Hall of Faith: Widow of Zarephath, Witness to Two Miracles
In the Hall of Faith, women received their dead by a resurrection are mentioned in
Hebrews 11:35.
One of these we know of is the widow of Zarephath. The story is found in 1 Kings 17,
which also pertains the first visit of the prophet Elijah.
Elijah went to King Arab to give him a message from God that there would be no rain in the land until he declared it. God provided for Elijah, who went into hiding and lived beside a brook until it dried up.
God then told Elijah to go to the town of Sarepta and seek out a widow that would find him water and food.
Sarepta is a city on the Mediterranean coast located between Sidon and Tyre. The city is also known as Zarephath.
Upon arriving, Elijah discovers the widow only has enough flour and oil for one more meal before they died.
1 Kings 17: 13-14 says, “Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.”
Verse 15 says they “did eat many days”.
Verse 16, “The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by Elijah.”
We discover the son of the woman became sick and there “was no breath left in him”.
The widow is angry and lashes out at Elijah. She said unto Elijah, “What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? thou art come unto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son!” {v. 18}
Elijah took the child and laid him on the bed chamber. He cried out to God for deliverance and stretched himself out on the child crying “O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.” {v. 21}
Verse 22 says,”And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. “
Elijah brought the child back down to his mother and handed him to her.
The mother said to Elijah, “Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of Jehovah in thy mouth is truth.”
So what can we learn from the widow?
1. She experienced the faithfulness of God
2. God provided for her when she thought she would die
3. She did not go hungry because God provided
4. She had a first hand account of faith in action from Elijah
5. She lased out in anger when her son died
6. She saw a miracle take place first hand
7. She trusted what Elijah told her because she knew it came from God
Elijah was used as a vessel for the widow of Zarepath and she had a firsthand view of a miracle, not once but twice. In the provision of food and the raising of her son from the dead. God provided for her in her time of need.
How does God provide for you in your time of need?