They were big black ravens - birds that are bigger than crows, with almost the same coloring and with the same hoarse “Caw, caw!”
Have you ever heard them? They are smart birds and soon learn the ways of men. They can steal the clothespins off your clothesline. Like crows, they like small objects that are shiny, and, if you’re not careful, they will spread their great wings and fly away with that pretty ring that you set down for a moment. They will even sit on top of the funniest scarecrow when they find it is harmless.
Why do most people dislike ravens? Because they like to eat the eggs of songbirds and will quickly peck into a dozen ripe apples without really eating one. And why does God call them unclean birds? Because they also feed on dead creatures killed on the road. Anything will do for a hungry raven.
In this Bible story, the ravens were hungry. There had been no rain, and so there was no ripe fruit or grain in the fields. Maybe there were animals who had died of starvation, and that would be food for ravens, but the pickings were poor.
God cared about this matter of no crops, and He could have sent rain, but He didn’t. God wanted the people to look up to Him. Their looking only to themselves was self-pleasing and sin, including all the sorrow that goes with it. God says, “Look unto Me . . . all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:2222Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)). God did not give ravens the power to think about their Creator, but you can. Will you look up to God now? All our supplies come from God Himself.
Where Elijah lived they had no rain either and nothing to eat. But Elijah knew God, and he had love in his heart for God’s people. He suffered from hunger just as they did.
God said to Elijah, “Hide thyself by the brook Cherith,” and Elijah obeyed. There was water there, and he drank. But what about dinner? God had also told him that the ravens would bring him food, so it was no surprise to see those great black wings flapping in the sky as the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and more bread and meat in the evening.
Ravens don’t act like that, but God can do anything. He has ordered that birds should fly from warm southern countries to make their nests in the north. So they come, every year, without fail. The ravens obeyed Him too. They brought that food to Elijah every day, without fail. That’s how powerful our God is.
Did you know that the same God sent His Son to die for you? And while He was here on earth, the heavens opened for God to say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)). And not only that, but because Jesus died for us sinners, God can take you right up to where Jesus is in heaven and make you happy to be there! That’s how powerful and how loving our God is.
The ravens had no thought of refusing what God told them to do. God did not give them the power to make a choice. But you can. You are a sinner who has sinned against God, but He still loves you and gave His Son Jesus to be the Savior for you. He offers you forgiveness of your sins and eternal life through the death and shed blood of His beloved Son. Will you accept Jesus as your Savior? Or will you refuse Him and suffer the eternal consequences for your choice? “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:1919I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)).
Elijah enjoyed his food until the brook dried up, and then God took care of him another way. If you want to know how, read the next story.