1 Kings 17:13 (NLT)
13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.
The Widow at Zarephath, near the city of Sidon, outside the territory of Israel, is somewhat of a star in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Elijah the prophet leaves Israel during a 3+ year drought, and goes to reside in Sidon. When he arrives in Zarephath, he sees a woman, who is a widow, to first give her a glass of water, but then a little something to eat. The widow tells Elijah that she was gathering wood to use to cook the very last of her food for herself and her son, and then they would prepare to die, because they did not have any other food. Elijah doubles down and tells her to make him food, and THEN prepare food for herself and her son. The woman obeys and as a result, she is never without food throughout the entire rest of the famine. As if this was not spectacular enough, the widow’s son falls ill and dies later in the story, only to have Elijah resuscitate the boy. However, Jesus brings the widow back to mind, when after reading Scripture in the synagogue in Nazareth, he brings up the same story in terms of how the Messiah will not only come to the Jews, God’s chosen people, but also to the Gentiles, and as an example tells us in Luke 4:26, “Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner — a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.” The joy for us is that we know that the year of the Lord’s favor has indeed come and as a result, we, the Gentiles, have been called to salvation. The widow of Zarephath is a foreshadowing of how God has given us the bread of life and living water that will never diminish, until we eat and drink in the Kingdom of the Lord. Peace and Blessings!
In the Love of Jesus Christ, Pastor Bob – church
In the Love of Jesus Christ, Pastor Bob – church
pastorbobtitus@gmail.com, (412) 520-5407
