ELIJAH:
Fed By The Widow
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
Text: 1 Kings
Introduction
As we’ve seen, 1
Kings 17
reveals the testing of the Prophet Elijah by God as He prepares him for
what is
to come at
On the other hand,
Not only was the
nation
facing drought and famine in the land, but they were also facing a
famine of
the Word of God. Because of their indifference, idolatry, and unbelief,
God
sent Elijah out of the land and to a Gentile widow. This was a form of
judgment
and has a two‑fold significance for us: This was somewhat prophetic of
the church when, because of
Sending Elijah to
the widow
reminds us of our responsibility to carry the Gospel to all men (Matt.
28:18-20; Mark
The Response of
Elijah (1
Kings 17:10a)
Both in 1 Kings
17:5 and
But Elijah waited
on the Lord
and help arrived. But in what manner? He was commanded to go on a long
and
toilsome journey through wild and barren country. Further, with so many
widows
in the land, how was he to find the right one? Isn't this a natural
question?
It appears he didn't know who the widow was, but he knew the Lord who
did and
that was more than ample.
The Point: Elijah was operating by the principle of
Proverbs
Again, being
consistent in
faith, Elijah did not argue with the Lord, he did not whine, complain,
nor run
away. Instead, we read, "So he arose and went.” No questions, no
arguments, no complaints, just obedience and undoubtedly, in the joy
and
expectation of what the Lord would do not only in him and for him, but
through
him. Why? Because, like the Lord Jesus, he would be there not simply to
be
ministered to, but to minister. We also believe he understood why he
was not
being sent to the widows of
The Relief to
the Widow
(Read 1 Kings 17:10b‑16)
When you and I
measure what
God is doing, we tend to measure it by what we see and think according
to the
natural man. We tend to measure God's supply, or our confidence and
hope in
God's supply, by what we see. When we do this, we are walking by sight
rather
than by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). The question we need to ask ourselves is:
"DO
I TEND TO LOOK AT HUMAN CONDITIONS AS A BASIS FOR MY CONFIDENCE OR DO I
SEE
THROUGH THEM TO THE SAVIOR”? Obviously, we need to know human
conditions. We
need to know the facts. For this reason, God allowed the spies to go
into the
land, but what they saw was not to become the basis of their confidence
in what
God could do nor for what they should do (Numbers 13-14). That was to
be found
in God's person, promises, and commands to go in.
Elijah's
Response (vs.
10-11)
Our text tells us,
"and
when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there
gathering
sticks." Again, we have the word "behold," that little
demonstrative particle, hinneh, which is designed to arrest attention.
Note two
things here: First, we find Elijah at the gate of the city of
If Elijah was
looking for
something to encourage him from the human standpoint of the widow, like
a well‑dressed
woman living in a luxurious house with a well‑stocked pantry, his hopes
were soon dispelled. "Gathering sticks," was a sign of poverty. This
woman was so poor she had no fuel, and in order to cook even a meager
meal, she
had to get out and round up a few sticks. Until now Elijah knew only
that his
source of supply was a widow. Now he knew she was a poor widow.
By human
measurement, how
reasonable was it that the man of God could expect sustenance under her
roof?
It was no more reasonable than Noah should build an ark before he had
ever seen
rain, much less a flood (Gen. 6-9), or for Joshua to command the people
to walk
around
The Principle: The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and
forever
(Heb. 13:8). Circumstances change, but the Lord never changes (Mal.
3:6). Our
circumstances do not diminish the character and power of God. They can
in no
way change His faithfulness or omnipotence. Elijah responded in faith.
BUT HOW
DID FAITH MANIFEST ITSELF? Like Abraham on
In verses 10 and
11, he asked
the widow for a jar of water and a piece of bread. Was he believing the
promise
of God and acting on it, or was he looking for confirmation by her
response
that she had been expecting him and had plenty to eat? We know he was
believing
the promise of God because Elijah knew she was poor by the fact she was
gathering sticks.
The Widow's
Response (vs.
12)
Elijah's request
opened
afresh the wounds and pain of her heart. She could conceal her pain no
longer.
Her words showed she was not only poor but severely depressed. She had
given up
and was ready to die. This was their last meal and after that they
would simply
starve. It also appears she was without any real knowledge of the Lord
and
without faith. Still her heart was ready and had been prepared for
God's Word
and the ministry of Elijah. Note her words in verse 12, "as the Lord
your
God lives." This suggests she must have recognized Elijah as a prophet
of
.
Elijah’s
Response (vs.
13-14)
What was Elijah to
do now?
Was he mistaken? What gave Elijah the courage to act like he did
instead of
throwing in the towel? Remember, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he!
(Prov. 23:7). Elijah's response in verses 13 and 14 were words of
faith,
compassion, and vision. As a man of God, he undoubtedly felt compassion
for
this poor woman. He knew his solutions or strategies for meeting his or
her
needs were not sufficient. He knew God was faithful, powerful, and
purposeful.
He knew she was poor, yet God's source of supply was no accident or
mistake. He
knew his needs were God's concern and that they were met in the Lord.
He knew
God was aware of his longings to preach in
Please Notice
THIS: For us today, Elijah's
words to the woman in verses 13
and 14 are equivalent to two things: First, we must give others the
promises of
God's love, concern, and care - such as the promises of
Philippians 4:19;
1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22; and John 10:10. Second, acting as the Good
Samaritan;
sharing our blessings with others, knowing that our giving will not be
our lack
(Phil
What lessons can we
learn
from this passage of Scripture? First, look beyond the circumstances to
the Lord
as Yahweh Yireh – the Lord who supplies. Second, never judge or measure
God's
supply by what you can see. He is the One who does exceeding abundantly
beyond
all we can ask or think (Eph.
Conclusion:
We must not end
this lesson
without a WARNING: God sent Elijah out of the land because the people
were
indifferent – indeed, rebellious to the Word of God. No man, nation, or
congregation can neglect God's truth without dire consequences. It can
mean a
famine, not just for bread and water, but for hearing the Word. This is
not
just a matter of what God does to us, but what we do to ourselves, of
what
happens within mankind that hardens us and causes us to ignore and turn
away
from God.
Far too often today
when
people look for a church they choose one like they would a country club
or a
shopping mall, on the basis of consumerism rather than on the teaching
of the
Word of God and the ministry of its people to one another. Many times
the basis
of their choice is not the solid teaching of the Word, but programs,
music, the
number of youth, the activities, and other similar consumer‑like
issues.
Our nation is filled with steeples, but there is a famine in our land.
Not a
famine of food and water but of the proclamation of the Word of the
Lord (cf.
Amos