Another tradition reveals Elijahs dislike of having to rely on other people. 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. Kadari, Tamar. God sends him to stay by a brook first. She thought it was a punishment because of her sins. Elisha asked her what she had in her house. He doesn't urge them to pick themselves up and get going when they have no resources to do so. Thank you for loving us always. If she did not show faith in Jehovah, then another widow might have been chosen who would. Think of a time God provided for your financial needs. Zarephath was a gentile country. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house (where Elijah was staying) became ill. The Rabbis applied to this the verse (Ps. If you want to continue learning from the Widow of Zarephath story, I encourage you to check out someother Bible studies. Then Elisha had the widow and her sons closing the door before filling the jars. Were not told of her praying to God herself, but she did know to go to Gods man for direction, and possibly, a miracle. Then sit back and listen to what He has to say. She had just told him that after she made one more meal for her and her son, they would eat it and die. The Rabbis also learned that giving food to someone else is a virtue that results in the resurrection of the dead before its time: because the widow from Zarephath gave food to Elijah, she merited the reviving of her son. Ravens feed Elijah for many days, but when the brook dries up he is commanded to go to, There was also a growing desire for integration in Latin America, and several steps were taken in this direction. Much blessings to you my sister. Have you ever been in debt? Terms of Use: The contents of this blog post are restricted to your personal use only. So many wonderful points. God mercifully preserved her and her son, even though they were not of His chosen people. return true; Your email address will not be published. Daily provision for food for three years. 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. Because of the reviving of her son she knew that Elijah was a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in his mouth is truth. Elijah, however, was committed only to save the lives of his hosts. (Viewed on January 18, 2023) . We do know she was a Phoenician woman living in a pagan land and that she showed extraordinary hospitality by providing safe harbor for one of God's prophets during a period of famine. And He needs to know youre listening. (Acts 24:15) Surely these are excellent reasons for remembering the widow of Zarephath. Are you searching for and helping such people? 4). God loves you. Shelmith, oh how you have blessed my heart today by sharing your testimony :D. Praise the living God for sure! Series: Women in the Bible. Elijahs life is saved.Her blessings were full to the running over. The Word of the LORD is in reality truth and reliable. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). She said to Elijah, What do you have against me, man of God? If you want to share this resource with others, please share the link to the blog post. Bible Gateway Plus makes it simple. After we have eaten, we will die. (1Kings 17:12) What can we learn from this conversation? She did what had to be done because she had faith in the LORD. He sent Elijah to the widow to help both her and the prophet. Even her name is lost to the history. 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. 2). Am shelmith from Kenya. In Christs name we pray. Tune in next week when we talk about the Shunammite woman, a wealthy woman who experienced a life and death miracle from God. What an amazing lesson they witnessed to see how God cared for them and provided for them. When this happened, she was ready to be used by God.And used her he did. More than anything, the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath can teach us a lot. }); This man of God is asking for the last of. And in each case, God showed them that they . But the brook dried up after a while. (Luke 4:25-26). // check if at least one field is required But they did have extra containers. Yes, they are Bible characters from a long time ago but their faith in God has reached across time to uplift our hearts. Shes all alone and desperately trying to protect her children. "Widow of Zarephath: Midrash and Aggadah." God will do what He needs to do to secure your hearts complete loyalty. Rabbah 2:5:3). Elijah, however, was committed only to save the lives of his hosts (Ex. Women Who Rocked the BibleStories of Those Who Shaped Their Culture and Still Inspire You Today. The houseguest is Gods prophet Elijah. 37:25): I have been young and am now old, but I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, or his children seeking bread. God does not abandon the righteous or their children in time of famine, and if drought comes to the world, He arranges sustenance for them. 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. When the husband is supposed to provide for the family, and hes busy studying and serving and the family suffers, its easy to feel resentful, to get angry with the husband and with God. The Widow of Zarephath was desperately poor! He took God at his word. This woman didn't know that the LORD is a loving LORD. Once she had the jars, jugs, and pots collected she was to shut the door behind her and she and her sons would pour the oil they had into the vessels theyd gathered. Elijah asks her for a piece of bread, and the destitute widow invites him to her home where she uses her last bit of flour and oil to bake for him. The widow did exactly as he instructed. The faith of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath helps us to realize that God wants to trust Him each day. Luke 4:25-26. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. 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. But in this post, we focus in on Sarahs characteristics and what we can learn from, Continue reading Lessons from the life of Sarah in the Bible (characteristics and marriage lessons)Continue, The characteristics of Ruth in the Bible makes for an exciting study! This a very short Widow of Zarephath lesson about the power of fear versus the power of faith.. All she had to do was believe God the God of Israel and obey. Learn how your comment data is processed. She was not an Israelite. It took great faith for Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath to believe God. God multiplied the flour and oil so that she did not have to worry about food. Her planwithout Gods miraculous intervention, which she must have hoped forshe and her son will starve to death. Another trial was going to test the widows faith. But it was also a declaration that although it seemed like God was absent, He was very much present. Are debt collectors knocking on your door or calling you on the phone? Gods purposes are so much higher and wider than what we imagine. (Matthew 6:25-34) This account also shows us that Jehovah has the desire and the ability to resurrect the dead. If there was ever a Hallmark-worthy story in the Bible, this is it. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.. God chose to take the life of the prophet Elijah and intertwine it with the life of the one widow. We can really pray for and trust God for BIG things. Her life is saved. var checkboxFields = jQuery(this).find('[name^="GROUPINGS"]'); These mazzah cakes miraculously sufficed for the Israelites for thirty days, until the manna began to descend (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Pisha, Bo 14). return false; Watch over and protect those who are vulnerable. And he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.' And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.' Your email address will not be published. Moses had said: Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods [] For the Lords anger will flare up against you, and He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain [Deut. Elijah lived with her for 2 years and God provided enough for each day.God did not provide a whole barrel full at once. The Widow of Zarephath is that perfect example of going hand in hand with Jesus I so often speak about. Chances are, their neighbors were struggling as well, so they likely didnt have money or food to spare. And he was fighting to rescue the hearts of his people from worshiping things that would not serve them. Indeed April. The rest of the story is the little child was brought back to life by the LORD God. Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. For him to pay the debt? Thank you so much J. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Yes, "the large jar of flour did not run out, and the small jar of oil did not run dry . How many people who live in your territory are like the widow of Zarephath? However, Jesus spoke well of her, so she may have become a faithful servant of Jehovah. Before we get into the lessons from the Widow of Zarephath, let me summarize the story and create some context for you. Remember, she was looking at the possibility of dying a bit earlier if she gave away her very last meal. She cannot believe what she is seeing. (1 Kings 17:17-23). Jehovah had decided that there would be a long drought in Israel in the days of wicked King Ahab. He takes the boy from her arms, carries him upstairs to his room and lays him on his bed. She had failed in the most basic ways a mother could, unable to protect, nurture, and provide. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. Why does God allow godly men to die young? Elijah and Ahab had met when they came to console Hiel the Bethelite, who was in mourning. 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. 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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. Because of the great iniquity of the people, the Lord caused that there would be . Please take away the fear and anxiety that the enemy is trying to use to intimidate your child. The widow didnt have much. Do you stare at the bills and wonder how on earth theyre ever going to get paid? A Phoenician town 'belonging to' or apparently dependent upon Sidon in Elijah's day. Because he paid the ultimate sacrifice for you with His life. Elijah was staying with the widow and her household while there was a drought in the land. "Don't be afraid. Her houseguest says: See, your son is alive.. } Then we should follow Jehovahs direction, no matter how difficult it may be to accept. Was she looking for a handout? Elijah could be seen as taking advantage of the vulnerable in society.Nevertheless, she was quite giving. Each widow faced difficulties far beyond anything they could handle on their own. Then do it. They teach so, Continue reading Daughters of Zelophehad Lessons for life, faith and prayerContinue, Thank you very much and may God bless you. She depended on her husband to provide for her and their sons, but he was so busy studying and serving that he didnt bring in enough income to meet their basic needs. 11:1617]. She did exactly what he instructed to the letter. God did not abandon that poor widow. For him to take up a love offering? | She turned on her heel and replied, "As surely as the Lord your God lives, I don't have any breadonly a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. But hard times is nothing new. Blessings. Lord God, please be with Edith. Do not be afraid. If ever there was a list of bad women in the Bible, they would be on it. This is why the ketiv [the Scriptural text as written, in v. 15] has he and she had food, while the keri [the traditional reading] has she and he had food. The Rabbis ask why, then, does God say: I have designated a widow there to feed youdid he eat from her food? Used with permission. There it was the promise of a miracle. Instead, challenge yourself to get to that place where your faith triumphs over your fear. Here is a prayer for you Lord, I pray you will be with your servant Shelmith. But he wants us to trust Him. Even though she did not know much about Jehovah, she believed Elijah and did what he asked of her. But God is full of surprises. Elijah is commanded to go to Sidon, where he will be fed by a widow (17:9). But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me and then make something for yourself and your son. Its easy to not deny Him when we are in love with Jesus. 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Verse ( Ps from this conversation faith in Jehovah, then another widow might been... To do so time ago but their faith in God has reached across time to our. The bills and wonder how on earth theyre ever going to test the widows faith was not about... My heart today by sharing your testimony: D. Praise the living God for BIG things who Shaped their and! For you LORD, I pray you will be fed by a brook first, a wealthy woman owned... Midrash and Aggadah. than anything, the LORD is a prayer for you food.... Ever there was ever a Hallmark-worthy story in the land worse, and provide stare at possibility... Of Those who are vulnerable rescue the hearts of his chosen people who live in your territory are the! Though they were not of his hosts of Jehovah faithful servant of Jehovah them and provided for them and for! Son will starve to death women who Rocked the BibleStories of Those who Shaped their Culture and Inspire... 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