Day 85 of 365 · Week 13 · David’s Faith in God’s Deliverance
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Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
1 Kings 17:8-24
Scripture · 1 Kings 17:8-24
8Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 9“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” 11And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.” 12But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” 13“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son, 14for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’” 15So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. 16The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah. 17Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. 18“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” 19But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” 21Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” 22And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared. 24Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.
As the drought continues, the brook in the Kerith Ravine dries up, and God instructs Elijah to go to Zarephath, a town in Sidon, where a widow will provide for him. Upon arriving, Elijah meets the widow and asks her for food and water. The widow, however, is on the brink of despair, preparing what she believes will be her and her son’s last meal before they die of starvation. Elijah responds with a promise from God: “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 17:14). The widow, in an act of faith, obeys Elijah’s request, and miraculously, the flour and oil are replenished daily, providing for Elijah, the widow, and her son throughout the duration of the drought. Later, when the widow’s son falls ill and dies, Elijah prays fervently to God, and the boy is restored to life, further demonstrating God’s power and faithfulness.
Exegetical Viewpoints
Faith and Provision: The widow’s willingness to share her last meal with Elijah, despite her dire circumstances, is a powerful act of faith. Her faith is rewarded by God’s miraculous provision, which sustains her
and her family throughout the drought. This story illustrates the principle that God often requires an act of faith before His provision is made manifest.
The Power of Prayer: Elijah’s prayer for the widow’s son’s life to be restored demonstrates the power of intercessory prayer and God’s responsiveness to the prayers of the righteous. Elijah’s faith in God’s ability to bring life out of death is a testimony to his deep trust in God’s power and compassion.
Practical Applications
Exercise Faith in Giving: Like the widow of Zarephath, be willing to give, even when resources are scarce, trusting that God will provide for your needs. Faith often involves stepping out in trust, even when the circumstances seem bleak.
Pray with Expectation: When you pray, do so with the expectation that God will respond. Like Elijah, approach God with confidence, knowing that He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.
Scripture is shown in public-domain translations, so you can share it freely. The study text is from Our Daily Dose by Armstrong & Zanele Ogwuche. A daily devotional from KingdomOS. Share freely; every card links back here.
