1 Kings - Lesson 17

• In our last session, we combed through a list of the rise and fall of some of the kings in the north (Israel).

  • These kings ruled and reigned throughout the majority of King Asa of Judah’s 41 year rule.

    • And in all of the ruling of the Northern kingdom, there were no good kings.

    • As noted from last week, each King followed the way of King Jeroboam who brought Israel into further idolatry and away from Torah.

  • And if that weren’t enough, the further into the succession of Northern kings, the worse they became.

    • It’s almost as if the writer is painting a picture of these Northern kings further distancing themselves from Torah and into self-governance.

    • And as I mentioned last week, these subtle compromises over time eventually lead to the created wanting to be the Creator.

  • This Creator/creature distinction framework helps one to better understand that only the Creator can dictate and establish His rule because He alone is Creator.

    • However, because of the fall of man and our sin-nature, the created always seeks to “attempt” to place themselves in the creator’s position.

    • Pride has a way of having us to think/believe that we alone can sustain our needs or provide our own sense of refuge through means of financial gain.

  • And it is in those moments that the Lord, in His kindness will use His word as a means of correction to get us back into alignment with Him.

    • So in the case of Chapter 17, the Lord is going to use another prophet, one who is arguably the most well-known prophet in scripture – Elijah.

    • And with any prophet, their primary role is to be a mouthpiece of the Lord and to speak to the king/people that they may turn back to Torah.

  • Tonight, we will see three scenes regarding Elijah’s introduction to the narrative of 1 Kings.

    • And although these movements may feel detached in a way, they are really all interconnected.

    • What becomes interesting is how the Lord introduces Elijah onto the scene.

  • You’ll recall towards the end of Chapter 16, we were introduced to King Ahab who had married Jezebel.

    • And the rise and beginning rule of King Ahab, especially under the influence of Jezebel, was quite notorious, to say the least.

    • King Ahab’s rule was marked by even greater sin than Jeroboam because during his rule was the first time in Israel’s history that they abandoned the worship of Yahweh for pagan gods.

  • So the Lord, by His Spirit, transitions the writer to the introduction of Elijah on the scene which is pivotal in the narrative.

    • And the three movements we will be introduced to in Chapter 17 will demonstrate just how serious God is about His word.

    • And even more so God’s desire for His people, and all people, for that matter, to turn to Him rather than themselves.

  • If I were to outline our time for tonight, we will see the following:

    • 1. Elijah’s pronouncement to King Ahab (vv.1-7)

    • 2. Little becomes enough (vv.8-16)

    • 3. Elijah revives the widow’s son (vv.17-24)

  • If I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would be: A Raven, A Widow, and A Word.

    • With that being said, I invite you to meet me in 1 Kings 17 beginning in verses 1-7 for the reading of the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
1 Kings 17:2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying,
1 Kings 17:3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
1 Kings 17:4 “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”
1 Kings 17:5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
1 Kings 17:6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.
1 Kings 17:7 It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

• It’s almost as if we are thrust into an abrupt introduction to a new character in this narrative, a man named Elijah.

  • No prior history is given to us about Elijah except for what the writer provides for us here.

    • In the words of Eugene Merrill, this mysterious appearance of Elijah the prophet “ushered in a whole new phase of prophetic ministry.”

    • Because alongside Elijah’s prophetic ministry also came his ability to do astonishing miracles on behalf of the Lord.

    • Elijah’s ministry as is witnessed in both 1 and 2 Kings, is set to demonstrate a proper understanding of who God is.

  • The name Elijah in Hebrew means “my God is Yahweh” and his name becomes quite reflective of his nature and mission.

    • God would use Elijah the prophet to make visibly known the power and magnitude of the God of Israel through personal demonstration.

  • We are told that Elijah was from a community called Tishbe in Gilead.

  • According to the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, these regions were assigned to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh.

    • It becomes apparent that with Elijah’s sudden arrival on the scene that Elijah was already being prepared for this prophetic assignment.

  • Elijah pronounces boldly to King Ahab that the heavens will not bring forth rain for a period of time.

    • We find later in scripture that the Lord withheld rain from Israel for 3 years and 6 months. (1 Kings 18:1, Luke 4:25, James 5:17)

    • And this drought would occur as a promise from the Lord regarding Israel’s disobedience according to Deuteronomy 11:16-17. Check out the text:

Deuteronomy 11:16 “Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them.
Deuteronomy 11:17 “Or the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you.

• So, this declaration before the King becomes a pivotal moment within the storyline.

  • Remember, what has King Ahab introduced as the new religious system? Baalism. (Israel serving other gods would bring about cursings)

  • Furthermore, to the pagans, Baal was known as the “god of the rain and weather”.

  • So, for Elijah to come and declare that the God of Israel was going to withhold the rain for an extended period of time was a direct assault against the idol worship of the day.

    • The God of Israel, the Only Living and True God was making known to His creation who the Creator is.

    • This begins the mark of a showdown between the God of Israel and the idolatrous worship of Baal.

  • After giving that bold pronouncement to the king, the Lord tells Elijah to go and hide himself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.

    • It could be understood that this time of hiding for Elijah was not a cowering away, but rather a time of preparation.

    • In one sense to prepare Elijah for the mission ahead and secondly to providentially prepare the stage for what was coming.

  • We are told that during this preparation time that “ravens” came to bring Elijah bread and meat in the morning and at night for his nourishment.

    • And along with the solid provisions came the drinking water from the brook itself.

• What becomes such a beautiful picture in this first movement of Chapter 17 is the scene, setting, and the situation.

  • The setting is located in the wilderness areas of the “Wadi Cherith” also comically named “Wadi Boondocks”.

    • This place was a no mans land. It literally means “Cut-off”.

    • We will see next week that there is a bit of play on words here in Hebrew because in 1 Kings 18, Jezebel is “cutting off” prophets.

  • And at the same time, one could assume that King Ahab would seek to “cut-off” or kill some animals to appease “Baal” as a way for rain to be sent.

    • The only difference between King Ahab and Jezebel versus that of Elijah is that although Elijah is cut off from the people, He is not cut off from God.

  • Isn’t it interesting that even when the world is doing the “popular thing” which is oftentimes the “wrong thing” that although the believer is ostracized we are never alone.

    • It’s something about God’s provision being made dynamically known in the most dire of circumstances!

  • To set the scene, we have two opposing parties: we have those who are following Baal, versus Elijah, the lone sheep who is serving Yahweh, the Living God.

    • To some, they will see Elijah’s conditions and ask where is God in that circumstance?

    • Here’s where the situation gets interesting: With Elijah being in the wilderness where there is no source of nourishment for his body, he is being fed by ravens.

  • Interestingly enough, when we search through scripture, we find that ravens neglect their young after a certain point, literally driving them out of the nest.

    • We see evidence of this in Job 38:41. Check out what the text says:

Job 38:41 “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?

• How is it that the ravens who push out their young at an early age can feed a grown man in the wilderness bread and meat in the morning and at night?

  • Remember, the drought that the Lord promised has begun so these ravens aren’t getting this food nearby.

  • More than likely, they have traveled afar to retrieve this food, not for themselves but for the prophet Elijah.

  • And along with food, Elijah is able to drink running water through the brook in a time that water was extremely low.

  • For how can there be running water in a drought? No one and nothing but the grace of God!

  • Friends, here is where you see the handiwork of the Creator on full display, this is the work of an Almighty God!

    • If the Lord can take these “unclean” animals to provide nourishment for a prophet, what do you think the Lord can do for you in your time of need?

  • God is at work in both providing and sustaining His prophet while those around Elijah are suffering due to the idolatry that has corrupted the hearts of men.

    • What an amazing biblical principal to know that the Lord will always take care of those in His care!

    • But most importantly, to know that even when your circumstances may seem bleak, He is with you in your wilderness!

    • For He is the God of more than enough! Check out verses 8-16.

1 Kings 17:8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
1 Kings 17:9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
1 Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.”
1 Kings 17:11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”
1 Kings 17:12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
1 Kings 17:13 Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.
1 Kings 17:14 “For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’ ”
1 Kings 17:15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.
1 Kings 17:16 The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.

• We come to our next scene of the narrative where Elijah will go to Zarephath where he will be provided for by a widow.

  • Zarephath was a town between Tyre and Sidon which were Gentile regions in Phoenicia.

    • This was the region in which was the hotbed for cultish worship and idolatry in which King Ahab reintroduced to Israel.

    • One detail that we should not overlook is the circumstance in which the Lord led Elijah to right after his time in the wilderness.

    • The Lord tells Elijah that it will be a widow in this Gentile city who will be the one that will provide for him.

  • How peculiar yet similar are the details in which Elijah has just come from? Therefore could it be that the writer is alluding to yet another miracle to come? (I believe so)

    • The question that may come to mind after reading and re-reading the passage is: “Why a widow?”

    • Could there have been maybe a wealthy Gentile that knew of Yahweh in whom the Lord could have used? Perhaps.

    • Yet, the Lord in His Sovereignty made it such that a woman, during that day, who was deemed poor and the first to run out of food during a drought, to be the vessel in which the Lord would use to feed the prophet!

  • Friends, this goes to show us that the Lord has a way of taking things that make no sense and makes it sensible!

    • This is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:27:

1 Corinthians 1:27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

• So, in accordance to the word of the Lord, Elijah departs to Zarephath and upon his arrival to the gate of the city, he meets a widow.

  • Not knowing which particular widow it would be he asks the woman to grab him a little water in a jar so that he could drink.

  • To his favor she brings him a drink to which he now asks, in few short words, if she could also feed him.

  • Notice her response, because it gives way to an incredible reality.

  • When Elijah asks about the bread, the woman tells him, “As the Lord your God lives…”(Let’s stop here for a moment)

    • Here we see a Gentile widow acknowledging two things:

      • 1) The man who she is talking to is an Israelite

      • 2) Her faith in that she believes that the God of the Israelites is the true and Living God.

  • And with these acknowledgments comes an appeal of sorts that she makes.

    • Her reality was, there are not many resources left. As a matter of fact, the very least that she has was preparation for her and her son’s last meal.

    • Therefore, the appeal becomes: “Here is what I have, here is where I am, yet, I know the God you serve!

    • It’s almost as if there is a sense of faith in knowing that even with this little the Lord can do much.

  • And as such Elijah reassures her of this, but that assurance does not come without the requirement of faith!

    • Elijah tells her not to fear but instead of making two cakes, one for her and her son, make one more for Elijah.

    • What becomes a powerful yet small detail here is the order in which Elijah gives her to make the cakes.

    • He says to make his cake first and then proceed to make the remaining two for her and her son. Here is where faith is required!

  • If she makes Elijah’s cake first, it will technically only provide a source of sustenance for either her or her son.

    • And in the case of this widow, she will put the interest of her son before her own meaning that she would end up dying.

    • However, verse 14 tells us that based upon the word from the Lord, regarding her obedience, there would be a different outcome.

  • That with her responding to the word of Yahweh, by way of His prophet, this Gentile widow would neither see her bowl of flour or oil exhausted! (vv.15-16)

    • Here becomes the key to her abundance and blessing amidst a time of drought – Obedience to the word of the Lord!

• How ironic is it that the Israelite people, having experienced at one point the dwelling presence of the Living God in the Temple, are now in a time of drought because of their disobedience to His word!

  • Yet, at the same time, here we see the Lord abundantly blessing this Gentile widow from Phoenicia who has heard and believed the Lord, but had not seen Him move experientially, in a personal sense.

    • Friends, when considering this reality, what covenant comes to mind regarding the actions of the Lord – The Abrahamic Covenant.

    • The Lord has always had provisions made for His name and glory to not only be made known to the Jewish people, but to the Gentiles as well.

  • And all who are able to come and know of the Living God, are able to partake in the blessings of the Lord as benefactors!

    • When considering Elijah’s interaction with this widow woman, what becomes a similar story that you find in the New Testament.

  • You might recall, Jesus in Matthew 15:28, and his interaction with the Syrophoenician woman in the same area (Tyre and Sidon).

    • It was in this woman’s most desperate time of need that she appealed to the Lord Jesus by her faith in Him.

    • That where the disciples saw her as a disturbance to their journey at hand, the Lord lends his ear to this Gentile.

    • And she too, comes to an experiential knowledge of who Jesus was not just as a prophet, but as the Messiah, as she had called Him, Lord, Son of David.

  • Her faith in who He was, in right connection to His rightful position, made way for her to see the demonstrative power of God at work through His Son.

    • So here we see how the text draws parallels in seeing Elijah the prophet versus Jesus as the greater prophet!

  • Well, just when you thought the story was getting better, there seems to have been a turn of events. Check out verses 17-24.

1 Kings 17:17 Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
1 Kings 17:18 So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”
1 Kings 17:19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.
1 Kings 17:20 He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”
1 Kings 17:21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”
1 Kings 17:22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.
1 Kings 17:23 Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.”
1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

• We come to the last movement of the narrative in Chapter 17, that where the widow, at one point, was rejoicing for her provision, she now moves to confusion and mourning.

  • We’re told that some time has passed between verses 16 and 17, and between that time, the widow’s son has died.

    • And the woman’s immediate reaction to the loss of her child was that she was somehow being punished by God because of her past sins.

    • In fact this is a common way of thinking for most in that day.

    • This is why Jesus had to correct the thinking of His disciples in John 9:2-3 regarding the man born blind.

  • Jesus tells His disciples neither the man nor the parents have sinned, but this was done so that “the works of God might be displayed in him.”

    • The Lord hadn’t mentioned this part to Elijah and his time with the widow!

    • So in the meantime, we witness both the prophet and the widow trusting in the Lord to bring the child back to life!

  • So Elijah takes the boy to the upper room in his arms, as he commanded the widow to do so.

    • While in the upper room, Elijah lays the boy on the bed and calls upon Yahweh to return life into the boy’s body.

  • He begins with a cry of compassion knowing that this widow has been through much and now has to deal with the loss of her son.

    • However, Elijah immediately calls upon the Lord to respond in a mighty and miraculous way.

  • I love that the writer of the text first recognizes the pain of the mother rather than missing the moment of ministry!

    • Too often we will bring scriptural references to people in time of need as an immediate response without first being compassionate toward the brokenhearted.

    • Psalm 34:18 tells us this:

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

• The text tells us that Elijah stretched over the boy three times meaning that as he laid on top of the dead child, he pleaded his prayer once more.

  • There is the sense of persistence despite the circumstance that Elijah has witnessed, and the woman was experiencing.

  • Once again, faith has been demonstrated by both the widow and Elijah because the woman entrusts her child unto the hands of the prophet, while the prophet entrusts the woman’s child unto the power of God!

    • This type of faith becomes the breeding ground by which the Lord is able to do miracles!

  • And most importantly through the miracle, there is always a point to be shown!

    • And in this case, the woman in verses 23-24 is able to see for herself, experientially, who the God of Israel truly is!

• God is in the business of making Himself known both verbally and visually!

  • This widow who was amongst others’ suffering in the drought brought upon by the sins of the people, has witnessed twice, the goodness of God!

    • What makes Chapter 17 so profound is the very last verse (verse 24), where the woman says these words:

    • “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth!”

  • This woman, by faith, responded to the word of the prophet of the Lord regarding the need of her lack in supply.

    • She took the prophet at his word, according to the word of the Lord and was able to see God provide.

  • She then witnessed the Lord resuscitate her son’s life simply by a word from the Lord and persistence in prayer.

    • That where this woman, who lived in a community that worshipped Baal, who had no power, she was able to witness a God in whom she had heard about who held all the power!

• What a powerful picture of the reality that not only is the God of Israel, a supplier of needs, sustainer of all, and keeper of all, but He holds the power over death itself.

  • God, in a way, was demonstrating to the least of them, so that in a matter of time He would demonstrate to all of them that He is God!

    • Friends, God’s ways to some may seem foolish and obscure, but when you are able to try Him for yourself and know Him for yourself, He will blow your mind.

  • The widow’s response reminds me of the old church mothers in the Baptist church, when they used to say:

    • “Baby, you can’t make me doubt Him, cause I know too much about Him.!”

  • This Gentile woman had an experience with the Living God, that in a matter of time, all of the Baal worshippers would attest to the greatness of the one true God!

    • Let’s Pray.

Citation:

• Merrill, Eugene H. Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2006.

• Bosserman, Christina. “Gilead.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

• Brichto 1992:123