). Separation by itself has no real value, but when it is connected with the refining process of our souls, we soon will realize we are being trained and prepared for service for the Lord in the work He wants us to do. We would be surprised if we knew those who fear the Lord in the most unexpected places. When we live by faith, we do not follow a template. Our faith is in a living Person, not a process. Faith is the step we take between a promise and assurance. When we act by faith, obedience is the first action of a solution.
Elijah was being trained and tested for his faith in solitude and total dependence on God for food by the brook. Then, he had to learn obedience and humility at Zarephath. Asking a widow woman to give him the last of what she had and then assure her that there would be enough for her and her son was a substantial test of his faith in the word of the Lord.
When the prospects ahead of us seem dark, and we have no one around to look to for aid, the gold starts to be refined. All we have is our trust in God and confidence that our Sovereign God is in full control of the circumstances, events, and the outcome of a matter. When we rest our faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and are willing to accept the outcome He gives, our Christian life becomes real and victorious.
Elijah heard and acted on the Lord's word that a widow would provide what he needed. He left Israel and went to Zidon, a Gentile country and the stronghold of the wicked, religious worship of Baal. More than that, he, a Jew, had to approach a Gentile woman with a son and no husband. To speak to her when she was looking for a few scraps of wood to bake a final meal would have gone against everything he had been taught and practiced.
Faith is not directed by what we see but by obedience, dependence, and confidence in God, who knows the outcome of every situation we face. Poverty is hard to accept and impossible to ignore. Not knowing what is ahead of us and, at the same time, acting on what is immediately in front of us brings us to a place of total surrender to God. “Man's extremity is God’s opportunity.”
Elijah needed bread and water, the widow needed meal and oil, and God supplied both in His sovereign way. The barrel of meal was never filled, and the barrel of oil remained nearly empty, but each day, there was enough to meet the household's needs. They were kept right at the edge of want to keep them trusting in God alone.
"The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord..." Every meal the widow made was an act of faith. The barrel didn't fill up; it just didn't empty, nor did the jar of oil. They didn't go empty even though she was "scraping the bottom of the barrel" each time she prepared a meal. God allowed their faith to flourish every time they ate. The troubles were not over, but the Lord was with them daily through the difficult times of famine. The essential provision was there and was provided for those three people only. They were not given enough to feed other people.
Sin has consequences, and an evil nation and leadership must face them. However, in the worst circumstances, the Lord is there to go through the trial with those who trust Him. Even in those who live by faith, tragedies may happen. When our faith is tested to the utmost, we must depend on the Lord as each trial comes totally. One act of faith is not living by faith. But even as we go through difficulties that increase in intensity, God allows us to act in faith that increases proportionately to the need we perceive. When given the basics, we need to act in faith even when we do the same thing repeatedly, or when tragedy comes, our faith in God will take us through every situation victoriously. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." The nation had turned away from God, and there had been no rain for months. The fields were barren, the brooks were dry, and the people were in pain from hunger and thirst with no end in sight. Elijah had prayed that there would be no rain because of the nation's spiritual condition. He appealed to the word of the Lord. Among them all, though not standing out, were those who believed and responded to the Word of the Lord, and they received His blessings.
Others may think God's blessings are small: just some simple food, like bread, a bite or two of meat, or a small nourishing cake. But God knows what is best for us. He could give a banquet if He thought it was the right thing to do, but what is best is appropriate to meet the present need. Some people may have flesh to eat and some bread to strengthen their bodies and feed their souls.
Even though there seems to be departure on every hand in our country and worldwide, and the darkness of unfaithfulness sweeps across the land, there are those here and there whose lives are very simple. They live by faith, and God knows where each one is and cares for them. When saints, though unknown to each other, meet in some strange place, they have something in common. Their heavenly Father, in whose name they greet each other, is the One who has brought them there. They share their faith and the food they eat; they realize they’re one in faith, hope, and charity, and they belong in the same home - in the Father’s house.
A common bond was between a widow, a young child, and a prophet. One has a need, the other meets it, and they share what they have. One has infallible words; another has some sticks, a little flour, and oil. They find out that is all they need because the Lord they love can use what they have to bless them. Their faith is strengthened, their joy increased, and their lives are intertwined. They all rejoice in the grace of God, find fellowship by being together, and learn to be satisfied with the little things that come from the hand of God.
God knows that if we lose our awareness of dependence on Him, we will begin to take His benevolence for granted, and our faith in Him will fade. A “handful” at a time and a “little” of what we need most will keep us looking to our Father and saying, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If the time comes when we feel we can handle each matter ourselves, we are in danger of being the object of satanic attacks. An independent spirit and a sense of self-sufficiency will make us useless for the Lord to use in His service.
The widow, her son, and Elijah had to eat sparingly each day, but there was something to eat each day. That would help to maintain a sense of appreciation and gratitude to the Lord for what they had. When the young child died suddenly, the test of faith was taken to another level. The woman blamed Elijah, but he knew God, and his test of faith was taken to the extreme. Does God give life after death? Elijah didn’t have the best room in the house, but all he needed was at his disposal.
Elijah knew the warmth of his body wouldn’t bring life back to the boy, but in total identification with the dead child, he lay upon the child’s body and prayed for God to give life to the dead, and God answered his prayer. In Elijah’s prayer, the truth and trustworthiness of God’s word were demonstrated, and a complete statement of saving faith was brought from the widow woman.
In this whole chapter, Elijah is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. “He came to His own, and His own received Him not.” He came “to seek and to save the lost,” even the Gentiles. He is the giver and sustainer of life. He meets our daily needs. He identified Himself with us in His death. He is the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Him will confess Him as Lord, and He will receive them to Himself.