ot event study

8/9/2019 OT Event Study

1/8

Gods Power and Provision: The Widow at Zarapheth

1 Kings 17:1-24

An Event Study

Presented to Mike Richardson,

Instructor in Old Testament

Columbia Bible College

By

Donovan Neufeldt

Dec. 5, 2007

Box 623


2/8

2The story of Elijah and the Widow at Zarapheth in 1 Kings 17 is an excellent example Gods

power as the one true God, who is provider, sustainer, and giver of life. Gods faithfulness and kindness are also

very evident in this story, as well as the power and life changing potential that prayer and intercession can make

in any circumstances. This paper will explain what happened in this story, address how this event might fit into

the larger mission of God, and suggest how this might apply to our lives today.

The chapter begins with Elijahs announcement to King Ahab that Yahweh is the one and only true God,

and prophesied that there would be no dew or rain until he gave the word. This was a direct challenge to

Baal, the Canaanite god of storm and raina challenge issued by Yahweh, the God of the desert! (Arnold

231). The drought began immediately, and displayed the sovereignty and power of the Lord. In this case it was

specifically over the widely accepted false god of the time, Baal, who would be proven powerless later at Mount

Carmel. After giving the word the Lord to Ahab, he was told by God to hide beside a brook. Elijah went, and

had water to drink as well as bread and meat that God delivered to him using ravens, which was the first

instance in Elijahs life where we see divine provision. Because of the drought, however, the brook soon dried

up due to the drought and he was directed to meet a widow in a town called Zarapheth who will feed him.

The widow who Elijah meets is preparing to die with her son because the drought has caused them to

run out of food. When Elijah asked her for water she immediately went to go get it, which prompted him to ask

for bread as well. She then swore by the Lord, Elijahs God, that she had no bread, and only enough supplies to

cook a final meal for her and her son. Elijah then tested her faith and obedience by asking that she provide him

with bread first, promising that Yahweh will ensure that that the flour and oil will not run out until the drought

is over. As the widow trusts Elijahs God and obeys, the word is confirmed, and her supplies do not run out.

Again, divine provision is shown where there is trust and obedience, and the God of Israel is shown to be the

giver and sustainer of life. This is also significant in displaying the Lords power, as the town Zarapheth was in

the center of Baal territory in Phoenicia, Not only was Baal incapable of overcoming the drought, but the

provision of Yahweh for the faithful prophet takes place in the heart of Baal territory (Konkel 296).


3/8

3Some time later, the widows only son became very sick and died. She understood this to be

evidence that Elijah is actually not a benevolent prophet to a foreign woman, but a man who has brought

condemnation and punishment for her sins through the sickness and death of her son. Her question, What have

you done to me? (1 Kings 17:18) implies that Elijah has come to meddle in her affairs, and is causing her grief

(Konkel 297). Elijah then replied, Give me your son, and took her sons body and carried it upstairs to his

private room. Elijah then cried out in petition with God asking why He caused such disaster to fall on a helpless

widow, who opened up her home to him, and pleaded that God would restore the childs life. In Elijahs earnest

prayer, God heard his plea, and brought the child back to life. When Elijah brought the widows son back down

to her alive she declared, Now I know for sure that you are a man of God and that the Lord truly speaks

through you. (1 Kings 17:24) This once again re-affirms Gods power for giving and sustaining life.

Many of these events are overlaid with principles that fit into Gods larger mission, and also find

application to our lives today. Elijahs pronouncement of drought and the following provision serve as the

beginnings in a story of Gods supreme power and authority over all other gods; in this case, the common false

god was Baal. The drought that Elijah prophesied was, first of all, the nations punishment for Idolatry, and a

challenge, used to expose the powerlessness of Baal over Yahweh. This would eventually be concluded at

Mount Carmel, Baals home turf where, Yahweh was vindicated, and Elijahs Baalite antagonists were

slaughtered (Achtemeier 280). The Lord was, is, and always will be the only God, all-powerful, creator of the

universe. If we have false gods such as figures like Baal or Ashera, statues, money, power, popularity, or

anything else that we trust more than God, we should recognize that we are holding building our house on sand.

They will all be proven worthless when the time of confrontation arises.

Gods provision to his people is not at all uncommon throughout life and scripture. These miraculous

provisions simply serve to re-enforce the principle that God, will give you all you need from day to day if you

live for Him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern (Matthew 6:33). It is also interesting to

observe how the divine provision to Elijah at the brook was bread in the morning and meat in the evening. This


4/8

4is pretty much identical to the provision to the Israelites in the desert after the crossing of the Red Sea

(Exodus 16:8,12). The endless supply of oil and flour is also very similar to the multiplication of food when

Jesus fed the 5000.

The principle of sowing and reaping that Jesus taught on also appears very evidently in the story of the

widow feeding Elijah. Widows are generally under economic hardship, and in this case she had next to nothing

left to eat, and was preparing to die with her son. When Elijah asked her for some bread she swore that she had

no bread and only enough flour to feed herself and her son, but God promised that if she fed Elijah first, the

supplies wouldnt run out till the drought was over. When she decided to obey and give what little she had in

faith, she was rewarded with an unending supply of oil and flour. The principle that God blesses those who give

sacrificially in faith, follow, and trust God with everything is seen all throughout scripture. This event also

seems to be evidence of the truth mentioned in Malachi 3:8-12. If you give tithes and offerings, then God will

open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you wont have enough room to take it

in! Jesus also speaks of this when he addresses the people of the widows offering in Mark 12:41-44. We must

remember that God is faithful to, and provides for those who trust Him even with what little they have. What we

give will often be returned to us abundantly, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.

Some time after Elijahs visit the widows only son became very sick and eventually died. She assumed

that Elijah was evidently a prophet sent to condemn her household and condemn her sins. She asked Elijah,

What have you done to me? This is a typical example of the retribution theology that had been widely

accepted at the time and remains even today. Whether an infirmity exists to serve Gods purposes, is a result of

the enemys work, was introduced because of sin, or was simply because reasons explainable by biology cannot

be figured out by any infallible formula. In this case we are not told, however, it seems evident that the cause

was not sin, contrary to what the widow suspected. We must recognize that the cause of sickness or tragedy is

often hidden and not our job to judge, however there is something that it seems we are always called to, which

is intercession.


5/8

5With faith, Elijah took the boys dead body from his mother and brought it upstairs to his room,

and cried out to God, Why have you brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her house to me, causing

her son to die. He then stretched himself over the child three times, which was likely an acted out prayer

typical of the prophets and cried out in intercession shouting, O Lord my God, please let this childs life return

to him! The Lord heard his prayer the child came back to life. It is rare that God does not hear the prayers of a

righteous man offered in full faith, God has authority over every other power, even sickness and death. We

witness this in many instances in the Old Testament, but it has never been truer than it is today. During Jesus

crucifixion and resurrection the powers of sickness and death were defeated; It was our sickness he carried; it

was our diseases that weighed him down He was whipped and we were healed (Isaiah 53:4-5). Throughout

all of scripture we can see that intercessory prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have and is

capable of bringing forth some of the mightiest of miracles. The same is true today! Never doubt the power of

prayer or allow yourself to believe your prayers are offered in vain.

When the widow was presented with her resurrected son she told Elijah, Now I know for sure that you

are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you (1 Kings 17:24). In the life ofMoses, Joshua,

Elijah, Elisha, several other profits, Jesus, and the spirit-filled believers of the New Testament Church we can

see recurring incidences where Gods words are confirmed through signs, wonders, and miracles. As a result

people are captivated, believe and turn to God. The words of the widow in this instance explicitly prove that this

is one of those instances, and it is therefore safe to assume that this is one of the methods in which God uses to

reveal himself. A recent recognition of this in some Christian circles has lead to a rebirth of what many refer to

as power evangelism. One website states that, He (God) empowers us to share the gospel and also to prove it

through miracles, signs and wonders like healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead and casting out

demons. Thats His kingdom come. Thats His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. Thats power

evangelism! (King) The miracles that occurred through Jesus and the apostles were seen as their credentials.

Is there any more effective way is to validate the truth of the gospel to a devout Muslim, Sikh, or anyone else


6/8

6than to show God instantaneously heal one of their disabled, or display Gods power through another

scientific impossibility?

Gods power is supreme above all other powers, and He is source, center, sustainer, and giver of life.

We can see Gods work in and through Elijah and the widow, and know that God is faithful to His word; He

provides for, protects, sustains, and hears the prayers of His followers.


7/8

7Works Cited

Achtemeier, Paul J. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. 2nd Ed. New York, NY: The Society of Bible Literature.HarperCollins Publishers, 1996.

Arnold, Bill T, and Beyer, Bryan E. Encountering the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books

Publishing Company, 1999.

King, Patricia. "About Power Evangelism." Extreme Prophetic. 2006. Christian Services Association. 4 Dec

2007 .

Konkel, August H. The NIV Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings. Grand Rapids, MI:

ZondervanPublishingHouse, 2006.

The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). International Bible Society. Zondervan, 1984.


8/8

8

Donovan Neufeldts Mission Statement

ot event study

Documents