1 Kings 17:2-6
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
“Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
The prophet Elijah prophesied that a drought was coming to Northern Israel while Ahab was ruling. Elijah’s life was in danger because of the drought. GOD told Elijah specifically what to do and led him step by step. GOD told Elijah to first deliver the message to Ahab and then to proceed to Cherith. Then, when the brook dried up at Cherith (Chorath), GOD told Elijah to go to Zeraphath. Elijah followed in faith, as the great prophet he is.
When GOD told Elijah to hide by the brook cherith (1 Kings 17:3), GOD was to teach Elijah the value of a hidden life. Although Elijah just became widely known as the adversary of Ahab whose prayers could stop rain, GOD wanted Elijah to hide and be alone with Him. Maybe to pull Elijah from the temptations of fame and success, but definitely to teach Elijah to be completely dependent on the Lord.
1 Kings 17:4, “and it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” Elijah had to trust that GOD could keep this river flowing and that the so-called (traditionally) unclean animals, the ravens, would feed him at the Brook Cherith.
GOD taught Elijah to trust the Spirit of the law before the letter of the law. Elijah learned that GOD could bring a good word to us through an unclean vessel and that one can bring spiritual food to others and still be unclean themselves (as ravens). That applies to all of us.
As faithfully as GOD provided Mana to the tribe of Israel in the woods, we have to be faithful that GOD can provide for us in destitute, depraved, or lacking moments of our lives.
Glory be to GOD!