the widow of zarephath showed hospitality to prophet

Their mutual love of hospitality is not rooted in their religious or ethnic understanding, instead it is rooted in their shared humanity and love of God. First, she seemed to be unaware of this command. Even if he had any doubts, Elijah began a conversation with the woman. These women challenged the beliefs and practices of their day. She did not refer to Jehovah as my God. She lived in Zarephath, a town that belonged to the Phoenician city of Sidon. Not only that, but the debt collector is trying to take away her two sons and turn them into slaves. Episode 86: Fat Torah with Minna Bromberg. The Widow of Zarephath didnt blame Elijah or the LORD for the death of her son. Elijah was feed by ravens for many days. She left a legacy of faith that has lasted for generations. Here is a prayer for you Lord, I pray you will be with your servant Shelmith. As we read more about her, we will learn some very important lessons. The widow of Zarephath plays a small but important role in Elijahs story. Holstein, Joanne The Widow of Zarephath:. Becker Bible Studies Library Apr 2015.. How special that Elisha involved the sons in the gathering and filling. However, Jesus spoke well of her, so she may have become a faithful servant of Jehovah. At Zarephath the prophet was shown hospitality by a poor widow, whose flour and oil were miraculously sustained during a great famine and whose son Elijah, in God's power, subsequently raised from death. return false; A Phoenician town 'belonging to' or apparently dependent upon Sidon in Elijah's day. Rather, because she received him hospitably and attended to him, this hospitality is ascribed to her, and she also merited having Elijah revive her son (Cant. 4). BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. When we suffer trials, we need to look for Jehovahs guidance in the Scriptures and in our publications. Join the women of prayer simulstudy Coming January 9, All Gods Women Bible Study Facebook group, Shunammite Woman: Cool, Calm, Collected Sharon Wilharm Christian Storyteller. It was then that the widow knew that Elijah was a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth. Are you open to hearing His voice when He speaks through others? Elijah could be seen as taking advantage of the vulnerable in society.Nevertheless, she was quite giving. The woman said to Elijah (v. 18): [] that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my son? In the midrashic expansion, she tells him: Until you came here, God would weigh my actions in comparison with the local people, and I would be found worthy. We are totally dependent of the Lord in every aspect of our lives. she wondered. Here are a few details about her that will help you to understand her story. Just as Elijah had promised, the supply of flour and oil lasted day after day, month after month, never failing until at last the rains came and revived the land. We learned she did not have but a handful of meal in her barrel, and a little oil in the curse she did not have a cake for Elijah. But she did have oil. The is a very powerful Sermon. And the mother? When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he saw a poor widow collecting pieces of wood. She is introduced to us by saying she was gathering sticks when Elijah called her to fetch him a little water and a morsel of bread. (Psalm 23:3). Thanks so much for sharing. In that moment she chose to trust God. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. Each widow faced difficulties far beyond anything they could handle on their own. She heard, understood and walked that walk of faith. // check if at least one field is required God is also always looking for opportunities to show up in your life and show off. Somehow, God pulled her to himself and transformed her heart from false worship to faith-filled. The Mystery of the Four Kingdoms; The Revelation of The Seven Trumpets; The Seven Church Ages Commentary; WMB Books. And in each case, God showed them that they werent alone and that He cared for them. 17). She looked to Elijah for answers. And thanks so much for that insight. So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. She is a great example of having faith, trust and obedience to the LORD. As they filled up the vessels they were to set aside the ones that were full. In that moment she chose to trust God. It is not unusual that during times of great stress we forget all the blessings we have received from the LORD. When the drought began, God hid Elijah from Ahab and miraculously fed the prophet by using ravens to bring meat and bread for him to eat. We ask today that you be with those women who are struggling financially, especially those who are widows or single moms. That emotional resurrection happened almost 3,000 years ago. The city serves as part of her identification. We can assume she is the only widow in her city. Thank you for stopping by. Reach US; Reach our Team; Locations; Join on Telegram; Alternate . God doesn't ignore the needs of those who cannot help themselves. This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. And when she gave, something amazing happened. But know this God is in the business of performing miracles for which only he can get the glory. (Matthew 6:25-34) This account also shows us that Jehovah has the desire and the ability to resurrect the dead. Zarephath rest inside the region of Sidon, the native country of Queen Jezebel, the woman who married the wicked King Ahab and required her god, Baal to be worshipped instead of God Almighty (1 King 21:25-26). And in each case, God showed them that they . But God is full of surprises. Elijah was a fugitive but God used this widow to give him a place where he could be at rest and have some comfort as he waited for Gods promise to be fulfilled. The midrash apparently understands that the food eaten by Elijah during his stay with the widow was of miraculous origin, since the entire land was suffering from a severe drought. Is the man mad? God chose to take the life of the prophet Elijah and intertwine it with the life of the one widow. He doesn't pat them on the back and say he's sorry life is so tough. The Bible is filled with God granting miracles for widows. Get out your Bible. The people there worshiped Baal, the god of rain. This woman didn't know that the LORD is a loving LORD. Elijah turns up and two things are obvious. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. She lashes out in her pain at the man she trusted, the man who God used to perform a miracle. He might as well ask me to snap my fingers and produce a cow to feast on. The widow didnt have much. There is, after all, a drought in progress. Her planwithout Gods miraculous intervention, which she must have hoped forshe and her son will starve to death. Elijahs life is saved.Her blessings were full to the running over. Shed fill it with oil from her original container. God did not abandon that poor widow. Elijah had to run for his life. What do we know about the Widow of Zarephath whose story is found in I Kings 17:8-24? They teach so, Continue reading Daughters of Zelophehad Lessons for life, faith and prayerContinue, Thank you very much and may God bless you. 6:26), and the resulting curse cost him the lives of his sons: He laid its foundations at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set its gates at the cost of Segub his youngest (I Kings 16:34). So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. He encouraged her to gather as many as she could. Her character: A Phoenician woman, she showed extraordinary hospitality to one of God's prophets, providing a safe harbor for him during a period of famine. THE WATCHTOWERSTUDY EDITION (SIMPLIFIED) February2014, Share She had no idea that the stranger was Elijah, a prophet who had the gall to inform King Ahab that God was withholding rain to punish Israel's idolatry. All she had to do was believe God the God of Israel and obey. She depended on her husband to provide for her and their sons, but he was so busy studying and serving that he didnt bring in enough income to meet their basic needs. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. However, the contents of this blog post may not be modified, compiled, combined with other content, copied, recorded, synchronized, transmitted, translated, formatted, distributed, publicly displayed, publicly performed, reproduced, given away, used to create derivative works and otherwise used or exploited (including for-profit or commercial gain) without the creators expressed permission. "); Were not told of her praying to God herself, but she did know to go to Gods man for direction, and possibly, a miracle. Zarephath was a gentile country. Elijah struggled with wobbly faith, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. RELATED: Women of faith in the Bible 14 Characteristics and lessons learned. She was a widow living in Zarephath, a city in Zidon about where Lebanon is today. Forgive us when we lose faith and forget what an awesome God You are. Let's begin in Luke.4.25-26. PRIVACY POLICY These days she stood with shoulders hunched as though to hide her breasts. "Don't be afraid. This woman didnt know that the LORD is a loving LORD and would not be punished her by taking her son. Thanks for stopping by Evangelist Solomon. Used with permission. The second of the encouraging Widow of Zarephath lessons is a bit of a cliche. You can read about it in 1Kings chapter17. The faith of the Widow of Zeraphath is unusual that she is a point of reference for Jesus in the New Testament. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath Bible story word search puzzle with coloring activity page. Can you imagine just a little attitude in her response to him? Tune in next week when we talk about the Shunammite woman, a wealthy woman who experienced a life and death miracle from God. Hiel had transgressed Joshuas prohibition against rebuilding Jericho (Josh. Elijahs receiving food from a widow creates a parallelism with Moses, the father of all prophets. Then Jehovah told Elijah: Rise up, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. The Widow of Zarephath had doubt, just like we all do when we have reached our breaking point. }); This man of God is asking for the last of. This is so insightful and inspiring. They may have little or no knowledge of Jehovah and need help to accept true worship. for(var i=0; i

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