Today's Reading:

1 Kings 17
1 Kings 18
1 Kings 19

In the middle of a severe famine, a pagan widow lived in the land of Sidon, where people worshipped Baal. She was not an Israelite. With only a handful of flour and a little oil left, she used it all to make bread for the prophet Elijah, knowing it would leave her and her son with nothing for their last meal. Yet God provided. Her jar of flour and jug of oil never ran out.

This was the third time in the Old Testament that God kept bread from running out: first with the manna He provided for Israel in the wilderness, then with the bread brought to Elijah by ravens at the brook, and finally with the bread He multiplied for Elijah and the widow.

Even in the New Testament, the bread and fish did not run out when Jesus fed the 5,000, and later the 4,000 (Matthew 14:13-21, 15:32-39). Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Just as God sustained His people with bread during hard times, Jesus sustains us with Himself. When we feel empty, exhausted, or like we have nothing left to give, He is the Bread that never runs out.

Have you felt like you were down to your “last handful,” emotionally, spiritually, or physically? Will you trust Jesus, the Bread of Life, to sustain you? Are you willing to “make bread” for someone you do not know, to give the last of your time, resources, energy or money, trusting that God will sustain you just like the widow? Give God the “last handful,” even when it feels like death.

The reading had left off with Elijah, a prophet like Moses, who was sent by God to Gilead in the north Transjordan area. Elijah warned King Ahab that there would be no dew or rain as a drought was the coming judgment. The drought was meant to judge Israel’s idolatry and to prove that Baal, the pagan lord of rain and fertility, was powerless. God had told Elijah to go east of the Jordan River and hide. Miraculously, God provided for Elijah by having ravens bring bread and meat, which he ate meat twice a day. He drank water from the brook while the rest of Israel was in the drought and hungry. God provided for Elijah, just as He had provided manna and water for Israel in the wilderness. The difference was that God gave Elijah meat as well, so he feasted like a king. Remember, the Israelites begged God for meat in the wilderness and ate as gluttons. The ravens fed Elijah until the brook dried up from God’s drought.

God told Elijah to move on to the coastal town of Zarephath in Sidon, where a widow would provide him with food. Elijah obeyed without questioning the Lord. The widow was out collecting sticks for her and her son’s last meal before they died of starvation. By faith, she used the last of her flour and oil to bake bread for Elijah first. She had nothing, yet gave everything; therefore, God’s Word remained true, and the widow’s flour and oil never ran out.

When her son became ill and died, the widow blamed Elijah. She thought that by him coming there, he exposed her past sins and she was punished, with her judgment falling on her son. Elijah stretched out on the boy three times, for warmth, like transferring himself to the boy. Three often symbolizes completeness in Scripture. Elijah did not pray once and stop; he kept going in desperation and faith. Some see this as Elijah symbolically offering himself, pouring out his whole heart on behalf of the child, willing to give up his own life. The miracle happened because God heard Elijah’s prayer and gave mercy. This was the first recorded resurrection in Scripture! When the boy came back to life, the widow believed Elijah was a man of God and the Lord’s Word is truth (1 Kings 17:24).

God then had Elijah go confront King Ahab (north) because the famine did not make him repent. Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, was very evil and had been killing God’s prophets. Elijah came across Obadiah (note the same Obadiah who later wrote the book of Obadiah), a faithful official who had hidden and fed 100 of God’s prophets in two caves. Obadiah was afraid to tell Ahab that Elijah was there, because he had been searching for Elijah. Obadiah was afraid Elijah would disappear again by the power of the Spirit.

Elijah told Ahab to bring 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to Mount Carmel. Elijah chose this mountain specifically to confront Baal on his own “turf,” where people could see the contest. According to pagan belief, Baal was supposed to be the god who controlled rain and fire from heaven. Notice, Elijah called for 850 total prophets, but only 450 of Baal showed up. After they failed all day, Elijah started to taunt them, and they were cutting themselves to shed blood, thinking that the blood would wake up Baal. Elijah then built his own altar and even doused it with water, because typically wet wood will not burn, and he prayed. The fire fell from heaven (1 Kings 18:38), burning everything. This showed that God, not Baal, was the true God of fire and rain. The people fell on their faces and cried out, “The Lord, He is God. Elijah then had the false prophets killed.

When Elijah prayed, the cloud of rain came. He told his servant to warn Ahab the rain was coming. Ahab jumped into his chariot and raced to Jezreel (where his royal residence was). Elijah, empowered by God, tucked in his cloak and beat Ahab’s chariot, running faster than the horses. This was a symbolic show of power that God’s prophet is still in charge, even though Ahab was the king.

In chapter 19, King Ahab told Jezreel what Elijah had done and how he killed the prophets of Baal. She cursed Elijah, threatening to kill him by the next day. Elijah, afraid, ran south to Beersheba and prayed that God would let him die. In His nurturing ways, God sent an angel to Elijah who baked him a snack and told him to rest, twice! (This is one of those memes where God says, “If you are overwhelmed, no worries, have a snack and take a nap.”) Elijah was strengthened to travel 40 days to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). God displayed His power by wind, earthquakes, and a fire. But God is also compassionate. Elijah was depressed and emotionally broken, and God met him right where he was. He spoke to him through the softest, gentlest whisper, showing him kindness and teaching that God’s presence is often found in the stillness and quietness. In a whisper, God asked him twice, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He already knew the answer. God just wanted Elijah to pour out his heart so he could be restored.

Today's Discussion question:

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