The Captivation of Commitment

“Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you planned. But first make a small cake for me and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son’…The jar of flour was never empty and the jug of oil never ran out, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.” 
1 Kings 17:13; 16

There is something captivating about those who maintain a firm commitment to God. Perhaps it is because holding fast to the Lord is challenging and requires a courageous amount of faith. Life on earth was never promised to be a trouble-free existence. Even Jesus alluded to this in John 16:33. But the incredible hope that the Son of God conveyed to humanity in the aforementioned gospel passage is that life can be so much less burdensome emotionally and spiritually if God’s followers will surrender genuine heartfelt commitment and trust into the Lord each and every day. Are there moments when this seems gruelingly hard to accomplish? Yes. But realize that any amount of faith submitted to God is never misplaced, and never comes back void.    

This consideration aptly sets the stage for the account of a widowed woman in 1 Kings 17. But before we delve into this narrative we must first reflect on the historical context of this passage. King Saul, King David, and King Solomon all enjoyed some measure of state unity within the twelve tribes of Israel. But after Solomon’s reign ten tribes split apart from recognition of Jerusalem as their capital, and refused to accept King’s David royal lineage. Therefore, the tribal cohesion that Israel once enjoyed was effectively shattered. Ten tribes aligned themselves together and became known as Israel, while the remaining two tribes were then identified as Judah. Sadly, Israel was quickly overrun with idolatry and wickedness whereas Judah, by and large, maintained an allegiance to God for a season. But eventually even Judah’s singular allegiance to the Lord withered away as well.

Enter Ahab, one of the worst kings of Israel on record. The times at this point in Scripture were very dire. A three-year drought was devastating the land. The spiritual tenor was low because the prophets of Baal were essentially state-sponsored by Ahab’s wife: Jezebel. And yet in one of the worst regimes of note God raised up a most spectacular prophet: Elijah. And it was the Lord Who brought about the circumstances in which God was introduced to a widowed woman and her son in the town of Zarephath. 

In 1 Kings 17:9 God ordered Elijah to go to Zarephath in Sidon. Elijah, like everyone else in Israel, was struggling to find water or develop a sustainable source of food. And so the Lord directed Elijah to relocate for a time in Zaraphath because He had determined to use a widow to help nourish Elijah physically. Elijah obeyed and when he neared the entrance to the city he noticed a woman gathering some sticks. Apparently made aware supernaturally that the woman gathering the firewood was the widow Elijah was destined to meet Elijah asked the woman for some water and bread. The emotionally fragile woman responded that she was about to make a meal for her and her son. Unfortunately, the meal she was about to prepare would be their very last meal. The little bit of flour and oil the widow possessed was not going to be replenished. She was financially destitute and had no other means of monetary support. The widow was on the verge of giving up and dying by starvation.

And then Elijah rendered a most fascinating statement to the widow. He requested that she use the remaining flour and oil to craft a small loaf of bread for Elijah before preparing the meal for her own family. The prophet of God asserted that God would not allow the flour or oil to cease until the Lord returned rain upon the land. This seemingly small, simple appeal demanded absolute, complete faith from the widow. She was, in effect, placing her well-being, and that of her son, in the hands of God. In the process, she would have to not let the tangible reality obscure her mindset. What the widow had in a jar and a jug was verifiable and quantifiable. She likely knew exactly how far the flour and oil would carry in terms of food rations. But what Elijah was pledging on behalf of God was unknown. There was no exact amount identified. No specific designation of meals were calculated. All that the widow had to rely on was faith in the sovereign God, and the word of His prophet, a prophet that the widow had likely never met before. 

What did the widow do? She went away and did as Elijah told her (1 Kings 17:15). What was the result? There was food for Elijah and the widow’s family every day (1 Kings 17:15). The heaven-ordained provision of sustenance and benevolence extended beyond one meal for the prophet. The widow opened up her home for Elijah (1 Kings 17:19). Imagine the conversations that took place after Elijah first encountered the widow at Zarephath, conversations that would never have happened had the widow not believed in the power of God, or relinquished trust in Him. God’s blessing was ushered into a family that was once filled with sadness, despair, and brokenness. The Lord’s love was poured out on the widow and the environment of hopelessness was overcome. The daily meals were daily reminders of God’s unbreakable promise and unending goodness. 

Elijah helped provide some incredible moments in history, and briefly displayed a glimpse into God’s vast power. The Lord was earnestly reaching out to His covenantal people in Elijah’s day. God was eager to reestablish a relationship with the Hebrew nation. Elijah was no small part of that redemptive plan. And the widow at Zarephath was no small part of Elijah’s life. Yes, there is something captivating about a sincere commitment to God. In ancient times, as it is today, there is often a reluctance to believe, or accept, God is enough. Can we truly be satisfied with Him and Him alone? We can if we will surrender faith in the eternal God - the God Who knew well the plight of a widow in Zarephath and responded to her plight with incredible passion. May our heart be that of the widow in Zarephath.  May others be captivated by our commitment to God.