So Elijah had just pronounced
this judgment in verse 1 of chapter 17 That there would be no rain
for years these years he said Because of the extraordinary
evil of Ahab and Jezebel This is God Getting everybody's attention
Among other things that's not just what he's doing. I don't
want to trivialize it He's exalting his son in this But that's how
he's getting people's attention that's the way if anything ever
gets your attention and diverts you from your multifaceted life
of evil and Stops you on your sure path to
hell, it'll be Christ. So he pronounces this judgment,
and notice again now that in verse one he said, it's not gonna
rain until I say so. So think about this situation
if, you know, Ahab, very powerful, he can pretty much do anything
he wants to anybody he wants, And this man Elijah, the prophet
of God, was not in very high status in those days. Can you
imagine? All religion, all of the worship
of God was promoted. Here's this Elijah coming in
there that nobody cared anything about, obviously. And he tells
Ahab, it's not gonna rain these many years until I say so. I'm pretty sure they laughed
at him. I can't say that for sure, but I'm pretty sure that's
what happened. And I also suspect that whether
they laughed or didn't laugh, they didn't believe him. But can you imagine Elijah leaves
there and it doesn't rain. How long do you think it would
take? Think about it with me. How long do you think it would
take to get their attention? A week goes by and no rain. They probably didn't even remember
what Elijah said for a week. Two weeks, well it sure has been
dry, you know. Three weeks. Probably still didn't remember
it, do you reckon? A month. Two months. Now, Where's that
logic? You think, I'd say probably two
or three months of no rain at all. They're thinking, you remember
that guy that came in here and said, had the audacity to say,
it's not going to rain until I say so? And what would you
do about it when it came to that? And you finally realized there's
something to this. There's something to this. Your
first thing is gonna be, go get him. Go find that man and bring
him here. And so the Lord said, you go
and hide. In that way he said, go and hide
thyself by the brook Cherith. So you can just imagine the search
party that must have gone out. Remember that all of the evil
of these rulers, Ahab and the ones before him that were declared
to be so evil in the Word of God, all the evil that they did had
to do with their disregard of Christ. The place of worship,
the way of worship, The ones who led the worship, the base
of all men, they chose. Everything about the worship
of God and the sacrifice, there ain't but one sacrifice. It was
all perverted and polluted and despised. That's the evil. That's the evil, our hatred of
the Son of God. This is the condemnation that
light came into this world, that we loved our darkness and tried
to put out God's light. All that they did destroyed the
worship of God and the acceptable, all-sufficient sacrifice that
God had ordained. So God shows here everybody all
at once by this drought What did that accomplish, drying up
the sky? He showed everybody how badly
we need Him. We need Christ. Christ was not
anything made that was made. We need Him. We need Him all the time. We
need Him right now. but during this drought, God
is gonna provide for every need of all of his servants. You know
how I know that? Well, we know he provided for
Elijah, Chris, but I don't know about it. Nobody that worships God and
knows him, nobody that is an object of his love. Doesn't mean
we won't have some suffering. This widow was suffering, wasn't
she? But we're gonna have what we
need. from God. We need Christ, we need his presence,
we need his blessing. And this story, even before we
get to the widow really, shows us how God does that for his
sheep. God will provide for every need
of his servants. In fact, look at verse four again,
and look at the tense of the word. And it shall be that thou
shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded. Elijah's not even there yet.
And the ravens already know what they gotta do. And it's up to
God. Have you had that experience?
Before you ever need it even, God's already made the arrangements. So quit worrying about it. What
are we gonna do? One of those I love gonna do.
They're gonna hold up their hand to God, that's what they're gonna
do. And God's never gonna leave them. God's never gonna forsake
them. He's never gonna let his seed
beg bread in this world. They're never gonna want for
comfort and grace and peace. None of us will. What a sweet reminder that before
we ever sinned, we had a savior. God had already provided everything
we need in Christ before we ever fell. Before I ever became aware as a child and became
willful and hateful and selfish Before that ever even happened,
Christ was already my surety. He was already my sin offering.
He'd already saved me, you see. He's been saving us since before
we were born. And notice now Elijah speaks
for God. He says that which honors God
and puts man in the dust where he belongs. And then the word of the Lord
came to him. That's how you speak for God. God speaks to you. You think
Elijah just made this whole thing up, the drought? You reckon he
just got up one day and said, I'll show him. They're not gonna
pay attention to me. I think I'll just drive the rain.
No, that's God Elijah's just telling what God said and God
continues to speak to him All of God's children are witnesses
of him now And what do we need more than anything else as his
servants in this world? We need to hear from Him. We need to hear from Him. When I say to you my advice to
everybody about everything, every time, is you need to hear from
God. You need to hear the gospel.
I'm not saying that that's something I came up with. That's just,
I'm just telling you what God said now. You've got to hear
from God all the time. Every time, no matter what, no
matter who you are, what your situation is, you need to hear from Him now. What a great blessing that's
so taken for granted we have in that the word of the Lord
comes to us. The word of the Lord came to
Elijah. The word of the Lord comes to
us in the preaching of the gospel. And that's how we eat. What was
the result of the word of the Lord coming to Elijah? That's
how he ate. That's how we eat too. That's how we live. Elijah needed physical sustenance,
and we do too. But what a picture this is of
how the word of the Lord Christ in the preaching of that word
is our daily portion Christ's word is our meat and
drink indeed thou hast the words of eternal life He that eateth not the flesh
of the Son of Man drinketh his blood there's no life eating How do we do that my faith is
by faith in what he said. Faith is believing God. We must hear of Christ, our Almighty
Savior, in order to live. Man can't live by bread alone. That simple truth that our Lord quoted when Satan was tempting
him. profound Every day we discover
the truth of that We bust here of Christ our rock in order to
have comfort You say how do people that don't know the Lord sleep
at night in this wretched world. I don't know That's a good question
I Suspect they've justified themselves In one way or another because
we're real good at that by nature Suspect they lay down their head
at that thinking they're good at least outweighs the path And
that them and the man upstairs have a good thing going you reckon.
I Suspect that's how We must hear of Christ our Redeemer
lest we despair over our sin As David said my sin is ever
before me Don't look inside for growth
or holiness or even adequacy. For anything encouraging, look
to Christ, the Redeemer. Notice the Lord's commands. There's
a lot of commands in this verse, in this passage of scripture.
He commanded the raven. He commanded the widow. And he commanded Elijah. Boy,
don't say that, Chris. He said, get the hints. That
sounds like a command. Get out of here. Get up, go. God's blessings and provision
of grace is not up for acceptance or rejection. It's not suggestions. It's not a hint. It's not a push
in the right direction. God commands the blessing. You remember that verse that
we've seen a few times here lately? God's grace is not an offer. God is gonna save you. And he's
not gonna do that by making suggestions to you or saying things that
are that are for your best, but they're really up to you. It
doesn't work like that. Grace is not like that. He commanded
Elijah, and Elijah was saved. The gospel is a command, and
it's by the gospel that we're saved. It's by the gospel that
we eat, that we drink, that we live. Psalm 133 1 I Can't remember if we have time
to turn to these or not. Let's turn and if it gets too
late, we'll Adjust as needed but look at Psalm 133 1 this
is so beautiful We're talking about God commanding
that which is life-saving If Elijah doesn't isn't commanded
by God, he dies. Not only will he not have anything
to eat or drink, but his enemies will overtake him. Psalm 133, Behold how good
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. We've learned not to take that
for granted, have we? It's like the precious ointment
upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard,
that went down to the skirts of his garments. It's like that
precious ointment. There is none like it. God prescribed
it. Nobody was to make anything like
it. No substitute for the unity and love and fellowship of the
Church of God. It's like the dew of Hermon.
There's the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion. For
there the Lord commanded the blessing. What's that dew, that
life-giving water that came down upon the city of God? You're not just talking about
the dew that forms on the grass in the morning. You're talking
about the grace of God in Christ. For there the Lord commanded
the blessing. That dew fell and it fell right
there because God commanded it so. Even life, what kind of dew are
we talking about? Even life forevermore, that kind. God commanded it. He commands
the blessing. And some of that is in the form
of commands to us. Believe. Be not faithless, but
believe in Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thou shalt be saved. God has not decided to give you
a shot. If you're his, if you believe
on Christ, God decided to bless you forever. That's what he decided
to do. And to give you all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. God decided that Elijah
wasn't going to die. He was going to live. Him living
is a beautiful picture of us living. in the same way by God's
command, by God commanding the blessing and giving, miraculously
giving us that which sustains life and gives life and keeps
us alive for the Lord himself. God blesses us, not in response
to us, but in spite of us. Nobody that he ever blessed that
way ever complained about it Now what did God do in verse
3 look at verse 3 Get the hints and turn the eastward and had
that self by the brook Cherith That is before Jordan Turn to
Psalm 1 with me And again, this is a picture
this is a spiritual picture and of what he does for us as sheep. What actually happened there?
God said, go down and hide by the brook. I don't know where
Elijah was when he said that, but he wasn't down there by the
brook. So what did God do? Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is
in the law of the Lord." Nobody else's was, as far as Elijah
knew. There were 7,000, but Elijah
didn't know that. As far as he knew, he was the
last one that gave a hoot for God or his law, which is the
gospel in this case. And in his law, does he meditate
day and night? and he shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water. That's what God did. He planted
Elijah by the brook. What a spiritual picture. Like
a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither. God's not gonna let Elijah be
fall victim to that plague, the drought. That's a picture of
God's judgment. His judgment's not gonna fall
upon us. We're the exception. God does put a difference between
Egypt and his children. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. And look, that doesn't mean that
we always win. We understand that, don't we?
Even when we lose, God uses that for our good. It prospers anyway. Even when you're a complete failure, it's gonna work for your good. Everything you do will prosper. That don't mean you're gonna
be real good at doing stuff. It just means you can't mess
it up. That's what it means. God's grace
now is everything. What is a tree that's not planted? It's dead. That's what it is. And this is a matter of life
and death in our text. God plants his people by the
water of life. Remember what God said to Moses,
there's a place by me. Go down there by that brook,
there's a place by me, and from that place, I'm gonna show you
my glory. That's life eternal. To know
God in Jesus Christ, and he has said, Christ is the river. Christ is the cleft of the rock.
This is the blessing that God commands. All of his blessings
for sinners are in Christ. And that's not just good doctrine,
that's reality. That word planted is an amazing
word. We won't spend as much time as
we could on that. But that word planted, it includes
purpose, doesn't it? It includes security. It includes provision. If you plant something, you're
going to take care of it, aren't you? The tree is what it is because
it's been planted. It's been planted. Notice that
God uses means. You know, the people argue about
this. There are many who claim to believe the gospel of God's
free and sovereign grace that don't acknowledge any means in
God's purpose of grace. They refuse to acknowledge it.
I've spoken with a couple of them. And of course, they always
go to, that word right there means this. Okay, well, what
does the whole Bible mean? That's what I want to know. What
has God said from word one to the last word in this book? That's
what I'm thinking. He uses means for his glory. Is it okay for you if God gives
glory? That's why he says that he uses
who he does, the way he does, so that no flesh should glory
in his presence. Is that okay? When God sends a raven to feed
his prophet, you think about this. God sends a raven, we see
that here. Do you think this way, do you
think, well, a real God would have just made food out of thin
air? Or do you think, what manner of God is this, that even the
ravens do his will? Somehow it minimizes God and
limits God in the sight of some that he uses means. God said
he does it for his glory. We have this treasure in earthen
vessels. Why? That the excellency of the
power may be of God and not of us. I could go on about that. Now, think about this. God used
what you might call natural means, right? As well as miraculous
means. Ravens don't go around bringing
food to people. You might think, okay, the Lord
used natural means. The brook was already there.
God didn't just create a brook out of nothing. for y'all to catch me on that
one. Oh, wait a minute. Yes, he did. That's exactly what
he did. Even what we might call natural
means, that's a miracle of God. He just did that one a long time
ago. You reckon God made that particular brook Before the world,
before the world was even finished, he separated and he made waterways
and oceans. You think he did that for Elijah
before he was even born? I guarantee you that's one reason
he made that road. So his servant will have something
to drink. And the raven? God has a universe that he created. And the brook pictures God using
his creation to sustain his people. Does he not do that? Didn't he
say, I'll give them in for you? Everything God has created, he
did that for his sheep. He did it for his glory, and
it just so happens that he gets glory in saving
sinners like you. But God also has all power. He didn't just create a universe
that's at his disposal to bless his sheep. He runs that thing,
too. So he was able to command that
raven to bring food to his child. Does God still do things like
that? I don't know if he'll ever bring
a raven with a piece of bread or a piece of meat for you. But he still feeds us every time
we eat or we don't eat. physically and spiritually. The raven pictures God's sovereignty
over that creation, over that universe. I made a brook down
there in the beginning. Go down there and hide. And I've
commanded the, you see the two, the two lessons in that? I've commanded
the ravens to feed you. Look how Isaiah expounds this. Turn with me to Isaiah 46. We're talking about the sovereignty
of God over his creation in commanding the ravens. All right, look at Isaiah 46,
verse nine. What does that teach? Well, what
did Isaiah teach when he quoted that verse? Isaiah 46, nine,
remember the former things of old, for I am God and there's
nobody else. That's what the raven shows us
right there. You look how he uses that. I
am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like
me. What do you mean by that? Declaring
the end from the beginning. and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from the east,
and the man that executed my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. What does it teach us that God
commanded the ravens? That he's God. He does as he
pleases. He says things and then he makes
good on them. God is sovereign. But when you
think of the sovereignty of God, Don't always just think of it
as him running the universe. Not a speck of dust lands where
it does without him. That's just the truth now. Not
a sparrow falls from the sky without your heavenly father.
Not one hair of your head is unaccounted for. And we're comforted
in that. We rest in that. But think about
salvation when you think of the sovereignty of God. Think about
what all of this is for. He controls the universe, yes,
but look at the next verses in Isaiah 46. I should have told
you to stay right there. Look at the next verses. Isaiah
46, we stopped in verse 11, look at verse 12. Hearken unto me,
ye stout-hearted. That word means obstinate, that
are far from righteousness. You see, his sovereignty, the
fact that he's God and there's none else, it doesn't just have
to do with him calling a ravenous bird or sending his prophet where
he wants him to go. Listen, why does he send that
prophet where he wants to go? Why does he sustain his people?
Hearken unto me, you obstinate that are far from righteousness.
I bring near my righteousness. You're far from righteousness,
but I'm gonna bring it right to you. in spite of you. It shall not be far off in spite
of you. You're far from righteousness.
Your sin has separated between you and your God. But like Abraham,
like Moses, I'm gonna come right where you are. I'm gonna bring
my righteousness to you. And my salvation shall not tarry. Not only am I gonna bring it
to you, but it's gonna be right on time. Will place salvation in Zion
in my church for Israel my glory God's glory is seen in his mercy
on his people That's what we're talking about
too when we're talking about the sovereignty of God We see
it in these earthly things, but it's a picture of the spiritual
world That flesh and that bread that that raven brought to Elijah
is life. It's God giving life. And that's what he's doing when
he brings near his righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ, come right
where you are. We're far, but God brings salvation
near and just in time. God saves whom he pleases, when
he pleases, by the means that he has chosen and ordained. Remember Luke 4.25? I'll read
you this part. Luke 4.25, I tell you of a truth,
many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah. When the
heaven was shut up three years and six months. We know what
Elijah was saying when he said these years, three and a half
of them. That's a long time. When great
famine was throughout all the land, but unto none of them was
Elijah sent, save unto Sarepta, the city of Sidon, unto a woman
that was a widow. There were lots of widows. One
of them was the Lord's widow. They didn't like it when he said
that in Luke chapter four. They still don't. But that's
the gospel. Well, let's notice a couple other
things before we quit tonight. The brook dries up. Well, Chris,
you said that brook was Christ. How can it dry up then? Does
that mean that Christ is limited at all in his provision for sinners?
Of course not. We know it doesn't mean that.
God just sends Elijah to another place where Christ will continue
to be Elijah's sustenance and everything he needs. It'll just
be pictured a different way this time. The Lord said, I'll never
leave you nor forsake you. He just sends him to another
place. God brought the raven to Elijah. That's what we read
in Isaiah 46. Salvation comes to you. You're
far off, but I'm gonna bring it right to you. Thank God he
does. But then God said, get thee hence. The raven came to him, but then
he told Elijah, you go, and you'll find what you need when you do. The word charith. in verse three means to cut off,
to eliminate, to kill. Well, that's a strange word because
that's the group that God used to give life. It means to kill. That's how he gives life, doesn't
it? He's got to kill you. You say we see, you say we're
alive, we're fine, therefore your sin remained. If you were
blind, if you were dead, if you were miserable, if you were cut
off, then your sins would be gone. That's how God saves sinners
now. He stabbed them in the heart
And that's a picture of how he saves sinners. Paul said, the
law came and sin revived and I died. You've got to die to
sell, to sin and be made alive unto God. That's what the baptism
pictures that clearly. It's the Lord Jesus Christ died
and raised again. But we have to die too and be
raised to life incorruptible. I am crucified with Christ. I'm
killed. Is that what that means? I'm
crucified with Christ. God killed me. Nevertheless,
I live. And I live by the faith of the
Son of God. Jordan, Cherith was near Jordan,
which means to come down. To go down, to be brought down,
to prostrate yourself. That's the first place that God
takes you when he's saving your life. God's gonna save Elijah's life.
Where's he gonna take him? Down. Down, he's gonna kill him. He's gonna bring him to prostrate
himself at the feet of the Son of God. Where do we go from there? Zarephath. Get the hints and go to Zarephath. What does Zarephath mean? To
refine? To smelt? You didn't guess that, did you?
Oh, Zarephath means smelt. You didn't figure that one out.
Neither did I. To smelt. To test. to refine. The river of God's grace never
dries up, but he might make you think it has. Do a little time, you reckon
a little bit of time went by between the cherith drying up
and God sending Elijah to Zarephath? I don't know. But I know this,
God does that. He gives it a little time. As the brook slowed to a trickle,
it didn't just dry up one day. It says the reason it dried up
is not because God just said, be dry. It's because it hadn't
been raining. So it naturally dried up a little
bit at a time. when it began to be a trickle
and Elijah started getting a little mud with his water. You reckon he doubted? You reckon he was afraid a little
bit? You reckon he worried? I don't know, but we do that. I can tell you that, we do that. This is the same Elijah that
said, Lord, take me away. And a little bit later, he said,
I'm the only one left. Just kill me now. And they're
seeking my life. There's not anybody left. I'm
the only one and they're about to kill me. Just take me. You
reckon he worries? When God gives faith, he tries
it. How wonderful would it be if
we recognize that? And before we doubt, and get
afraid, and worry, and second guess God, and think maybe He's
forsaken us, before we do all that, we realize God deals with
us as with children. And when He gives faith, He tries
it. Abraham take your son your only son Isaac whom you love
And sacrifice him unto me Turn with me if you would please
the first Peter chapter 1 When God gives faith he tries it I
just want to close with this passage of Scripture First Peter 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, we are kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation
ready to be revealed, in the last time, there's a hundred
sermons in that. Wherein you greatly rejoice. You bless God and you rejoice
because according to his abundant mercy, he gave us life by Christ
and what he did on Calvary. wherein you greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through
manifold trials. But the trial of your faith,
why is it necessary? You see that if need be. Why does it need to be? Why? The trial of your faith being
much more precious than of gold that perishes. though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, in whom, though
now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your soul. God tries faith. And when he says that being much
more precious than gold, is he talking about faith or the trial
of your faith? He says the trial of your faith is precious. Both, of course. I mean, God
gives us faith in his son. That's how he gives us life.
According to his abundant mercy, he hath birthed us again unto
a living hope. by Christ and what he accomplished
on Calvary and rising from the dead. How do we experience that? How do we get in on that? By
grace through faith. Precious, like precious faith. We know the faith itself is more
precious than gold because it's called like precious faith. Like that which he gives to all
of his people. and the trying of it. Why does
God do that? Well, did you notice those words?
Praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
He does it for the same reason he does everything, to glorify
and exalt his son. And what a great eternal blessing
of his grace that we're in. So God help us to remember, trials are not pleasant. But we can rejoice in them. Because they're from the hand
of the God who loves us with an everlasting love. and he does it for his glory
and our good. David said, it's good for me
that I've been afflicted, that I might know what God said, that I might hear and know and
understand the word of God. God causes us to experience it. Religion says exercise your faith. That's God's business. Your faith
is going to get exercised, but not by you. You wouldn't wish
it on yourself, any trial, would you? What trial that you've gone
through in life would you have chosen and said, I think I'll
do that just to see if I can make it, you know? I don't want
any of them. But bless God, He deals with
us as with children. He teaches us. He receives glory in who He deals
with and the way He deals with them. And by His grace, we like it
that way. Let's pray.