Widow of Zarephath Study of Faith Widows of the Old Testament Teacher/Facilitator Guide Sylvia De Jong Italics indicate the text in the Student s Study Guide. *Indicates the author s study helps for the teacher/facilitator. Review of Zeruah a. Why do you think Zeruah s heart reached heights of joy? Because her son Jeroboam was a hard worker and responsible person. He was chosen to supervise King Solomon s labor force from the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Later he was chosen to be king of Israel and she was the king s mother. b. Why did she also reach depths of despair? Because of his poor choices. He erected idols of two golden calves and goats and led his nation into idol worship. Because of his disobedience to God, his family was banished from the throne. His good name was ruined. c. A mother can train a child to grasp important truths; when does her responsibility for her offspring s actions stop? When that child becomes an adult and must make his or her own decisions. d. Who is the final authority an adult child must answer to? God. e. Did you have an opportunity to share anything you have learned from these Bible Studies with someone else? Prayer 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 Map: Northern Kingdom of Israel, Tirzah, Samaria, Sidon 1
1. Following Jeroboam s reign, all the kings of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) disobeyed God and worshiped false gods (pg. 122). 2. King Omri (Israel s sixth king) moved the capital from Tirzah to Samaria. But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him (1 Kings 16:25). 3. Ahab, son of Omri became king of Israel and reigned for twenty years. He sinned more than all those before him. He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve and worship Baal, along with his wife. 4. Ahab... did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him (1 Kings 16:33b). 5. Why was God so angry with Ahab? He built a temple of Baal and set up an altar for Baal. He made an Asherah pole. He allowed Jezebel to bring a multitude of prophets and priests to serve Baal and Asherah. This led to gross immorality and orgies. Read 1 Kings 17:1 Map: Jabesh Gilead and Tishbe 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? There would be neither dew nor rain in the next few years unless Elijah said it would rain. He made it clear that he was serving the LORD, God of Israel. b. What did Elijah do after he spoke (pg. 123)? He immediately turned and quickly walked out. Read 1 Kings 17:2-6 Map: Brook Kerith/Cherith, west of the Jordan River. 7. God directed Elijah. a. Where did the LORD tell Elijah to hide? The brook Kerith (Cherith). b. What miracle took place there? The ravens brought him bread and meat morning and evening. 2
*Miracles in the Old Testament occurred only when the power of God was needed in order to maintain His people and their testimony. God worked miracles surrounding Elijah to preserve his true faith in the midst of Jezebel s efforts to destroy the people s knowledge of the LORD. 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 *We do not know how many months went by for the drought to reach this point. 8. Where did God tell Elijah to go and why? To Zarephath of Sidon. A widow in that place would supply him with a place to stay and with food. Map: Zarephath (located between Sidon and Tyre) *It would have been about a 100 mile journey by foot. Discuss: a. Why do you think God directed him to go so far away? For his safety. God intended for him to remain well hidden until God s time was right for him to return to Samaria. He was outside of Ahab s kingdom. b. Do you think Elijah would have wondered how he would find this widow? * The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8). 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 water in a jar so I may have a drink? He also said, And bring me, please, a piece of bread. *The Lord puts people in the right place at the right time. Elijah must have noticed that the woman was gaunt and wasted away. He planned a test for her. He knew the LORD would provide what was needed. Read 1 Kings 17:12 10. What was the widow s response? She spoke of how surely the LORD God lives and that she didn t have any bread, only a little flour and oil. She said she was gathering sticks to make a last meal for her and her son and then die. 3
11. What clue does this verse give, that this widow had some knowledge of God? Her reference to the Lord God, even though she lived in the ungodly nation of Sidon, the birthplace of Jezebel. *The drought had dried up their olive trees and ruined their barley crop, which normally would have sustained this widow and her son. They had almost reached the point of collapse from starvation, and were ready to eat their last meal together and face death. 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? To make a small cake of bread and bring it to him. 13. What did he promise would happen to her flour and oil if she did this? The jar of flour would not be used up and the jug of oil would not run dry until the LORD gives rain on the land. *Fear was crowding in on her. Fear of the food running out, fear of the unknown, fear of death. The prophet s words offered hope to her. They also tested her faith to believe that what God said was true. 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 not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry. *Her acceptance of this challenge brought forth a miracle. What joy must have filled that home day after day through those three years as Elijah fellowshipped with them and told them of his experiences serving the LORD. They saw God replenish their food supply. The widow and her son grew in faith and knowing God. 4
15. Elijah was safe from the search parties that King Ahab and Jezebel sent out to find him. Only Elijah could ask the LORD to bring the rain again. Jezebel never dreamed Elijah was in her father s domain (pg. 126). Read 1 Kings 17:17-20 16. What happened to the widow s son? He became very ill and stopped breathing. 17. What did the woman, confused by grief and lacking understanding, think caused her son to die? Some sin she had committed. 18. The widow brought her son to Elijah. Consider his actions. a. He took the boy to the upper room where he had been staying. b. He lay the boy on his bed. c. He sought understanding by crying out to the Lord in prayer. 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? *He is the One we must go to with our questions and hurt feelings. Let it out to Him. He already knows what we are thinking and feeling, but it helps us to express it to Him verbally. Read 1 Kings 17:21-24 19. Tell in your own words the miraculous event that took place in verse 24. Elijah stretched out on the boy three times and prayed for God to return his life. The boy started breathing again. Elijah took him to his mother and her faith was strengthened. 20. Name three miracles that had already occurred in this lesson. a. Elijah fed by ravens. b. Oil and flour replenished. c. Widow s son resurrected. 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 5
21. In the third year, God directed Elijah to leave Zarephath. Where did God tell him to go and why? He was to present himself to King Ahab. God would send rain on the land. *Tradition tells us that when Elijah returned to Israel, the son of the widow of Zarephath became his servant. The Bible mentions a servant (1 Kings 18:41-44) but does not name him. 22. When Elijah and Ahab met, Elijah arranged for the prophets of Baal to enter a contest with him on Mt. Carmel to prove who the true God is (pg. 128). Read 1 Kings 18:21 23. What did Elijah say to the people? How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. How did the people respond? They said nothing. 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? *Syncretism is the mixing of Christian beliefs and practices with beliefs and practices of a non-christian religion. 24. The prophets of Baal put their bull on their altar and called for Baal to send down fire from heaven to burn up the sacrifice. They called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. They continued their frantic prophesying, dancing, shouting and cutting themselves until their blood flowed and there was no response. Then it was time for Israel s evening sacrifice 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 altar that was originally erected to worship the LORD God. He took twelve stones, each one to represent one of the tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Word of the LORD had come, saying, Your name shall be Israel. 6
26. Once Elijah had the altar built, he dug a large trench. He arranged the wood, and laid the pieces of the cut up bull 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? Three. *The mention of containers of seed is simply a measurement to give an idea of the size of the large trench. 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 (v. 36-39)? The fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, The LORD he is God! The LORD he is God! *This is another miracle. This study is full of God s supernatural power. There is none like our God. There is nothing too hard for Him! 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)? Four hundred and fifty. 29. Elijah and his servant climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel, where Elijah knelt and prayed with his face between his knees. He sent his servant seven times to see if there was any sign of rain. The seventh time he came back and said he saw a cloud the size of a man s hand rising from the sea. 30. Elijah sent his servant to tell Ahab Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you (pg. 129). A heavy rain came and Ahab, with Elijah running ahead of him, rode off to Jezreel, where the summer palace was, to tell Jezebel what had happened (pg. 130). 31. Jesus mentioned the widow of Zarephath when He gave his first sermon in Nazareth. He said a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown. He gave the example of Elijah and the widow saying there were many 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). 7
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? *God directed Elijah to the widow of Zarephath s home, and in so doing met each of their personal needs for food and nurturing. 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? *God does not always deliver from death as with this widow and her son. When it is His time for us to come home to heaven, we have the blessed hope of the resurrection and eternal life with Him. There we will experience ultimate healing, a body without pain or defect. Praise God! 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? *Seek God s face and His will in your life. He wants to be your provision and protection. Trust Him for this by faith. 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 8