(REFLECTIONS ON 1 Kings 17:1-24)

As Elijah enters the picture, during a time that the king of Israel, Ahab has led Israel away from the Lord, we see an amazing interaction between the prophet of the Lord and a widow.

The stage is first set with Elijah saying to Ahab,

1 “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Indeed a time of drought and famine came. It was at this time that the Lord commanded Elijah to arise and go to Zarephath to be provided for by a widow.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

However, the widow was already preparing her last meal with her son so that they could eat and die because hopelessness from the drought and famine had entered their hearts.

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14 “For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.”

Although the widow was prepared for death, both for her and her son, Elijah, prophet of the Lord, gave them a message of hope. What would her response be? Hopelessness or hope?

15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.

She chose hope, and in hope she continued to live. However, what tragedy struck her family when in hope, her son become sick and died. Elijah brought a message of hope, turning the widow and her household from hopelessness to hope, but where did the hope lead them? Death?

21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.

The Lord heard the voice of Elijah and hope was restored and fulfilled. Then the woman said to Elijah,

“Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

The widow trusted in the Lord’s words from Elijah, and had hope from these words, even through she wasn’t sure if he was a man of God until later. It is a reminder that we should not wait until we know, but should start walking in faith today.

In fact, walking in faith means that we perhaps don’t know or haven’t seen, but we trust, and choose hope despite hopelessness. Let us then with faith wait upon the Lord, trust in Him, so that one day we will know and see His work in our midsts.

Just as the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, the Lord is also waiting to hear our voice. The voice of His sons and daughters, the voice of His church, crying out to Him in hope despite hopelessness, so that He can reveal His amazing grace in our lives.

The voice of Elijah represents our voice in prayer and worship, that can lead those who are hoping in faith to see and experience the Lord in real ways in their life.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 1 Kings 17