COMMANDED - BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT
"Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to
Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I
have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'" (1 Kings
17:8-9)
Elijah escaped from the murderous Queen Jezebel and found
refuge in the wilderness beside a flowing brook. Miraculously
guided ravens faithfully brought him food, but the brook he counted
on for water slowly dried up. At his point of need, God had a word
for him: "Go to a Gentile city and meet a widow whom I have
commanded to provide for your needs."
It was another unusual command for the prophet. When God told
him, "Arise, go to Zarephath" it meant that God led Elijah from the
dry brook to a Gentile city. This was an unusual and challenging
move for Elijah to make. If it was strange to meet Elijah's needs
from the beak of unclean birds, it was even more strange to meet
his needs among Gentiles who worshipped other gods. Indeed, at
this time when Elijah's main enemy and threat was Queen Jezebel,
God led Elijah to go to the same general region where Jezebel
came from.
Yet Elijah could trust God because of what he had already seen
God do. We see that God kept transplanting Elijah: From his home,
to Jezreel; from Jezreel to Cherith; from Cherith to Zarephath. This
transplanting made him stronger and stronger.
God wrapped it all up in a promise for the prophet: "See, I have
commanded a widow there to provide for you." The promise
sounded stranger to Elijah than it does to us. Remember that in his
day, widows were notorious for their poverty. God told Elijah to go
to a Gentile widow and receive provision; it probably seemed to
make more sense to wait beside a dry brook.
When he came to Zarephath, what do you think Elijah found? As he
walked to the village he probably thought, "O Lord, your ways are
awesome. You plan to meet my needs through a rich Gentile
widow. There aren't many rich Gentile widows who would want to
help a prophet of God, but You have found one and have
commanded her to help me. Thank You God; You are amazing."
The following verses tell us what happened. When Elijah came into
Zarephath he did not find a rich widow who offered to meet his
needs. Instead he found a poor widow gathering sticks - evidence
of her true poverty. She gathered these meager scraps for
firewood. She didn't have food for Elijah; she didn't even have
firewood! Elijah perhaps thought that God would lead him to an
unusual rich widow, but God led him to a poor Gentile widow.
In addition, the woman didn't seem to know that God commanded
her to provide for the prophet. God said that He commanded her,
but she was unaware of the command. She just woke up that
morning and went to gather sticks for a last meal for herself and her
son.
Yet when she met the prophet, he boldly asked her for some water
and some bread. Elijah boldly put this request in faith. Common
sense and circumstances told him that the widow would not give so
generously to a Jewish stranger, but faith made him ask. It was a
strange, faith-stretching scene. Imagine yourself as the poor widow.
You are so poor that you are near death. You have enough flour
and oil to make one last small meal for yourself and your son and
then all is gone. As you gather a few sticks for firewood to prepare
your "last supper," a stranger comes to you and politely asks that
you feed him also.
No one could blame her for telling him off or running away. Yet she
didn't because she was guided by God's hand. She was
commanded by Him without even knowing it. God would indeed
provide for Elijah through this poor widow; and through her step of
faith God would provide for her own needs as well.
When we are bold in faith we trust in God's ability to provide. But
we often limit Him by picking and choosing the ways we think He
can or must provide. God shows us through this unusual meeting
between a prophet of God and poor Gentile widow that He can
provide through unexpected resources. Thankfully, God has
resources you know nothing about. It is true regarding material
resources, as Elijah discovered. Yet it is also true regarding every
resource you need for your body, soul, and spirit.
Let God provide for you from His hidden treasury today; but expect
that it will require faith to receive it.
By David Guzik
For Bible Study resources by David Guzik, go to:
www.enduringword.com/library_commentaries.html
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David Guzik is the director of Calvary Chapel Bible College Germany, near Siegen, Germany. David took this position in January of 2003, after serving for 14 years as the founding and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Simi Valley. He has been in pastoral ministry since 1982. Learn more about David and his ministry at his website “The Enduring Word,” located at: http://www.enduringword.com where you will find excellent bible study commentaries and much more.