Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
September 30, 1984
Elijah at Zarephath
1 Kings 17:7-24, KJV
People find their security in different ways. Some people put their trust in a "rin." [Hold up a rin] Without their rin, they don't feel at peace. They carry it to the fair, the bathroom and especially to bed. This happens to be Rebecca's "rin", better known as a ribbon. This shredded piece of ribbon is all that's left of her baby blanket. It's stained with grease, ketchup, dust and other unmentionable substances but with it Rebecca feels secure.
For other people their trust might be in Social Security. When it was established back in the 1930s by President Roosevelt, Social Security was meant to be supplemental. It was supposed to be a cushion for your old age, not your only means of income in those years. For those who have had to depend on Social Security alone it has become a source of uncertainty rather than security. It's to the point where you wonder if they'll have any money left in five years or if it will keep up with inflation.
It is also possible to find security in God. Millions have discovered that a deep faith in God can take away the uncertainty of life. Faith can give you an overcoming attitude and it can also result in concrete changes in your situation.
Our passage today deals with Elijah and a widow in the town of Zarephath. After being fed in the desert by the birds, Elijah watched as the brook of Cherith dried up. In verse 9 God tells Elijah to go far to the north to the country where Jezebel came from. The name "Zarephath" means "smelting furnace" and at this town the prophet and a woman who probably worshipped Baal had their faith refined by the living God of Israel. The real test was for the woman. Before God was done with her she had to face up to three issues - What do I trust in for today's security? What do I trust in for my lifetime security? And, what do I trust in for my eternal security?
The first issue arose when Elijah met her at the city gate. To find out if she was the right woman he gave her a three-fold test. The first test was to ask her for a drink of water. That sounds easy enough but the drought was affecting that area as well. However, like a good biblical woman, when Elijah said fetch, she fetched. Even while she was running off he tested her again. He said, "While you're at it, get me a piece of bread too." This stopped her in her tracks. With a solemn oath she told him she didn't have any bread, just a handful of floor in a jar and a little bit of cooking oil. It was going to be her last meal with her son. To me, that's about as low as you can get but Elijah's third test pushes her to the limit. He says to this starving widow, "Don't sweat it. Go ahead and make that last loaf and give it to me. Then worry about your own meal." This sounds very callous but fortunately Elijah adds a promise. He says: "The God of Israel will see to it that you don't run out of food." We have read the whole passage so we know the ending. The widow didn't but she obeyed and her food was miraculously multiplied.
Put yourself in this widow's shoes. She doesn't know Elijah, she doesn't believe in his God and he's asking her for her last morsel of bread. This would be a very costly test for anyone. She was willing to give up her immediate security for something that would last. Her attitude is the essence of real faith because real faith always costs you something. As Christians we have a tendency to emphasize the blessings of believing in Jesus and for good reason, being saved has tremendous benefits in this life and the next. But don't be deceived, being a Christian also has a costly side. There are certain people God won't want you to hang around anymore. There are habits that he wants you to break. He also has some new habits to put in their place. A Christian with real faith should have costly habits like generosity. Instead of spending everything on yourself you start thinking about other people. Tithing is another costly habit. Christian ministries at home and overseas depend upon our giving. If you can't tithe because you owe too much, then you've probably bought things you don't need.
We find security in our possessions. The way we handle insecurity says a lot about our faith. This widow was an insecure as you can be but she put aside the circumstances and trusted in God. How do you face up to insecurity? Most of us won't ever get down to the last handful of flour but modern threats to security are plentiful. You can get laid off at work; your family may be in turmoil. The task of a Christian is to believe that God is still in control and to be ready to do what he says.
The last point is important - faith isn't just something you believe but it's something you do. True faith always results in action. The miraculous supply of food taught the woman to trust in God for her daily security. The next thing she faced was tougher - her lifetime security. Verse 17 tells us that her only son became sick and died. To be all along in the world is bad enough but for a woman in biblical times it was doubly harsh because their children were the only support they had in their old age. There was no welfare or food stamps or social security. Her reaction is to lash out at Elijah. In verse 18 she says:
"What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?"
It's not unusual for a person who has lost a loved one to feel angry and bitter. Even Christians react this way. It's also not uncommon to focus the anger on a particular person. This verse is an example of the age-old question, "Why did God do this to me?" It appears that Elijah had spent some of his time with her discussing holy living because she seems to partially blame her past sin for her son's death.
Elijah did not deserve her criticism - because of his presence in the house God was providing food and there is no indication Elijah had anything to do with the boy's death. Nevertheless, he doesn't tell her off. Elijah was filled with the Spirit and on this occasion he shows that he possessed the fruit of the Spirit, (love, joy, peace, patience. . .) He simply says, "Give me your son." Taking him up to his room, he laid him on the bed and prayed to God. Like the woman, he had no idea why this terrible thing had happened but instead of getting angry, he prayed for the boy to be made alive.
God didn't answer at once. Elijah had to keep at it three times but finally the child revived, which is the first time this happens in the Bible. God provided for the widow's daily security by reviving her son. He was looking after her lifetime security. In verse 24 the most important security of all comes up - eternal security. She says 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."
I think she had been influenced by Elijah all along and she learned about faith when he first tested her. But it's at this point that she becomes a believer in the true God.
Eternal security means that no tragedy or circumstance can affect our relationship with God. If we accept what the Bible says about our spiritual condition, that we are sinners in need of acceptance and forgiveness, then we can also accept what the Bible says about our security in God. According to 1 John 5:13:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Jesus said that if we come to him, he won't ever lose hold of us. Does he have hold of you?
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Typed on December 8, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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