THE WOMAN OF ZAREPHATH

I KINGS 17:8

A. "AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO HIM SAYING, ARISE, GET THEE TO ZAREPHATH WHICH BELONGETH TO ZIDON AND DWELL THERE; BEHOLD I HAVE COMMANDED A WIDOW WOMAN THERE TO SUSTAIN THEE"
  1. With these words, God reveals to Elijah His continuous providence for His servant:
    1. Though the water brook that sustained Elijah was dried up; God had already made provision to take care of Elijah
    2. This reminds us of the words of our Lord, when he assures us, "For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" - Matt. 6:24-34
  2. God chose the humble abode of a poor widow to share the miraculous care of his servant:
    1. How mysterious and how incomprehensible are the ways of the Lord
    2. One normally would have thought that the God of Israel would select a place where there was plenty of provisions stored up; but not so, He selected the place of a poor widow that confessed to Elijah, "I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the barrel" - I Kings 17:12
B. THE WOMAN OF ZAREPHATH
  1. Zarephath:
    1. Was in a heathen country
    2. It was the home of Elijah's deadliest enemy - Jezebel, the daughter of King EthBaal of Zidon
  2. This widow:
    1. Had some information about the worship of the true God and God sent Elijah to give her more light on the faith of Israel
    2. God knows His own and in time He will expose them to the world as the trophy of His grace; Examples: God knew where the future king of Israel was and when the time came, He made him known to his people - I Sam. 17:1-46; He knew where Elijah, Amos, and many other mighty witnesses were that He used
    3. This nameless widow was in dire circumstances - I Kings 17:9-12
C. NOTE, PLEASE SOME GLORIOUS TRUTHS ABOUT OUR HEAVENLY PROVIDER SO GRACIOUSLY REVEALED AT THE HOME OF THE POOR WIDOW
  1. Her circumstances:
    1. The drinking water was scarce - I Kings 17:10
    2. The meal in the barrel had come down to a handful - I Kings 17:12
    3. It was, so she said, the last meal for her and her son before they expected to die - I Kings 17:12
  2. The God of Israel, who knows the end from the beginning, knew all this, and He chose these circumstances to manifest His great power:
    1. Recall what He did for the widow that had a little oil in her vessel - 2 Kings 4:2-7
    2. Or remember how He cared for Elijah at the brook Cherith - I Kings 17:3-6
    3. We have another illustration of the power of God using five loaves and three fishes to feed the multitude - Matt. 14:17; Mark 6:38; John 6:9
  3. These marvelous manifestations of God's care are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come - I Cor. 10:11:
    1. God will have a remnant in the last days, who will have a similar experience that Elijah had - Rev. 12:17; Dan. 12:1
    2. But the God of Elijah has already made provision for the safety and care of His persecuted remnant - Is. 33:15-17
  4. How it awes this writer to see God's undeserved care for him during his lifetime:
    1. He was left fatherless at the age of 11
    2. He was the youngest in the family and the least talented, and his mother and his brothers and sisters knew it
    3. How God put it into his heart to come to America to hear the everlasting gospel
    4. And more, to train him to have a small part in persuading sinners to accept Christ
    5. How Satan has hated him and sought to destroy him by divers means
    6. How his adversaries succeeded to retire him from the organized work for a time
    7. But God had other plans; He brought him stronger and more useful to the cause


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