Elijah and the Ravines

David and Solomon's glorious reign has ended and God's chosen land has been split into Israel and Jerusalem. Neither nations live according to God's principles. As Israel's sin seems to reach pinnacle, God raises a prophet to bring God's word to life. 

"Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.' And the word of the Lord came to him: 'Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.' So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land." 1 Kings 17:1-7

Here is a couple of explanations to help you understand the depth of this dry spell. The name "Cherith" apparently signifies a "seperation." Elijah is separated from Israel's drought, perhaps separated from God's judgment or all that. 

Ravens are known to not even feed their young. By having ravens feed Elijah, God propels his divine intervention. 

Lastly, one of the gods Ahab and Israel worshiped was Baal, and Baal was supposedly a storm god. This points directly to that of the ten plagues in Egypt, showing God's authority over all the fake gods. 

My interests however, pointed to the verse, "and after a while." How long is this while? The drought is mentioned to have lasted for three years. I tried to find how long it would take for a ravine to dry up, but I wasn't quite successful (Mind you, I am writing this at 4 in the morning). Nonetheless, Elijah spent three years in the wilderness and in the widow's house. I couldn't help but think about what Elijah would have been doing in the wilderness. With all that time by himself alone in the woods, what could he have done to pass time? Spend time with God, listening and worshiping perhaps. 

Maybe I'm wondering about this because I'm just tired.