The Stories of Elijah (Week 27, Part 2/6) 1 Kings 17-19 | June 27 – July 3 – powered by Happy Scribe
Okay.
Doing the right thing doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. And sometimes doing God’s will can make things even harder for you.
Elijah had to overcome trial after trial in order to do God’s will.
In 1 Kings, chapter 17, Elijah used the power of God God to seal the heavens of rain and cause a famine to come over the land of Israel.
King Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel.
Had turned towards idolatrous worship of the Canaanite God Baal.
This deity was a storm God and.
Controlled elements like rainfall.
So when Elijah sealed the heavens, he.
Directly challenged the impotence of the storm Godbawl and sought to bring Israel towards repentance.
But just because Elijah was doing God’s will didn’t mean that Elijah was free.
From the effects of the famine.
Like the rest of Israel, he clearly.
Struggled to feed himself during these scarce times.
But because he trusted in God’s plan.
God prepared a way for him to.
Be fed in the wilderness.
God told Elijah to hide by the.
Brook chair where he would find water.
And ravens would come to miraculously feed.
Him bread and flesh.
Get the hence and turn the eastward.
And hide thyself by the brook Christ that is before Jordan, and it shall be that thou shalt drink of the.
Brook, and I have commanded the ravens.
To feed thee there.
In this story, Elijah struggles hearken back.
To the prophet Moses.
Like Elijah, Moses fled eastward into the.
Wilderness when his life was in danger from a king. And like Elijah, Moses and the Israelites.
Were miraculously fed in the wilderness by God.
In Elijah’s case, he was fed bread and meat from ravens in the wilderness.
In Exodus 16, the Lord gave the.
Israelites manna from heaven and quails to eat for meat.
But Elijah’s struggles didn’t stop there.
Eventually, after a period of famine, even Elijah’s brook dried up and there was no water left.
He could have unsealed the heavens, but.
Instead he continued to trust in the.
Lord’s plan and timing.
The Lord responded by directing Elijah to.
The home of a widow and her son.
This destitute family had also not been.
Spared the effects of the famine.
As they were out of food and.
Preparing for their imminent death.
Elijah miraculously promised that if they spared.
Enough of their food supply to feed.
Him, that one time God would bless.
Them with enough food to endure the entire famine.
Despite this lifesaving miracle, the household was.
Still not spared for their hardship and tragedy.
The widow’s son fell sick and died.
And yet once again, Elijah invoked God’s.
Power to overcome trials.
He miraculously raised the boy from the.
Dead and the mother was blessed with.
Increased faith in the Lord.
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.
The story of the widow of Zarapath.
Also has some connections to the story of Moses.
After Moses fled from the presence of.
Pharaoh, he took refuge in the household of a family in the wilderness, and.
After Elijah fled from Ahab and ran.
Out of food in the brook chair.
He sought refuge in the home of.
The widow of Zarath in the wilderness.
Just as Moses was fed cakes of.
Mana, elijah was fed cakes baked with.
Oil by the widow.
The example of Elijah teaches that we.
May not be free from the effects.
Of God’s will, but if we put.
Our faith in him, there is no.
Obstacle that we can’t overcome.
Elijah never gave up and overcame several.
Trials in pursuit of God’s will.
And even though the famine was hard.
It ultimately led to defeating the priests.
Of Baal and leading Israel towards worshiping.
The true and living God.
Sometimes God gives us trials to teach us lessons, but sometimes he gives us.
Challenges to bless the lives of others.
The famine led to repentance for all.
Of Israel, but it also strengthened the.
Faith of the widow of Zarifath.
It took a famine, the miracle of the bread and the raising of her dead son for her to come to.
A witness that Elijah was a true prophet of God.
When we go through trials, it can.
Be difficult to keep an internal perspective and see the silver lining, but Elijah’s.
Story can be a good reminder that sometimes life’s challenges can bless the lives of others and in our own faith.
Guest Author
dyejo
