Read: 1 Kings 17-19
Elijah gives his first recorded word to Ahab and it is not an encouraging word. He tells him that it won’t rain till God says it will. Then God told Elijah to run and hide by the brook Cherith which was before the Jordan. He was to drink water from the Cherith and God would send a raven to feed him twice a day. Cherith means “a cutting”. Elijah was to drink of that till it dried up. I think that during this time God was cutting away all the things that Elijah held on to so that God could entrust Elijah with the responsibility and power He was going to put on Elijah.
The next place Elijah was sent was to Zarephath where a widow woman was going to take care of him. Zarephath means “refinement”. He was to put his faith out there and call something that wasn’t into being. The woman didn’t have enough for her and her son and she was to be Elijah’s provision. Since Elijah knew what God had said about her being his bread and water he knew he would have to speak it into being and he did. God came through for him. It was there that Elijah saw the power of God raise the dead to life.
When it was time, God sent Elijah to meet Ahab and all the prophets of Baal. They met on Mt. Carmel and had a showdown of power. Baal didn’t come through but God came down from heaven with fire that consumed the altar, the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and what little water they had left. Elijah killed all 850 prophets of Baal (18:19) with the sword then ran when Jezebel threatened his life! Is that why he had to pass his mantle so quickly to Elisha?
Elijah fled to Beersheba which was the place both Abraham and Isaac made oaths with Abimelech of peace and safety. They dug wells there as a sign of their oath. As Elijah is having his pity party and wanting to die, God places a cruse of water at his head and a baked cake on the fire. An angel touched him and told him to eat and drink because he had a great journey ahead. He was told to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria and Jehu, king of Israel and Elisha to take his place.
Elijah went first to Elisha and threw his mantle on him. Elisha knew what it meant so he sacrificed his oxen and followed Elijah. What a story!
Lord, in whatever place we are in on our journey whether it is by the brook Cherith having our flesh cut off, or in Zerepheth being refined or in the battle at Mt. Carmel, or having our pity party in Beersheba, let us always find You. You are our compass and You hold the answers to the future. We trust in You.
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