Editor’s note: Yesterday, we shared a lesson about Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus from Praying with Women of the Bible for 30 Days. You can read it here. Today, let’s learn about the Widow of Zarephath.
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Meeting the Widow of Zarephath
Moments of need hit all of our lives. Often these moments arise in unexpected ways, and they are always unwanted. Yet in these times of famine, drought, and emptiness, God seems to show up in profound and deep ways. These are often the moments we pray with greater passion and see miraculous results.
The widow of Zarephath is not remembered by her name. Instead, she is known for her defining life situation. The great prophet Elijah knew her name, and it would have been precious to him because the Lord used her to provide food and shelter in a time of drought and famine. Because of her willingness to be hospitable, God also saved the widow and her son.
This faithful woman was born and raised in a place where worship of Yahweh was rare and devotion to Baal (the Canaanite god of storm and fertility) was the norm. She lived in Sidon, a town in the region of Phoenicia. As a widow, she had no protection, no provision, and no safety net. When we meet her, she and her son are starving to death.
Read: 1 Kings 17:7–24; Luke 4:25–26
Reflect
For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘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.’” ... Then 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 the truth. — 1 Kings 17:14, 24
Her Story
Almost everyone prays at some time in their life. Even atheists are said to become very religious and prayerful when they are in a foxhole and enemy bullets are whizzing over their heads.
This widow from Zarephath would have been taught to call out to the god Baal in times of need. Even if she was not particularly religious, she would likely pray for rain and crops to grow. It is hard to imagine any mother not praying if she was watching her child starve to death.
Here is the problem: Prayers lifted to an idol or false god fall on deaf ears. Lifeless statues made of stone, wood, and even gold have no power. But something extraordinary happens. This widow of Zarephath is heard by the God of Heaven.
All through the Bible, we read that our God cares about the forgotten and needy. In particular, God provides for widows and calls His people to do the same.
Before God sent Elijah to the home of this woman, He had already prepared the way. In 1 Kings 17:9, we read God instructing the prophet, “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” The Lord of Heaven had spoken to this widow and directed her to provide food for the prophet even before he arrived on her doorstep. Though she and her son were starving and she was planning their final meal, this widow was ready to respond to the word of a God she did not know.
Elijah was a fugitive. A man on the run. Jezebel, the evil queen and wife of King Ahab, wanted the prophet dead. As he was running for his life, Elijah ended up in the same region (Sidon) that Jezebel was from. One woman from Sidon, the queen of Israel, wanted Elijah dead. Another woman, a poor and starving widow from Sidon, was used by God to keep him alive. What a stunning contrast!
This short little story is filled with surprises. When Elijah asks the widow to feed him with the last food she had, he promises that his God, Yahweh, would miraculously keep her flour and oil jars filled and overflowing as long as needed. She does it, and God shows up in daily provision. When her son dies, she asks for Elijah’s help. The prophet prays over her son, and her son breathes again. When all of this happens, the widow finally gets it. Elijah’s God is the true God!
The widow had spent a lifetime praying to the idolatrous gods of her people. It was all she knew. But here
- the God of Heaven heard her prayer and showed up in her moment of deepest need.
What a story of God meeting the needs of a woman whom no one else cared about!
She is a woman whose name we do not know. She was loved by a God whose name she did not know. By the faithful service of God’s prophet, this widow learned to pray to the God whose name she learned from Elijah. She finally met the one true Lord of Heaven who knew her name before she was born.
My Need
Financial resources can run low or even disappear. Relational support can wane, and we end up feeling alone and unsupported. Our body can get weary, sick, and bruised and our energy reserves can become depleted. The widow in this story learned that God is the source of unlimited resources.
~ Where are you running low on what you need to make it through the day? Do you believe God is able to provide?
~ Who has God placed in your life to be a mentor in faith and trust? The widow had Elijah. Who do you have in your life, and what is God teaching you through this person?
~ How has God provided in surprising ways in the past, and why should this give you confidence to trust Him for the future?
Lessons from the Widow of Zarephath
- God knows our names and hears our prayers, even before we know His name. God was caring for this widow before she knew who He was. In His sovereign wisdom and care, God hears every prayer. Take confidence in this God who listens to us!
- God loves to meet the daily needs of the needy. Flour and oil seem so simple and common, but in a drought and famine they are the ingredients needed to make the bread that keeps a person alive. God took delight in giving food to a prophet, a widow, and her son. Don’t forget that even simple needs are met by the infinite God of Heaven.
- God uses miracles to show that He is real, near, and powerful. The widow experienced a big miracle — her son was brought back to life. But she also experienced a comparatively small miracle — having enough oil and flour for one more day. But both miracles brought life! These miracles were part of what God used to convince a pagan woman who He was — the true God of the storm, fertility, harvest, and everything else. We can trust our God!
Excerpted with permission from Praying with Women of the Bible for 30 Days by Sherry Harney, copyright Sherry Harner.
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Your Turn
Are you in need today? Bring your desperation, your illness, your worries, and your desires before the Lord whom you can trust! ~ Devotionals Daily