Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
God commanded Elijah, right after he had announced judgment to Ahab at the risk of his life, to leave Samaria at once and hide himself eastward by the brook Cherith before Jordan, in the mountains of Gilead east of the Jordan. The command placed him in safety beyond the malice of the king, away from Jezebel's hatred and threats and from Ahab's search. The Lord went before him and made the way plain, giving him drink from the brook and food morning and evening brought by ravens as His messengers. The stay was a withdrawal from busy scenes to commune with God, part of God's moving him from place to place to keep him from ease, deepen his dependence and spiritual power, and prepare him for translation and wider usefulness. God's miraculous care at Cherith assures faithful, self-sacrificing people that their bread and water will be sure even in famine and persecution, a protection Elijah should have remembered when Jezebel later threatened him, but he forgot and fled instead of trusting God.
Command and Refuge
The command came after Elijah had at the peril of his own life announced to Ahab in Samaria that there would be no dew nor rain as judgment for apostasy, and he left abruptly without waiting to see the effect of his message. Before the effects of the drought were seen, God bade him leave, turn eastward, and hide himself. The appointed hiding place was by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan, east of the Jordan, in the mountains among the mountains of Gilead.
He dwelt there far removed from any city of renown and occupying no high station in life, yet he was a man of faith and prayer. His fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy, confident that God would prepare the way before him and give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil, while offering the balm of Gilead to sin-sick souls who desired to be healed. From that mountain retreat east of the Jordan he watched Israel go deeper into idolatry, distressed and aroused with indignation and overwhelmed with sorrow. He remembered that God had delivered His people from bondage and given them the lands of the heathen that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws, but those beneficent designs were now well-nigh forgotten and unbelief was fast separating them from the Source of their strength. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest them in their wicked course and to visit them with judgments if need be, that they might see their departure from Heaven in its true light and be brought to repentance before they provoked the Lord to destroy them utterly.
By this direction God placed him in safety beyond the malice of the king whose actions had brought judgment upon the land. He was sent away from the power and hatred and threats of Jezebel and from the search of Ahab. That direction to a place of refuge was given three years before Jezebel afterward threatened his life. Cherith was the first place to which God sent him, before He later sent him to the widow of Sarepta and commissioned him to return to Israel.
Providence and Lessons
The Lord went before Elijah to Cherith and made the way plain, providing drink from the brook and food morning and evening brought by ravens as His messengers, even an angel from heaven. The raven served as God's messenger in that provision, showing His guiding hand and honoring love and care for His servant in hiding. When the continued drought dried up the brook, God did not withdraw His care but continued it by sending Elijah to find refuge in a heathen land, to the widow of Sarepta. There He daily provided food by miracle for Elijah and the widow's household, keeping them supplied.
The stay by the brook was part of God's moving Elijah from place to place to prepare him for translation. It was a providential change meant to keep him from settling into ease, to deepen his spiritual power through closer dependence on God, and to prepare him to influence many toward a wider and more helpful experience. Elijah needed to leave busy scenes and withdraw to Cherith to commune with God, and his example teaches that God's servants need rest and quiet with Christ, with nature, and with their own hearts. Their strength comes from God rather than from themselves, and Elijah exemplified moving where God directs and waiting for His word about where to go next rather than making independent plans for relief.
God's direction, honor, love, and miraculous care at Cherith should have kept Elijah from ever distrusting God. That earlier protection should have reminded him of divine care when Jezebel later threatened his life, direction having been given three years before to a refuge from her hatred and from Ahab's search. Instead he forgot that provision and fled for his life rather than trusting God for safety, and his later journey into the wilderness was not an errand God had given him. God's care for Elijah in famine assures self-sacrificing and faithful people that God will provide for them. Their bread and water will be sure even in famine and when the wicked around them lack food, for He will sustain and protect His faithful people through persecution, privation, and famine, supplying their needs so they will not perish.
Elijah's flight was a search for safety from people who had rejected heaven's light and hardened their hearts against the gospel. From such no justice could be expected, for by their crimes they were bringing down upon themselves the wrath of God. So like Paul in appealing to Caesar, he was safer among the heathen than among those hostile to God.
God commanded Elijah, right after he had announced judgment to Ahab at the risk of his life, to leave Samaria at once and hide himself eastward by the brook Cherith before Jordan, in the mountains of Gilead east of the Jordan. The command placed him in safety beyond the malice of the king, away from Jezebel's hatred and threats and from Ahab's search. The Lord went before him and made the way plain, giving him drink from the brook and food morning and evening brought by ravens as His messengers. The stay was a withdrawal from busy scenes to commune with God, part of God's moving him from place to place to keep him from ease, deepen his dependence and spiritual power, and prepare him for translation and wider usefulness. God's miraculous care at Cherith assures faithful, self-sacrificing people that their bread and water will be sure even in famine and persecution, a protection Elijah should have remembered when Jezebel later threatened him, but he forgot and fled instead of trusting God.
Command and Refuge
The command came after Elijah had at the peril of his own life announced to Ahab in Samaria that there would be no dew nor rain as judgment for apostasy, and he left abruptly without waiting to see the effect of his message. Before the effects of the drought were seen, God bade him leave, turn eastward, and hide himself. The appointed hiding place was by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan, east of the Jordan, in the mountains among the mountains of Gilead.
He dwelt there far removed from any city of renown and occupying no high station in life, yet he was a man of faith and prayer. His fearless ministry was destined to check the rapid spread of apostasy, confident that God would prepare the way before him and give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil, while offering the balm of Gilead to sin-sick souls who desired to be healed. From that mountain retreat east of the Jordan he watched Israel go deeper into idolatry, distressed and aroused with indignation and overwhelmed with sorrow. He remembered that God had delivered His people from bondage and given them the lands of the heathen that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws, but those beneficent designs were now well-nigh forgotten and unbelief was fast separating them from the Source of their strength. In anguish of soul he besought God to arrest them in their wicked course and to visit them with judgments if need be, that they might see their departure from Heaven in its true light and be brought to repentance before they provoked the Lord to destroy them utterly.
By this direction God placed him in safety beyond the malice of the king whose actions had brought judgment upon the land. He was sent away from the power and hatred and threats of Jezebel and from the search of Ahab. That direction to a place of refuge was given three years before Jezebel afterward threatened his life. Cherith was the first place to which God sent him, before He later sent him to the widow of Sarepta and commissioned him to return to Israel.
Providence and Lessons
The Lord went before Elijah to Cherith and made the way plain, providing drink from the brook and food morning and evening brought by ravens as His messengers, even an angel from heaven. The raven served as God's messenger in that provision, showing His guiding hand and honoring love and care for His servant in hiding. When the continued drought dried up the brook, God did not withdraw His care but continued it by sending Elijah to find refuge in a heathen land, to the widow of Sarepta. There He daily provided food by miracle for Elijah and the widow's household, keeping them supplied.
The stay by the brook was part of God's moving Elijah from place to place to prepare him for translation. It was a providential change meant to keep him from settling into ease, to deepen his spiritual power through closer dependence on God, and to prepare him to influence many toward a wider and more helpful experience. Elijah needed to leave busy scenes and withdraw to Cherith to commune with God, and his example teaches that God's servants need rest and quiet with Christ, with nature, and with their own hearts. Their strength comes from God rather than from themselves, and Elijah exemplified moving where God directs and waiting for His word about where to go next rather than making independent plans for relief.
God's direction, honor, love, and miraculous care at Cherith should have kept Elijah from ever distrusting God. That earlier protection should have reminded him of divine care when Jezebel later threatened his life, direction having been given three years before to a refuge from her hatred and from Ahab's search. Instead he forgot that provision and fled for his life rather than trusting God for safety, and his later journey into the wilderness was not an errand God had given him. God's care for Elijah in famine assures self-sacrificing and faithful people that God will provide for them. Their bread and water will be sure even in famine and when the wicked around them lack food, for He will sustain and protect His faithful people through persecution, privation, and famine, supplying their needs so they will not perish.
Elijah's flight was a search for safety from people who had rejected heaven's light and hardened their hearts against the gospel. From such no justice could be expected, for by their crimes they were bringing down upon themselves the wrath of God. So like Paul in appealing to Caesar, he was safer among the heathen than among those hostile to God.