God has Always Provided in Miraculous Ways - Part 2

harvest

1 Kings 17 – Elijah and the Widow – Part 2

KEY POINT – God has always provided in miraculous ways.

Recapping quickly from yesterday, Ahab was the most evil of kings and encouraged the people to worship Baal, who was a pagan god who his worshippers thought produced crops and fertility and controlled the rain.

Ahab had been king for 14 years before Elijah the prophet came around, so the worship of Baal was prominent and well established. The Lord uses Elijah to warn of a drought. Who is really in control? Is it Baal, the god of fertility or the one true God? This was a lesson for the people.

Like God has done with the ark, Joseph rescuing his brothers, Jonah in the mouth of a fish for three days, God will continue to send unlikely heroes and use unlikely plans!

Elijah has two encounters. His first encounter (in yesterday’s devotion) was Elijah being sent out to be cared for by a raven who as we saw is not provided for by their own but only God provides for them. So, Elijah saw the faithfulness of God to be His ultimate provider. He will see this again in the second encounter. The verses for today are below.

1 Kings 16:8‐16 ‐ Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said.

But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Encounter #2 ‐ After a while the brook dries up because of the lack of rain, and God sends Elijah to a new place.

1 Kings 17:8‐9 ‐ Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.”

Two important points of context. This region of Zarephath is between Tyre and Sidon in Phoenicia, which was the stronghold of the cult that Ahab had imported into Israel. In 1 Kings 16:31 it is said that Ahab’s wife Jezebel was a daughter of the king of the Sidonians. It was one of the most affected areas by the worship of Baal. Remember Ahab had been king for 14 years. So there had been many years of pagan worship.

Another point of context is that widows were poor in these times and would be the first to run out of food in a drought.

Look at this next verse. 1 Kings 17:12 ‐ And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

The widow is gathering sticks to bake food for her and her son’s last meal before they plan to die, and this is to whom God sent Elijah to get help! Again, God is building up the faith of Elijah and his trust in the Lord. And God is providing through an unlikely hero! See what Elijah tells her.

1 Kings 17:13 ‐ And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.

Remember in her mind this is her last meal and he tells her “Do not fear” but give that meal to me and then feed you and your son!

Then the prophet speaks on behalf of God ‐ 1 Kings 17:14 ‐ For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”

What does he tell her? God will provide until the drought is over. This widow who has virtually nothing left, expects to die after her next meal, and Elijah tells her she will have food until the drought is over. And she has likely come to think that Baal provides for her.

Now Elijah is saying God will provide in this drought where Baal cannot. What happens? 1 Kings 17:15 ‐ And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.

The widow trusts the word of God from Elijah! And as we have come to see throughout Scripture, God in this next verse proves Himself faithful.

1 Kings 17:16The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

 

Questions/thoughts to consider

How has God shown you through this time that you can survive with much less than you thought and trust Him to provide the rest?

Challenge ‐ Look for those in your neighborhoods and sphere of influence that are in need like the poor widow and minister to them with the hope of the gospel (spiritual food).

In the gospel, God has provided a salvation that we so much want to earn for ourselves or provide for ourselves. We want to have a list of good works to do. We want to be the hero of our own story. God is showing Elijah over and over that He is the hero of the story.

Have you completely trusted in Christ and his death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins? Are you counting on what you can do or have done to earn the love and forgiveness of God? Is He the provider of righteousness for you? Repent today and call upon the Lord as the only way to God.

John 14:6 ‐ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

If you have any questions about this forgiveness offered only through faith in Christ or are doubting God’s goodness during this time, contact the elders at elders@churchatodessa.org and we would love to answer your questions.