Good morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever found yourself being stretched to the limit of your endurance or your capacity? I’m not a runner but when I watch marathon runners, or decathlon athletes, I think of people being stretched beyond their limits. Today, let’s go back and rejoin the old prophet Elijah, about 870bc, in the early months of a God sent drought in Israel!
I think Elijah is nearing the limit of his endurance as he watches the little brook dry up due to not even a drop of rain, and I’m sure he was weary of eating what big black birds, ravens, dropped on the rocks for him each day! (1 Kings 17:6)
The record says: “Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Go at once to Zaraphath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” (1 Kings 17:7-9) I wonder if you’ve ever sensed God was giving you a message that seemed illogical, it just didn’t make any sense to you? If so, what did you do?
Ignore the message, seek counsel from other people, ask God to clarify His message to you? For Elijah the prophet, he evidently had some considerable experience receiving unusual messages from God, but this one may have seemed outside the realm of reasonable.
Why? Because the region of Sidon was far north, perhaps 150 miles or more from where Elijah was, and worse, it was deep in enemy territory. Sidon was north of Tyre, on the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon. But most concerning of all… Sidon was hometown to Queen Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, and the woman who had brought Baal worship into prominence in Israel.
So Elijah faced a choice… step into the invitation & seek guidance from God, head up to Zaraphath in Sidon and watch what God will do; OR chart a different course, a path of his choosing to a destination of his choice. It’s clear to me Elijah had learned about the adventure and challenge of stepping out and following God’s directions, and also the danger of rejecting God’s leading, so let’s follow along with Elijah toward Zarephath.
I wonder what Elijah anticipated as he walked that long road, eventually leaving Israel territory, perhaps up in the Dan region, and headed across the border into modern day Lebanon and on toward Zarephath. Since Elijah had never been this far north I’m sure he often asked directions of others on the road, or places where he’d stop for the night.
Eventually he arrived and simply stood by the town gate for a while watching. A woman was picking up sticks and she had some clothing that suggested she was likely a widow. Elijah called out to her: “Would you bring me a little water so I may have a drink?” (1 Kings 17:10)
Remember the drought my friends? We don’t know how widespread it was in the region but evidently this area of Zarephath was also experiencing a severe drought. She’d never seen this old man who was requesting a drink, but it seems this woman had a tender heart for she turned to go get him some water. Having only taken a few steps she heard the old man call after her: “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
The woman stopped in her tracks, turned and looked at the old man. Who was he? Why was he asking for this charity from a woman he did not know? She felt moved to tell him that as bad as his situation was, he was probably in a much better situation than she, for she said: “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering these sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” (1 Kings 17:12)
Elijah was pierced in his heart. Could this be the woman, the widow God had told him would be the one to care for him while he was in Zarephath? Was it God’s plan that in her providing for Elijah, she would also have all she needed for herself and her son, for as long as Elijah was with them? I believe Elijah paused and prayed seeking confirmation from God.
Then moved by the Holy Spirit Elijah said to her: “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. 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. 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.” (1 Kings 17:13,14)
Now it was the widow who was stunned, shaken by what she heard. She perceived Elijah was from Israel and was a man of God not of Baal, but they’d never met and she had no way of doing any background check or asking around to see what anyone knew about this man. She stood at the crossroads of decision. There was only enough flour and oil for one little loaf, she knew that for sure, so who would get the one loaf, she and her son or this traveler?
The widow took the sticks home. Dumped out the last of the flour on her table and added the last of the oil from the jug. After kneading the dough, sure enough, one little loaf, and she put it on the fire. This baking time was reflection time, decision making time.
Who would get the one loaf? Her little son could smell the fresh baked bread and came running to her. Outside, using a large rock for a chair, old Elijah sipped the water she had brought him. Every sip was precious and the smell of baking bread made him hungry.
Soon the little loaf was baked, and the widow took it from the fire, placing it on a rock to cool. She looked at her son whose eyes were big and his tongue was licking his lips. She looked at the old prophet sitting in the shade of the nearby tree. One little loaf, enough for one person, maybe two if they both shared, but certainly not enough for three people.
She had heard of the God of Israel, but she was surrounded by the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, man made idols, but ones everyone in the region of Sidon believed in very strongly. Suddenly she felt a very strong urge to give the little loaf to the old man. He had promised the God of Israel would somehow replenish the flour and oil so she could make another. She looked in the flour jar, nothing, and turned the oil jug upside down, nothing! She looked at her little son, hungry.
I think she may have looked up into the sky right then and perhaps for the first time prayed to the God of Israel asking if she could trust the words of the old man. Was the God of Israel paying attention to her situation? Did the God of Israel love her and her son?
Did this God understand she was a penniless widow, about to die in this famine? Was this God of Israel actually capable of making oil appear in a jug and flour in jar? Again she looked in the flour jar… nothing. Again she turned the oil jug upside down… nothing. Old Elijah was now looking at her with his hand outstretched, asking her to trust the God of Israel and bring him her one little loaf of bread.
I believe she had tears streaming down her cheeks as she brought that little loaf to Elijah, her little son at her side. Elijah tore it and took a bite, then another. Then tore off a chunk for the little boy, and another chunk for the widow. That left Elijah with only two more bites and the loaf was gone. He smiled. ‘Now go back and check the flour jar and the oil jug and tell me what you find.’
With a skeptical look on her face the widow turned and headed for her little cooking area, her son at her side. Elijah watched and prayed. Tomorrow, if you’ll join me here, we’ll look in that jar with her, for today, what about your faith in God my dear friends, no matter where you are in the world and no matter what the issues are which are challenging your ability and maybe your desire to trust God, how big is your faith today?
How is the amount of your faith affecting your family and friends, your reputation and your legacy? How is your view of Almighty God shaping the size and scope of your faith? Here’s a song to help us look closely at our faith and our great God…
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 17:5-14.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.