Sermon Notes + 6.22.2025 | Northpoint Church

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Sermon Notes

You Shall Drink from the Brook
1 Kings 17:1-16
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor

Overview: The sudden appearance of Elijah the Tishbite represents a change in the narrative of 1 Kings as it moves from a succession of evil kings in Israel to a faithful prophet who summons all to turn back to the Lord. Elijah declares there shall be neither dew nor rain except by his word, thus putting King Ahab on notice that Baal does not control the weather. The Lord then directs Elijah to take refuge by the brook Cherith, where he will receive daily sustenance from the water and the ravens. This exceptional means of provision is sufficient but temporary, so the Lord commands Elijah to go to Zarephath, where he will encounter a widow who will feed him. When Elijah requests a morsel of bread from the widow, she informs him that she has barely enough flour and oil to make her final meal. Elijah assures her that if she obeys the word of the Lord, she will be provided for throughout the entirety of the drought. The various methods of provision in this narrative assure us today that the Lord will provide for His people during their times of need.

01. The same God who commands the dew to appear and the rain to fall is the same God who withholds the dew and the rain from all.

02. The same God who withholds the dew and the rain is the same God who provides water from the brook and food from the ravens.

03. The same God who provides water from the brook and food from the ravens is the same God who provides for the widow when the oil and flour run low.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY

1. Every king to this point in the narrative is introduced by noting his family lineage, the length of his reign, and whether or not he was a good or bad king. Why do you think Elijah is introduced without any reference to these matters? How did the role of prophet differ from that of the king?

2. Since Baal was thought to be the god of fertility and thus prosperity, why is it an appropriate judgment for the Lord to withhold rain and dew? Put another way, in what was this judgment designed to demonstrate the futility of worshiping a god who cannot control the weather?

3. How did God’s judgment upon Israel affect all its inhabitants, including Elijah? How do the poor and godless decisions by others affect all of our lives today? How can believers find refuge in the Lord even when times are hard for everyone?

4.Consider the imagery of drinking from the brook and receiving food from ravens as a means of temporary sustenance. In what ways has the Lord provided for you during times of spiritual, financial, physical, or emotional drought? How has the Lord drawn you closer to Himself during such trying times?

5. What sacrifices did Elijah ask the widow to make? What does her response suggest about the nature of faith? How does the provision from the Lord demonstrate His goodness towards those who are willing to trust Him in spite of all rational evidence to the contrary? For more about Elijah and the widow’s faith, see Luke 4:25-26 and James 5:17. Pray for the Lord to grant us such faith as well.

For Further Reading: Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional (Crossway, 2003).