1 Kings 17:1-7 - "Elijah as a Type of Christ"

1 Kings 17:1-7

"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land."

Elijah appears suddenly in the Scriptural record with no account of his origin or preparation. He steps into history speaking with authority, declaring judgment and mercy according to the Word of the LORD. In this, Elijah serves as a clear type of Christ, Who likewise entered the world not by human appointment but by Divine Purpose. Scripture declares that God spoke in times past by the prophets, but in these last days has spoken by His Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). True knowledge of God comes only through the Revelation of Christ.

Elijah stands not only as a prophet but as a mediator. By his word came judgment, and by his word came deliverance. He stood between God and the people, declaring what God had purposed. Christ fulfills this mediatorial office perfectly, (I Timothy 2:5). He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin, to establish the righteousness necessary for God to declare righteous those for whom He came. Everything Christ did flowed from obedience to the Father’s will.

Standing before King Ahab, Elijah speaks with authority not derived from earthly power. He declares that there would be neither dew nor rain except according to his word. This authority was granted, not assumed. Elijah stood before the living God, just as Christ stood before His Father, acting only according to what God had ordained. This same truth was declared when Christ stood before Pilate and affirmed that no authority exists except that which is given from above (John 19:10,11).

The drought that followed reveals Divine judgment. For three and a half years there was no rain, not even dew. James confirms this in James 5:17–18, showing that Elijah’s prayer was effectual because it aligned with God’s will. Rain represents blessing, and its absence reveals judgment. Grace is not owed; it is given according to God’s purpose (II Timothy 2:9).

Though Elijah proclaimed judgment, he also lived under it. He endured the same drought as the nation. In this, he prefigures Christ, Who entered fully into the sufferings of a fallen world. Christ was tempted in all points, yet without sin. Isaiah describes Him as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). He did not stand apart from suffering but bore it willingly on behalf of those elect sinners that the Father sent Him to save.

The command to hide by the brook Cherith reveals further meaning. Cherith signifies cutting or piercing. It is a place of humiliation and dependence. There, Elijah was sustained by water from the brook and by ravens—unclean creatures commanded by God to feed him. This displays Divine Sovereignty. God directs even unclean instruments to serve His purpose. Christ likewise came among sinners as the Friend of sinners, receiving from those despised by the religious of the day, showing that Salvation flows entirely from God's Grace.

Elijah obeyed without hesitation. He went and dwelt by the brook according to the Word of the LORD. This obedience reflects Christ, Who declared that His meat was to do the will of Him Who sent Him and to finish His work (John 4:34). Nothing Christ did was directed by human approval or resistance.

When the brook dried up, it revealed that no earthly provision is permanent. Elijah’s path moved forward only by God's direction. Christ likewise completed His humiliation, finished the work given Him, and ascended on high, where He now intercedes for His people.

In Elijah, God’s Sovereign purpose is displayed clearly. Judgment and mercy, suffering and provision all proceed from His Hand. Christ is the Fulfillment of this type—the true Prophet and Mediator—accomplishing all that the Father ordained.