(If you're not 100% sure what an allegory is I will save you and google the bandwidth; "1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another. 2. a symbolical narrative"[dictionary.com])
Here is the passage;
"Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook" (NASB)
Far-fetched allegorical interpretation of 1 Kings 17:1-6; In this passage Elijah is, allegorically speaking, the church. The church is “hiding” because it is not supposed to be like the world. (Romans 12:2) Jesus is the brook, because He brings living water. (John 4:10) The Ravens are the Holy Spirit, because He helps us to understand the spiritual food of scripture. (John 16:13; 1 Peter 2:2) This passage was simply a fore-telling of the arrangement of the church, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s roles to come. We can trust that as we preach things people don’t like to hear and hide ourselves from worldly lusts that God will feed us and sustain us. Allegory. Understood. Done. Right?
Can you hear that being preached as a sermon? I can. Is this passage about the church? No. Is this passage about Jesus? No. Is this passage about the Holy Spirit? No. Does it have value and worth? Heck yea! Did I completely avoid it by looking past the context and trying to develop an allegorical meaning? Yup.
I posted this as a reminder; we need to take the Word at 'face value.' When we add meaning, or try to interpret what it "means to us", we take away from the original, correct, intended, God-breathed meaning. Don't let yourself get in the way of what the Word has to say. (Hey, that rhymes!)
Allegory. dictionary.com. June 25, 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/allegory
New American Standard Bible. (NASB) 1960, The Lockman Foundation. biblegateway.com. June 25, 2011. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2017:1-6&version=NASB
Bonus Question (for 332 cool points); If you look at the context, both literary (what the book says) and historical(what we know to be true from outside the book); what meaning would the original, divinely-inspired author have been assigning to this text?
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