And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
After the brook Cherith dried up Elijah in obedience left Israel for Zarephath of Sidon, and at the city gate found the widow gathering sticks and as she went to fetch water first asked for water and then called after her for a morsel of bread in her hand in a time of severe famine when food was nearly gone. She was a heathen Gentile woman of Sarepta who never shared Israel's privileges, yet she believed in the true God and lived faithfully up to all the light on her pathway. Though many widows were in Israel, he was sent outside Israel to her because Israel's unbelief and apostasy caused God to pass them by, and God commanded and entrusted her to sustain him and give him asylum in her home. The call for bread while her own supply was nearly gone tested whether she would trust God and share her last morsel with a stranger, and she shared her small portion and made a home for God's servant. Her hospitality was met with a daily miracle that preserved her life and her son's life, showing that God sustains His faithful self-sacrificing servants and children through scarcity so they have bread and water sure, and that giving help to others in need brings His blessing.
Famine Setting and Request
After the brook Cherith dried up from continued drought, Elijah in obedience to God's direction left Israel for Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon, also called Sidon and Sarepta, where there was no safety for him among his own people. At the gate of the city he found the widow gathering sticks, and as she was going to fetch water he first asked her for water and then called after her for a morsel of bread in her hand. Driven from his own people, he sought help from her in this way, and her willingness to respond while fetching water reflected the kindness for which she was entrusted with God's servant.
The request comes during a severe famine from a three-and-a-half-year drought, when food is scarce and nearly gone. It was a time of great famine in which Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath in Sidon rather than to any of Israel's many widows. She was favored in this scarcity because she had followed the light she had received and was open to the greater light brought through the prophet.
The verse belongs to Elijah's work in the northern kingdom that leads to his stern confrontation with King Ahab, where the charge is that Ahab and his father's house, not Elijah, have troubled Israel. The encounter at the gate begins a daily miracle that provides food for Elijah and the widow's family, keeping them supplied and showing God's care for them. Together with the provision by the brook Cherith, this daily supply stands as blessed evidence of God's love and care that should have kept him from ever distrusting God.
Gentile Widow Chosen for Faith
The woman Elijah meets at the gate is the widow of Zarephath, also called Sarepta in Sidon, a heathen Gentile woman and not an Israelite who never shared the privileges and blessings of God's chosen people. She believes in the true God and walks in all the light shining on her pathway, living faithfully according to it with kindness and liberality. She is receptive and open to the light she has received and to the greater light God brings through Elijah.
Although many widows are in Israel, Elijah is sent outside Israel to her, passing over the widows in Israel because of Israel's unbelief, apostasy, and rebellion. God cannot trust him with Israel, for unbelief and rebellion have turned God away from His chosen people to those in a heathen land who have not rejected the light from heaven. By living up to all the light she has, she is accounted more righteous than God's backslidden people who sacrificed principle to convenience and worldly honor. Those with greater religious light forfeit it through unbelief and lives contradicting their profession, while she who lives up to the light she has stands in a more favorable position before God than those who neglect greater light and become hardhearted and less open to truth.
God specially favors her, commands her, and entrusts her to sustain Elijah and give him asylum and care in her home. Her willingness to help reflects the kindness and liberality for which she is entrusted with God's servant, and she welcomes him and makes a home for him. Driven from his own people with no safety among them, Elijah flees hatred, malice, and danger to seek protection, refuge, succor, and help among the heathen. With backsliding Israel there is no safety for the faithful messenger of God, so God gives him asylum among the heathen from the malice of His professed people, and a prophet is safer there than among those who reject heaven's light and harden their hearts against the truth.
Her story, cited by Jesus at Nazareth, is an example of God's blessings and power reaching Gentiles. God's power is especially displayed through faithful prophets for people willing to respond with faith rather than for an unbelieving, hard-hearted people.
Hospitality Tested and Provided
As she was going to fetch water, the call for a morsel of bread in her hand came when her food was nearly gone in severe famine, testing whether she would trust God to provide and share her last morsel with a stranger. She shared her small portion and morsel of food with God's prophet and made a home for God's servant. Her hospitality was met with miraculous sustenance that preserved her life and her son's life. Giving help to others in a time of need brings God's blessing.
After the brook Cherith dried up, the encounter began a daily miracle that provided food for Elijah and the widow's family, showing God's care for them. God provided for His servant even when food was scarce, sustaining His faithful, self-sacrificing servants and children through scarcity so that even in famine they will not be left to perish but will have bread and water sure and their needs supplied, while the wicked perish for lack of bread. Together with the provision by the brook Cherith, the daily supply stands as blessed evidence of God's love and care that should have kept him from ever distrusting God.
After the brook Cherith dried up Elijah in obedience left Israel for Zarephath of Sidon, and at the city gate found the widow gathering sticks and as she went to fetch water first asked for water and then called after her for a morsel of bread in her hand in a time of severe famine when food was nearly gone.
She was a heathen Gentile woman of Sarepta who never shared Israel's privileges, yet she believed in the true God and lived faithfully up to all the light on her pathway.
Though many widows were in Israel, he was sent outside Israel to her because Israel's unbelief and apostasy caused God to pass them by, and God commanded and entrusted her to sustain him and give him asylum in her home.
The call for bread while her own supply was nearly gone tested whether she would trust God and share her last morsel with a stranger, and she shared her small portion and made a home for God's servant.
Her hospitality was met with a daily miracle that preserved her life and her son's life, showing that God sustains His faithful self-sacrificing servants and children through scarcity so they have bread and water sure, and that giving help to others in need brings His blessing.
Famine Setting and Request
After the brook Cherith dried up from continued drought, Elijah in obedience to God's direction left Israel for Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon, also called Sidon and Sarepta, where there was no safety for him among his own people. At the gate of the city he found the widow gathering sticks, and as she was going to fetch water he first asked her for water and then called after her for a morsel of bread in her hand. Driven from his own people, he sought help from her in this way, and her willingness to respond while fetching water reflected the kindness for which she was entrusted with God's servant.
The request comes during a severe famine from a three-and-a-half-year drought, when food is scarce and nearly gone. It was a time of great famine in which Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath in Sidon rather than to any of Israel's many widows. She was favored in this scarcity because she had followed the light she had received and was open to the greater light brought through the prophet.
The verse belongs to Elijah's work in the northern kingdom that leads to his stern confrontation with King Ahab, where the charge is that Ahab and his father's house, not Elijah, have troubled Israel. The encounter at the gate begins a daily miracle that provides food for Elijah and the widow's family, keeping them supplied and showing God's care for them. Together with the provision by the brook Cherith, this daily supply stands as blessed evidence of God's love and care that should have kept him from ever distrusting God.
Gentile Widow Chosen for Faith
The woman Elijah meets at the gate is the widow of Zarephath, also called Sarepta in Sidon, a heathen Gentile woman and not an Israelite who never shared the privileges and blessings of God's chosen people. She believes in the true God and walks in all the light shining on her pathway, living faithfully according to it with kindness and liberality. She is receptive and open to the light she has received and to the greater light God brings through Elijah.
Although many widows are in Israel, Elijah is sent outside Israel to her, passing over the widows in Israel because of Israel's unbelief, apostasy, and rebellion. God cannot trust him with Israel, for unbelief and rebellion have turned God away from His chosen people to those in a heathen land who have not rejected the light from heaven. By living up to all the light she has, she is accounted more righteous than God's backslidden people who sacrificed principle to convenience and worldly honor. Those with greater religious light forfeit it through unbelief and lives contradicting their profession, while she who lives up to the light she has stands in a more favorable position before God than those who neglect greater light and become hardhearted and less open to truth.
God specially favors her, commands her, and entrusts her to sustain Elijah and give him asylum and care in her home. Her willingness to help reflects the kindness and liberality for which she is entrusted with God's servant, and she welcomes him and makes a home for him. Driven from his own people with no safety among them, Elijah flees hatred, malice, and danger to seek protection, refuge, succor, and help among the heathen. With backsliding Israel there is no safety for the faithful messenger of God, so God gives him asylum among the heathen from the malice of His professed people, and a prophet is safer there than among those who reject heaven's light and harden their hearts against the truth.
Her story, cited by Jesus at Nazareth, is an example of God's blessings and power reaching Gentiles. God's power is especially displayed through faithful prophets for people willing to respond with faith rather than for an unbelieving, hard-hearted people.
Hospitality Tested and Provided
As she was going to fetch water, the call for a morsel of bread in her hand came when her food was nearly gone in severe famine, testing whether she would trust God to provide and share her last morsel with a stranger. She shared her small portion and morsel of food with God's prophet and made a home for God's servant. Her hospitality was met with miraculous sustenance that preserved her life and her son's life. Giving help to others in a time of need brings God's blessing.
After the brook Cherith dried up, the encounter began a daily miracle that provided food for Elijah and the widow's family, showing God's care for them. God provided for His servant even when food was scarce, sustaining His faithful, self-sacrificing servants and children through scarcity so that even in famine they will not be left to perish but will have bread and water sure and their needs supplied, while the wicked perish for lack of bread. Together with the provision by the brook Cherith, the daily supply stands as blessed evidence of God's love and care that should have kept him from ever distrusting God.