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Theosis · English Bible
3 Kingdoms (1 Kings)

3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 17

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And Eliu the prophet, the Thesbite of Thesbæ of Galaad, said to Achaab, As the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be these years dew nor rain, except by the word of my mouth. 2And the word of the Lord came to Eliu, saying, 3Depart hence eastward, and hide thee by the brook of Chorrath, that is before Jordan. 4And it shall be that thou shalt drink water of the brook, and I will charge the ravens to feed thee there. 5And Eliu did according to the word of the Lord, and he sat by the brook of Chorrath before Jordan. 6And the ravens brought him loaves in the morning, and flesh in the evening, and he drank water of the brook. 7And it came to pass after some time, that the brook was dried up, because there had been no rain upon the earth. 8And the word of the Lord came to Eliu, saying, 9Arise, and go to Sarepta of the Sidonian land: behold, I have there commanded a widow-woman to maintain thee. 10And he arose and went to Sarepta, and came to the gate of the city: and, behold, a widow-woman was there gathering sticks; and Eliu cried after her, and said to her, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11And she went to fetch it; and Eliu cried after her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of the bread that is in thy hand. 12And the woman said, As the Lord thy God lives, I have not a cake, but only a handful of meal in the pitcher, and a little oil in a cruse, and, behold, I am going to gather two sticks, and I shall go in and dress it for myself and my children, and we shall eat it and die. 13And Eliu said to her, Be of good courage, go in and do according to thy word: but make me thereof a little cake, and thou shalt bring it out to me first, and thou shalt make some for thyself and thy children last. 14For thus saith the Lord, The pitcher of meal shall not fail, and the cruse of oil shall not diminish, until the day that the Lord gives rain upon the earth. 15And the woman went and did so, and did eat, she, and he, and her children. 16And the pitcher of meal failed not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by the hand of Eliu. 17And it came to pass afterward, that the son of the woman the mistress of the house was sick; and his sickness was very severe, until there was no breath left in him. 18And she said to Eliu, What have I to do with thee, O man of God? hast thou come in to me to bring my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19And Eliu said to the woman, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and took him up to the chamber in which he himself lodged, and laid him on the bed. 20And Eliu cried aloud, and said, Alas, O Lord, the witness of the widow with whom I sojourn, thou hast wrought evil for her in slaying her son. 21And he breathed on the child thrice, and called on the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, let, I pray thee, the soul of this child return to him. 22And it was so, and the child cried out, 23and he brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; and Eliu said, See, thy son lives. 24And the woman said to Eliu, Behold, I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.

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3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 17:5

Chromatius of Aquileia

Chromatius of Aquileia5th century

We are presented with a narrative concerning Saint Elijah, which is particularly fitting for the Lenten season. Elijah underwent a fast for forty days and nights, not in pursuit of earthly sustenance, for he possessed the Bread of Life within him, which is the Word of God; it was through such divine nourishment that he gained extraordinary strength in those days. Numerous miracles are attributed to Elijah, some of which you may have heard in this reading. However, as it would take substantial time to recount each one, let us consider a few examples to grasp the greater significance from the smaller.

During his final trial at the hands of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, the Lord commanded Elijah, saying, “Go, to the stream, and I will instruct the ravens to provide for you there, and you shall drink from the stream.” The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening. The fact that the Lord utilized ravens to supply sustenance to His servant clearly demonstrates His care for the faithful. David aptly declared in the Psalms, “The Lord will not permit a righteous soul to suffer hunger.” The soul of the holy prophet Elijah was indeed righteous, and the Lord, unwilling to let it go hungry, provided for him through these birds. Although the righteous soul is perpetually nourished by the Word of God, which fortifies it, it is by God's mercy that it also receives physical sustenance. In the wilderness, the ravens brought food to Elijah, while for Daniel, who was imprisoned among lions, an angel was sent to deliver his meal. Daniel similarly faced persecution from the Babylonian rulers for his righteousness. Nevertheless, the wrongdoing of the oppressors cannot jeopardize the souls of the just. Thus, the ravens fed Elijah, the wild beasts left Daniel unharmed, while those who are wicked ensnare themselves in their own pursuits.

Turning back to our reading, we notice that God provided for Elijah in the wilderness through ravens, who brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening. What might the Jews, who perceive themselves as pure due to their avoidance of certain foods labeled as “unclean” in the Law, say? According to the Law, the raven is deemed an unclean creature; anything it touches is interpreted as rendered unclean by their standards. How, then, could Elijah consume the meat brought by these ravens if what they touch is unclean? For Elijah, the sustenance brought by the ravens was pure, as his conscience remained untainted. This illustrates that it is not the food but the conscience that defiles a person. The apostle therefore rightly states, “To the clean, all things are clean; but to the unclean and defiled, nothing is clean,” even if they partake of pure food. An unclean conscience corrupts even the most wholesome sustenance. Thus, while the Jews believe they are avoiding unclean food, they remain unclean, being burdened with the impurities of sin. If only they could refrain from the filth of sin with the same seriousness with which they avoid unclean food, they would attain true purity! However, consuming safe food while harboring a guilty conscience is of no avail to salvation. Hence, it is crucial that we maintain a clear conscience so that whatever we consume is rendered pure; for it is not food that corrupts a man, but a corrupt conscience.

This discussion arises from the perspective of the Jews, who are convinced that purity is solely about abstaining from particular foods, while Saint Elijah—who was pure in all ways—was commanded to eat meat delivered by unclean ravens, and this act did not defile him in any way. In fact, he did not only remain sinless but was also taken up to paradise! With a spiritual outlook and eyes of faith, we uncover profound mysteries in the story of Elijah. His persecution at the hands of Jezebel, the evil queen, prefigures the Lord’s own suffering from the wickedness of the synagogue. The ravens delivering food to Elijah symbolize our calling, for we have come to faith from the unclean Gentiles, bringing our zeal and faith as offerings to Christ the Lord. The faith and zeal of believers serve as nourishment for Christ.

Delving deeper into this mystery, we note, “The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening.” Those who delivered bread to the Lord in the morning represent those who wholeheartedly believe in Christ, bringing forth the true sustenance of faith. In the evening, martyrs offered meat, as they approached the end of their lives, surrendering their very beings for the name of Christ; this meat was borne through their lips as they courageously confessed their faith in martyrdom.