the widow of zarephath showed hospitality to prophet

This a very short Widow of Zarephath lesson about the power of fear versus the power of faith.. The Widow of Zarephath is a picture of faith. The faith of the Widow of Zarephath turned out to lead to the provision for a tired, depressed, and hungry prophet on the run for his life. God sends him to stay by a brook first. Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Did she expect a miracle or was she more practical minded? And he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.' And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.' He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Elijah had declared God's message of judgment on Israel and her wicked king, but the message fell on deaf ears. Hopefully we can see it as God positioning us for blessing. 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. She looked to Elijah for answers. Right now, feel free to press pause, and get on your knees and pour out your heart to the Lord Jesus. The widow's faith in Elijah's God, Jehovah, preserved her and her son alive. She is well-known as a counselor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. To make matters worse, he died, leaving her with a debt she had no way of paying. As we read more about her, we will learn some very important lessons. Check out our on demand resources, Experience Hope Daily Devotional Family Life Radio Updates. God will do what He needs to do to secure your hearts complete loyalty. How many people who live in your territory are like the widow of Zarephath? Most important she learned that the word of the LORD is the truth. It will be said that two keys are held by the disciple and one by the Master! This can be learned from Elijah, for whom God provided, as it is said (I Kings 17:9): I have designated a widow there to feed you (Tanhuma, Mikez 6). You already have the key of rain, and you [also] want the key of the resurrection of the dead? A Phoenician town 'belonging to' or apparently dependent upon Sidon in Elijah's day. Lets keep in touch. Shelmith, oh how you have blessed my heart today by sharing your testimony :D. Praise the living God for sure! The LORD God told His prophet Elijah that because of the wickedness of the people He would cause there not to be rain in the land for three and a half years. The widow had shown faith and had cared for Elijahs needs. So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. I hope you have been encouraged by these lessons from the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. FACT #3 - Elijah knew she was a widow because of what she was wearing. In todays episode of All Gods Women we look at the Prophets Widow, a woman with debt collectors knocking on her door and she had no way to repay them. God tells us to go here or thereto do this or thatand its easy to think its about us. It was ironic since generally, Israelites were not supposed to be mixing with the surrounding nations. And when she completed the task, she again went to him for the next step. Are you searching for and helping such people? 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. In those days, widows, especially those without sons, were very vulnerable. She was obedient and faithful to the LORD. The people of Israel were struggling. But they did have extra containers. These lessons from the woman with the issue of blood in the Bible will empower, encourage and inspire you. But these were difficult times. The LORD had been preparing her to be an instrument in His hand. We need to know about the time period she lived in and the events that led to her faithfulness to the LORD. Elisha asked her what she had in her house. The town of Zarephath was one hundred miles from the brook Cherith, where Elijah had been in hiding from King Ahab. Women Who Rocked the BibleStories of Those Who Shaped Their Culture and Still Inspire You Today. The Widow of Zarephath had nothing for her own family to eat, much less a prophet. When the husband is supposed to provide for the family, and hes busy studying and serving and the family suffers, its easy to feel resentful, to get angry with the husband and with God. Her planwithout Gods miraculous intervention, which she must have hoped forshe and her son will starve to death. Your email address will not be published. Instead of asking for forgiveness and repenting, we dwell on the short comings of our sins blaming everything bad that has happens in our lives. They saw first hand how the oil from one jar filled enough jars to not only pay off their fathers debt, but for the family to live off of. 16) and the drought (beginning of chap. I have learned this though: Even for people who have denied Jesus, there is forgiveness and complete restoration. Then sit back and listen to what He has to say. These mazzah cakes miraculously sufficed for the Israelites for thirty days, until the manna began to descend (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Pisha, Bo 14). In that moment she chose to trust God. (Psalm 23:3). After we have eaten, we will die. (1Kings 17:12) What can we learn from this conversation? The fact that God resurrects the dead was already shown by Elijah, Elisha and Ezekiel (Lev. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. But in times of spiritual crisis, he prayed in faith and God answered. There were so many possibilities to this story. Youre welcome Frazer. Make learning about the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:7-24 fun with this no prep, printable activity sheet word-find and digital EASEL activity. Even if he had any doubts, Elijah began a conversation with the woman. Here is a prayer for you Lord, I pray you will be with your servant Shelmith. jQuery('.mc4wp-form').find('form').on('submit', function(evt) { Think of a time God provided for your financial needs. It was at a moment of weakness that she doubted. Then we should follow Jehovahs direction, no matter how difficult it may be to accept. Bible Gateway Plus makes it simple. The faith of the Widow of Zeraphath was absolutely stretched to limits! Her name didnt matter, but her faith and obedience will forever be remembered. Umma, the widow of Zarephath lived in a prime real estate location but did not have two sticks to rub together and make a fire. Jehovah was listening. 4). She literally was going to eat her last meal and then she was going to starve to death. Praise the living God. The Bible does not tell us, but we know this: The widow did not accuse God of doing anything wrong. God heard Elijah and the boy lived once again. What do you have? Although the poor widow of Zarephath lived in an area where many people worshipped idols, she showed faith in Jehovah. At one point, Elijah thought he was the last living prophet (1 Kings 18:22). Her character: A Phoenician woman, she showed extraordinary hospitality to one of God's prophets, providing a safe harbor for him during a period of famine. The important thing is to go back to Him in remembrance of Him. Why did Elisha have them pouring the oil in the privacy of their home? Instead, challenge yourself to get to that place where your faith triumphs over your fear. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Her joy: To experience repeated miracles of God's provision. But what a wise decision she made! What a time in my Christian walk to learn this? When this happened, she was ready to be used by God.And used her he did. 18), creates a causal relationship between them. Would you like to read this article in %%? Jezebel, King Ahabs wife, tried to kill all of Gods prophets. Sometimes Jehovah allows our faith in him to be tested. For him to pay the debt? He may ask you to do something thats humbling. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me and then make something for yourself and your son. Provide for her and her children. She had always loved the sea, but now its watery abundance seemed only to mock her, reminding her of all she lacked. It was located between Sidon and Tyre which would be in modern day Lebanon. The woman said to Elijah (v. 18): [] that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my son? In the midrashic expansion, she tells him: Until you came here, God would weigh my actions in comparison with the local people, and I would be found worthy. Elijah was staying with the widow and her household while there was a drought in the land. The Widow of Zarephath helps us to better understand that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The Widow of Zarephaths story doesnt end there. But God sent Elijah out of Israel, to the town of Zarephath in Sidon instead. There is, after all, a drought in progress. It may require you to look around at what you have and do something with the resources Hes already blessed you with. We know this because she said: As surely as Jehovah your God is living. It seems that even though she knew some things about Israels God, she was not serving him. Elijah and Ahab had met when they came to console Hiel the Bethelite, who was in mourning. Not only were they worshiping false Gods, but Jezebel had also commanded all the prophets in the land to be killed. Then theyd set it aside and grab a new jar to fill. Even her name is lost to the history. The Bible is filled with God granting miracles for widows. Then Elisha had the widow and her sons closing the door before filling the jars. Give back the key of rain, and take the key of the resurrection of the dead. Accordingly, after Elijah revived the widows son, the Biblical text states (I Kings 18:1): Go, appear before Ahab; then I will send rain, because he had to return the key of rain and stop the drought (BT Sanhedrin 113a). | So many wonderful points. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. I am so happy that you have found what you need for you sermon. These two boys were facing a terrible future unless God intervened. This is another lesson we as women of Christ always need to be reminded of. Thank you so much J. You are our Provider when we have nothing. for(var i=0; i

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