Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

As a judgment from God against the wickedness of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel, the prophet Elijah had brought a drought upon the land that caused all the rivers in the land to dry up, and the food supply to become very scarce (1 Kings 17). God at first provided for Elijah by telling him to drink from Cherith Brook, and by commanding the ravens to bring Elijah meat to eat.

After the brook dried up, God told Elijah to go to the village of Zarephath, near Sidon, where He had commanded a widow to give Elijah food and drink. When Elijah found this widow, she was gathering sticks to kindle a fire on which she was going to make cakes using the last bit of meal and oil that she possessed, after which she expected that she and her son would then starve to death, since there would be no more food.

Elijah told her to first make him a cake with the meal and oil that she had left. Elijah told her that, if she did this, then God would assure that her supplies of meal (which was kept in a barrel) and oil (which was kept in a cruse, or jar) would miraculously keep replenishing themselves, and would not waste or fail (that is, become unusable or run out), so that there would continue to be food for all three of them (Elijah, the widow, and her son).

This replenishment continued for three years (during which there was still no rain), until Elijah was instructed by God to go to King Ahab to confront him about his wickedness.

July 17 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report