1Ki 17:13 | KingComments | STEP | At the gate of the city Elijah meets the widow and asks her a question to know if she is the woman the LORD intended (cf. ). The woman in turn recognizes him. The test makes it clear that this woman has faith, in contrast to the many widows in Israel to whom Elijah could not be sent ( ). That she believes, we hear from what she says about the LORD. She speaks of Him as the One Who lives. It seems that she can meet Elijah’s demand for some water. In any case, she leaves to fetch water. When Elijah also asks for bread, however, the widow has to answer that she has nothing but a handful of flour and a little oil. This acknowledgment of reality is exactly what God can use. She does not refuse to use it for Elijah, but says that this is the last flour she has for her son and herself and that both of them will have to die after using it. There is nothing in her of the spirit of Nabal who, at David’s request to give him some of his wealth, answers: “Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat …, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?” ( ). Elijah says to her to use it for him, after he has reassured her with the words “do not fear”. He promises her in the Name of the LORD God of Israel, that the flour and oil will not run out. He calls the Name of the God of Israel in the through and through heathen Sidon. God’s Name sounds brightest from the mouth of a man of God who is in an environment where the greatest darkness reigns. The widow accepts the word of the prophet and believes that she will not lose by it. Those who trust God will make available to Him the little bit they have without objecting. Those who act with God will first seek His kingdom. They will do so in the faith that the other things will then be given to them ( ). Happy are those who, in hope against hope, continue to believe and who obey in confidence in God’s provisions. This is what God wants: that we go to the Lord Jesus with the little we have. It is, as someone once said: “Little becomes much if God stands behind it.” We see that also with the wondrous feeding. What do a few loaves and a few fish mean to so many people ( )? Give it to the Lord. He distributes it so that everyone may be satisfied and there even remains some for others ( ). If we can see the widow’s house as a local church of believers, full of weakness, this scene gives us encouragement. We see that God wants to work there by means of the little there is. It is “the day of small things” ( ) and of “little power” ( ). The full power of the Holy Spirit from the beginning, when He was poured out ( ), is still present today ( ; ), but is no longer fully realized because of the unfaithfulness of the church. Yet there is still “a handful”, “a little”. This will never disappear as long as the church is on earth and there are local believers who believe in the Lord Jesus and His work and in the power of the Spirit. The flour and oil are multiplied. This multiplication takes place by using the flour and the oil. The woman experiences the truth of the word: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more” ( ). The opposite is also true. There may be plenty, but when used for one’s own benefit, God will blow in it and it becomes little ( ; ). The widow receives a prophet in the name of a prophet and receives the reward of a prophet ( ). She will not have complained that there is so little, because day after day she experiences its presence and she lives from it. She must have been surprised every day that it is still there. We can apply the flour and the oil spiritually. The flour can be seen as a picture of the Lord Jesus as Man. Flour is used for the grain offering ( ). Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit ( ). The Man Christ Jesus, Who is God revealed in the flesh, was completely guided by the Spirit on earth. The Lord Jesus is begotten by the Holy Spirit ( ) and anointed with Him ( ). The grain offering is also exposed to fire ( ). In it we see the picture that He, the true Man devoted to God, has undergone on the cross the fire of God’s judgment. Even if there is only a little awareness of the perfection of the Lord Jesus and even if there is only a little awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit, when we go with this awareness to the Man of God, the Lord Jesus, He will work with it. The awareness of little power and the holding to the Name of the Lord Jesus are characteristics of the church in Philadelphia ( ). In the midst of the general decay in professing Christianity, it is still possible to put God’s thoughts into practice, even if only with a few who are so weak in themselves. As encouragement the Lord says: “I am coming quickly” and He calls: “Hold fast what you have” ( ).

‏ 1 Kings 17:13

A Handful of Flour and a Little Oil

At the gate of the city Elijah meets the widow and asks her a question to know if she is the woman the LORD intended (cf. Gen 24:14). The woman in turn recognizes him. The test makes it clear that this woman has faith, in contrast to the many widows in Israel to whom Elijah could not be sent (Lk 4:25-26). That she believes, we hear from what she says about the LORD. She speaks of Him as the One Who lives.

It seems that she can meet Elijah’s demand for some water. In any case, she leaves to fetch water. When Elijah also asks for bread, however, the widow has to answer that she has nothing but a handful of flour and a little oil. This acknowledgment of reality is exactly what God can use.

She does not refuse to use it for Elijah, but says that this is the last flour she has for her son and herself and that both of them will have to die after using it. There is nothing in her of the spirit of Nabal who, at David’s request to give him some of his wealth, answers: “Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat …, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?” (1Sam 25:11).

Elijah says to her to use it for him, after he has reassured her with the words “do not fear”. He promises her in the Name of the LORD God of Israel, that the flour and oil will not run out. He calls the Name of the God of Israel in the through and through heathen Sidon. God’s Name sounds brightest from the mouth of a man of God who is in an environment where the greatest darkness reigns.

The widow accepts the word of the prophet and believes that she will not lose by it. Those who trust God will make available to Him the little bit they have without objecting. Those who act with God will first seek His kingdom. They will do so in the faith that the other things will then be given to them (Mt 6:33). Happy are those who, in hope against hope, continue to believe and who obey in confidence in God’s provisions.

This is what God wants: that we go to the Lord Jesus with the little we have. It is, as someone once said: “Little becomes much if God stands behind it.” We see that also with the wondrous feeding. What do a few loaves and a few fish mean to so many people (Jn 6:9)? Give it to the Lord. He distributes it so that everyone may be satisfied and there even remains some for others (Mt 14:20).

If we can see the widow’s house as a local church of believers, full of weakness, this scene gives us encouragement. We see that God wants to work there by means of the little there is. It is “the day of small things” (Zec 4:10) and of “little power” (Rev 3:8).

The full power of the Holy Spirit from the beginning, when He was poured out (Acts 2:1-4), is still present today (1Cor 2:12; Gal 5:16 ; 25), but is no longer fully realized because of the unfaithfulness of the church. Yet there is still “a handful”, “a little”. This will never disappear as long as the church is on earth and there are local believers who believe in the Lord Jesus and His work and in the power of the Spirit.

The flour and oil are multiplied. This multiplication takes place by using the flour and the oil. The woman experiences the truth of the word: “There is one who scatters, and [yet] increases all the more” (Pro 11:24a). The opposite is also true. There may be plenty, but when used for one’s own benefit, God will blow in it and it becomes little (Pro 11:24b; Hag 1:9 ; Hag 2:16).

The widow receives a prophet in the name of a prophet and receives the reward of a prophet (Mt 10:41). She will not have complained that there is so little, because day after day she experiences its presence and she lives from it. She must have been surprised every day that it is still there.

We can apply the flour and the oil spiritually. The flour can be seen as a picture of the Lord Jesus as Man. Flour is used for the grain offering (Lev 2:1). Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20 ; 27). The Man Christ Jesus, Who is God revealed in the flesh, was completely guided by the Spirit on earth. The Lord Jesus is begotten by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35) and anointed with Him (Acts 10:38). The grain offering is also exposed to fire (Lev 2:2 ; 9 ; 14). In it we see the picture that He, the true Man devoted to God, has undergone on the cross the fire of God’s judgment.

Even if there is only a little awareness of the perfection of the Lord Jesus and even if there is only a little awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit, when we go with this awareness to the Man of God, the Lord Jesus, He will work with it. The awareness of little power and the holding to the Name of the Lord Jesus are characteristics of the church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:8).

In the midst of the general decay in professing Christianity, it is still possible to put God’s thoughts into practice, even if only with a few who are so weak in themselves. As encouragement the Lord says: “I am coming quickly” and He calls: “Hold fast what you have” (Rev 3:11).