Only let us notice this: it is not solitude alone that fits the soul for service, but solitude filled and brightened and dispelled by fellowship with God. The man that is alone with. himself has, probably, the worst of all companions; he who is alone with God has certainly the best; and when he joins his fellow-men, they see on his very countenance the reflection of the glory on which he has so long been looking. But let us pass on, to look at the promise which God gave to Elijah in connection with the command to proceed to Cherith. "And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." The Master whom Elijah served "sendeth no man a warfare on his own charges." If he set one out on a pilgrimage, he will put a staff into his hand, and will support him in the way. If he call one to suffer for his sake, he will sustain him by his grace, and cheer him by his favor. And so in regard to temporal matters as well as spiritual, if he require one of his children to do a certain thing, he will provide for him those resources which are needed for the doing of it. Hence, having ordered Elijah to Cherith, he promises to provide for his wants. It might be that there was no miracle in the continuance of this mountain torrent; and, indeed, it seems clear that there was none, for by-and-by it failed; but there was the miracle of prescience, in the assurance here given to Elijah, inasmuch as it implied, on the part of him who gave it, foreknowledge that the brook would continue to flow long after the others were dried up. Nor was this all: the careful observer of the ways of Providence will not fail to note the fact that the stream which ran so long was in a hidden retreat where no one would think of seeking for the prophet. "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord."* *Psalm cvii., 43. 166 But more wonderful is the latter part of the promise: "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." So wonderful, indeed, is this pledge on the part of God to his servant that many have staggered at the words, and have attempted to bring another, and, to them, less improbable, meaning out of them. It happens that the term here translated ravens" is rendered by the word "merchants" in Ezekiel xxvii., 27, and some have wished to take it in this sense here. Others, changing the vowels of the Hebrew word—which, within certain grammatical limits, they may do, if it be imperatively required, since they are not of any higher authority than that of the Masoretes in the fourth century-would take the term to be Arabs, or inhabitants of a town called Arabah, whose existence and location, however, are purely hypothetical. But neither of these opinions can be rested in for any length of time by the intelligent Bible-student; and it is not without considerable amazement that I find one of them advocated by a writer who has done so much for the illustration of the Scriptures as Dr. Kitto. Still, the term can not here be understood as "merchants," since the site of the Cherith must have been far removed from the course usually followed by caravans or traveling companies. Neither can it mean inhabitants of Arabah, since, in accordance with all Hebrew analogy, if such people had been intended, they would have been called, not "Orebim," as the word is here, but "Arabaim." But the most serious objection to all these views remains yet to be stated. The great purpose of God in sending Elijah to Cherith was to conceal him for the time from Ahab, and the people of Israel. Now, to provide for him by merchants, or by the inhabitants of a town, was to peril that concealment. A secret may be safe in the keeping of one or two; but when it comes to be known to companies, or the people of a city, it is sure to be divulged by some one. Espe cially would it be certain to leak out when, as in this case, the personal interests of all the inhabitants of the land seemed to be involved in its publication. We can understand the stories told in Scottish glens of the shelter given to the Covenanters, even by those who did not quite agree with their principles; for though they ran a certain risk thereby, they did not directly lose any thing by screening them. But here the whole nation was suffering from drought and consequent famine; and according to the statement of him who threatened them in God's name with these calamities, they could not be removed until he again gave the word. Hence, every inhabitant of the land had a personal interest in discovering and making known his retreat. To suppose, therefore, that in these circumstances companies of merchants, or the dwellers in a certain town, could keep the secret of it to themselves, in face of the particular reward offered for the prophet's discovery, and the general advantages to be reaped from his re-appearance, is to accept that which is to me a far greater improbability than that the birds of the air brought food to the prophet of the Lord. No doubt it is objected that ravens were unclean according to the law, but we may reply in the words of Dr. Eadie : "The law did not prohibit any one from using food that had been borne on the back of a camel or horse, both of which were unclean for food, according to the law. Now, these creatures performed for Elijah the same service that beasts of burden did to people in ordinary circumstances. Though God says to Elijah, 'I have commanded the ravens to feed thee,' it is not meant that he would in any way so affect their natural disposition that they should bring food, and deposit it solely for the prophet's use, but simply that Elijah should be fed through their instrumentality; that they, following their natural habits, would bring food for their own use, or for the support of their young, of which Elijah could easily avail himself."* Thus understood, it is far more natural to take the word as describing ravens, than to view it as implying human agency. Of course, in either case, the hand of God would be acknowledged by all parties; but, in the circumstances of the prophet at the time, the agency of birds is even more natural than that of men, while, as a learned writer in Smith's "Dictionary" says, "There is no escape. from the plain meaning of the words, occurring as they do in a passage otherwise displaying no tinge of the marvelous, or from the unanimity of all the Hebrew MSS., and of all the ancient versions and Josephus."† Such, then, was the promise of the Lord to Elijah: water from the brook, and food from the ravens. "Poor enough fare," one may say; yet it was superior to that of multitudes in Israel, and it was all the prophet needed. "Having food and raiment, he had learned therewith to be content." He knew the meaning of "enough." Alas! how few of us do! He did not care for hoarding; but, living a day at a time, he was content with a day's food each day. Happy ward of Providence! more to be envied in thy simplicity than the wealthy millionaire, with his pistol beneath his pillow! "So he But we are anticipating; for now we turn to contemplate the prophet's obedience to the divine command. went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan." Perhaps there was an effort needed on the part of the prophet to carry out this command of God's. Naturally, as I judge, he was fond of danger. I have heard a distinguished general say that he was never so cool, composed, and self-possessed anywhere as he was upon the field of battle; and that, apart from the horrors that were inseparably connected with such a * Eadie's "Cyclopædia ;" article Elijah. scene of strife, there was something in its stimulus and excitement which he felt to be intensely exhilarating. So I conceive it was with Elijah and the great moral struggle in which he was engaged. Like the war-horse so magnificently described in the Book of Job, “he scented the battle afar off, he mocked at fear and was not affrighted, neither turned he back from the sword. He saith among the trumpets, Ha! ha!"* He was in his congenial element when he was in the thick of the spiritual conflict which God had commanded him to inaugurate and carry on; and so it would be a trial to him to tell him to go into seclusion, especially since it might leave him open to be misjudged by his fellows. He might have been inclined to say with Nehemiah, on a memorable occasion, "Should such a man as I flee?"† But God's word must not be gainsaid, and so he stood not to ask, "What will they say of me in Jezreel and throughout Israel?" or, "Could not I be engaged elsewhere in some active work?" Neither did he inquire, in hesitating unbelief, "How will the brook be maintained?" or, "What certainty have I that the ravens will feed me?" or, "How can I prepare the food they bring to me?" He asked no questions. His was not "to make reply," his was not "to reason why." God had spoken: that was sufficient; and he went his way up that lonely valley, trusting in God as truly as he did when he entered into. Ahab's presence. Brethren, let us imitate Elijah here! We may not be called to bear witness for God before princes, and may have no occasion to clothe ourselves with the thunder of his power; but we may be called, yea, I doubt not some of us have often been already called, to go into circumstances of privation, and to trust to God's promises for our temporal support. Let us do so as implicitly as did the Tishbite here. Let us rest assured that if we love the Lord, and *Job xxxix., 22-25. † Nehemiah vi., II. |