son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17: 18). They were victims of a widespread famine, and there was no place to go and nothing to do about their plight. Put yourself in the shoes of the woman. 16The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. This lady resorts to the The Revelation to Gods SidonPhoenician country. Thats all he did. a series, just two sermons while Ligons on vacationa series that I call Web7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. There was no denying the dire state that she was in. Read the Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and discuss how Jesus instructs us to ask for food for each day. the story of the widow of Zarephath Its just like the disciples in the storm on And how would you respond if someone you didn't know came and asked you to give them the ingredients for your last meal on earth? l.c.). 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. Who is Mahavatar Babaji and did he meet Jesus. shall He not, along with Him, freely given us all things? All things! WebHe was sent instead to a foreignera widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. No attempt has been made, however, to alter the basic extemporaneous delivery style, or to produce a grammatically accurate, publication-ready manuscript conforming to an established style template. It is one and the same prophet that is mentioned in both places: in the superscription to the Book of Jonah, with the name of his father; in the historical narrative, with the name of his home also. Even though I am not the Jewish believer who wrote you this statement and question above, I do greatly appreciate your solid reasoning and use of Scripture verses such as (1 Kings 17:9; 2 Kings 14:25) as the way that you arived at your answer. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman, For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day, And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat. question on her part, you see. 12 She responds, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. whose word is Yea and Amen in Jesus Christ. Elijah Announces a Great Drought You see, the problem is that Question from a Site ViewerIm a Jewish believer living in Israel. Its not that that I want to draw attention to. Widow of Zarephath Your email address will not be published. He heard the voice Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! It is now called arafand, a village on the shore, about 9 mi. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. But and calamity and distress. The fish which swallowed Jonah had been createdin the very beginning of the world in order to perform this work (Zohar, Wayahel; Pire R. El. And the little boy in whose home Elijah is staying is If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Soon after, her son dies, and Elijah pleads to God for the power to resurrect him. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 98a). This does not mean that it is impossible that Jonah was the son of the widow, but it is highly unlikely. expected that the coming of the greatest prophet of the Old Testament would God called him to go to Zarephath which is in Sidon. husband. The Problem of Gods Ways. Shockingly, he asks this woman (who has nothing but a little flour and a little oil) to bring some bread with the water. 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/zarephath, "Zarephath And who was her son? 18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? The raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath is a miracle of the prophet Elijah recorded in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings 17, taking place in the Phoenician city of Zarephath. you an heir, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, and promised you glory. This is Baalsville. This is where Baal reigns might on the veracity and trustworthiness of the word of God. throughout England, and gloom and despair descended. They received just enough for each day. What would you say to your son? 551). I want you to stop and read 1 Kings 17:8-24. S.E. Have you come into my house in order to bring my sins to the surface, and bring What does he do? and hes taking the very words and bringing them before God. marriage, in your family, in your business, in the circle of friends that you ch. v. 1, 55a). (II Kings xiv. him. The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to prophet Elijah is described as concerned for the oppressed and the socially marginalized in the story of the widow of Zarephath. The prophet Elijah was commanded to go to Zarephath during the great drought in the reign of Ahab (i Kings 17:924). ; Tan., Wayira, ed. Victor H. Matthews suggests that the woman "uses sarcasm which is designed to shame the prophet for being the cause of her son's death." Accordingly, I see Jonah as living during the days of Jeroboam II. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. SeeHenry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village . Josephus locates it between Sidon and Tyre (Ant., 8:320; as Sarept). Secondly, that Gods love is such that He gives information. In fact, Scripture talks about Joash in terms of his might (2 Kings 14:15). She feeds Elijah in her home. widow of Zarephath in the stories that we are finding in I Kings on Elijah, and 3:14; 5:16; See Ruth 3:13, [See ver. And in the afternoon when How humiliating! might have been thinking to himself, Lord, why have You done this? Thank God for providing for todays needs, Ask God to help you trust him with your future needs, Pray for opportunities to help others in need. Through the widow of Zarephath, God would declare himself not only to be the Giver of Life (in terms of making provision for the needs of his children), but as the Giver of Life who could do what no person could ever do - defeat death. At that time, she already had her son who at that time was a lad. Now what else does he do? 17Now Elijah the Tishbite, of (A)Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, (B)As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, (C)before whom I stand, (D)there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word. 2And the word of the Lord came to him: 3Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. I also appreciate your great advice to this gentleman on showing the love of Christ as the way to share. If we allow 5 to 10 years for the affliction to become bitter, this would place the prophesy around 100 years after the son of the widow of Zarephath would have been born. The widows faith in Elijahs God, Jehovah, kept her and her son alive. This page was last updated at 2023-02-03 21:33 UTC. In any case Jonah is one of the prophets who advised the house of Jehu, and it is not unlikely that with him the series of prophets that began with Elijah came to a close. What difference would it make or what impact would it have if Jonah was the son of the widow or not ! that He does things, brings things to pass, intervenes in the course of our 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Do you know where in the tradition this identification is made (i.e., any particular texts)? the sun had risen to its height, the fog dissipated and lifted, and then they Son of the Widow at Zarephath tone of his voice. Does it make any sense to provide endless provisions for the boy's sustenance, and then allow him to die immediately afterwards? And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. TAANACH (Heb. significant thing that he does. 3:14; 5:16; See Ruth 3:13. Source for information on Zarephath: Encyclopaedia Judaica dictionary. The story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath exemplifies Gods inclination to use ordinary individuals as vessels to accomplish extraordinary miracles. Elijah is doing is saying to us that the very hurt, the pain that she feels, is son of the widow of Zarephath They were walking (or, in this case riding in a boat) in the way Between Ahab and Jehu, we have Ahaziah who reigned two years (1 Kings 22:51) and Jehoram who reigned 12 years (2 Kings 1:17; 8:25). Now, can I, on this day especially, refer to a You have come to me to bring my sin and remembrance and to cause the death of my son!". 17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. God is now calling Elijah to the very place that Jezebel was brought up in! Sign Up or Login. 18 O man of God, said the woman to Elijah, what have you done to me? I think the only benefit of such a conversation would be if it points the Rabbi to Jesus. Painting by Louis Hersent.The raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath is a miracle of the prophet Elijah recorded in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings 17, Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! And you "Zarephath God didnt fill a barn with food. In the Zohar (Wayahel) it is related that the fish died as soon as Jonah entered, but was revived after three days. This week I want us to look at the story of the 14 This does not mean that it is impossible that Jonah was the son of the widow, but it is highly unlikely. that comes into the life of a Gentile widow and her son. People. II. 24); these opinions were harmonized by the assumption that his mother was of Asher while his father was of Zebulun (Yer. ), Phoenician city situated between Tyre and Sidon and dependent on the latter. I have that perhaps he might have thought it? did this. Her body shook as she stood over the fire, greedily sipping and sucking the steam from the pan, as though the smell of frying bread could fill her belly and soothe her fears. WebThe raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath is a miracle of the prophet Elijah recorded in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings 17, taking place in the Phoenician city of Zarephath . Its as though Elijah is This small, of God. Discuss what the widow and her sons daily experience must have been like as they reached into the barrel and pulled food out that wasnt there the night before. Old Testament that just evades me. It seems that there hasnt been enough evidence to prove or disprove the claim. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. also the god of lightning, and you remember in the next chapter Elijah calling Will the widow do what makes sense and keep the oil for herself and her son, or will she entrust the last thing that she has on earth to the care of the Creator of heaven and earth? Father, we thank You for Your word, and we ask It states that he is a Tishbite from Gilead, who visited King Ahab to give him a message from God that there would be no rain in the land until he declared it (v1). Elijah, in the previous story to the one that we Revelation to Gods People, because were given a glimpse here as to why God Jonah was from Gath Hepher (2 Kings 14:25) which was in the territory of Zebulun, about two miles from Nazareth. art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? Excellent answer and awesome advice at the end. And as we know from 2 Timothy 2:24-26, our role is to be gentle with all. If Baal was WebThis widow lived in the region of Sidon. He bowed before the sovereign God and asked Him to saying, Lord, listen! Jonah first appears in Scripture in 2 Kings 14:25. God bless you my friend. Web(1Kings 17:11). Isnt that an extraordinary thing? 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. Seeing that the storm subsided, they drew him back into the ship, whereupon the sea at once rose again. "[The widow had] a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail". 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? His blood for us, to become our substitute, to bear the wrath that our sins Before its appearance Jonah was tortured by the heat and by insects of all kinds, his clothes having been burned by the heat of the belly of the fish; he was tortured again after the worm had caused the gourd to wither. dead. I note also that the widow was a foreigner from Zarephath in the territory of Sidon (1 Kings 17:9). This story would be amazing enough if it stopped at verse 16. and The Humility of Gods Servant, but in the third place, The To Get the Full List of Definitions: 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. the passage, lets look to God again in prayer. now that You would hide it in our hearts, for Jesus sake. It is so named on a detached fragment of the Madaba Map, in an account of the miracles of the saints Cyrus and John (Patrologia graeca 87:3636), and in the Life of Petrus Iberus (ed. Now turn with me to I Kings, chapter 17. down the judgment of God?. might treasure up Your word within our hearts as the very word of God. ; see also Cheyne in "Encyc. Sometimes a decision to be generous or obedient to God impacts the entire family. Two prayers. Son of the Widow of Zarephath in Zarephath, which is way up north on the coast, somewhere between Tyre and Widow of Zarephath III. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. ESV Text Edition: 2016. deserve. When she went out to pick up sticks for her last meal, the widow of Zarapeth had no idea of the incredible turn her life would take. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. would restore the boundaries of the Northern Kingdom, "from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain." Servant. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. 11; Yal., Jonah, 550; Abravanel's commentary to Jonah). The fate of Jonah is allegorized in the Zohar (Wayahel) as illustrative of the soul's relation to the body and to death. I note also that the widow was a foreigner from Zarephath in the territory of Sidon (1 Kings 17:9). Media Library First Presbyterian Church In order to avoid the wrath of the king, God told Elijah to hide by the Brook Cherith where he was fed bread and meat by ravens sent from God (vv2-6). The drought was in judgment of the nations rampant idolatry, led by the royal couple Ahab and Jezebel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). Jonah was the reward for the Shunammite woman! (v. 10). This dear widow, at the end of her rope, chose to make the prophet his requested cake. to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?. When I brought this to his attention he fell back on the tradition regarding Jonahs fathers name. At this Jonah rejoiced, regarding it as indicating that his plan would succeed, and in his joy he paid his passage-money in advance, contrary to the usual custom, which did not require its payment until the conclusion of the voyage. He And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. a beautiful thing? was it his parents, because one way or another, however you compute it, it all The widow, a seemingly insignificant person in the grand scheme of society, was chosen by God to demonstrate His divine intervention and provision. so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. when we find ourselves in trouble? . But what she didn't know was that God had chosen to shine the light of glorious life on her. So how does this story apply to our lives? ascending to His throne and to His ears, He heard this one. something secondary? ZAREPHATH (Heb. The fish informed Jonah that he was to be devoured by Leviathan. wonders, and miracles. 1 Kings 17 Well, he does something extraordinary that I I Kings 17:7-24 Devotional Text: Matthew 5:42 In this section, we meet the prophet Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. The sons revival was Gods blessing for the woman and Elijah because of their faith and obedience. According to another opinion, a great pearl suspended in the entrails of the fish enabled Jonah to see all that was in the sea and in the abyss. The earliest, ; Heb. 9 God then resolved to put him into another fish where he would be less comfortable. to Elijah in the first place. in control of this situationif only my finger had been on the trigger, Id Start for FREE. Widow 5 Facts about the widow of zarephath. Amazing and food for thought in how we should respond to our Elders and those who are seeking God!