This poor widow of Zarephath is a striking picture of what we were as Gentiles, and of the place where God always meets the sinner. When we have come to the very end of all our own resources, that is when the Lord comes in. That is when He makes known His saving power, as He did here. Elijah told the poor widow to make a cake for him first, and then for herself and her son. He then assured her by the Word of the Lord that the barrel of meal would not waste, nor the cruse of oil fail, until the Lord sent rain upon the earth. If she believed the Word of the Lord, the blessing was hers, and she showed her faith by making the cake for Elijah first. The blessing was hers too, just as the Lord had said, for her barrel of meal was never empty, nor did her cruse of oil fail through all the days of famine that followed.
How refreshing it is to see faith like this. God is always as good as His word. Moreover it is noticeable here that the Lord did not say He would fill her barrel of meal, nor fill her cruse of oil, but each time she went to get some there was enough for her present need. And this is the way it is with us in our Christian pathway. The One who saved us, supplies all our needs along the way to glory. We cannot borrow the grace and strength we need for tomorrow, but it will be supplied as we need it. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:1616Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16).
Just as God had tested the faith of Elijah before, so He does again, and also the faith of this widow, now a young believer. Soon after this wonderful display of faith in the Lord, a deep trial came upon her. Her only son died. She then called Elijah and asked him why he had dealt in this way with her, and if it was to call her sins to remembrance. The enemy would cause us to question the ways of God when trouble comes, and to ask how He can love us when He deals thus. Let us not listen to his insinuations, but rather take all our trials from the Lord and be exercised thereby.
Elijah was exercised by all the Lord had allowed here. He took the dead child from his mother, laid him upon his own bed, and while he asked the Lord why this had happened, He sought His face in the matter. He then stretched himself upon the child three times, and the Lord heard his prayer, restoring the child to life. Elijah then took him down and gave him back to his mother. She acknowledged the Lord’s goodness in this wonderful miracle, and her faith was strengthened by it. If we take our circumstances from the Lord, they will be but new experiences of His faithfulness and prove a rich blessing. May we seek grace to do this, knowing the Lord allows them for our good.
I believe there is also a precious lesson in this for us, in connection with our children. How helpless we are to impart new life to them, but if in our helplessness we cast them upon the Lord, He will come in. He may use one of His servants for their blessing, as He used Elijah here. Perhaps it might suggest that we could sometimes arrange to get our children alone with one of His faithful servants. Then the Lord may enable him to get close enough to reach them. It is a great thing to know how to bring ourselves down to the level of a child.
ML 05/13/1956