After God told the prophet Elijah to visit the town of Zarephath, as described in 1 Kings 17:8-9, Elijah obeyed. The brook that had kept Elijah supplied with water had dried up, after all, and he would need food and water to survive. (Of course, obeying God is always a good idea, regardless of the circumstances, but with a drought upon the land of Israel, Elijah was probably also motivated by urgent requirements for his survival.)
So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?”
As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
1 Kings 17:10-12 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.17.10-12.NIV
I’m not sure if this widow and her son had run out of food because of the drought upon the land, or if they were victims of a society that didn’t have a safety net for widows or their children, or if something else had happened. However, this small family was now at the end of their resources.
This widow (whose name we don’t have in the Bible) was still making use of what she still had, though. Rather than giving up because there wasn’t much left, she was preparing one more meal with what remained.
Have you ever been in a situation where there’s just one more snack sitting out on the plate, or one more piece of bread on the table, and even though everyone wants it, no one is willing to take the last one? That’s kind of silly, since someone needs to eat it, or it will go to waste. Here, this widowed mother had one more meal’s worth of ingredients, and it would have been pointless to not feed herself and her son one last time.
Note that the woman referred to God by name, which makes sense since she would probably have been aware of many different gods, but she also identifies Him as Elijah’s God, rather than her own. Elijah’s God, Yahweh, might not have been who this woman normally looked to for support. Regardless of her faith, though, she wanted to make it clear that she was almost out of food, and didn’t have any extra to spare.
Reading on to 1 Kings 17:13-16:, Elijah asked the woman to make a little bread for him first, then she could cook for herself and her son. (Without the context of verse 9, Elijah’s request might have seemed totally out of line, and the woman’s response might have seemed unrealistic. After all, she had responsibility for her son. However, it seems from verse 9 that God had previously directed her to provide food for Elijah.)
Have you ever trusted God, but weren’t sure if you trusted that someone else was actually sharing God’s word (instead of just their own ideas)? In cases like that, you agree that if this person is sharing a message from God, you want to follow it, but you’re just not sure if their message is from God or from another source.
There seems to be more to this story, and we don’t know how God prepared this woman for Elijah’s request. We’re not sure if she wrestled with whether God’s previous direction and Elijah’s request were the right thing to do in light of her scarce resources. The most important thing, though, is that she obeyed.
And, the woman’s obedience was rewarded, as God’s promise was fulfilled – miraculously!
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:15-16 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.17.15-16.NIV
Even a poor widow and her son and a prophet on the run could continue to eat bread as God provided for them. Knowing how God provides, too, I don’t think that this was like trying to get the last bit of stale ketchup out of the bottle. Instead, I believe that the oil and flour were good and plentiful for the three people in this household.
So, of the three people who benefited from God’s miraculous supply of flour and oil here, which one can you most identify with?
- Are you trusting God when you need something, but it only requires you to go out and ask for help, like Elijah here? If so, don’t forget to look for great things that God is doing, and make sure that you are listening to His direction. Be humble enough to let others help you when that’s what God asks them to do.
- Are you trusting God when He asks you to give some or all that you have, like the widow? If so, it seems reasonable to make sure that it is God asking you, and not just someone’s opinion, but when He calls, trust Him to take care of what seems impossible.
- Or, are you trusting others to take care of you, and getting to watch God work, like the widow’s son? Don’t forget to give God the glory, and recognize that not only is He the one who is providing, but that He has been planning to bless His people with good things for a long time.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 4, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 & 2 Kings, by Jesse C. Long, Jr. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 