I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 17. 1 Kings 17. I would like to look for a few
minutes at the first 16 verses of this book and pray that the
Lord will give us some understanding. I've entitled this message, The
Lord Will Provide. The Lord Will Provide. The scripture sets forth that,
verse 1, Elijah and Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants
of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth
before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to my word. Now, this is the first time that
Elijah is mentioned in the scriptures. And his name means Jehovah is
My God. And Almighty God sent this prophet
to make known God's judgment against Israel because of its
king. Hold your place, just turn back
one page. 1 Kings 16, 29. This is what
the situation was. And in the 38th year of Asa,
king of Judah, began Ahab, the son of Amorai, to reign over
Israel. And Ahab, the son of Amorai,
reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years. And Ahab, the son of
Amorai, did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were
before him. And it came to pass, It had been
a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the
son of Nebat, that he took the wife Jezebel, the daughter of
Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and
worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for
Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And
Ahab made a grove, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God
of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before
him. So here's the situation. Ahab
has been raised up to be the king and has done more to provoke
God, that's what he said, than everybody else before him. And so now Elijah, the Tishbite,
verse 1 of 17, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto
Ahab, unto Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, before
whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to my word. Now here the prophet has come
to the king himself. He's not gone up to chain of
command. Comes before the king and in
no uncertain terms has informed him that as the Lord God liveth,
and he does, God Almighty, Elijah says, before whom I stand. God
who has called this prophet, he said there's not gonna be
dew, it's not even gonna be dew on the ground in the morning.
It's not gonna be dew, it's not gonna be rain until God gives
instruction that things are gonna change. And after he gave that
message, the scripture says in verses two to four, and the word
of the Lord came unto him saying, get thee hence, Turn thee eastward
and hide thyself by the brook Cherith. That is before Jordan. And it shall be that thou shalt
drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed
thee there. Now here, we behold, not only
does the Lord speak to and direct his people, but they are protected
according to God's goodwill and providence. Elijah was told by
the Lord, I want you to go hide yourself. By this brook, Cherith. And though there would be no
rain, no dew, until the Lord was pleased to send it, God would
provide for his prophet. God is going to provide. He will
provide. How precious this thought, where
God was gonna hide his own. The place, the very place, where
this brook was. I want you to go hide yourself
by the brook Jireb. It was a type of Christ. The
brook was a type of Christ, who is our hiding place. He who is
our city of refuge. He who is the cliff of the rock
himself, in whom we're hidden. by the Lord himself. God Almighty
secures his people. And where could Elijah find safety
but in the place of God's choosing? Don't find you a place to hide.
The Lord didn't tell him, now you hide yourself. No, I want
you to go right here and hide. Now even here, the people of
God think, what safety there is. Lord, hide me in Christ.
Lord, you've told me where my place of security. Lord, you've
put me in the Lord himself, and thanks be unto you, you've kept
me there. So here we see the whole church of God. Elijah be
in a picture. He's a picture of different,
he's a picture of the Lord in this passage, he's a picture
of God, people in this passage. But here we see the church protected,
protected while we're in this world. I want you to hold your
place, turn to Revelation 12. We, I've referenced this so many
times, but it's so good to look at it again. Revelation chapter
12. Now we're in this, we're in this
world. Scripture says we're not of it. And the scripture declares
in Revelation chapter 12, verse 13, when the dragon, when Satan
saw that he was cast onto the earth, he persecuted the woman. bride, the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ, which brought forth the man child. And to the woman
were given two wings of a great eagle. Here she is, she's hidden
in Christ, she's protected, she's born upon the Lord. Two wings
of a great eagle that she should fly into the wilderness, into
her place where she's nourished for a time, and for times, and
for half-time, and from the face of the serpent. You know, I told
you when we went through the book of Revelation, that time
right there, for time, and times, and half-time, it's a definite
number that we're not told. It's a specific
number. How long is the Lord going to
protect His people? As long as He pleases. And the serpent cast
out of his mouth water. as a flood after the woman. I've
told you before. Here it is. How does Satan try
to get the people of God? He knows God's got a people.
How is he going to get her? False religion. False religion. That's the most deceitful, damning
thing in the world. And those that preach it, They
make merchandise of men's souls. That's what scripture says. What's
Satan gonna do to try to get the bride? Send false religion. There's so many varieties of
it. Pick the one that you like. Go
to the church of your choice. It don't matter where you go,
just go. I need to get back in church. I had neighbors, I told
you the neighbors I had in Franklin, Tennessee. I'd ask him to come. And they said, you think we ought
to do church today? That's it. And the serpent cast
out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman. That's what
this is all about. That's what, this is what false
religion is all about. It's after the bride. Serpent cast of his mouth water
as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried
away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman
and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon cast out of his mouth. You think how almighty God gives
men exactly what they want, but for his grace, but for the grace
of God, for the sustaining grace of God, men are going to have
what they want. Dragon was wroth with a woman
and went to make war with a remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments
of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Lord, hide me. Lord, keep me. Lord, provide
for me. Give me a place of security. Give me a place. Hide me in the
Lord Jesus Christ and feed me. Elijah would need sustenance
back in 1 Kings chapter 17. He's going to need some sustenance.
And the Lord's gonna give him sustenance. What's he gonna do?
The scripture says back in 17, verse four, it shall be that
thou shall drink of the brook. Again, that brook is Christ. The hiding, the place of the
brook is Christ. And I have commanded the ravens
to feed thee there. God Almighty is going to provide
for his people. So verse five and six, he went. Elijah went and did according
to the word of the Lord, for he went and dwelt by the brook
Cherith, which is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread
and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening,
and he drank of the brook. The God of heaven is just. He's going to deal with this
world. He's gonna deal with history,
he's gonna deal with Ahab, he's gonna deal with them, but for
those whose sins have been borne by the Lord Jesus Christ, those
that Almighty God has purposed from before the foundation of
the world to save by grace, those who are the objects of God's
mercy while this world suffers the justice of God's dealings,
while God is allowing this world to have what they want, I've
given him, what do you want? That's what you're gonna have,
but for the grace of God, Lord, keep me. God remembers mercy
for his people. He's going to provide for Elijah,
and his provision is gonna be plentiful, it's gonna be good,
and it's gonna be constant. What's he gonna do? Well, he's
gonna send some ravens. That's what he said. I have commanded
the ravens. I've commanded the ravens. Let's
think about this. Now, ravens. You're talking about
these carnivorous, nasty. Well, I'm telling you, somebody
hit a deer over by my house the other day. And I'm telling you,
it didn't take but about two or three days. And there was
crows and buzzards and stuff like that. And they were eating
it. Stinking stuff. Now you're telling me that these
birds, ravens, ravens, are going to provide for God's preacher. You're gonna tell me that ravens,
these nasty-eaten birds, these birds that don't even provide
for their own. That's what I read about ravens. Ravens, they don't even take
care of their own. ravens are going to bring bread
and meat. And I got to thinking about this.
They're going to buy, bring bread and meat that's fit for consumption
too. They're not going to bring him
some stinking, dead, nasty, unclean. They're going to bring bread
and meat. Where are they going to get it?
I don't know where they're going to get it. but I know that God Almighty
is gonna provide for their next meal. Now, I realize that to
the world, I know that sounds foolish. I get it. Would it have been better maybe
to just get a little lamb, something that was pure and white and just
soft, but ravens, ravens. And here was Elijah. He was there
by God's command, by God's good pleasure. And James 5, 7 says
concerning Elijah, he was subject to like passions as we are. But
here's a man that went before Ahab and told him that God has
said it's not going to have dew or rain until God says it's going
to rain. That man believed God. But Elijah that had Like passions
as we subject to like passions. He had to wait upon the Lord
for every meal. He had to walk by faith. Just
like we do. And not by sight. According to
God's promise. Who will never leave us and never
forsake us. We can rest assured Philippians
419, but my God. shall supply all your need according
to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. But I want to point something
else out before we go to the next verse here. Before we consider,
let's behold a beautiful picture of what's being set forth by
the Lord providing for his prophet right here. He drinks from a
brook and ravens bring him flesh and meat every day. And again,
I realize that that sounds to the natural man, that sounds
foolish. But is it not what the world
calls foolishness? Turn to 1 Corinthians 1, how
God provides for his people spiritual meat, spiritual drink every day. 1 Corinthians 1. Verse 18, you want to talk about
what the world considers foolish. 1 Corinthians 1.18, for the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto
us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. He pleased God through
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Now let me ask you something. Do you mean to tell me that what
is needed, only what's needed, is to hear the preaching of the
gospel? That's exactly what I'm telling
you. You mean to tell me that there's nothing else needful
for the salvation of men's souls but the preaching of the gospel?
That's what I'm telling you. You mean to tell me that men
and women can leave this world having all their hope based totally
on sitting, hearing, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
that's it. There's nothing else. There's nothing else. To the
world, this is foolish. Just as foolish as it would be
to believe that God Almighty is going to send ravens. two
times a day to provide for his preacher. And that's all that
Elijah had. That's all the hope he had. That
was it. What a trial. 1 Kings 17, verse 7, it came to
pass after a while that the brook dried up because there'd been
no rain. And the word of the Lord came
unto him saying, to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and
dwell there. And behold, I have commanded
a widow woman there to sustain thee." Now, the brook, which
continued for the allotted time, was now drying up. According to the will of the
Lord, God Almighty, who withheld the rain and the dew, caused
the water in the brook to cease. But the heavens may fail in this
world according to God's good purpose. But I can tell you this,
the river of life himself never will. The Lord will provide. The Lord is going to take care.
Psalm 46, 4 and 5, there's a river. The streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the
Most High. God is in the midst of her, and
she shall not be moved. God shall help her in that right
early. God is gonna send judgment to
Israel, but he's gonna take care of Elijah. He's gonna hide him
by a brook, and he's gonna send ravens there. Ravens. But now he's going to move his
prophet, and he's going to direct him to a place that, again, seems
to the natural man to be foolish. He's directed this preacher to
go to a place called Zarephath. This is a place of Gentiles. A place which means refinery. It's from a word which means
to test, to prove, to be true. And the Lord has one of his own
in this little town. He's got a vessel of his mercy
in this place, and this vessel of mercy must hear the gospel. Gonna have to hear it. And now,
the thing about it is, The scripture says that the Lord told him in
verse 9, you get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and
dwell there. And behold, now surely he can
send Elijah to a place where there's a little bit of influence,
there's a little bit of money. He's been out there by this brook,
and he's been drinking out of the brook, and he's been waiting
on ravens two times a day bring him something to eat, which never
failed, the Lord will provide. Surely he could send him to a
place where somebody that's got something, that's got a little
bit of wealth, a little bit of wherewithal, but he doesn't. He sends him, the scripture says,
I want you to go and behold, there's a widow woman. They're
gathering sticks. And Here's a poor woman, she's
lost her husband. You know, 1 Corinthians 1 27,
God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty. The Lord had provided for Elijah
through some ravens, and now he's gonna do so through A widow
woman. Widow woman that the scripture
is gonna describe here in a few minutes. It's in a world of hurt. Hold that place and turn to Luke
4. Luke 4. Luke chapter 4. I wanna read
verses 25, 26. The Lord made mention of this
woman, Luke 4. Talking about his sovereignty. He says in verse 25 and 26, I'll
tell you of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in
the days of Elias, in the days of Elijah, when heaven was shut
up, three years and six months. When great famine was throughout
all the land, but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto
Sarepta, that place at Zarephath, same town, a city of Sidon, unto
a woman that was a widow. The Lord will provide. Back in 1 Kings chapter 10, verse
10 to 12, the scripture says, so he arose and he went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate
of the city, behold, a widow woman was there gathering of
sticks. And he called to her and he said,
fetch me, I pray thee, a little water. in a vessel that I may
drink. And as she was going to fetch
it, he called to her and said, bring me, I pray thee, a morsel
of bread in thine hand. And she said, as the Lord thy
God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel,
and a little oil, and a cruise. And behold, I'm gathering two
sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that
we may eat it and die. Oh, what a picture of man's state
by nature. That's what this woman pictures.
This is us. This is us born in Adam. We don't have anything. The crown
of our head, the sole of our foot, putrefying sores, not been
bound up. And this poor widow woman, is
who God Almighty has sent, this prophet, Elijah. He sent Elijah, the prophet,
to this widow woman that all she had, she had a little bit
of meal and just a little bit of oil, that's all she had. She
said, I'm gonna get two sticks, and I'm gonna prepare something
for me and my boy, and then we're gonna die. But look at the grace
of God. The Lord made her realize something. She knew she was poor. And she
knew she was gonna die. What a miracle of God's grace.
But God sent a preacher. God sent a preacher to this poor
widow woman. This poor, honest widow woman. She said, I'm not long for this
world. Is that not the realization of those that God's shown mercy?
We know what we are. You know, we don't have anything.
Oh, no, I've got this. No, you don't. No, you don't.
Every bit of it, you're gonna get rid of it. One way or the
other. I had a dear friend tell me something.
He said, I'm gonna tell you something. You're either gonna leave where
you are right now Go somewhere or you're going to leave it when
you die. But you're leaving. Blended Bob was sitting the other
day. Blender reminded me something
when when Glenn was laying in the hospital. The day before
he died. And one of them said to the other
one. This is what it comes down to. That's right, this is what
it comes down to. All the stuff that we've got
all the stuff, all the, you know, every bit of it's gonna be gone.
Get me a little drink of water, bring me a little cake. And she
said, I don't have anything. I'm poor and I'm dying, and I
know it. And the scripture says in verses
13 through 15, through 16, we'll stop at the 16th. And Elijah
said unto her, now listen to this, fear not. Had reason to fear, she had it.
If there was a reason, she had a reason to be afraid, she was
there. I'm poor. I have nobody to take care of
me. My husband gone. I got two sticks. Just enough
right here. Nothing. We'll make a little
bitty cake and my boy gonna eat. We're gonna die. Fear not. Go
and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake
first. Bring it unto me, and after make
for thee and for thy son. Feed me first, then for yourself and for your
boy. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of
meal shall not waste, neither shall the crews of all fail until
the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she
went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she said,
and she and he and her house did eat many days. My margin
says a full year. And the barrel of meal wasted
not, neither did the crews of oil fail according to the word
of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. Now I know this, Elijah
was not being insensitive to this woman's need, I know that.
But Elijah believed God, and Elijah spoke to her, expressing
the promise that the Lord had given him concerning the continuance
of the meal and oil until the Lord sent rain again. He believed
God, and he told this woman, this is what I want you to do,
and the scripture says she did it. She did just exactly what
he said to do. Oh, and do we not see How the
Lord who has promised to show mercy, promised faithfulness,
that he's not going to cease to supply the bread of heaven
blessed by the oil of God's spirit to our heart. This is all I got. What do you got? This is all
I got. That little, that little bread
for her seemed to make, that was a little meal that seemed
to be nothing. I got this, I got a little oil, that's all I got.
What a picture, a beautiful picture of our Lord. Again, this world's
gonna say, that, you tell me that's all you got. That's all
I got, that's all I need. Elijah told her, he said, as
the Lord liveth, it's not gonna fail. It will not fail. Again, just as I said just a
few minutes ago, my God shall supply all your needs according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This woman was preparing
to leave this world, but according to the good pleasure of God to
show her mercy, he sent her a preacher. And through Elijah, the means
of God, God supplied her needs through that preacher. She entrusted
her life to the hand of Almighty God and to His Word. And according to the Word of
the Lord, she gave all she had and she cast it upon the mercy
of God. Elijah said, you feed me first. Feed me first. And there's Elijah.
I said he was Elijah the believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek
ye first. He said, you get me something
to eat first. You give me something to eat first. You honor me first
as a picture of Christ. You honor me first. Seek ye first
the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be
added unto you. Well, I got stuff. I got this,
I got that. You feed me first and the oil
Meal will not fail. God will provide. I pray God
bless this to our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. All right,
let's take just a few minutes break. We'll come right back.