EVERYTHING WE NEED
In 1Kings 17, there’s a familiar story about how the Lord intervened in the lives of a widow, her son and Elijah. The Lord had sent Elijah to King Ahab to announce a great drought and then He sent him to the Kerith Ravine. After the brook dries up, the Lord sends Elijah to Zarephath to be supplied with food by a widow. Elijah meets the widow and asks for a little water and a piece of bread at which the widow announces that she has no bread and only has enough flour and oil to make one last meal for her and her son, that they may eat it – and die.
[1Ki 17:13-24 NIV] 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 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.' " 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. 17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, "LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" 22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" 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."
God provided everything that the widow, her son, and Elijah needed. It’s interesting that the widow did not ask Elijah to pray for her son when he was ill and kept getting worse. She must have realized that Elijah was legit since she and her family had been experiencing the miraculous provision of flour and oil from the Lord. But she waited till her son was dead to confront Elijah. It was only after he prayed, and the Lord saved her son that she stopped doubting and believed that the Word of the Lord from Elijah was true. But before we judge her too harshly, we need to consider that we who are in Christ truly have everything we need and yet, we still struggle with doubt at times.
The widow was reminded of her sin (1Ki 17:18), but we only need to confess our sin because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. [1Jo 1:9 NIV] 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Elijah cried out to the Lord in prayer three times and God saved the widow’s son, but Jesus prayed earnestly three times and the Father allowed Him to drink the cup of wrath and die to atone for our sin so that many sons and daughters may be saved.
[Mat 26:42, 44 NIV] 42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." ... 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Hebrews 2:10 (NIV) In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
God not only wanted to give the widow, her son, and Elijah everything they needed for life during the drought, He sent Jesus so that whoever believes in Him will have life to the full (John 10:10b) and eternal life (John 3:16) with Him in a new heaven and earth without tears, death, or pain (Rev 21). Praise the Lord!
Jesus is everything we need!
Cary Allen (cary.allen@comcast.net)
