SERIES M --- PROPHESIES AND MIRACLES --- LESSON 1

AHAB AND ELIJAH

ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH

From 1 Kings 16:28-17:24

When the evil King Omri of Israel died and was buried in Samaria, his son Ahab became king in his place. This happened during the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. Ahab turned out to be the worst king of all. He made the sins of Jeroboam look small by comparison. One of the worst things he did was to marry Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, a very wicked woman. Not long after that, he built an altar and temple in Samaria for Baal and other idols. He did more to anger Adonai than any king of Israel who had ruled before him. During Ahab’s reign a man of Bethel named Hiel, rebuilt the city of Jericho. Hiel’s oldest son Abiram died when he laid the foundation and his youngest son Segub died when he finished the city and set up the gates. Many years before, Adonai had warned through Joshua that this would happen to anyone who tried to rebuild Jericho. One day the prophet Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, brought King Ahab a warning. [As surely as the YHVH whom I worship and serve, the YHVH of Israel is alive, there will be no rain or dew for several years until I say so.] When Elijah had delivered this message, Adonai told him, [leave here and go eastward. When you reach Cherith Brook, stay by the place to the east of the point where it enters the Jordan River. I have Commanded ravens to bring food to you there and you may drink from the waters of the brook.] Elijah followed Adonai’s Orders and set up camp by the brook. Each morning and evening Adonai sent ravens with bread and meat for Elijah. The brook provided water for him to drink until at last it dried up, for rain had not come to any part of the land. Then Adonai gave new orders to Elijah. [Leave this place and go to the village of Zarephath near Sidon,] He said. [You will find a widow there whom I have Commanded to feed you.] Elijah left the dried-up brook and made his way to Zarephath. Arriving at the gate of the city, he saw a widow gathering sticks. [Bring me a little pot of water to drink,] Elijah asked. As the woman left to get the pot of water, Elijah called after her. [Bring me some bread to eat too,] he said. [As surely as Adonai lives,] the woman answered, [I have no bread in the house. All I have left is a handful of meal in a jar and a small amount of cooking oil in another jar. I was gathering these sticks to make a fire so that I could make one last cake of bread for my son and me before we die of starvation.] [You must not be afraid,] Elijah answered. [When you go home, bake the little cake of bread and give it to me to eat. Then you may make some for you and your son, for Adonai has Promised that your jar of meal and your jar of oil will never be empty until He sends rain upon the earth again.] The widow trusted Elijah and made the little cake of bread for him. All that he said came true, for there was always food for the widow, her son and Elijah. The jar of oil and the jar of meal were never empty, as Adonai had Promised through Elijah. But one day the widow’s son became sick and died. Then she cried out to Elijah. [O man of YHVH,] she said. [Why do you punish me this way for my sins? Why have you caused my son to die?] [Give me your son,] Elijah commanded. Then he carried the boy’s body to the upstairs room where he was staying and laid it upon his bed. [O Adonai my YHVH, why did you take the life of the widow’s son?] he pleaded. Elijah stretched himself over the boy’s body three times and prayed again to Adonai. [O Adonai my YHVH, let this child live again!] he asked. Adonai listened to Elijah’s prayer and the boy came back to life. Then Elijah carried him downstairs and presented him alive to his mother. [Your son is alive again!] he said. [Now I am sure that you are a man of YHVH,] the woman exclaimed. [Whatever you speak has come from Adonai.]

COMMENTARY

RIVERS WITHOUT WATER; THE WADI

The dry gullies and ravines twisting through the countryside of Palestine are among its most striking features. These pathways are called [wadis] [pronounced WA-dees], an Arabic word meaning [streambed] or [watercourse.] For most of the year wadis lie empty, but with the return of the rainy season they come alive, transformed into brisk streams and slow-moving brooks. In the Negeb Desert rain is scarce and wadis may carry water only a few times a year. The soil forms a hard crust after the first rain in certain areas and will not absorb water. When rain comes again, water collects on the surface and the wadis become the paths of dangerous flash floods. Swollen streams often jump the banks, ripping open wide new gullies. But within hours the water is gone and the streambeds are again calm and dry. In the Elath hills at the southern tip of the desert, many wadis were created by the shifting of the earth centuries ago. Ravines no more than a few feet wide plunge down a thousand feet or more. Brilliant hues of red and violet sandstone line the steep rock walls. Other areas, such as Mount Carmel and the Judean hills are also cut with deep, narrow gorges. But rainfall in the central and northern regions is much greater than in the south. Wadis elsewhere usually carry water only for several days at a time, but in the north, they flow for weeks or even months. Many of these long-flowing wadis are fed by springs that collect ground water from a large area. A few flow almost the entire year, and support rich growth along their banks. Others barely manage a trickle through the summer months and some turn into puddles or stay dry during those same months. A few wadis actually do carry water the year round. Several that run into the Mediterranean Sea are dry most of their length, but flow continually the last few miles. Certain wadis are fed throughout the year from the melting snows of Mount Hermon and descend the mountain in beautiful ice-cold waterfalls.