September 9, 2010
“The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth” (1 Kings 17:14).1
Our story takes place in Israel, around 850 BC. It was a sad and difficult time for a nation that was suffering under Ahab, the worst king it had ever had. Ahab was greatly influenced by his wicked wife, Jezebel, and had adopted her pagan religion, the worship of Baal. Under Ahab and Jezebel’s rule, the prophets of the true God were systematically slaughtered, and had to run for their lives.
To show His displeasure, God sent His prophet Elijah to King Ahab with an ominous message: “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
After delivering this warning, Elijah fled deep into the wilderness, where he hid from Ahab’s soldiers. The Lord directed him to an isolated canyon, where there was a small stream for him to drink from. God commanded ravens to bring pieces of bread and meat to Elijah every day.
And just as Elijah had prophesied, not a drop of rain fell. A severe drought gripped the land. As the sweltering months slowly passed, the scorching sun took its toll on the parched earth of Israel. Crops failed, water supplies dried up, and severe famine set in.
Eventually Elijah’s own water source, the Brook Cherith, also dried up completely. But God is faithful, and on the very day that the brook ran dry, He told Elijah, “Arise, go to Zarephath, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
Zarephath was over 100 miles north of the Brook Cherith, and Elijah had to make this dangerous journey by foot. After days of trudging through desert wastes, over rocky hillsides and steep mountain trails, he finally arrived at Zarephath, a coastal city of what is now Lebanon.
Weary, hot, and caked in dust, as Elijah approached the city gate he spotted a woman gathering sticks. “Water!” he cried out to her. “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink!”
Taking pity on the weary stranger, the woman rose to bring him some water when he called out to her again, “And please, could you also bring me something to eat?”
Turning to him, she exclaimed, “As the Lord lives, I don’t even have a piece of bread, but only a handful of flour in a jar and a few drops of oil in a jug! Look, I’m out here gathering a few twigs to cook with, to take home and make a final meal for myself and my son, that we may eat and then die.”
Elijah realized that this poor little woman was the widow whom God had promised would feed and care for him. Boldly Elijah told her, “Do not fear. Go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me, and afterward make some for yourself and your son.”
He then prophesied, “For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’”
How absolutely amazed this woman must have been at this extraordinary proclamation. She must have thought, I told him how poor I am and how I’m gathering firewood to cook a final tiny meal for my son and myself, and that afterwards we expect to starve to death, yet he’s asking me to bake a piece of bread for him first!
But because Elijah spoke to her with such authority in the name of the Lord, she knew that he was a man of God, a prophet, and she believed him. She decided to trust God and to do as Elijah had instructed her. She hurried home and scraped together the last tiny handful of flour from the bottom of the large clay jar where it was kept. Then she took her oil jug, tipped it, and drained the last few drops of oil.
It was probably after she had mixed the flour and oil together into dough and put it in her clay oven to bake for Elijah that she received the surprise of her life. Picture this lowly little widow tidying things up while the bread-cake for Elijah was baking. As she goes to put the empty oil jug in its place, she notices that it’s much heavier than it was a moment ago. Barely tipping it, she can hardly believe her eyes when fresh oil flows out. It’s full!
Setting the jug down, she rushes over to the bin where she keeps her flour and gasps aloud in astonishment when she lifts its lid. Instead of the empty, dusty jar she knows it was just a few minutes earlier, it is now filled to the brim with fresh flour. A miracle has taken place! Her heart overflows with thankfulness to the Lord for such a wonderful manifestation of His blessing.
This poor widow had been out trying to save her son and herself for a few more days, perhaps, when God’s prophet suddenly showed up and told her, “Bake me a little cake first, and then afterwards, one for you and your son.” God was testing her to see if she’d believe and put God and His messenger first. She did, and as a result God mightily blessed her.
In the midst of three dreadful years of famine, as Elijah had prophesied, her supply of flour never ran out and her jug of oil never ran dry. She had given what she could, and God repaid her beyond her wildest expectations!
This is the way God works: He loves to out-give you, and He will never let you out-give Him! He will always give you much more than you gave to Him. The more you give, the more He will give you in return.
Originally published 1987.
Adapted and republished September 2010. Read by Bryan Clark.
1NKJV
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