1 Kings 17: 1 -7 (part 2)

This is the second part to my notes on 1 Kings 17. For the first instalment look here.

You can read verses 1 to 7 here.

Food for the prayful – verses 3 to 7

Elijah is obedient. We had seen how he has trusted in the Lord and witnessed in a hostile culture, one that had grown alien to God. This obedience had taken him to the throne room of an evil Godless monarchy.

 Here in v.3 God moves him on with a new directive. He is to go and hide out in the desert – this in itself was a step of faith on Elijah's part. He was from Tishbe near Cherith and would have known the land well most likely. But heading out into a drying desert when he himself had issued a drought forecast of undefined length must've caused him some concern, nevertheless he goes.

It seems he has no way of supporting himself when he goes, but throws himself utterly on God's provision. We all know that God provides for us in everything, but we like to think we have control over such things; to do such a thing is testimony to how closely Elijah was walking with God. God assures him in v4 of his provision.

 V.5 to 7. Elijah stays at Cherith and the brook continues to flow. Months pass and Elijah remains sustained by God's hand. The drought itself lasted 31/2 years; a significant proportion of this was surely spent in that wadi by the brook. The ravens brought food, the brook provided water and the Lord provided spiritual comfort, support and company for Elijah.

 Elijah had been concealed here for his protection – Ahab had sent men out to look for him, probably continually. It was far easier to blame Elijah for the curse of the drought than to admit that it was his and the nation's sin that had brought God's judgement on them. In Ch18: 10 Obadiah admitted to Elijah that "there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you".

 But Ahab and his men were barking up the wrong tree in blaming Elijah, as only God can cause it to rain. Man can no more make it rain than they can make their own heart beat. Jeremiah 14: 22 tells us "Are there any among the vanities of the gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things."

God provides all for Elijah – shelter, food, water, safety, faith and assurance. But again, Elijah was a man, a sinful man. Satan would have many, many times sought to distract, discourage and tempt Elijah. Sewing seeds of doubt and fear. What if the brook dries up? What if I'm found? What if the ravens don't come? Or someone follows them? I'm fed up of being here! Hurry up Lord! I've been good Lord, I've done what you wanted... why punish me?

 But God provides all. Peter Jeffrey in a sermon I heard some time ago said somrthing like this – "how can we trust God for our eternal salvation, but not for our bread and jam?" We trust God with the biggest things in our lives not least our eternal salvation, but leave him out of all the small things. He is all sufficient. Elijah was filled and provided for because he pursued God in all things, he hungered after God's presence – see Matthew 5: 6 for confirmation of this.

Elijah stayed put. This he knew, he wasn't to move until God told him to. Just as Moses didn't move until the pillar of cloud moved. When the cloud stopped so did he. When it moved, day or night, so did Moses. We should do likewise – in our prayers we should continually look for His guidance in all things. When we pray specifically he will specifically guide. But if we move without him, we move alone.

 No new directive will be given until we have been obedient fully to his last instruction, we don't move when we think the job is done.

 V7 the prompt to move comes. The brook dries up. This was not solely to just get Elijah going but ensured that Elijah didn't rely on the gifts, but that he relied solely on God. We can also see in v8 that 'the word of the Lord came to him' prompting him on to Zarephath. What a relief! Out of that prison cell that the brook had become... but was the grass greener?

 Elijah was sustained in body and spirit by grace. And through faith and prayerful obedience he was able to walk closely with the Lord. We have the same offer of sustinence! John 6: 35 "and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst"

 We need never fear for our bodily sustenance when the Lord has promised to feed our souls. Elijah's was obedient and prayerful and he knew what it meant to be fully cared for by the Lord God of Israel, the same God who has promised us that he "will never leave thee nor forsake thee" Hebrews 13:5

The third and final part will come shortly.

Christians should smile more... shouldn't they?

I had a blindingly good idea for a blog the other day... well about 2 weeks ago in fact, so the idea has faded somewhat so excuse me if I don't paint as vivid a picture as was scorching through my mind at the time.

Following a link sent to me by 'The Wap' I saw/listened to this cover of Massive Attack's song 'Teardrop' by a chap called Newton Faulkner. I'm not a big fan of the original, but am a sucker for a good voice and a guitar... it is neat, simple and unflowery. A bit like me... minus the neat.

Anyway I liked the cover and had a quick itunes browse for some of his other stuff and eventually just downloaded a whole album. One song on the album is entitled 'People should smile more'.

As I drove along tippy tapping the steering wheel and singing out of tune I pondered exactly this. I'm justified, saved by grace, loved and cherished by an all sufficient, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, sovreign, almighty God. His son died in my place and I have been granted by undeserved merit all the treasures that heaven and eternal life offer me. What's not to beam about?

The following Sunday the preacher (sorry the exact sermon is lost in the fog of my memory now!) spoke about the fact that as the wretched men we are, sinners of the darkest hue, we have no moral right to be happy.

Boom!

That dropped my 'smiling' on its head and stole its pocket money alright. Fortunately the point of the sermon was hardly to shoot my happiness down in flames, but rather to highlight the pervasive attitude that Christians should walk around with 'Colgate' grins and a chirpy countenence 24/7. This clearly is not true.

Faithful Christians should, in their self reflection often come to an stark awareness of the depth and depravity of their own sin... and of that around them. They should mourn this, grieve for their sinful mind, heart, lusts, actions and words -

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4 KJV)

But does this mean we cannot smile as Christians? Of course not. In fact the ironic thing is that our smiles should spread broader when we consider why we are smiling in the first place. We are saved from our sins. Those sins that grieve and hurt us, that black cloud of rebellion and hurt that plagued us as unregenerate people... they're gone!

So in those dark moments of distress, when we are at our lowest ebb, surely nothing should lift us more than the realisation that all that troubles us, all that hinders and pains us is paid for.

The debt is paid!

The curse lifted!

Our chains are fallen off, our hearts set free!

Surely in that black, dark dungeon His quickening ray should make our personal dungeon of sin flame with light... and dare I say it?

Smile.

Smile and let Him comfort you. Smile with tears in your eyes. Smile with utter relief. Smile at the thought of a love that can never be broken and never waivers.

So yes... Christians should smile more.