In the Right Place - 1 Kings 17:1-7

Introduction

My brothers and my sisters I want to suggests to you this morning that there is indeed and in fact a secret to greatness. In life nothing just happens and every one in life who becomes great by any standard does not become great over night.

As I prepared for this message, I began to think back to around 2007 when then Senator Barack Hussein Obama announced his candidacy and bid for president of these United States of America. Many within the State of Illinois knew him, undoubtedly people in the halls of congress knew him… But there was a large conglomerate of society that did not even know who this then 46 year old black man was running for president. At times it may seem like greatness arrives over night because we don’t always find out the origin of a person’s greatness until they’ve arrived on the scene and at times what seems to be the pinnacle of greatness.

This is because no one becomes great over night. And I’d like to suggests to you that the secret to greatness is being hid until its time to come forth.

Body

In our text today, we learn of the Prophet Elijah. Who becomes somewhat of a main character beginning in 1 Kings 17. Ahab is the king and then their is his wife, Jezebel… You know Jezebel. Jezebel who instituted national worship of false gods in Israel. Jezebel who harassed and killed the true prophets of God. Jezebel who arranged for an innocent man to be falsely charged and executed. Jezebel who required that a temple and altar for Baal be made. You know Jezebel.

Elijah never mentioned in Scripture until now in 1 Kings 17 then becomes a main character from here until 2 Kings 2. Your Bible says that He was from Tishbe. Very little is known about this place of which Elijah was from. He seemingly pops up and rises to greatness in 1 Kings 17 out of nowhere. And this is because the secret to greatness is being hid until its time.

That’s a word for somebody today that God will all of a sudden place you on the scene just in the nick of time. Nobody knows your name. You’ve come from a place where little to nothing is known but when God hath need of you - its time to come forth. It is the reality that no matter how humble your beginnings, when the Lord hath need of you; in time God will open up an opportunity for you to come forth like you’ve been there all along because when its time to come forth it doesn’t matter if your from Tishbe or Springfield… Its just your time!

Elijah comes out at the bequest of God and says as a result of all this evil happening under Ahab and Jezebel, I speak under the authority of God there will be no dew nor rain these years but according to my word.

Let’s get the story straight… Ahab and Jezebel are straight trippin and this man comes out of no where in the name of God, and under the authority of God to be the weather reporter and says there ain’t gon be ner rain or dew until I say so. I should put a plug right there and tell you when you’re speaking truth to power you ought do it on the authority of God’s word and not your own. Your word, my word won’t have any power but His word has got all the power - even from the beginning of time when God said it; it happened!

God comes back and says to Elijah verse 2-3 if you still have your Bible open now that you’ve released the word go and hide. Because even after greatness is revealed - greatness understands the necessity of staying hidden.

The secret to greatness is being hid and then staying hid because you recognize you couldn’t even if you tried your best be great on your own. Greatness is only achieved by the one who knows how to hide in God… Because I can only be great if I have made my dwelling place and hiding place in God… Because I recognize in me dwells no good thing but in Him is the epitome of greatness. And so if I am to be great it is not achieved by my position, my power, my education, my accolades, how many friends or followers I have on social media… greatness is only achieved by my ability to hide myself in a great God. Because it is in Him that I live. It is in Him that I move. It is in Him that I have my being.

God told Him to go hide himself at the brook called Cherith. That’s just like God… God uses you in a mighty way and then says now go hide. Because it wasn’t me - it was God all along. God hid him for protection from Jezebel but God had been hiding Elijah all His life until this very moment.

He tells him to go to the brook Cherith. That word Cherith means cutting away. It means separation. And beloved, every Christian at some point in his or her life will have a Cherith experience. And when you have a Cherith experience you ought to thank God for it. Because there are times in your life when God has got to pull you away from this one and that one… and that thing and this thing of which you’ve been comfortable to prepare you for where you are headed. But the preparation is done in secret with you and God. Its done in hiding. Where God cuts away and separates you. And sometimes the cutting and the separation is painful but its worth it. Because in 1 Kings 18 there is a contest of Baal at Mt. Carmel about to happen but Elijah is not ready yet. Because you can’t deal with your Mt. Carmel until you’ve survived your Cherith. Some folk are running trying to get to the mountain but you may not be mature enough to handle the mountain. You may not have the character to handle the mountain. So God will hide you in Cherith to get you where you need to be so that when its time to go to the mountain you’ll be alright! Because there is a contest coming and God is going to win the battle but He’s going to do it through you. And I need you to trust me in Cherith by yourself in this small place. So that when you get to the mountain you’ve learned how to trust me in Cherith so you can trust me at the mountain! Elijah’s faith has got to be tested in private before it is revealed in public!

God told Elijah to go hide himself in the brook Cherith and he said I will provide water from a brook and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

I’ve got to pause for the cause and talk about “there.” Because God tells Elijah while the rest of the world is dealing with a drought I will provide water and food for you there. Meaning that the provision God had for Elijah required Elijah to get there and stay there. There’s always something tempting us to leave “there.” Wet get mad, we get frustrated, we don’t understand and so we’ll leave “there” where God has provided all of what we need to go “somewhere.” But the provision of God is not somewhere - its “there.” “There” is a cut off place, a separated place. It won’t feel good. You might feel alone! But I’d rather be there all by myself where God’s provision is than to be somewhere I am not supposed to be! Because God’s provision for me is THERE not SOMEWHERE!

And I need you to just look at your neighbor and say neighbor… stay there! Don’t you be tempted to move. Don’t you be tempted to do anything other than stay in the place! Elijah was obedient to God telling him to go to Cherith because obedience will always lead you to the right “there.” And obedience will keep you in the right “there.” You might not understand, everybody else might be somewhere else but you make up in your mind I’m staying “there” because this is where God told me to be!

Beloved our response to what God said is to be “there” and God says when you get there you won’t have to worry about the outcome all you’ve got to do is be obedient to be “there!”

There is peace there.

There is joy there.

There is provision there.

What a blessing to know that even in a cut off place. Even when the rest of the world is going through a drought - God will provide for you and take care of you! We went through a pandemic and the saints bought houses, cars, land, started businesses because I learned that if I just get THERE it doesn’t matter whats happening to the world God will look out for me! Because even when the world is closed… heaven is open! Heaven doesn’t run out of anything!

The Bible says when He got there it was just as God said. He provided bread and meat both in the morning and evening. And he drank from the brook. But what I love about the text is it indicates that God gave the ravens the responsibility to feed Elijah!

Leviticus 11:15 says any kind of raven is considered unclean. And if you think about a raven… they are like scavengers. When they encounter some meat they want to keep it all for themselves. They’re not interested in sharing with nobody. But God will make the raven do what it wouldn’t normally do! Because if God tells the raven to serve dinner the raven is obligated to do what God said. God will use the most unlikely source to feed you just because He said it! Oh you’ve seen this happen in your life before… You’ve seen the ravens yield because God said it. You were working on that job and the boss didn’t like you but God elevated you to be your bosses boss! You were going to buy the house and you were turned down by several banks but then all of a sudden God caused the ravens to give you the loan at God’s word.

And the ravens were able to do what they do because you were in the right place. And when you’re in the right place you might have to wait but hold on the ravens are coming. And I know there are some of you who would say I’m not eating nothing from no raven. But never say never… It’ll be that person that you said you’d never talk to, you washed your hands of that God will use to bless you!

I’m almost through y’all hang with me just a few more minutes.

In verse 7 we have a problem. The brook dried up. That which was feeding Elijah was no longer feeding him. Elijah saw the brook go from flowing to a trickle, to drops, to a mud puddle. And this my brothers and sisters is where the church folk get a little crazy and confused. Because they will tell you where God guides He provides. And assume since God’s provision has dried up that you must not be in the right place. They will tell you maybe you missed God… they’ll ask you did God really say? They’ll say maybe you need to go back. Or some will say “y’all expect God to do everything get up and make something happen for yourself.”

What do you do when you’re in the right place and the brook has ran dry? What do you do when what was feeding you is no longer able to feed you? What do you do when those you called friends have turned their back? What do you do when you feel like you’ve outgrown the level you’ve been living on?

Life’s journeys are often preparing us for bigger things ahead. Sometimes we want to skip the journey and make it straight to the destination. But the journey is just as important as the destination because the journey is making something out of you so that you are mature enough and got all the tools to handle the destination.

Elijah teaches that you don’t complain. You don’t move. You don’t wallow in self pity. You don’t try and go back to where you were. But you’ve got to listen for a word from God. And then you’ve got to remember that because the brook dried up that means I’m one step closer to what God is going to do through me on the mountain.

When you stop to wait for the word of God it is a sign that you recognize that it wasn’t the ravens or the brook that provided for you it was God!

And I don’t know what your dry brook might be this morning. But the dry brook is not a sign to move. It’s a sign to be still and wait for instructions. Just because the brook dried up doesn’t mean nothing. Because I’m here on a word from God who is my Source. So I’ve made up my mind - I’m sticking with the Source although the resource has run dry. Look at somebody and tell them I’m sticking with the Source who is God.

Closing

I should tell you at this point of the sermon, Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is my God.” In other words Elijah’s name was perfect for his situation. Yahweh is my God. You ought to look at somebody and say because Yahweh is my God… I’m not worried about a dry brook. Because Yahweh is my God, I’m not worried about what I lack. Because Yahweh is my God, I’m not worried about the sickness or the diagnosis. Because Yahweh is my God, I know He’ll take care of me.

I didn’t read verse 8-9 but it tells us that after the brook dried up the word came to Elijah to go to Zarephath.

But I really like the Bible’s silence in between the brook drying up and the word of God. We don’t know how much time lapsed between the dry brook and the word of God.

But I’ve got to use my sanctified imagination and assume that Elijah didn’t try to go back from whence he came because he realized I’m in the place. I’ve got to imagine that he took sometime out to praise God in the place. Because though the brook has run dry I’m still in the place God told me to be! And I’m going to stay right here until I hear a word from the Lord. Until God opens the next door, you’ve got to learn to praise Him while you’re in the hallway.

I’m not gonna worry about a thing. Be not dismayed… whatever be tied God will take care of you!

And I came this morning to preach to somebody… You are in the place but your in between the dry brook and the word of God. I’ve got to tell you like our ancestors would have said it…

Hold on just a little while longer… everything will be alright. It may not look like it right now, but I’m in the right place. And sooner or later, its going to turn in my favor!

Elijah went and God hid him in cherith. But cherith prepared him for the contest of Baal on Mt. Carmel.

I’ve got to call some witnesses…

Come here Joseph. He was thrown in a pit. But I should say God hid him in the pit. But the pit prepared him to be over Pharoah’s house.

Come here Moses. There was an order to kill the male children. Moses’ mother hid him in a basket. And Pharoah’s daughter raised him in the palace. Preparing him for the Exodus.

Come here Jacob. God took him and hid him alone and he changed his name

And I get excited about Jesus. I know Easter was last Sunday. But God hid him in a borrowed mans tomb on Friday. Stayed there all day Saturday. But early Sunday morning He got up!

That’s why I’m staying in the right place! It may take me to a tomb on Friday but Sunday morning will come! Because Good Friday won’t last always. Cherith won’t last forever! Trouble won’t last always!

I’m in the right place! I’m just waiting on a word from the Lord!

But I won’t wait til the battle is over… I’ll shout now! I’ll dance now. I’ll praise Him now! Because I’m in the right place!

I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here! I won’t give up! I won’t give in!

But I’ll hold to His hand!

Do I have a witness in the building! That the dry brook is not the end! Do I have witness that He’ll take care of you! Wait on him!

They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

Won’t he take care of you? Won’t he heal your body? Won’t he make a river in the desert? Won’t he save you? Won’t he deliver you? Won’t he save your children? Won’t he provide for you? Won’t he do it? Say yes!