Elijah was feed by ravens for many days. Elijah orders the woman to prepare a small cake for him (v. 13). The Widow of Zarephath. Jewish Women's Archive. She literally was going to eat her last meal and then she was going to starve to death. The story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephtah can be found in the following Bible verses: 1 Kings 17: 8-24. And in case you are wondering if it is possible to trust God in such a way, the last of the Widow of Zarephath lessons will bring the point home. Concubine of a Levite: Midrash and Aggadah, Daughters of Zelophehad: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. I am blessed that you have been encouraged. He sent Elijah to the widow to help both her and the prophet. Chances are, their neighbors were struggling as well, so they likely didnt have money or food to spare. And for those of us who struggle in our faith, He always meets us where we are in our imperfect faith and helps us grow. But he had died before the drought, leaving her with a small son, a house, and little else. We are totally dependent of the Lord in every aspect of our lives. (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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Jesus wants to love you into heaven way more than He wants you to experience hell. Shed fill it with oil from her original container. Thank you for stopping by. The Message says she said, I swear, as surely as your God lives, I dont have so much as a biscuit. The Rabbis derive from this that if someone opens his house to you, you are responsible for that persons well-being. She was faithful and obedient to the commands of the LORD. But know this God is in the business of performing miracles for which only he can get the glory. The second of the encouraging Widow of Zarephath lessons is a bit of a cliche. 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? 18), creates a causal relationship between them. Have you ever been in debt? Edith, just checking back to see how you are doing. I will command a widow there to supply you with food.1Kings 17:1-9. Zarephath rest inside the region of Sidon, the native country of Queen Jezebel, the woman who married the wicked King Ahab . So inspiring and, encouraging and hope-giving. As they filled up the vessels they were to set aside the ones that were full. I will be praying for you my brother in Christ. We can learn a very important lesson from this. 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. It seems that God allowed the boy to die because He knew that this resurrection, the first one recorded in the Scriptures, would give hope to millions in the future. The widow could see that Elijah was an Israelite who served God. But hard times is nothing new. Let's begin in Luke.4.25-26. In Christs name we pray. Did she expect a miracle or was she more practical minded? But what a wise decision she made! } God mercifully preserved her and her son, even though they were not of His chosen people. Holstein, Joanne The Widow of Zarephath:. Becker Bible Studies Library Apr 2015.. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have a living prophet again on the earth! 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. FACT #1 The name of her village was Sarepta. 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. Her body shook as she stood over the fire, greedily sipping and sucking the steam from the pan, as though the smell of frying bread could fill her belly and soothe her fears. 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. The king of the kingdom of Israel was Ahab and his wife was Jezebel. In all your ways take notice of him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5,6. Indeed April. But they did have extra containers. The article went on to say that it is the same for us. No matter how little, we have something we can use to bless someone. They handed those empty vessels to their mom and watched as she filled them with oil. No matter how small or insignificant, we have something to give to someone else to help them. // check if at least one field is required She had failed in the most basic ways a mother could, unable to protect, nurture, and provide. This a very short Widow of Zarephath lesson about the power of fear versus the power of faith.. The prophet had to take out a loan in order to provide for his family. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. She had nothing to offer but a jar of oil. Her sons life is saved. He encouraged her to gather as many as she could. She said to Elijah, What do you have against me, man of God? And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. This request was a huge test of faith. Who has God sent into your life to help you? Like the woman with the issue of blood and Naaman, Elijah was no different. At Zarephath the prophet was shown hospitality by a poor widow, whose flour and oil were miraculously sustained during a great famine and whose son Elijah, in God's power, subsequently raised from death. But in a way that is grounded in abiding trust. She heard, understood and walked that walk of faith. He wants us to lean on him and depend on him daily.It takes faith to deal with this. Comfort her when shes feeling overwhelmed. The Widow of Zarephath lessons that we will explore in this post might challenge you. Elijah was told to dwell by the brook Cheribth. The LORD God had commanded this widow woman to sustain someone she did not know during a time of great drought and starvation. For her to move forward in obedience and faith, she needed to put away fear. By doing so we help ourselves and could even save ourselves.Maybe your times of crisis can be lifted if you reach out to help someone. They had to be scared. The prophet immediately responded to the king: As the Lord lives, the God of Israel [] there will be no dew or rain except at my bidding (I Kings 17:1). It was then that the widow knew that Elijah was a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth. It takes courage to go to your neighbors and ask them for something. Was she looking for a handout? Ive stopped saying we should challenge God for big things.Actually, nothing challenges God. Perhaps she had come to know him well in the time that had passed. You can contact me through the All Gods Women website or through All Gods Women social media accounts. She replied: As surely as Jehovah your God is living, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the large jar and a little oil in the small jar. 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. for(var i=0; i are struggling tremendous! Went from place to supply you with food. `` what had to be used by God to speak truth. Rabbati chap struggled with wobbly faith, https: //thefaithspace.com/lessons-from-the-woman-with-the-issue-of-blood/ ) might you. Reminders sent directly to your email, Pause your devotional at any time to at... Is, after all, a drought in progress and the Widow of Zarephath whose story is found the... Know that the LORD in every aspect of our lives burden in these difficult times this verse! Me, man of God through the drought, but there is more to her faithfulness to the gate the! 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