"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'" (1 Kings 17:1) Normally we are given more information about the prophets of the Bible, such as their father's name and their father's tribe, but we know nothing about Elijah's origins except he was from a town in Gilead. Gilead lay on the opposite side of the Jordan River where the half-tribe of Manasseh had settled along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. It is generally assumed that since Gilead was within the territory of Manasseh, Elijah must have been of the tribe of Manasseh, but we can't be sure of that since so little is known about his parentage.
One thing we do know is that Elijah was a human being, not a supernatural entity of some sort like an angel. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, had this to say about Elijah: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years." (James 5:16b-17)
We learn from James that Elijah prayed for the coming drought. I believe he was moved by the Holy Spirit to pray for it not to rain and that it was the Lord's will for it not to rain. After receiving confirmation that this event is going to take place, Elijah comes into the presence of the king with a dire message. There is going to be a drought. Famine is always the result of a long drought. This drought is an instrument of judgment upon King Ahab and the idolaters of the land for their sins against the Lord. If received in the right spirit, this calamity is capable of causing people to repent and change their ways.
King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, and the people do not repent at the message of Elijah so the withholding of rain from the heavens begins. But the Lord isn't going to allow Elijah to go without food and water. He directs him where to lodge for a time. "Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 'Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.'" (1 Kings 17:2-4) The Lord tells Elijah to "hide". Later on we'll find his life threatened by Queen Jezebel but at this time I don't know whether the Lord tells him to hide because there's a threat against him or whether the Lord is speaking of His intention to hide (shelter) him from the effects of the drought. In the Bible we often find the word "hide" used to indicate a place of shelter or rest or provision or protection.
This is especially true in the book of Psalms. In Psalm 17:8-9 David prays, "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me." In Psalm 27:5 David makes this declaration of faith in the Lord, "For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." In Psalm 31:19-20 David says to the Lord, "How abundant are the good things that You have stored up for those who fear You, that You bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in You. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from all human intrigues; You keep them safe in Your dwelling from accusing tongues." In Psalm 32:7 David praises the Lord like this, "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." In Psalm 143:9 David asks the Lord, "Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in You."
Elijah is going to "hide" in the Kerith Ravine for a while. He won't remain there for the entire duration of the drought but for an unspecified period of time he will be "sheltering in place", to use a modern phrase, while the Lord refreshes him and prepares him for the amazing things we'll see him doing in later on. "So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." (1 Kings 17:5-6)
Where did the raven find this bread and meat? We do not know but we know that the Lord is able to provide for those who are His, no matter how severe a drought or famine may be. The Lord tells the raven where to go and what to do and the raven obeys Him. Is this a miracle? In a sense, yes, and in a sense, no. For a raven to take care of Elijah in this fashion is certainly unusual enough to be counted as a miracle. But on the other hand, the Bible tells us that all things were made by and for the Lord. (Colossians 1:16) It is not strange that a creature created by and for the Lord would obey His voice. Only man---out of everything the Lord created---ever chooses to disobey His voice. But in our text today, both Elijah and the raven obey the Lord. Because Elijah obeys the Lord, he is sheltered and provided for by the Lord.
But it's not the Lord's will for Elijah to remain so long by the brook that he becomes entrenched in such a comfort zone that he will be reluctant to speak out for the Lord again. The Lord will allow the brook to dry up when Elijah is physically strong enough and spiritually strong enough to take the next steps the Lord calls him to take.
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