1Ki 17:8-24 | TNotes

Summary for 1Kgs 17:9-16: 17:9-16 ^a Elijah’s faith was tested further. At Kerith Brook, God had supplied his needs directly. With these supplies cut off, Elijah now had to depend on a foreign woman’s response to a divine test. The account details the setting (17:8-10a ^b), Elijah’s test for the widow (17:10b-14 ^c), the woman’s compliance, and God’s reward (17:15-16 ^d).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:9-11: 17:9-11 ^e Zarephath was in Phoenician territory about seven miles south of Sidon, away from Ahab’s jurisdiction. Ironically, God provided Elijah a place of refuge in Jezebel’s homeland, which was associated with worship of Baal.

• So he went: Elijah again (see 17:5 ^f) obeyed the Lord’s command. Obedience (1 Sam 15:22 ^g; Ps 40:1-6 ^h; Isa 1:10-20 ⁱ), trust (Ps 37:3 ^j; Prov 3:5-6 ^k), and faithfulness (Ps 18:25 ^l; Rev 2:10 ^m) are foundational attributes for successful spiritual service.

• God’s ongoing provision for Elijah and the widow of Zarephath demonstrated God’s concern for all people who put him first.

• water ... bread: Elijah asked for the basic staples of life, but these were in scarce supply as the drought spread into Phoenician territory.
17:12 ⁿ by the Lord your God (literally as surely as the Lord your God lives): The wording reflects Elijah’s oath and pronouncement to Ahab (17:1 ^o). The Gentile woman’s oath does not necessarily claim that the Lord is her god, but it does affirm to Elijah that what she says is the truth.
Summary for 1Kgs 17:13-14: 17:13-14 ^p Despite the woman’s dwindling supplies (17:12 ^q), Elijah asked her to serve him before herself and her son. Like the poor widow who gave two small coins (Luke 21:1-4 ^r), this woman was asked to give all that she had to the Lord’s prophet. True faithfulness means placing God’s Kingdom ahead of personal concerns (Matt 6:33 ^s).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:15-16: 17:15-16 ^t She did as Elijah said, and God rewarded her act of faith. The fresh supply of the widow’s daily necessities reminded her of God’s faithfulness and goodness (Lam 3:22-24 ^u; Phil 4:19 ^v).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:17-24: 17:17-24 ^w This narrative begins with the woman’s doubts about Elijah (17:17-18 ^x) and ends with her acknowledging the authority of God’s word as spoken by Elijah (17:24 ^y). Ironically, this Gentile widow affirmed God’s miraculous power when God’s own people, Israel, had forgotten his mighty works. 17:17 ^z he died: All attempts to explain away the subsequent miracle fly in the face of the plain statement.
17:18 ^aa my sins: The widow held to the common idea that suffering and misfortune are always the result of personal sin (see Job 4:7 ^ab; Luke 13:1-4 ^ac; John 9:1-3 ^ad).
17:19 ^ae Following ancient Near Eastern custom, Elijah’s quarters were probably situated in a separate room accessed by an outside stairway. This arrangement maintained the woman’s reputation and offered Elijah a measure of privacy.
17:20 ^af why have you brought tragedy: Elijah plaintively expressed to God the fear that his presence caused the child’s death.
17:21 ^ag While it is unclear what life-giving power Elijah was trying to convey by his physical contact with the deceased boy, it is clear that his confidence was in the Lord. Elisha later performed a similar physical ritual when the Lord restored the dead son of the woman from Shunem (2 Kgs 4:32-37 ^ah).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:22-24: 17:22-24 ^ai The miracle of the child’s raising rewarded the faith of Elijah and confirmed the mother’s initial confidence in God’s prophet. Her testimony may indicate that she put her faith in the Lord. Jesus cited her as an example of God’s concern for non-Israelites and as an indication that God’s messengers are often more easily received by others than by their own countrymen (Luke 4:24-26 ^aj). The Scriptures repeatedly mention God’s care of widows as illustrating his care for needy people (Exod 22:21 ^ak; Deut 10:18 ^al; 27:19 ^am; Ps 68:5 ^an; Isa 1:17 ^ao; Jas 1:27 ^ap).