1 Kings 17:16, commentary and pictures

According to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, the barrel of meal did not waste and the cruse of oil did not fail, for God worked a miracle every day to keep food for many days and preserve the lives of the widow, her household, and Elijah. Elijah had been hidden many months by the brook Cherith and fed morning and evening until it dried up in the drought, and with no safety for him in Israel, God directed him away to find refuge and succor in the widow's house at Zarephath of Zidon, where he met her gathering sticks at the gate of the city. That widow was a heathen, Gentile, Phoenician foreigner who never had the privileges of God's chosen people, yet she walked in all the light shining on her pathway and lived up to what she could distinguish as right. God passed over the many widows in Israel because apostasy, unbelief, hardness of heart, and rejection of light cut them off from the channel of blessing, and sent Elijah instead to a receptive stranger who was counted more righteous than those who had turned from Him. Her sharing of her last morsel with Elijah was the greatest possible test of faith and hospitality, trusting God to supply every need at the cost of suffering to herself and her child. That unfailing supply stands as a promise that God has not changed and His power is no less now, so that those who in time of trial give sympathy and assistance to others more needy will themselves be provided for and will not be left to perish.

Context and Unfailing Supply

The verse belongs to Elijah's stern confrontation with Ahab, in which Ahab and his father's house are charged with troubling Israel.
The widow lived at Zarephath, which belongs to Zidon and was called Sarepta in New Testament times, a city of Sidon in a heathen land.
It was there, at the gate of the city, that Elijah met her gathering sticks.

Before this, Elijah had remained hidden many months by the brook Cherith, where he was miraculously fed morning and evening.
The brook dried up because of the continued drought, during a famine brought on by apostasy.
With no safety for him in Israel from Jezebel's power and from hatred and hostility, God directed him away to a heathen land to find refuge, asylum, help and succor in the widow's house.

According to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, the barrel of meal did not waste and the cruse of oil did not fail.
God worked a miracle every day to keep food for many days.
So provision was kept for the widow, her son and child, her household, and Elijah, and their lives were preserved.

Faith Preferred to Privilege

The woman to whom the unfailing meal and oil were given was not an Israelite and had never shared the privileges and blessings of God's chosen people, but was a heathen, Gentile, Phoenician, foreign widow of Zarephath who believed in the true God. She walked in all the light shining on her pathway and lived up to the light she had received, doing right so far as she could distinguish right from wrong. She had a heart to feel and faith to believe, had always treated strangers with kindness and liberality, and was open to greater light. Her faithfulness to what she knew brought a special display of God's power, and her willingness to care for God's servant brought God's care in return.

God passed over the many widows in Israel because of apostasy, unbelief, rebellion, self-exaltation, hardness of heart, and rejection of warnings and light, which cut Israel off from the channel of blessing. He could not trust Elijah with Israel and would not make the hard-hearted and unbelieving the special subjects of this display of power. He sent him instead to a receptive foreign widow outside Israel, who was counted more righteous than His chosen people who had turned from Him.

Her sharing her last morsel with Elijah was the greatest possible test of faith and the supreme test of hospitality. It required her to trust the God of Israel to supply every need regardless of the suffering that might result to herself and her child. Prophets chosen for special work are not allowed to labor for a hard-hearted and unbelieving people while those with faith are favored. Even heathen who live by the best light they have are regarded with greater favor than those who have great light and make high pretensions to godliness while their daily lives contradict their profession, and those with great privilege who fail to live by it can be harder to reach.

Help for Others Today

The widow of Sarepta shared her food with Elijah and made a home for God's servant, and in return her supply was preserved and her life and her son's life were saved. Her sharing cheerfully for God's glory brought provision to those who gave as well as to those they welcomed. The verse means that God has promised great blessing to all who in time of trial and want give sympathy and assistance to others more needy. That promise is linked with the Saviour's word that he that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.

God has not changed, and His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah, and the promise is no less sure now. He can provide for His faithful people in times of severe want, and for His self-sacrificing children even in famine. They may suffer privation, but they will not be left to perish. Even in famine they will be satisfied, and their bread and water will be sure, while the wicked perish for lack of bread.

God worked a miracle every day to keep Elijah and the widow's family supplied with food after the brook Cherith dried, first sending Elijah food morning and evening by the brook away from Jezebel's power and then sending him to the widow of Zarephath for safety. This unfailing daily supply was evidence of God's love and care that should have kept Elijah from ever distrusting God. During the famine Elijah was sent to a widow at Sarepta, a city of Sidon, rather than to the many widows in Israel, showing that God's care and mercy were not limited to Israel. That providing for the Gentile widow at Zarephath was part of the blessings Jesus recalled when confronting the pride of His hearers.