The Widow of Zarephath: The Leap of Faith

A destitute widow, two noteworthy football players and the wife of a presidential candidate – What do they all have in common and what don’t they have in common with this week’s Sabbath School lesson? Read on . . .

(Teaching Notes Have Been Added)

December 11, 2010

Larry Evans, Class Teacher

An Introductory Commentary to This Week’s Study and Reflection

The definition of faith is illusive. True we have the comment in Hebrews which says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) but how does that help you define faith! That is hardly a definition. Wouldn’t that apply to just about anything? Take for example the high school football player in Washington state who said he was surprised he received a penalty for pointing to Heaven after a touchdown. "I do that to give glory to my Heavenly Father, Jesus. He gives me the strength. He's the one who gives me these abilities in the first place." What I found interesting was that he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct because he drew attention to himself. Ponder that for a moment! Was he exhibiting faith by pointing his finger towards heaven as he kneeled on the football field?

Then there was the professional football player who fumbled a perfectly thrown pass at a critical moment in the game. No doubt out of embarrassment he wrote on Twitter: “I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO... “ I understand that later he apologized for this “twit”. Was this football player showing a lack of faith?

But it doesn’t stop with football players. It also includes those who have greatly inspired us with courage as they faced terrible crises and I am thinking specifically of Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former presidential candidate John Edwards. She recently succumbed to a valiant battle with cancer. In a blog she wrote: "I have, I think, somewhat of an odd version of God," Edwards explained to an audience of women bloggers when asked how her beliefs inform her politics. "I do not have an intervening God. I don't think I can pray to him -- or her -- to cure me of cancer."

"I appreciate other people's prayers for that [a cure for her cancer], but I believe that we are given a set of guidelines, and that we are obligated to live our lives with a view to those guidelines. And I don't believe that we should live our lives that way for some promise of eternal life, but because that's what's right. We should do those things because that's what's right." Is this some kind of intellectualized faith?

And then there is the destitute Phoenician widow of Zarapheth who was down to her last handful of flour and a little oil. To make things more challenging a prophet came to town and asked to be fed. Keep in mind this is not a woman with the favored religion. She was from a culture dwarfed with idolatry and the mother of a hungry son. What was she to do? When Elijah, the prophet, told her “Don’t be afraid” the Lord will provide, she acted and did exactly as she was told. Sure enough the food lasted for the duration of the famine that had been plaguing the land! But faith that is not tested is not faith at all. Her son became ill and died while Elijah was staying there. In grief she blurted out that perhaps it was because of Elijah that her son had died. Elijah had previously been blamed for troubling Israel and now he is implied as having been responsible for the death of the one cherished position this widow clung to. She willingly confessed to her “sin” and was crushed by its weight and the loss of her loved one. She was overwhelmed with her grief. Elijah prays for God’s intervention and God does just that. I have a question for you: The climax of the story with the destitute widow of Zarephath was what? The bread supplied? Her son healed? No, not at all. The climax of the story is found in 1 Ki 17:24,

24 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." (NIV)

More important than the definition of “faith” is how faith is described throughout Scripture. More important than the heroes of faith is the God in whom they trusted.

Something to Consider

Interventions of God come in many ways and if we focus more on the manifestations of that intervention than on the God of interventions it is likely we will see neither.

Speaking of the heroes of faith the writer of Hebrews struck gold when he wrote:

Heb 11:39-12:3

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NIV)

Thought Questions

1. God is not present in the midst of evil. (1 Ki 16:29 to 17:6) True or False?

Our God specializes in dealing with the sin problem! In the midst of apostasy He selects and sends His prophets. His compassion is expressed by the sending and His attitude towards the effects of sin is registered with by his anger. Through it all God works to bring life back to a people who have chosen a death march. In this case God confronts those who are leading the march by sending the prophet Elijah. Elijah goes with the full arsenal of Heaven – so powerful that there is neither dew nor rain which makes Ahab furious! Yes, God is intentionally and actively present in the midst of evil. Perhaps there is no greater example of this than what we see in the Christmas story where God comes as one of us . . . and lives among sinful people who will eventually put Him to death on the cross.

2. A desperate need experienced by one person can also become the answer for someone else. (1 Ki 17:1-15) True or False?

The story line is clear. Elijah is chosen to confront the wayward people of Israel by announcing that there would be neither dew nor rain as a sign of God’s disapproval. He then retreats to a ravine east of Jordan where food is brought to him by ravens. When the water supply dries up because of the drought Elijah was told to leave Israel and go to Zarephath. This is significant because the heart of the story and God’s intervention is in a foreign country establishing Him as a universal God. 1 Kings 17 is the precursor to Mt. Carmel. Here in Zarephath the battle lines between Israel’s God and Baal is drawn indelibly in the sand and then climaxed later on Mt. Carmel. While in Zerepath Elijah needed lodging and by being there he filled the desperate need of the widow. Is it possible that what we often see as problems might actually lead not only to our answers but to the answers of others who need our faith to help them get through their own trials. The needs of one, then, can sometimes become the avenue for bringing hope to someone else.

3. In responding to human dilemmas, God could do more if more resources were brought to Him. (1 Ki 17:13,14; Jer. 29:11; Dan. 3:28) True or False?

Hardly! However there is an element of truth to the question. God is the Creator and the cattle upon a thousand hills are His. However, the greatest resource we can bring to Him is our willingness to be directed and led as was the case with this Phoenician widow. Elijah brought the word of Israel’s God to her and she followed through. What an amazing story. While the Israelites back home had a history with God’s leading they were refusing to worship him while this destitute widow obeyed. What a contrast. What a contradiction but what hope it also represents for the “spiritually underprivileged!”

4. Sometimes God allows us to be an Elijah for others while at other times we are more like the widow of Zarepath. (1 Ki. 17: 13-21, 2,3; Mt. 14:30, Jn 12:27; Lk 1:17) True or False?

· Elijah speaks for God by instructing the widow and she obeys and is fed miraculously.

· Elijah is in need and is fed by the ravens.

· Bold Peter steps out of the boat but sinks and cries out “Lord, save me!” and Jesus does. (Mt 14:30)

· Jesus, the Creator, is troubled and He goes to His Father for strength. (Jn 12:27)

· The power of Elijah is promised for John the Baptist (Lk 1:17) who later is placed in prison and faces his own personal crisis.

There are many examples but all show that God’s servants through the ages have suffered along with others but they have one quality that others missed: They knew God and God knew them. That relationship sustained them even when they had doubts and could not see the reason for their crisis at the time.

5. The example of the widow of Zarephath illustrates that we should give all we have to feed the poor. True or False?

If God sees the needs of the poor and provided a means by which her needs could be supplied then perhaps God is looking to us to help the unfortunate among us too.

6. Elijah’s own hunger becomes apparent when he instructs the widow to feed him first. (1 Ki. 17:13) True or False?

Really! Is that why Elijah asked to be given the baked food first? Or was this indicative of an overriding theme! Elijah was the representative of God to her (1 Ki 17:18) and paramount in this whole episode is the primacy of God in the affairs of man – God’s universal claim and compassion. Even outside of Israel God had His claim upon this Phoenician widow. God’s love has no boundaries.

7. Faith removes doubt. (1 Ki 17:15-18) True or False?

No doubt faith was reinforced when the flour pot did not empty! What a blessing that was and no doubt the neighbors heard about it. No doubt that was God’s plan but faith that is not tested really is not faith at all. The very next experience that is relayed is the death of the widow’s son and the shrill cry no doubt was also heard by the neighbors: “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” (1 Ki 17:18). The stage had been set. The drama was clearly who was stronger – the God of Israel or Baal! Elijah, the prophet who boldly stood on Mt. Carmel and the one who was God’s spokesman to the Widow assuring her that the flour would not run out had every reason to be strong in faith. But Scripture also portrays the human side of the prophets as well. Elijah, taking in the emotions of the time, cried out “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” (v.20) He may have expressed doubt but his faith rose to the occasion: “Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this boy’s life retur to him!” The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, . . .” (vss 21-22) Questions were often raised by God’s people. God has no intention of placing a quarantine on thinking. The book of Habakkuk makes that clear. What we do with our thoughts, with our doubts is the vital point and Elijah rose above his doubts with a faith that saved a boy and glorified God.

8. Sensing God’s presence can be a good and a bad thing. It is determined by our interpretation. (1 Ki 17:17,18; Job 42:5,6; Isa 6:5) True or False?

The fact that God’s presence is in Zarapheth is important to the miraculous story. God’s presence was obviously there in a foreign land. The reaction to God’s presence is not always the same:

· The widow at the loss of her son saw in Elijah the presence of God which she felt led to the death of her only son. (v.18)

· Job’s awareness of God’s presence led him to see his unworthiness which resulted in his own repentance.

· Isaiah has a similar conclusion after being in the presence of God. The façade of pretense is removed and stripped to the core Isaiah exclaims: “Woe is me! I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

As painful as it is to see oneself it is that view that brings awareness of that which separates holiness from sinful man and thus opens the door for a deeper forgiveness and reconciliation. This is the pathway to a true revival.

9. Trying circumstances, such as those that came to the widow living in Phoenicia, come because we/they have been disloyal to God and have sinned. (1 Ki 17:17,18) True or False?

Perhaps sometimes but we must not be the judge of “why” but rather focus on “How might we respond?” That certainly was not the reason for the widow’s son’s death. Centuries later when Jesus was asked about the cause of the blindness of a certain man he denied that it was caused by the sin of his parents. (Jn 9:2)

10. A prophet has a distinct advantage over others: He or she at least understands “why” things happen as they do. (1 Ki 17:20) True or False?

A prophet may have certain advantages because he or she can know God quite intimately but that doesn’t mean they understand the meaning or the why’s of all that they are instructed to share or do or why things happen as they sometimes do. So was the case of Elijah as we already pointed out (vs 20) and John the Baptist (Matt. 11:1-3)

Concluding Reflections

The Elijah message is more than bridging the gap between generations as is often said. The Elijah message encompasses much more. It speaks of the universality of God’s domain, His care for people of all nationalities, His desire to intervene into the affairs of men, women and boys and girls to replace despair with hope and death with life. The God who calls us is a God of compassion and whatever stands in the way of life is His enemy. Such a God understands our slowness to comprehend His love and His ways yet He sends His Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to build a faith that is sustained by His presence and not the mere manifestations of miracles. In the end, the greatest blessing God can grant any of us is His abiding presence whether we be rejoicing with friends, in abject despair over the loss of a loved one or even while we lie dying of a terminal disease. No greater gift can be given than the gift of Himself regardless of our circumstances. The Widow of Zarapheth had begun to experience this and so had Elijah. Both exercised faith and both were rewarded with God’s intervening grace. This is the essence of the Christmas story.