1 Kings 17:13, commentary and pictures

Elijah, hidden by Cherith and then driven by drought and danger in Israel, was sent to a heathen Gentile widow of Zarephath in Sidon, whom he met gathering sticks at the city gate in famine and asked first for water and then for bread. She was poverty-stricken down to her last morsel and expecting to eat with her son and die, and his word to fear not but make a little cake for him first and afterward for herself and her son tested her faith to the utmost on God's promise to keep her meal and oil from failing. She bore witness to her faith by sharing in hospitality and trust, and God by daily miracle sustained Elijah and preserved her and her son, showing His loving care. She lived faithfully by the light she had with kindness and liberality and became an asylum for God's servant, and she stands counted more righteous than God's chosen people whose unbelief, rebellion and rejection of warnings cut them off from blessing. God sent Elijah to this Sidonian widow rather than to the many widows in Israel because He could not trust him with Israel, as Jesus recalled to show blessing going to Gentiles willing to trust, and His care then assures His self-sacrificing people that though in hardship they will be shielded and supplied and need not cling to earthly treasure for fear of want.

Setting and Meaning

The woman is the widow of Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon or Sidon and is called Sarepta in New Testament times. She is a heathen Gentile woman, not an Israelite, without the privileges and blessings of the chosen people. After denouncing judgment on Ahab for apostasy, Elijah had been hidden for many months by the brook Cherith and fed morning and evening by miracle. The continued drought dried the brook, and with no safety for him in Israel from hatred and Jezebel's power, God sent him to find refuge, asylum, protection and help in a heathen land.

Elijah met the widow at the gate of the city gathering sticks during the three-and-a-half-year drought and famine. He first asked her for a little water to drink and then for a morsel of bread, which leads to the command in the verse. She is poverty-stricken with almost no food left, down to her last morsel on the very day her meager fare seems about to fail. She and her son are near starvation and expect to eat and die.

In the verse Elijah tells her not to fear and to go and do as she had said. But she is to share her scarce food by making a little cake first for him and bringing it to him. And afterward she is to make food for herself and for her son. His instruction tests to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. It rests on God's promise to keep the meal and oil from running out until rain returns.

Trust and Provision

Even in dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by complying with the word fear not and sharing her morsel with the prophet. She had almost no food left for herself and her son, down to her last morsel on the very day her meager fare seemed about to fail, when she expected to eat and die with her son, yet when asked for scarce food before preparing for herself and her son she gave a small cake first. That obedience in sharing with God's prophet was hospitality and generosity, and it was faith and trust in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities, tested to the utmost.

His direction to make a little cake first for him and bring it to him, and afterward make for herself and her son, rested on God's promise to keep the meal and oil from running out until rain returns, given when she and her child were near starvation. The meal and oil then lasted as God had promised, by a daily miracle that sustained Elijah and sustained her and her son and preserved their lives. That constant provision for Elijah and the widow's family showed His loving care and gave reason to trust, provision that should have kept Elijah from ever distrusting God.

By giving to him first in time of want and receiving God's provision, with her life and her son's life preserved in return for sharing her small portion, her act illustrates God's promise to bless those who give sympathy and help to others who are more needy and in need. God's care for Elijah during famine shows He will likewise care for His self-sacrificing people and self-sacrificing children who trust Him. Though they may suffer hardship and lack food, even in famine, they will not be left to perish but will be shielded and supplied with food and water and what they need. The assurance that their bread and water will be sure encourages them to give their possessions to advance His work rather than cling to earthly treasure from fear of want.

Light Accepted and Rejected

Though a heathen, the widow was a believer in the true God who walked in all the light shining on her pathway. She was favored and commanded to sustain Elijah because she lived faithfully according to the light she had, doing right as far as she could distinguish right from wrong. She had followed the light she received with kindness and liberality and was open to greater light from God through the prophet. By her care for Elijah during the famine her home became an asylum and refuge for God's servant.

Her faithfulness stands in contrast to people with greater light and privileges who profess godliness but live contrary to it. Israel's unbelief, rebellion, misuse of privileges, and rejection of warnings kept God from working for them and cut them off from the channel of blessing. She lived up to the light she had received amid that unbelief and rebellion, and so is counted more righteous than God's chosen people who turned from Him and sacrificed principle for convenience and worldly honor.

During Israel's apostasy and famine God sent Elijah to this Sidonian widow rather than to the many widows in Israel. He could not trust him with Israel. She was a heathen woman who lived faithfully according to the light she had received, responding with kindness and liberality, so God sustained Elijah and provided for her.

Jesus recalled the event to show that Elijah was sent to a widow outside Israel rather than to the many widows in Israel. It is connected to His reminder that God's prophets brought blessings to Gentiles when Israel rejected God. His ministry as a prophet chosen for a special work reached those willing to trust the evidence God gave.

Hatred forced Elijah to flee for safety and seek help, refuge, succor, protection and support from the widow of Sarepta. That hatred was born of bigotry and self-righteousness, and her home among the heathen gave him refuge when he was unsafe among those who had rejected heavenly light. The episode shows that a servant of God may be driven to seek protection and help beyond the people who have rejected God's light, finding safety and support among Gentiles. This is compared with Paul's greater safety among heathen rulers than before Jewish authorities.