1 KINGS LESSON 22


     We will begin this lesson in I Kings 17:1 " And Elijah the
Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As]
the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be
dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."

     In the last lesson, we saw the ten tribes of Israel fall into the
worst idolatry and worship of false gods, they had ever been involved
in. They had two of the most evil leaders the world had ever known in
Ahab and Jezebel. They, now, have 850 false prophets in the land. This
terrible lapse from worshipping the True God calls for a prophet of
great magnitude. This is the reason God sent Elijah. "Elijah" means my
God is Jehovah. The strangest thing about Elijah, is that he just
suddenly appears upon the scene with no lead in at all. There is
really no record of a city in Gilead by the name of Tishbi, or Tishbe,
which would have made him a Tishbite. It is not important where he was
from. He is in front of Ahab with a very important prophecy.  God will
withhold the rain and dew, until Elijah says the drouth is over. This
would be a very dangerous statement to make to so wicked a king as
Ahab.

     I Kings 17:2 "And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,"
I Kings 17:3 "Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself
by the brook Cherith, that [is] before Jordan."

     Ahab did not immediately act on this statement, that Elijah had
made. The LORD speaks to Elijah, and tells him to get away from Ahab
immediately for his own safety. He is to go eastward to Cherith, which
was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Ahab was, probably, at
Samaria.

     I Kings 17:4 "And it shall be, [that] thou shalt drink of the
brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there."

     The water would be plentiful here. God had miraculously provided
food for Elijah. Just as he rained Manna from heaven for the
Israelites, He sends food to Elijah miraculously. The ravens would be
unlikely fowl to bring food to him, because of their greed. This would
make it an even greater miracle.

     I Kings 17:5 "So he went and did according unto the word of the
LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that [is] before
Jordan." I Kings 17:6 "And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in
the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the
brook."

     Elijah had been obedient to the LORD. Because of his obedience,
the LORD provides for his necessities. Twice a day, the Lord feeds
Elijah. Some scholars believe it was men, who brought the bread and
flesh twice a day to Elijah. I, however, have no difficulty believing
the LORD sent the ravens with the food. The food being brought by the
ravens is no more miraculous than the withholding of the dew and the
rain. When Elijah, or anyone else, puts the LORD first and is totally
obedient to Him, God will provide their necessities. Matthew 6:33 "But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you."

     I Kings 17:7 "And it came to pass after a while, that the brook
dried up, because there had been no rain in the land."

     The prophecy is coming true. The brook dries up from the drouth.
Elijah, possibly, was at the brook for an extended time. He would have
to seek another supply of water.

     I Kings 17:8  "And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,"
I Kings 17:9 "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to
Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there
to sustain thee."

     Zarephath was located somewhere between Tyre and Sidon. It is
located on the seashore north of Tyre. A widow in this area would have
been in destitute condition herself, especially because of the drouth.
She would need help, as well as Elijah.

     I Kings 17:10 "So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he
came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there
gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray
thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."

     God had placed the widow here, so Elijah could make immediate
contact with her. The fact that she was gathering sticks showed that
things were not very good with her. Probably, as much as Elijah being
helped by the woman, is the fact that God will help her, through
Elijah. Elijah requesting water from her for a drink opens the door to
conversation with her.

     I Kings 17:11 "And as she was going to fetch [it], he called to
her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine
hand."

     He has, probably, realized who this widow is, by this time. He
asks for the bread, to make sure this is the widow the LORD had sent
him to.

     I Kings 17:12 "And she said, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have
not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a
cruse: and, behold, I [am] gathering two sticks, that I may go in and
dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

     This is a woman who still believes in the LORD. She gives this
away by her reply. She and her son have just enough food for one more
meal, and then, they would die from starvation.

     I Kings 17:13 "And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go [and] do as
thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring
[it] unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son."
     Elijah is sure, now, that this is the widow the LORD had sent him
to. Notice, the first thing he says to her is, "fear not". He
realizes, at this point, that the LORD had sent him for two purposes.
He would be safe with this poor widow, and God would miraculously feed
Elijah, the widow, and her son. Even this meager amount she had was to
first be a gift to the prophet, then she can feed her son and herself.

     I Kings 17:14 "For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel
of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until
the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth."

     If we are living for the LORD, He will provide for our needs, not
our greed. God will replenish their food, each time they go to the
barrel. He sent the Manna every day, except sabbath, for 40 years to
nearly 3,000,000 people. It would be no problem for Him to feed these
three, who were faithful to Him. There will be no lack of food for
them.

     I Kings 17:15 "And she went and did according to the saying of
Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days."

     We know of one son in her house. This could, however, speak of
her relatives and her close friends. She was obedient to the LORD, who
spoke through Elijah, and God blessed her greatly.

     I Kings 17:16 "[And] the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did
the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he
spake by Elijah."

     God's Word is True. He did just as He had spoken through Elijah.
There was plenty of food to take care of their needs.

     I Kings 17:17  "And it came to pass after these things, [that]
the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his
sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him."

     The breath of life had left the young son of the widow. He was so
sick, he had died.

     I Kings 17:18 "And she said unto Elijah, 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?"

     She is afraid that the LORD had counted her keeping Elijah in her
home a sin. Of course, this is not true. She had no personal relations
with Elijah. She was helping him, because he was a man of God. She
fears that sin in her life had taken the life of her child.

     I Kings 17:19 "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took
him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode,
and laid him upon his own bed."

     This son had to be very young for her to be able to carry him.
The upper room was usually for guests, and was as good as the owner of
the house had. The fact that he laid him upon the bed, shows the
helplessness of the child. Elijah lay across him to listen for a heart
beat, and to pray for him.

     I Kings 17:20 "And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my
God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn,
by slaying her son?" I Kings 17:21 "And he stretched himself upon the
child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I
pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again."

     These two verses show that the child had been dead. The
stretching himself upon the child three times, is speaking of a laying
on of hands similar to anointing for healing. Three times shows the
involvement in the fulness of the godhead in the miracle restoration
of this child. Notice, in the prayer that Elijah prayed, it is in the
power of God to let the child live, or not. This problem with the son
is not to punish the widow, but to glorify God.

     I Kings 17:22 "And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the
soul of the child came into him again, and he revived."

     It is God, alone, who puts the soul in us. Genesis 2:7 "And the
LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

     I Kings 17:23 "And Elijah took the child, and brought him down
out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother:
and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth."

     One of the beautiful messages about this miracle, is the fact
that he took him out of his mother's hands. The son was beyond human
help. He laid him down as if offering his life to God. God brought the
life back. We must all place ourselves in the hands of God, before we
can experience new life. The son is miraculously alive, and restored
to his mother.

     I Kings 17:24  "And the woman said 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."

     This miracle left no doubt at all that this prophet, Elijah, is a
man of God. The restoration of her son had brought new confidence in
this widow. She had unselfishly given to this prophet a place to stay
and food that God provided. Now, she is reassured she had done the
right thing.









                        1 Kings 22 Questions


1.  What is Elijah called in verse 1?
2.  Who does he stand before and prophesy to?
3.  What is his prophecy?
4.  How many false prophets do Ahab and Jezebel have?
5.  What does "Elijah" mean?
6.  How long will God withhold the rain?
7.  What did the Word of the LORD tell Elijah to do?
8.  How will Elijah get food and water?
9.  How often did the ravens bring Elijah food?
10. What type of food did they bring?
11. Quote Matthew chapter 6 verse 33.
12. What happened to the brook of water?
13. Where did the LORD send Elijah for food?
14. What did Elijah ask of the widow?
15. What else did he ask her to bring to him?
16. How did she answer the second request?
17. How much food does the widow have?
18. Who would this miracle of God help?
19. What did Elijah tell her would happen, until it rained upon the
    earth again?
20. Quote 1 Kings chapter 17 verse 16.
21. Who became sick?
22. What was the woman afraid of?
23. How do we know her son was young?
24. How many times did Elijah touch her son, as he prayed for him?
25. How do we know that he was dead?
26. Quote 1 Kings chapter 17 verse 22.
27. Quote Genesis chapter 2 verse 7.
28. What is a beautiful message in this for all of us?
29. What did the woman say to Elijah, when her son was restored to
    her?
30. What two things were revealed to her about Elijah?