And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
She went and did as Elijah asked, taking him into her care and sharing her last food with him, and she and he and her household ate for many days because God kept His promise that the meal and oil would not fail. In doing so she met the greatest test of faith, risking suffering and want for herself and her son by showing supreme hospitality to God's prophet in trust that the God of Israel would supply her need. Though a heathen woman outside Israel's privileges, she was a believer in the true God who had walked faithfully in all the light shining on her pathway, and God favored her with the care of His prophet and greater light through him. God sent Elijah to her rather than to the many widows in Israel, to bless hearts open to faith and to show that His mercy reaches beyond Israel to Gentiles while unbelief turns Him away from His professed people. Her sharing her morsel was met with the preservation of her life and her son's life, showing that God will sustain His faithful people in famine and distress and give a prophet's reward to those who in trial and want give sympathy and help to others more needy.
Setting and Outcome
The verse places Elijah in a heathen land at Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon and was known in New Testament times as Sarepta, a city of Sidon. There was no safety for him in Israel because of unbelief, rebellion and hatred, so God sent him there to find asylum in the home of a widow He had commanded to sustain him. She gave him refuge and support and took him into her care when hatred forced him to flee. She was not an Israelite and had never had the privileges and blessings of the chosen people, but she was a believer in the true God who had walked in all the light shining on her pathway.
Elijah met her at the gate of the city gathering sticks, and asked her first to fetch a little water to drink and then to bring a morsel of bread. She went and did according to his saying, welcoming him, receiving him into her care, and sharing her last food and morsel with him. She and he and her house then ate for many days through the famine, as God's promised supply of meal and oil did not fail. Her hospitality and sharing of her food were followed by God sustaining her household and preserving their lives, and her kindness and faithfulness to the light she had received made her a refuge for God's servant.
God worked a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's family supplied with food after the brook Cherith became dry. This continued care followed the morning and evening food at Cherith and was evidence of God's love and care for Elijah.
Faithfulness and Divine Favor
The widow met the greatest test of faith that could be required, in a supreme act of hospitality to God's prophet. She had hitherto treated all strangers with kindness and liberality, but to obey Elijah's word now meant risking suffering and want for herself and her son. She did it trusting the God of Israel to supply her every need, and her obedience was wonderful hospitality springing from faith and generosity. In return she and Elijah and her household ate for many days, as God had promised.
She was a heathen woman who had lived faithfully according to all the light she had received. God favored her by providing an asylum for Elijah in her care and by giving her special favor through His prophet. Her response to the light she had made her open to further blessing and greater light from God through the prophet. God favors those who follow the light they have, even when they are heathen, rather than people with greater religious light whose lives contradict their profession.
Her faithfulness made her an example of one who lived up to the light given her and was accounted more righteous than backslidden Israel. This stands in contrast to Israel's unbelief and rebellion, rejection of the light from heaven and of God's warnings, and failure to live by great light and privileges, with some sacrificing principle to convenience and worldly honor. Elijah was sheltered and fed in the land of the heathen widow who obeyed him, while Israel had hardened their hearts against the truth, so that he was safer among the heathen than among those who had rejected heaven's light. Those who live up to the light they have are more open to God than those who receive much light but do not live by it.
God sent Elijah to her rather than to the many widows in Israel. He displayed His power through Elijah among people whose hearts were open to faith, for the prophets' work was not centered on unbelieving, hard-hearted people, but on those willing to receive the evidence God gave. Jesus used the event to show that God's mercy and blessing reached beyond Israel to Gentiles. The story of the Gentile widow of Zarephath receiving blessing through Elijah provoked the national pride of His hearers at Nazareth.
Her receiving Elijah gives with Paul another case of a servant of God finding among the heathen an asylum from the malice of the professed people of Jehovah. It proves the truth Christ declared at Nazareth that pride and unbelief turn God away from His chosen people to bless and save those outside who honor the light.
Hospitality Reward and Provision
The widow obeyed Elijah's word and shared her food, her last morsel, with him, and she and he and her household then ate for many days through the famine. Her hospitality was met in return with the preservation of her own life and her son's life, and her whole household was sustained. This means God has promised great blessing to all who in time of trial and want give sympathy and assistance to others more needy. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah, and Christ's promise that he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward is still sure.
The verse illustrates that God will provide for His faithful people in times of famine and distress so that they will not be left to perish. It assures those who trust God and sacrifice for Him that He will provide for them and their bread and water will be sure, even when the wicked around them perish for lack of bread.
She went and did as Elijah asked, taking him into her care and sharing her last food with him, and she and he and her household ate for many days because God kept His promise that the meal and oil would not fail. In doing so she met the greatest test of faith, risking suffering and want for herself and her son by showing supreme hospitality to God's prophet in trust that the God of Israel would supply her need. Though a heathen woman outside Israel's privileges, she was a believer in the true God who had walked faithfully in all the light shining on her pathway, and God favored her with the care of His prophet and greater light through him. God sent Elijah to her rather than to the many widows in Israel, to bless hearts open to faith and to show that His mercy reaches beyond Israel to Gentiles while unbelief turns Him away from His professed people. Her sharing her morsel was met with the preservation of her life and her son's life, showing that God will sustain His faithful people in famine and distress and give a prophet's reward to those who in trial and want give sympathy and help to others more needy.
Setting and Outcome
The verse places Elijah in a heathen land at Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon and was known in New Testament times as Sarepta, a city of Sidon. There was no safety for him in Israel because of unbelief, rebellion and hatred, so God sent him there to find asylum in the home of a widow He had commanded to sustain him. She gave him refuge and support and took him into her care when hatred forced him to flee. She was not an Israelite and had never had the privileges and blessings of the chosen people, but she was a believer in the true God who had walked in all the light shining on her pathway.
Elijah met her at the gate of the city gathering sticks, and asked her first to fetch a little water to drink and then to bring a morsel of bread. She went and did according to his saying, welcoming him, receiving him into her care, and sharing her last food and morsel with him. She and he and her house then ate for many days through the famine, as God's promised supply of meal and oil did not fail. Her hospitality and sharing of her food were followed by God sustaining her household and preserving their lives, and her kindness and faithfulness to the light she had received made her a refuge for God's servant.
God worked a daily miracle to keep Elijah and the widow's family supplied with food after the brook Cherith became dry. This continued care followed the morning and evening food at Cherith and was evidence of God's love and care for Elijah.
Faithfulness and Divine Favor
The widow met the greatest test of faith that could be required, in a supreme act of hospitality to God's prophet. She had hitherto treated all strangers with kindness and liberality, but to obey Elijah's word now meant risking suffering and want for herself and her son. She did it trusting the God of Israel to supply her every need, and her obedience was wonderful hospitality springing from faith and generosity. In return she and Elijah and her household ate for many days, as God had promised.
She was a heathen woman who had lived faithfully according to all the light she had received. God favored her by providing an asylum for Elijah in her care and by giving her special favor through His prophet. Her response to the light she had made her open to further blessing and greater light from God through the prophet. God favors those who follow the light they have, even when they are heathen, rather than people with greater religious light whose lives contradict their profession.
Her faithfulness made her an example of one who lived up to the light given her and was accounted more righteous than backslidden Israel. This stands in contrast to Israel's unbelief and rebellion, rejection of the light from heaven and of God's warnings, and failure to live by great light and privileges, with some sacrificing principle to convenience and worldly honor. Elijah was sheltered and fed in the land of the heathen widow who obeyed him, while Israel had hardened their hearts against the truth, so that he was safer among the heathen than among those who had rejected heaven's light. Those who live up to the light they have are more open to God than those who receive much light but do not live by it.
God sent Elijah to her rather than to the many widows in Israel. He displayed His power through Elijah among people whose hearts were open to faith, for the prophets' work was not centered on unbelieving, hard-hearted people, but on those willing to receive the evidence God gave. Jesus used the event to show that God's mercy and blessing reached beyond Israel to Gentiles. The story of the Gentile widow of Zarephath receiving blessing through Elijah provoked the national pride of His hearers at Nazareth.
Her receiving Elijah gives with Paul another case of a servant of God finding among the heathen an asylum from the malice of the professed people of Jehovah. It proves the truth Christ declared at Nazareth that pride and unbelief turn God away from His chosen people to bless and save those outside who honor the light.
Hospitality Reward and Provision
The widow obeyed Elijah's word and shared her food, her last morsel, with him, and she and he and her household then ate for many days through the famine. Her hospitality was met in return with the preservation of her own life and her son's life, and her whole household was sustained. This means God has promised great blessing to all who in time of trial and want give sympathy and assistance to others more needy. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah, and Christ's promise that he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward is still sure.
The verse illustrates that God will provide for His faithful people in times of famine and distress so that they will not be left to perish. It assures those who trust God and sacrifice for Him that He will provide for them and their bread and water will be sure, even when the wicked around them perish for lack of bread.