1 Kings 17 No Rain

We meet Elijah and the first encounter we see is him telling Ahab that there will be no rain or dew until God said so. This is just the beginning of their relationship.

I have no doubt that Elijah was on the scene before our first encounter with him. If not, he would have been an unknown and Ahab would have blown him off completely. Elijah is God’s way of reigning in Ahab from the sin he is drowning in. Before Ahab’s life ends, he repents! But that is a story for another day.

Today, we will be with Elijah as he endures the drought along with Israel and her neighbors. Let’s join our story at the beginning of Elijah’s ministry.

♥ ♦ ♥

Elijah has had a love for the Lord since as long as he can remember. The stories of old fascinate him. He never tires of hearing them. Nor does he tire of learning the statutes of the Lord. He endeavors to follow those statutes at all times. He isn’t perfect in that walk, but he is quick to repent; just like the stories of King David.

Today is Elijah’s 25^th birthday. He has been an apprentice in several different occupations, but he hasn’t found one that really fits him. He has tried carpentry, tent making, sales, and even herding. Today he is expected to choose the path for his life. And he is still wondering what it will be.

“Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. I need Your direction. I am a ship tossed in the ocean. The only reason I am still afloat is because I feel Your hand on my life. I know You have made me with a purpose. Please reveal it to me.”

Elijah doesn’t hear a booming voice from Heaven, but he feels a peace that goes far deeper than any he has ever experienced. He stops worrying about his future.

Elijah’s family gather to celebrate the day of his birth and to hear the path he has chosen for his life. As they gather, they notice a calmness in Elijah that was not there before. He always seemed to be struggling with where to fit in and what to do. Now, he sits quietly and watches with utter patience. Once everyone has gathered, they all turn to Elijah for the announcement of his profession.

Elijah opens his mouth to speak, not truly knowing what he will say, when his mouth is filled with words not even he expected. “I am to be a prophet of God. He will use me to call the people of Israel back to Him; to repentance.”

Silence fills the room for a full minute as Elijah’s words sink into the hearts of all those gathered around. His Abba is the first to break that silence.

“How? How will you support yourself? Where will you go? What will you do? How do you know this?”

“Abba, I don’t have the answers for any of your questions. I didn’t know that this would be my calling until the Lord put the words in my mouth moments ago. He has called me, so I will rely on Him to meet my needs, to send me to where I must go, tell me what I must do, and give me what I am to say. I know nothing beyond this.”

Elisha’s Ima speaks next. There are tears in her eyes. “You are not a Levite, but I have always seen your zest for the Lord. I have no doubt that He will use you mightily.”

The rest of the ravend recognizes the truth in her words and the rest of the questions are left dying on the air. Elijah finds that those outside his family are not as quick to accept his calling. Many think him pretentious. Elijah does most of his ministry outside his own home town, as a prophet is not without honor except in his own town.

Elijah calls to the people in Israel; “Repent and return to the Lord before His discipline crushes you. He is faithful to forgive when we return with our whole heart.”

There is very little movement in the people of Israel’s heart as Elijah calls to them. One day, he hears the Lord speak to him.

“Elijah, I am sending you to Ahab. You will pronounce My discipline. Not only for him but for the whole nation.”

Elijah goes straight to Samaria from where he had been preaching. He is well known in the region as he has been calling out for some time. The guards warily usher him into Ahab’s court.

Ahab sees Elijah standing at the threshold and motions for him to enter. He is quite surprised when Elijah neither bows nor waits for him to speak first.

“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” (1 Kings 17:1).

After delivering these words, Elijah turns to leave.

“I never dismissed you” roars Ahab.

Elijah turns back to Ahab and says; “The Lord has not given me any more to say or leave to answer any questions. I must be about His business alone.” Elijah turns again to the door and leaves. He doesn’t stop until he is well outside the city gates.

Ahab is sputtering and spitting. “How dare he march in here! Who does he think he is? We will just see about that.” After a few minutes Ahab sends his guards out to capture Elijah and bring him back to the throne room. “I will see him in chains for his impudence” seethes Ahab.

The guards begin searching the city. While they are doing this, the Lord speaks to Elijah.

“Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. ⁴ You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:3).

Elijah sets out immediately for the destination the Lord has given him. The Lord also allows him to travel very fast. Fast enough that he is long gone by the time the guards step outside the city to continue their search. When they can’t locate Elijah, they return to Ahab.

“We searched the city and the towns close by. He is nowhere to be found my king.”

“Fine. I’ll deal with him later. What does that fool know anyway.”

Elijah settles into a routine at the brook Cherith. He enjoys the food brought by the ravens and even has a few that share a morsel or two with him as he talks to them. He rests in the heat of the day under a shady tree. He talks with the Lord much of his time, or studies His statutes. And he waits.

God has not told him how long this period of drought would be. He knows it has to be an extended time to get the attention of the people. “At least a year” he tells himself. “Can I handle the solitude that long” he wonders.

Two months pass before Ahab begins to notice that the words of Elijah are coming to pass. It was at the beginning of the rainy season when Elijah stood before Ahab. Not a drop of rain or even dew has touched the ground since that moment. “The season is just late this year” Ahab consols himself.

Elijah continues to wait and worship by the brook. He isn’t surprised at the lack of rain.

Another month passes and Ahab decides to call for the magicians.

“Do your incantations and make it rain” he instructs them.

The magicians do all they can but not a drop falls from the sky or rises up from the earth. Jezebel suggests appealing to Baal for help. Ahab goes with Jezebel to the temple of Baal and prays with all his might. Still no rain or dew. Ahab even offers sacrifices but it brings him nothing.

Elijah continues to wait and worship still. He enjoys the raven’s company and waits for the Lord to speak more instructions.

After six months, Ahab has moved to true worry. The time for the rains is past. Israel depends on the rains to get her through the dry months. He is worried that they won’t have enough water to care for the crops this year.

Israel makes it through the season by hauling water, but the yield is significantly lower than her normal. Ahab breathes a sigh or relief as they head into the winter. “Surely, there will be rain in the winter” he thinks.

Elijah continues to rest in solitude, except for the ravens, by the brook. He has noticed that it is significantly lower than when he first came. He notes it, but continues to trust in the Lord.

A year has passed, and Ahab is angry. “It’s all that prophet’s fault! He made this happen. Scour the countryside and bring him to me. I will MAKE HIM bring back the rain!”

Ahab’s troops start searching the countryside that day. They search everywhere they can think of. Every city, town, and village. He is nowhere to be found. They hate to do it, but after three months, they come back to Ahab empty handed.

“What do you mean, you can’t find him? He is out there somewhere laughing at me! Look again, and don’t come back until you locate him, or his carcass!”

Ahab’s men go out searching again. They have no better success than they had the last time.

“What are we supposed to do?”

“I’m not going back there! He is likely to kill us if we come back emptyhanded.”

“Then what are we to do?”

“We can pretend to be searching. Keeping an ear to the ground and an eye open for signs of Elijah.”

“I suppose so. It’s better than facing Ahab again. Last time, he was so angry, I thought his eyes would pop out of his head.”

“That would have been a sight to see!”

Ahab’s men do just as they propose. They wander from town to town, hoping to hear something.

After almost two years of drought, the brook Cherith is dry. Elijah stays where he is, waiting on the Lord. The ravens still come to feed him, but he needs water. “Lord God, I know You have not forgotten me because the ravens still come to me day and night. But I thirst. There is nothing to drink here. Nevertheless, I will wait upon You. You have sustained me and I have no doubt that You can continue to sustain me until You open the heavens again and give rain to Your people.”

Scarcely had Elijah’s prayer died on the wind than the Lord spoke to him. “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (1 Kings 17:9).

Elijah got up and immediately started making his way to Zarephath. He had to traverse the whole width of Israel to go to the place where God was sending him. This meant that he would also cross the path of those searching for him. Maybe even meet up with them along the way. Elijah knew nothing of the search, so this did not even enter his mind. But the fact that he had no water did.

As he walked, Elijah prayed and he trusted in the Lord. He was not afraid, nor did he feel thirst or hunger. More astonishing to him than all this was the speed with which the Lord moved his feet and the fact that he did not tire on the journey. It took two days for Elijah to traverse the distance between his two sources of provision.

Ahab and his men had no idea that Elijah had passed right by them. No one raised an alarm or even noticed as he nearly sprinted across the hills and valleys. They were all too busy worrying about their own needs.

When Elijah arrived in Zarephath, he began to feel the effects of the journey. He became tired, thirsty and hungry. He sits down just outside the city wall. Over by the gate, he sees a woman gathering sticks. In his spirit he KNOWS that this is the woman the Lord has sent him to. He rises from his place and comes closer to her. He calls out; “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink” (1 Kings 17:10).

His voice is gentle, and something about him compels her to do as he says. She turns to go into the city to her home. She hasn’t taken more than three steps before he calls out to her again.

“Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand” (1 Kings 17:11).

His words stop her in her tracks. Her heart begins to break. She wants to do as this man asks, but she has nothing to give. She and her son are near death and answering his request would hasten their deaths. She turns back to him and walks over to where he is standing. She shakes her head sadly as she tells him of her state.

“As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die” (1 Kings 17:12).

Elijah can almost taste the despair coming off of her. “This is why You brought me to her Lord. To answer her prayers.” Elisha reaches out and touches her hands as they dance around one another in worry. “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth’” (1 Kings 17:13-14).

Without a moment of hesitation, the woman goes to her house and does exactly as Elijah has instructed her. It takes her some time to prepare the cake for him. She hopes that he will not be angry with the wait. She knows now that this man is a prophet. She already suspected as much.

When the cake is done, the woman hurries back to where Elijah is waiting. She presents him with food and water and waits while he eats. She hides her hands under her apron to keep them from wringing themselves in his sight.

“This is very tasty. Thank you for your kindness and your faith.”

Elijah rises as if he is going to continue on his journey. She knows that she has to act now, or he will be gone and whatever blessings his God might bestow gone along with him.

“I have an upper room, if you need a place to stay. And you would be welcome at my table” she offers.

Elijah smiles. “This is a good woman that You have sent me to Lord.” To her he says; “I would be most grateful for both a bed and a table.”

She leads Elijah to her home and introduces her son. “This is my son Jonah.” She stops. She doesn’t know the man’s name to introduce him to her son. Elijah recognizes her dilemma and speaks up.

“My name is Elijah. I come from the land of Israel.”

Jonah eagerly welcomes Elijah. It has been him and his mother alone for some time now. It will be good to have someone to pass the time with; especially one who he can pepper with questions, like any young boy would.

Life settles into a comfortable routine for this small household. Their table is never empty, for their jar of oil and flour never empty. Each time the woman pulls from the jars to feed her small household, there is always more to draw from. At first, she would watch and measure, but as time goes on, she simply trusts and takes the Lord’s blessing as a promise.

Six months after adding Elijah to their household, Jonah becomes sick. At first it didn’t seem like anything to worry about, but he quickly turned for the worse. Within hours of his first symptoms, he lay in his mother’s arms and breathed his last.

From his room, Elijah hears the woman cry out in anguish. He rushes down the ladder and into the room where she sits. She sees him through her tears and cries out to him.

“What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” (1 Kings 17:18).

Elijah steps over to where she sits and kneels down in front of her. “Give me your son” (1 Kings 17:19) he says.

She looks down at her sons face, then back up to Elijah. She nods her head and Elijah reaches out and lifts the lifeless child from her arms. He carries him back up the ladder to the room she has given him. Once in the room, Elijah lays the boy down on his own bed. Elijah’s heart is breaking. He cries out to the Lord.

“O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” (1 Kings 17:20).

Elijah stretched his body out over the body of Jonah, covering him completely, three times. He felt drawn to do this by the Lord, as if he was pressing some of his own spirit back into the body of the child. After doing this, Elijah cries out to the Lord again.

“O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again” (1 Kings 17:21).

The boys eyes snap open as the voice of Elijah reverberates around the room. He smiles at Elijah. With tears in his eyes, Elijah scoops the boy into his arms and descends the ladder.

“Mistress, come here please.” Then he whispers to Jonah; “Call out your Ima.”

“Ima.”

On hearing her sons voice, the woman rushes to where Elijah stands. She wraps her arms around her son and begins to weep tears of joy.

With a smile, Elijah says to her; “See, your son lives” (1 Kings 17:23).

With wonder in her eyes and awe in her voice the woman speaks her heart.

“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

There is no fear that can find a place to rest in her heart for the rest of the time Elijah is in her home. She KNOWS Elijah’s God protects them.

(to be continued)

Even with the miracle of the oil and flour, the widow apparently had doubts about Elijah’s God. She was grateful for His blessings, but she didn’t fully trust Him. Only after her son was restored to life was her heart truly settled. Not only on God’s goodness, but on the fact that God listened to Elijah’s prayers.

I wonder what became of her once Elijah returned to Israel. I’m sure she had stories to tell her neighbors for YEARS to come. Did any of them benefit from her never-ending supply of oil and flour? We are not told so, but we are not told otherwise either. We know she had a heart for people, otherwise she would have outright refused Elijah’s request for her last food.

When I was searching for something in Google, I came across a site that said that Jewish legend, believes that Jonah, whom God sent to Ninevah, was the widow’s son whom Elijah raised from the dead. There is no concrete foundation in this, but it is interesting. Hence, why I named the child Jonah; just for fun.

When we walk through life, there are moments of perfect clarity. Moments when we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that God moved a mountain for us. Those are faith building moments. Some of them leave deeper impressions that others, but they all bring us to the same point that the widow reached after her son was restored to her. God Loves Us! And He has good plans for us.

This does NOT mean that we won’t face any heartache, but we can rest assured that He walks with us through it. And He lifts us above its strangle hold, when we let him. I personally experienced His lifting me above the ‘noise’ of my trouble just a few days ago. And in that lifting, He reminded me that He STILL loves me and is with me no matter what I walk through.

Father God, THANK YOU for holding me in Your arms. Thank You for lifting me out of despair. Thank You for promising to walk with me, no matter what I face. Let me rest in that assurance. For You have given me lessons along the way to prepare me for these days. I TRUST YOU with ALL MY HEART.