Midras 1 Raja-raja 17:6: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Bereshit Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tehillim

CHULIN (Fol. 5) (I Kings 22, 10) Now the king of Israel and Jehosaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in the threshing-floor, at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. What does 'in the threshing-floor' mean? Was then the gate of Samaria a threshing-floor? We must therefore say that they were sitting in a position similar to the shape of a threshing-floor (in a semi-circle); for we are taught in a Mishna that the Sanhedrin sat in a semi-circle in the shape of a threshing-floor so that they should be able to see one another. (Ib. 17, 6) And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening. Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "They brought it from King Achab's butchers upon a Divine order." What is the meaning of 'ravens'? Said Rabina: "Real ravens."

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He stipulated a condition with the sea [upon its creation] that it should split before Israel. That is what is written: “The sea returned to its power [le’eitano]” (Exodus 14:27), in accordance with its condition [litna’o] that He stipulated with it.
Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: It is not only with the sea alone that the Holy One blessed be He stipulated, but with everything that was created during the six days of Creation. That is what is written: “My hands stretched the heavens and commanded all their host” (Isaiah 45:12) – right from when “My hands stretched the heavens,” “I commanded all their host.” I commanded the sea that it should split before Israel. I commanded the heavens and the earth that they should be silent before Moses, as it is stated: “Listen, the heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth” (Deuteronomy 32:1). I commanded the sun and the moon that they should stand still before Joshua, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still at Givon; [and Moon, in the Valley of Ayalon]” (Joshua 10:12). I commanded the ravens that they should sustain Elijah, as it is stated: “The ravens would bring him bread and meat…” (I Kings 17:6). I commanded the fire that it should not harm Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. I commanded the lions that they should not harm Daniel. I commanded the heavens that they should open before Ezekiel, as it is stated: “The heavens opened…” (Ezekiel 1:1). I commanded the fish that it should spew out Jonah, as it is stated: “The Lord said to the fish, and it spewed out Jonah” (Jonah 2:11).

(Numb. 34:2:) “When you come into the land.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 33:52)? “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you.” This text is related (to Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of earth [....]”²²The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation WOULD BE WHO TEACHES US MORE THAN THE BEASTS OF THE EARTH. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull of Elijah; for in the hour that (in I Kings 18:25) ‘Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first,”’ at that very hour the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred (and fifty) prophets of Asherah gathered together and were unable to budge its foot from the ground.”²³Numb. R. 23:9. Look at what is written there (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls….” What did Elijah do? He said to them, “Choose two bulls for yourselves, twins from the same mother, who are being fattened at the same trough. Cast lots over them, one for the name (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) and one for Baal.” And [so] they choose one bull for themselves. Now Elijah's bull kept following him; but as for that bull which had been assigned to the name of Baal, all those prophets of Baal plus the prophets of Asherah assembled to move [even] its foot from the ground, and were unable to do so, until Elijah began to say [to it] for them, “Go with them.” The bull answered and spoke to Elijah before the eyes of all the people and said to him, “My colleague and I came out of the same womb, and we grew up in the same pasture at the same feeding trough. That one was assigned to the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is sanctified through him. So have I been assigned to the portion of Baal to provoke my Creator?” Elijah said to him, “Go with them, and do not let them find an excuse. Just as the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is being sanctified through this one with me, so will it be sanctified through you.” He said to him, “Now that you have given me this advice, I swear that I will not move from here until you deliver me into their hand.” Thus it is stated (in vs. 26), “and they took the bull that he gave to them and prepared it.” And who gave it to them? Elijah. You also learn that Elijah said to them (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls,” and he also said to them (in vs. 25), “Choose one bull for yourselves.” Then at the end [of the verse] is written (ibid. cont.), “and they took the bull which he had given them.” It is therefore stated (in Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of [the] earth.” (Ibid., cont.:) “And He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.”²⁴The midrash understands the verse in this sense, although a more usual translation would be AND HE MAKES US WISER THAN THE BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Learn [a lesson] from the ravens who fed Elijah, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 17:6), ‘So the ravens brought him bread and meat […].’ From where did they bring him [it]? From Jehoshaphat's table, because those ravens did not want to enter Ahab's house to take anything from his table for this righteous man. [They would not go there] because his house was full of idolatry.” Ergo (in Job 35:11), “He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull and from the ravens, and do not turn unto idols to look at them.” Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 33:52), “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land.”