Elijah was a faithful prophet of God. After Elijah proclaimed before King Ahab it would not rain until he said so, the Bible says in 1 Kings 17:2-6: "Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3
"Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4
And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5
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. 6
The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook."
It is amazing God would use ravens to be His chosen means of sustaining Elijah with bread and meat, for under the Law they were deemed an unclean animal (Deut. 14:14). The lack of rain led to famine in the land, and for a season God fed Elijah with the assistance of ravens. Elijah did not refuse to receive the bread and meat from the ravens because he considered the food tainted. He ate gladly, realising it was God who miraculously supplied his physical needs through a most unorthodox fashion. Elijah received the food delivered from ravens who were obedient to God's command, unclean though they were. It was God - not scavenging birds - who was primarily responsible for his provision.
God was able to use ravens to feed Elijah physically, and God is able to use flawed human beings to hold forth the truth of God's Word as spiritual food to nourish our souls. We should not despise pastors or teachers because of their flaws and refuse the Bible itself as tainted. There is no license provided by God for ministers to sin without consequence, but not one Christian is perfect. It grieves me when I see people refuse the truth of God's Word because they take issue with His chosen messenger. Elijah wasn't offended to eat food brought to him by ravens. The people of Israel were glad to drink of the water from the rock even when Moses was overly harsh with them. Many people waste away spiritually with hunger and thirst because they cannot find a messenger worthy of their flawless standard.
I encourage you to consider this: if God can use a noisy, squawking raven to sustain Elijah with bread and meat, He can use a flawed person to hold forth biblical truth for your benefit. This is not to say ministers of the Gospel need not be held to a high standard of righteous behaviour or to justify sin without rebuke or repentance. But do not let offence keep you from listening to what God could be saying to you even through a sinner saved by grace. Don't reject a message of truth because it wasn't said in a gentle or loving manner. Don't refuse to heed God's rebuke through a person who you find offensive or confronting. Love thinks no evil and rejoices in the truth. Psalm 119:165 comes to mind: "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble." God is the source of all wisdom, truth, and righteousness, and all we need is found in Him! God may use a raven or a frustrated man who hit a rock with a stick, yet God is our source and sufficiency. We can rejoice in the vessels God uses, for in so doing we rejoice God also has ordained work He wants to accomplish through us!
It is amazing God would use ravens to be His chosen means of sustaining Elijah with bread and meat, for under the Law they were deemed an unclean animal (Deut. 14:14). The lack of rain led to famine in the land, and for a season God fed Elijah with the assistance of ravens. Elijah did not refuse to receive the bread and meat from the ravens because he considered the food tainted. He ate gladly, realising it was God who miraculously supplied his physical needs through a most unorthodox fashion. Elijah received the food delivered from ravens who were obedient to God's command, unclean though they were. It was God - not scavenging birds - who was primarily responsible for his provision.
God was able to use ravens to feed Elijah physically, and God is able to use flawed human beings to hold forth the truth of God's Word as spiritual food to nourish our souls. We should not despise pastors or teachers because of their flaws and refuse the Bible itself as tainted. There is no license provided by God for ministers to sin without consequence, but not one Christian is perfect. It grieves me when I see people refuse the truth of God's Word because they take issue with His chosen messenger. Elijah wasn't offended to eat food brought to him by ravens. The people of Israel were glad to drink of the water from the rock even when Moses was overly harsh with them. Many people waste away spiritually with hunger and thirst because they cannot find a messenger worthy of their flawless standard.
I encourage you to consider this: if God can use a noisy, squawking raven to sustain Elijah with bread and meat, He can use a flawed person to hold forth biblical truth for your benefit. This is not to say ministers of the Gospel need not be held to a high standard of righteous behaviour or to justify sin without rebuke or repentance. But do not let offence keep you from listening to what God could be saying to you even through a sinner saved by grace. Don't reject a message of truth because it wasn't said in a gentle or loving manner. Don't refuse to heed God's rebuke through a person who you find offensive or confronting. Love thinks no evil and rejoices in the truth. Psalm 119:165 comes to mind: "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble." God is the source of all wisdom, truth, and righteousness, and all we need is found in Him! God may use a raven or a frustrated man who hit a rock with a stick, yet God is our source and sufficiency. We can rejoice in the vessels God uses, for in so doing we rejoice God also has ordained work He wants to accomplish through us!
What an awesome analogy !
ReplyDeleteI have been guilty in the past of disregarding teachings from pastors or authors who at one or more times have stumbled.
Now I can reconsider what they have taught with more of an open mind.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you are keeping an open mind. We do need to be on guard against false prophets or heresy, but it is important to not allow personal offense to disregard what God might be saying to us through them.
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