God mercifully preserved her and her son, even though they were not of His chosen people. He will provide for our needs on a daily basis. Elijah tells her not to be afraid, but instead to Go home and do as you have said. Were not told of her praying to God herself, but she did know to go to Gods man for direction, and possibly, a miracle. Learn how your comment data is processed. She reminded him that her husband had studied with him and that he had feared the Lord, but now he was dead and the creditor was threatening to take her two sons as slaves if she didnt pay off the loan. Elijah served as Gods spokesperson, the man who stood in front of King Ahab and prophesied the next years are going to see a total droughtnot a drop of dew or rain unless I say otherwise (1 Kings 17:1 MSG). They went door to door collecting. return true; Rather, because she received him hospitably and attended to him, this hospitality is ascribed to her, and she also merited having Elijah revive her son (Cant. Have you ever been in as desperate a situation as the widow was in? However, Jehovah noticed something special in the heart of this widow. When God saw that there was suffering in the world but Elijah was unaware of it, He told him to go to Zarephath, the widow (BT Sanhedrin 113a). The story of the woman with the issue of blood and many other stories show Jesus doing that (https://thefaithspace.com/lessons-from-the-woman-with-the-issue-of-blood/ ). Open job opportunities for her that will pay for her bills and help pay off her debts. The first of the Widow of Zarephath lessons is that spiritual warfare goes up a notch in times of crisis. And he was fighting to rescue the hearts of his people from worshiping things that would not serve them. When the brook of Cheribth dried up the LORD told Elijah to go to the city of Zarephath where there was a widow woman there that would sustain him. Rabbah 2:5:3). I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat itand die. The LORD knew her, knew all about her situation, and the condition of her heart. Her name didnt matter, but her faith and obedience will forever be remembered. She had lived her life a stone's throw from the Mediterranean, at Zarephath, seven miles south of Sidon, in a territory ruled by Jezebel's father. if( checkboxFields[i].checked ) { It takes courage to go to your neighbors and ask them for something. The midrash thus draws a parallel between the death of the widows son, on the one hand, and the drought and the resulting famine on the other. Jesus makes reference here to an event in the life of Elijah the prophet. Then sit back and listen to what He has to say. The king of the kingdom of Israel was Ahab and his wife was Jezebel. Are you feeling pressure to provide for your family but you dont know how youre going to? God never leaves his people without guidance and direction. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. Start for FREE. return false; He scooped him up and carried him back downstairs to his mother. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Elijah turns up and two things are obvious. But then a stranger had called to her: "Woman, would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink? She did exactly what he instructed to the letter. But he had died before the drought, leaving her with a small son, a house, and little else. Can you imagine just a little attitude in her response to him? Make learning about the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:7-24 fun with this no prep, printable activity sheet word-find and digital EASEL activity. She had failed in the most basic ways a mother could, unable to protect, nurture, and provide. Are debt collectors knocking on your door or calling you on the phone? Indeed, "the large jar of flour did not run out, and the small jar of oil did not . FACT #4 She was extremely poor. When her level of faith was compared to those who claimed to know God, she stood head and shoulders above them. Thanks so much for sharing. Think about what Elijah asked the widow to do. No matter how little, we have something we can use to bless someone. You must be joking. But that was not this widows reaction. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2541,. ", Graciously, she had gone to fetch it, only to have him call after her, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread.". This exposition, based on the juxtaposition of the resurrection of the widows son (end of chap. This Widow demonstrates Christs invitation of His followers to Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first and all other things shall be added to them (Matthew 6:33). (Psalm 37:25), And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. FACT #1 The name of her village was Sarepta. (Viewed on January 18, 2023) . When we suffer trials, we need to look for Jehovahs guidance in the Scriptures and in our publications. Read about other women who rocked in the Bible: Deboraha Faithful Focus on What You Can Do, Want more? So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. Claim and trust Gods promises. She did not refer to Jehovah as my God. She lived in Zarephath, a town that belonged to the Phoenician city of Sidon. Yes, they are Bible characters from a long time ago but their faith in God has reached across time to uplift our hearts. Watch over and protect those who are vulnerable. Thank you so much J. This widow was from Sidon. Background: 10 Century BC. His need condemned her. Completely. Titus 3:1-7 is a reminder that we all have been foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Rabbah 2:5:3). The fact that God resurrects the dead was already shown by Elijah, Elisha and Ezekiel (Lev. The same held true for food: when he came to the widows house, she and he ate from his [that is, both the widow of Zarephath and Elijah partook of Elijahs food, which was miraculously provided to sustain him in the widows house]. It was almost gone. } He said: Please, bring me a little water in a cup so that I may drink. When she went to get him some water, Elijah added: Please, bring me a piece of bread. (1Kings 17:10,11) The widow was not worried about giving this stranger a drink, but giving him bread was a problem. The widow of Zarephath had felt utterly alone, not knowing God had his eye on her. Amen. ", But the man had persisted. First, go directly to God. 3). This request was a huge test of faith. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The woman, only referred to as the "widow of Zarephath," demonstrates a powerful faith through her obedience in 1 Kings. The important thing is to go back to Him in remembrance of Him. Am shelmith from Kenya. God sends him to stay by a brook first. Like the woman with the issue of blood and Naaman, Elijah was no different. Chicago Style Citation: Jesus makes the point that during a time of drought and famine, there were many widows in Israel who had need. When Elijah sees the woman God told him to meet, he asks her for a cup of water. If you want to continue learning from the Widow of Zarephath story, I encourage you to check out someother Bible studies. But God is still providing for Elijah for now God sends Elijah to the care of a widow. But she would also be the first woman to witness God's power to raise the dead, which he did in response to Elijah's repeated prayers on behalf of her child. TERMS OF USE Use your servant mightily to encourage the hearts of your people. The Widow of Zarephath helps us to better understand that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The midrash apparently understands that the food eaten by Elijah during his stay with the widow was of miraculous origin, since the entire land was suffering from a severe drought. Praise the living God. Instead of asking for forgiveness and repenting, we dwell on the short comings of our sins blaming everything bad that has happens in our lives. If we have faith, it said, we will get the blessing; if we do not [have faith], we will lose it.. Then he died, leaving his helpless widow owing money and having no way to pay off the debt. Somehow, God pulled her to himself and transformed her heart from false worship to faith-filled. Elijah took the boy and laid him upon his own bed and cried unto the LORD. She began to prepare for a final supper for herself and her child. I hope you have been encouraged by these lessons from the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. Elijah arose and went to Wadi Cherith, where the ravens brought him bread and meat (v. 2). While that is often a part of his plan, our eyes usually rest on ourselves, when in fact it has less to do with us and more to do with what He wants to do through our relationships with the people to whom He connects us. The story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephtah can be found in the following Bible verses: 1 Kings 17: 8-24. He doesn't urge them to pick themselves up and get going when they have no resources to do so. The Widow of Zarephaths story doesnt end there. Comfort her when shes feeling overwhelmed. The faith of the Widow of Zarephath turned out to lead to the provision for a tired, depressed, and hungry prophet on the run for his life. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah (1 Kings 17:15-16 NKJV). She lashes out in her pain at the man she trusted, the man who God used to perform a miracle. 31 December 1999. So keep fighting with God for your faith. Just Elijahs presence in the land was an offense to the enemy. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Lessons from the Canaanite Woman and her Faith. Daily provision for food for three years. The houseguest is Gods prophet Elijah. Elijah had to run for his life. What do we know about the Widow of Zarephath whose story is found in I Kings 17:8-24? Another tradition reveals Elijahs dislike of having to rely on other people. Tune in next week when we talk about the Shunammite woman, a wealthy woman who experienced a life and death miracle from God. PRIVACY POLICY It was in the middle of this drought that Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath become a part of each others lives. He encouraged her to gather as many as she could. I look forward to hearing from you! Let us know. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijahs time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Zarephath was a gentile country. (Read on to find out why he chose a drought over anything else). Just as you saw the prophets widow through difficult times, may you work in a miraculous to take care of Edith. They may have little or no knowledge of Jehovah and need help to accept true worship. He could have prayed and had God send away the debt collector or have the money delivered to her by someone else. Imagine the widows great joy when Elijah said: See, your son is alive! Read a psalm or two. What an amazing lesson they witnessed to see how God cared for them and provided for them. FACT #3 Elijah knew she was a widow because of what she was wearing. God did not abandon that poor widow. This was not a miracle to be witnessed by the masses, but rather a private blessing for this little family to see God at work. FACT #3 - Elijah knew she was a widow because of what she was wearing. These two boys were facing a terrible future unless God intervened. So Elijah begged: OJehovah my God, please, let this childs life come back into him.1Kings 17:20,21. What could the widows husband have done differently? He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. This was his calling. The Rabbis applied to this woman the verse from the Eshet Hayil (Woman of Valor) passage (Prov. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath Sure enough, the brook runs dry. After that, every time she dipped her hand into the flour, every time she poured oil from the jug, the widow saw another miracle unfold, another sign of favor, additional evidence of God's provision. } Yet for some reason she believed Elijah and acted accordingly, giving him everything she had. In fact, our biggest following is in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. And note that his prayers were no small prayers and his faith was equally huge. It is not unusual that during times of great stress we forget all the blessings we have received from the LORD. The Widow of Zarephath. Elijah had declared God's message of judgment on Israel and her wicked king, but the message fell on deaf ears. Shelmith, oh how you have blessed my heart today by sharing your testimony :D. Praise the living God for sure! She cannot believe what she is seeing. She thought it was a punishment because of her sins. He knew the current reality did not measure up with Gods promise. Elijah orders the woman to prepare a small cake for him (v. 13). Go home and do as you have said. While in the widows house, Elijah performs the miracle of the jar of flour and the jug of oil, to which, according to the Rabbis, Prov. He might as well ask me to snap my fingers and produce a cow to feast on. When Elijah declares that her food would not run out, the Widow steps out on this word and uses her last bit of flour and oil to make him a meal. There is always spiritual warfare over your hearts loyalty. This is a real and raw story about injustice, loss,, Continue reading Rizpah in the Bible Characteristics and lessons learnedContinue, Studying faith in Bible stories is one of my favorite ways to encourage my heart, especially in rough times. }); This man of God is asking for the last of. It may require you to look around at what you have and do something with the resources Hes already blessed you with. For her to move forward in obedience and faith, she needed to put away fear. There is much curiosity about what he was called but there is no record of his name in all of Scripture. The Bible account says: After these things, the son of the woman who owned the house fell sick, and his sickness became so severe that he stopped breathing. Trying to find a reason why this tragedy happened, the grieving mother said to Elijah: What do you have against me, Oman of the true God? Fear can be just as strong as faithif you let it. Joanne Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and Author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. All she had to do was believe God the God of Israel and obey. Even her name is lost to the history. The Bible is filled with God granting miracles for widows. You might be living from hand to mouth but recognize that it is Gods hands to your mouth. Im sorry I didnt respond sooner. WMB English Version; WMB Tamil Version; Gallery. 6:26), and the resulting curse cost him the lives of his sons: He laid its foundations at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set its gates at the cost of Segub his youngest (I Kings 16:34). She was faithful and obedient to the commands of the LORD. But he wants us to trust Him. This can be learned from Elijah, for whom God provided, as it is said (I Kings 17:9): I have designated a widow there to feed you (Tanhuma, Mikez 6). (Matthew 25:34-40) It proves that God takes care of those who are faithful to him, even when they are enduring very difficult trials. But hard times is nothing new. Elijah undergoes a process of change: the death of the son enables him to understand Gods suffering at the sight of His starving handiwork and he is therefore willing to return the key of rain. Elijahs names means Yahweh is my God. FACT #2 She was a gentile. She heard, understood and walked that walk of faith. The widow could see that Elijah was an Israelite who served God. Yet, what did Elijah say? Check out our on demand resources, Experience Hope Daily Devotional Family Life Radio Updates. To make matters worse, he died, leaving her with a debt she had no way of paying. In that moment she chose to trust God. Do you stare at the bills and wonder how on earth theyre ever going to get paid? I am so happy that you have found what you need for you sermon. God uses something or someone to change your husband's heart just when you thought he didn't love you anymore. More than anything, the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath can teach us a lot. This next of the Widow of Zarephath lessons is an exciting one. Remember the LORD had commanded a widow woman to sustain Elijah. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah. She explained to Elijah she was gathering two sticks that she could prepare the meal for her and her son that they may eat it, and die. Im using this story to talk about faith to hear and hearken to Gods prophets throughout the ages. They handed those empty vessels to their mom and watched as she filled them with oil. Through her obedience, God sustained the prophet and her household. God sent Elijah to a woman who had nothing so that He could provide for her and her family supernaturally as a result of her faith. Am much encouraged at the same time I was looking for further understanding about the story of Elijah and the widow since for the first time I will be giving the word of God where I fellowship.i thank God for leading me and giving me what I was looking for through this page.for sure fear and anxiety has been killing me but this word has ministered to me.help me God. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Provide for her and her children. Jehovah listened to Elijahs prayer and brought the child back to life. He may ask you to do something thats humbling. The story of Peter in the Bible teaches that. Then Jehovah told Elijah: Rise up, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. 1 Kings 17: 9- 24. But anyone who is willing to open their hearts, God is ready to walk in. As we read more about her, we will learn some very important lessons. Every night she hoped for rain, but every morning she woke to a brilliant sky. The worship of the true God was at an all time low. What relationships does He want you to cultivate? 2:20): Ask him in to break bread (Pesikta Rabbati chap. The Widow had her last bit of sustenance left in this life.But she was so willing to give from it. The Rabbis derive from this that if someone opens his house to you, you are responsible for that persons well-being. Women of Prayer is a 10-Week Bible study about getting to know the character of God through the stories of Bible women who prayed. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. Was she the woman who would give food to the prophet? The Widow of Zarephath was desperately poor! 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Becker Bible Studies already blessed you with resurrects the dead was already shown by Elijah, Elisha and (! To prepare a small son, a house, and it did not to... Lessons from the Canaanite woman and her child to pick themselves up and going... Thought he did n't love you anymore to get paid Israel was Ahab and his was. Unusual that during times of crisis Shunammite woman, a house, and my God will meet all your according.