And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Elijah has just announced a drought to Ahab, and God tells him to hide by the brook Cherith. Why would God feed His prophet by ravens, and what was Elijah living on?
The Birds God Chose
The raven's name and its habits both work against the idea of it carrying food to anyone. One reference work explains both:
Morrish Bible DictionaryThe word oreb comes from a root meaning "to be black." It seems to cover not only the common raven but birds of the same family, like the crow and the rook, since the law counts every kind of raven as unclean. The meat-eating ravens brought meat as well as bread to Elijah. That shows God's miraculous power; He caused them to feed His servant. They are greedy eaters, and have no storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them, and He will surely feed those who trust in Him.
No human hand fed him. One writer ties that to the state of the nation and to a lesson God was teaching His servant:
Leslie M. GrantHe was not to remain and boast that his prophecy came true. God knows how to teach the messenger this: the messenger is not important, but his message is… Israel was in no condition to care for a prophet of God, so God used the unclean birds instead. Ravens, as their name suggests, are ravenous. It was a miracle of God that they brought food to the prophet, both in the morning and the evening. So Elijah learned in a literal way not to worry about his life, about what to eat and drink (Matthew 6:25).
What Elijah Lived On
Elijah had to watch each day for birds that would rather eat his dinner than deliver it. One writer asks where the prophet's confidence rested:
C. H. MackintoshThe Lord would take care of His dear servant while he stayed hidden from public view. He would meet his needs, even if it was through ravens. What a strange provision! He was told to watch each day for the visits of birds that by nature would want to eat the prophet's meal. What a constant exercise of faith that was! But was it on the ravens that Elijah lived? Surely not. His soul rested in the precious words, "I have commanded." It was God, and not the ravens, for him.
The Word "There"
God's promise had an address attached to it. The supply belonged to the place God picked, not to any place Elijah might prefer:
W. W. FeredayThe path of obedience is the path of sufficiency… The Lord's word to Elijah about Cherith was, "I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." God did not leave him to choose his own hiding place. The Lord chose it for him, and there He met his need. If we are sure we are where the Lord wants us, we need have no fear.
Morning And Evening, Never A Store
The verse repeats itself, morning and evening. Nothing was left over for tomorrow:
Frederick W GrantAll the way through, Elijah has to learn the lesson of dependence. Dependence, of course, is nothing else than faith. The Lord puts His servant where faith will be a constant necessity… Faith grows by exercise. God arranges for it, in Elijah's case, constant exercise. He has no stock of his own, we may say, ever to live on. The ravens bring him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. The next day, and the next, it is the same thing again.
Hidden, And Lacking Nothing
Elijah's whole supply — the birds and the brook — was out of his hands. He had nothing left to do but wait:
H. L. RossierThe great prophet must hide himself. This energetic man must fold his hands and wait in solitude for the Lord's time. The one who had power to shut up the heavens must now depend in a unique way on the Creator. God sends out birds to feed His servant, and He makes the water of the brook last just as long as He wishes to keep His prophet at Cherith. A painful situation for the flesh, we have said, but a blessed school for dependence! Elijah enjoys its fruits. While all Israel was perishing of thirst and hunger, he could say, "I lack nothing."
Summary
- Command. Elijah lived on God's word, "I have commanded" — not on the birds he watched for.
- Creature. God sent greedy, unclean birds that eat meat to carry bread and meat. The stranger the courier, the plainer the miracle.
- Place. God promised the supply there. The obedient place is the supplied place; the path of obedience is the path of sufficiency.
- Rhythm. Morning and evening, nothing was stored. God arranged constant need so faith would get constant exercise.
- Sufficiency. Elijah was hidden and idle while a nation starved. Still he could say, "I lack nothing."