Widow of Zarephath Study of Faith Widows of the Old Testament Student Study Guide Sylvia De Jong Review of Zeruah Prayer a. Why do you think Zeruah s heart reached heights of joy? b. Why did she also reach depths of despair? c. A mother can train a child to grasp important truths; when does her responsibility for her offspring s actions stop? d. Who is the final authority an adult child must answer to? e. Did you have an opportunity to share anything you have learned from these Bible Studies with someone else? Widow of Zarephath A Study of Faith The righteous will live by his [or her] faith (Habakkuk 2:4b). Hebrew word for faith emun. Old Testament faith was utter confidence in the faithfulness of God and a consequent loving obedience to His will. The faithful ones placed trust and reliance in God s fidelity and trustworthiness. Historical and Cultural Background 1. Following Jeroboam s reign, all the kings of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) disobeyed God and worshiped (pg. 122). 2. King Omri (Israel s sixth king) moved the capital from Tirzah to. But Omri in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him (1 Kings 16:25). 3., son of Omri became king of Israel and reigned for years. He sinned more than all those before him. He married, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve and worship, along with his. 4. Ahab... did more to the LORD, the God of Israel, to than did all the kings of Israel before him (1 Kings 16:33b). 1
5. Why was God so angry with Ahab? Read 1 Kings 17:1 6. One day the prophet of God walked into the palace in Samaria with a shocking message for Ahab and Jezebel. a. What did the prophet Elijah say would happen? b. What did Elijah do after he spoke (pg. 123)? Read 1 Kings 17:2-6 7. God directed Elijah. a. Where did the LORD tell Elijah to hide? b. What miracle took place there? Consider: If God can use ravens to feed Elijah, can he provide food for you when you are in need? Read 1 Kings 17:7-11 8. Where did God tell Elijah to go and why? Discuss: a. Why do you think God directed him to go so far away? b. Do you think Elijah would have wondered how he would find this widow? 9. God, who directed the ravens to Elijah with food, directed him to the widow. Elijah tested her by saying, Would you bring me a little in a jar so I may have a? He also said, And bring me, please, a piece of. Read 1 Kings 17:12 10. What was the widow s response? 2
11. What clue does this verse give, that this widow had some knowledge of God? Read 1 Kings 17:13-14 12. What did Elijah ask the widow to do for him before she made a meal for her and her son? 13. What did he promise would happen to her flour and oil if she did this? Discuss: a. Have you had a time when you were challenged to take a step of faith? b. Have you been tested to believe the truth of God s Word? c. Did these experiences build your faith? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Everything is possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23b). Read 1 Kings 17:15-16 14. The widow did as Elijah asked and the jar of flour was and the jug of oil did. 15. Elijah was safe from the search parties that and sent out to find him. Only could ask the LORD to bring the again. Jezebel never dreamed Elijah was in her (pg. 126). Read 1 Kings 17:17-20 16. What happened to the widow s son? 17. What did the woman, confused by grief and lacking understanding, think caused her son to die? 18. The widow brought her son to Elijah. Consider his actions. a. He took the boy to b. He laid the boy c. He sought understanding by 3
Consider: When everything seems to be going wrong, do you cry out to God from your heart? Do you search for some kind of understanding? Read 1 Kings 17:21-24 19. Tell in your own words the miraculous event that took place in verse 24. _ 20. Name three miracles that have already occurred in this lesson. a. b. c. Discuss: Have you ever experienced, or known someone who experienced a miracle? (A miracle is a wonderful happening, which cannot be explained naturally). Read 1 Kings 18:1 21. In the third year, God directed Elijah to leave Zarephath. Where did God tell him to go and why? 22. When Elijah and met, Elijah arranged for the of to enter a contest with him on to prove who the is (pg. 128). Read 1 Kings 18:21 23. What did Elijah say to the people?. How did the people respond? Discuss: Do we ever find ourselves with one foot in the church and the other foot in worldly practices such as involvement in the Masonic Lodge or Eastern Star or perhaps watching TV or movies that ridicule God or portray practices God forbids in His Word? Can you think of other areas of duplicity or syncretism? 4
24. The prophets of put their on their altar and called for Baal to from heaven to burn up the. They called on the name of Baal from till. They continued their, dancing, shouting and cutting themselves until their and there was. Then it was time for Israel s to God (pg. 128). Read 1 Kings 18:30-39 25. The altar Elijah built was significant of Israel s history with God. He repaired an that was originally erected to worship the. He took stones, each one to represent one of the that descended from, to whom the Word of the LORD had come, saying, Your name shall be. 26. Once Elijah had the altar built, he dug a large trench. He arranged the, and laid the pieces of the cut up on the wood. He had the people repeatedly fill jars with water and pour them over the offering and wood. How many times did he have them pour the water before the trench filled up? 27. At the time of sacrifice, Elijah called on the LORD God to let it be known that He was God in Israel and that Elijah was His servant and had done all things at His command. What happened when he asked the LORD to answer him, so the people would know that the LORD was God and was turning their hearts back to Him again (vv. 36-39)? 28. Elijah had them seize all the prophets of Baal and destroy them, that the land might be cleansed. How many prophets were slain that day (see 1 Kings 18:22)? 29. Elijah and his servant climbed to the top of, where Elijah knelt and with his face. He sent his servant times to see if there was any sign of. The seventh time he came back and said he saw a the size of a rising from the sea. 30. Elijah sent his servant to tell, Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you (pg. 129). A heavy came and Ahab, with running ahead of him, rode off to, where the summer palace was, to tell what had happened (pg. 130). 31. Jesus mentioned the widow of Zarephath when He gave his first in. He said a prophet is not in his own hometown. He gave the example of Elijah and the widow saying there were many 5
widows in the time of Elijah, but during the three and a half year drought, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath, near Sidon (Luke 4:24-26). Discuss: a. Is it easy to witness to your own family or neighbors? b. Do they accept what you say about the Lord? c. Is it easier to speak with someone you don t know well about spiritual things? Personal Application 32. How strong is your faith in your relationship with God? a. Do you trust God, by faith, to meet all your needs? b. Do you trust Him, by faith, to direct your life? c. Do you recognize what He does and provides for you? 33. Has this study given you a deeper understanding of life and death? a. Is anyone in your family facing death? b. What gives you hope concerning death? 34. As you learned of the contest between the prophets of Baal and Elijah, a prophet of the true God, has God touched your heart and mind to be true to Him alone; not to cultural traditions that are opposed to His Word? Exercise: When your next need presents itself, say, Lord, for this need, I have You. Help me to trust You alone to provide what I need. Give me wisdom in any decisions I need to make so I might please and honor You. In Jesus name. Amen. Prayer 6