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Kings 17
In the days of King Ahab the LORD God raised up a prophet named Elijah the Tishbite who was from Gilead. Elijah told King Ahab by the word of the LORD that there would be no rain or dew in the land for three years. (17:1) The word of the LORD came to Elijah again and told him to hide himself by the brook called Cherith, “and it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (V3-4) Elijah was obedient to the word of the LORD and went and dwelt by the brook. "And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook." (V6) Sovereign God, the Creator of the universe, is in control of all things, and even the ravens obeyed Him. They who are scavengers and would have eaten all for themselves, in obedience brought to Elijah bread and meat. But after a time the brook dried up for lack of rain. And so God, who provides for all the needs of one who believes on Him, brought His word to Elijah again saying "Get thee to Zarephath..and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman to sustain thee."(V9) The hand of God will be over this woman’s life in many ways. Her heart has been prepared by God to receive Elijah and provide for him. I wonder how many times in our own lives, God has prepared us for a certain person? Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”
And so Elijah went to Zarephath, and "when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks" (V10) even though she may not have known why she was there at that particular time. The word "behold" is a reminder that the LORD God had told Elijah that he had prepared a widow to sustain him. Elijah surely had this in mind when he saw the woman. Just as the Lord had prepared the woman in Samaria who came to the well when the Lord Jesus was there, and the woman with the issue of blood, who was there when the Lord Jesus went by on his way to Jairus' house, or even Rebekah, who came to the well when the servant of Abraham was there. How often the Lord intervenes in our lives to bring us to the right place at the right time.
And so Elijah called her and said "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." (V10) And remember, water was in very, very short supply, yet Elijah is asking this woman, who does not know him, to give him water. And obediently the woman who God had prepared, went to fetch it. But Elijah asked her also to "bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread..."(V11) God is in control of this situation, and he brought this particular widow, for this particular time. "For such a time as this"
So the woman, who still does not know that this man was a prophet, tells Elijah “...as the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die" (V12) She refers to "the LORD thy God " thus showing that this woman who was a Gentile, knew about the LORD God of Israel. As did Ruth the Moabitess and Rahab of Jericho.
Elijah tenderly tells her to "Fear not; go and do as thou has said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth." (V14) "Fear not" wonderful words - how often do we read them in the bible? We would do well to remember that when one is following the Lord, there is no need for fear.
The widow must now trust in the word of Elijah, for he asks her to bring him food before feeding herself and her son. If Elijah had not been telling the truth, this would have been the end of her food. But the widow does believes Elijah, is obedient to his request, and her obedience leads to sustenance for herself and her son, as well as Elijah, to whom she shows hospitality by his staying with her.
"And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days." (V15)
After a time, the son of the woman became sick, and he was so sick that he died. But this death was much the same as Jairus' daughter, or Lazarus, or Dorcas. This death is to the glory of the LORD. Now the woman was full of grief, and so she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?"(V18) Oh what a sad confession, to wonder if Elijah, by whose coming there was enough food, has really come to her so that her son would die, and so that her sins would be brought to remembrance. I wonder how we would react in a similar situation? Would we remember what has been provided for us? or would we forget it all in the light of a heartbreaking moment where we know not the outcome. This is also a test of Elijah's faith, for he does not know why the widow's son has died. So (V19) he said unto her, give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed." Elijah's prayers for the boy will be private. ( V20)And he cried unto the LORD and said "O LORD my God, has thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? (V21) And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again." Elijah knows that only the LORD God, with whom he has a personal relationship (my God) has the power to give life again. (V22-23) "And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and delivered him unto his mother:" The mercy of our LORD to answer "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man" which "availeth much" (James 5:16) And precious words to this widow whose child, was all that she had of her husband. "See, thy son liveth" (V23) We can only picture the blessed and happy reunion, the tears shed, the hugs exchanged. Praise the Lord!
And now a wonderful confession. "And the woman said to Elijah 'Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.'" (V24)
In conclusion, this woman who met a stranger, obeyed his request, provided him hospitality, was shown mercy and grace by the LORD, in His provision of food and water and most of all, in bringing back her son to her. She learned that the LORD God is all sustaining, and omnipotent. All things are in His hands.. we need not fear, nor be concerned, as we trust in Him He will provide to us all that He deems best.
"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:21-26
vcg/August 2015
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