Bible Men: Elijah: A Man of like Passions as We Are

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,  Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 1Ki 17:8-9 

From Lost Hope to Newfound Joy

From a brook and ravens into a Gentile city. The changing scenarios of God’s providences. The world had been beautiful once. But now the earth was as hard as iron. A drought had decimated the land, leaving it bare, and shattering the hopes of many. Dust lifted on the footpaths and left trails hanging in the air.

So Elijah arose to go to Zarephath, “which belongeth to Zidon.” It is here he finds the widow woman gathering sticks for making her last meal for her and her son, before she sits down and waits for death.

She didn’t mean to blurt out all her despair at once to a stranger, but for the prophet leading her on towards her faith, as if step by step.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 1Ki 17:15-16 

And it is here that I note something remarkable. That a miracle of God had indeed happened is quite obvious. But it is not until the widow’s son dies and is resurrected, after much knotting of the soul, that, finally, she acknowledges the obvious: “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (1Ki 17:24) . 

Sometimes we acknowledge easily that God is God, but other times it is only through a tremendous choking of the heart that we come to a full acknowledgement that God is God.

In Whose Name?

Another remarkable trait of this story is that this widow woman had no proper name. We know her only by her town name of Zarephath.

And she’s not the only bible character without a name. I remember the woman at the well in Samaria, the one who was living with her sixth husband but Jesus did not call her a prostitute (to condemn is easy, it is persuasion which is harder). And then we have The Good Samaritan.

I think there are instances when the name is important and other times it’s not. We have all known the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But who was the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years, or the man with an unclean spirit, or the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus?

I think there are instances when it’s not the name which is of import but the grace.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Eph 2:1  

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8-9  

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:11-13 

Christ’s Compassionate Heart

She’s a widow woman. And the Lord has great compassion for widows and the fatherless children. Another people which are a Bible favourite are prostitutes. “Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Mat 21:31b).

The above scene is also mentioned in the New Testament concerning Elijah’s war with Ahab over the latter’s dabbling in false prophets, in cahoots with his idolatrous wife Jezebel.

And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;  But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. Luk 4:24-26 

The widow woman might’ve been very angry. She might’ve thrown tantrums at the prophet. But God’s grace had rained on her. “I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” How had God commanded her? I think through the Spirit.

Quench not the Spirit. 1Th 5:19 

Despise not prophesyings. 1Th 5:20  

Today we have a feast. But tonight let’s also pray for his grace, that tomorrow we might hear the birds singing again.

Do things look that bad? Remember the widow woman of Zarephath.

Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 1Pe 4:9  

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Mat 10:42  

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Php 4:19  

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Heb 13:2