A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES


                        ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XV

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, looked at the body of the dead son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon.... I have just told the Lord how I feel about the death of this boy.... But I know I need to do more.... I need to cry out to the Lord to bring him back to life... And I need to put actions to my words.... I will stretch myself out on the boy.... If need be I will do so once, twice or even three times.... I will do so until life has been returned to him... My God is faithful and He will answer my prayer.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah begins to cry out to God for life to return to the son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon....


         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                    ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XV

The prophet Elijah, having poured out his heart to God, decides he needs to do more that just blame God for the tragedy as you can read in I Kings 17:21

Then he stretched out himself on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord, my God, let this boy's life return to him.

Having cried out to the Lord, Elijah next takes the step of placing himself on the boy, not just once but three times to demonstrate to his God the need for Him to respond to his plea.

     
                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIV

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, took the dead son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon to my room.... I know that the widow believes I am responsible for the death of her son.... I know too that is not true.... I am not God... I am, therefore, not in charge of who will live and who will die.... God is in charge of who will live and who will die.... It is time for an encounter with my God.... I must tell my God how I feel about this tragic situation..... I do not understand how this can have happened... After all, God sent me here to keep both the widow and her son alive.... But now the widow's son is dead.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah cries out to God about the death of the widow's son....


              ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                          ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIV

To the widow Elijah is responsible for the death of her son but Elijah knows he cannot be blamed for he is not God. You can see what Elijah thinks of this tragic situation in I Kings 17:20

Then he cried out to the Lord, "O Lord, my God, have You brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with causing her son to die?"

The prophet Elijah knows he has not caused the death of this young boy so it must be God who is to be blamed. For who else can be blamed for this tragedy?
This whole situation does not make sense to him even as the prophet of God. After all, he knows that God has sent him to this widow and her son for the sole purpose of keeping them alive throughout the famine. How can God then take the life of this boy? How can God be so cruel to this widow?

                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               ONLY  LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIII

"It has been quite an emotional day for me, Elijah, the prophet of God, today.... I have been staying with a widow and her son at Zarephath of Sidon.... We have had a very peaceful existence together.... But then her son became suddenly unwell... I did not worry too much about him.... After all, God promised to take care of us throughout the famine.... And He has..... I just kept on praying to the Lord that he would make the boy well again.... I expected Him to do so.... But then today the boy took a turn for the worst.... And then he died....His mother, the widow, is, of course, full of grief... Who will take care of her now?....Life is hard for any woman without a husband.... And now she is without her son as well... In her grief the widow said some things that I know are not true.... She seemed to imply that I am responsible for the death of her son.... But I know that is impossible for I am only a human being.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah takes the dead son from the widow at Zarephath of Sidon....

   
        ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                          ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIII

Hoe does the prophet Elijah respond to the woman's words? Does he get upset with her and walks out of her house telling her he will have nothing to do with her anymore for she is an ungrateful woman who have completely forgotten what he has done for her? Thankfully that is not what happens as you can read in I Kings 17:19

"Give me you son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him out on the bed.

The prophet takes the boy from the widow's arms and takes his body to his room. It is time for an encounter with his God for Elijah knows that he can do nothing without his God as you can read in John 15:15b where Jesus says"...... Apart from Me you can do nothing."

                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                              ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XII

"I, the widow at Zarephath of Sidon held my son, my only son, in my arms as he took his last breath....I could not believe this was happening....Who will take care of me now?... I do not have a husband to take care of me... And now I no longer have a son to take care of me... I thought my homes was blessed with the presence of the prophet Elijah.... But it seems he has turned against me..... Had he not come to save us from starvation?... Had he come to remind me of my sins?.... please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the widow at Zarephath of Sidon believes the prophet Elijah has come to remind her of her sins....

         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                           ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XII

 The presence of the prophet Elijah is supposed to bring blessing to the home of the widow and not disaster. But that is not what has happened. What can possibly be the reason for this terrible tragedy? You can see what the woman thinks who is to be blamed in I Kings 17:18

She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

The widow believes the prophet is responsible for the death of her son. She seems to have forgotten that without the prophet's intervention in her life she and the boys would both have died some time ago already. But we cannot blame her for her emotional outburst because God had promised they would live through this drought and it seems He has not kept his promise so who better to blame than the one who represents him: the prophet Elijah.

                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XI

"I, the widow at Zarephath of Sidon, felt I was the most blessed widow of all the widows here as well as in Israel.... But I do not feel that way any longer.... A tragedy has taken place.... My son, my only son, became ill.... To begin with I was only a little concerned for him when he became unwell.... But I was not too concerned for him.... After all, the prophet Elijah is living with me.... And because of him we have food every day... I was sure his God would make my son well.... But he did not.... My son got worse and worse.... Then today the unthinkable happened.... My son died.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon gets ill and dies....
 

         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                         ONLY A LITTLE FOUR AND OIL PART XI

Something terrible happens as you can read in I Kings 17:17

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.

Disaster strikes. The son of the widow gets ill and dies. And that right under the nose of the prophet.He who has been able to prevent rain from falling for the last few years is not able to prevent this boy from getting ill, never mind from dying. It looks like the prophet Elijah has become a failure. More importantly, it looks like God has failed for He has not prevented this son from getting ill and consequently from dying.

        

                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               ONLY  A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART X

"I, the widow in Zarephath of Sidon am so grateful to the God of the prophet Elijah... When I met him at the town gate some time ago, I did not know that because of him my life would be changed.... At that time I was expecting for my son and me to die.... But today I feel more alive than ever.... I am so thankful to the God of the prophet that He chose me to take care of him.... He told me all about having been sent to my town Zarephath because he was going to be taken care of by a widow..... And I am that widow.... I feel so blessed.... Especially because I am not Jewish.... And the prophet's God could have easily chosen a widow from among the Jewish people.... But He did not.... He chose me.... And now we have food every day.... The prophet told me that my flour will not be used up and my oil will not dry up until there is rain again.... And I believe him.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the widow at Zarephath and her family have food every day....


       ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                       ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART X

The widow at Zarephath of Sidon did as the prophet asked her and, consequently, her home was blessed as you can read in I Kings 17:15-16

She went away and did what Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

Every day there was food on the table for the widow, her son and Elijah just as God has promised He would do.

       
                      A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                            ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART IX

"I am a widow living in Zarephath of Sidon.... Earlier today I left my son at home and went to the town gate to collect some sticks..... I was going to prepare a final meal for him and for myself..... After that meal there would be no more food for us... As I was gathering my sticks I was approached by a man... He is a Jew..... He asked for some water.... I was happy to bring him some water.... However, he did not stop there.... He asked for some bread.... I had to tell him I cannot give him bread.... I have only a little flour and oil left for the last meal for my son and myself.... He has just now spoken again.... He told me not to be afraid.... And he told me to go and make a cake for him first.... What shall I do?.... Shall I trust him and do exactly as he has said?.... Perhaps if I do what he has asked of me his God may do a miracle... I certainly do need a miracle for my son and myself.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the widow listens carefully to the words of the prophet Elijah....


           ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                           ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART IX

The prophet Elijah understands that the widow at the town gate of Zarephath in Sidon needs further encouragement to enable her to do as he has asked her as you can read in I Kings 17:14

For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the Lord gives rain on the land."

Elijah wants the widow to know that his God has good things in store for her and her son but it does mean she needs to take action by baking him a cake.

                     
                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART VIII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, heard the widow at the town gate of Zarephath in Sidon tell me she and her son are about to die.... I now understand why my God has sent me to this widow.... For He does not want her and her son to die.... He wants them to live.... She may not know this God... But this God knows her and her son and loves them.... He has a plan to save her and her son's life.... It will mean, though, that she needs to follow my instructions very carefully... Hopefully she will be willing to do so.... After all, what does she have to lose?".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah understands that God has sent him to this particular widow at Zarephath in Sidon to save her and her son's life....


            ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                       ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART VIII

The prophet Elijah knows that he needs to make sure the widow at the town gate at Zarephath in Sidon is not afraid to do what he has asked of her as you can read in I Kings 17:13

"Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son."

Elijah looks at the face of the widow at the town gate of Zarephath in Sidon to see her expression after he has told her to make a cake for him first.


          

 



                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART VII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, have just arrived at the town gate of Zarephath in  Sidon... I noticed a widow who was gathering sticks.... Only poorer widows perform such tasks themselves.... I hesitated to speak to her... But I realised I was hungry and thirsty.... And that was not too surprising.... For I have been walking all day.... So I spoke to her asking her to give me what I was really in need of...I realised from her answer that she could only give me some water.... And I learned that she has a son..... That means she has already two people to take care of.....She made it clear as well that life is very hard for her....In fact, she sounded as if she could no longer see a future herself and her son.... She did not only sound hopeless.... She looked hopeless.".... Please read the typed out attachment when the widow at the town gate at Zarephath in Sidon explains to the prophet Elijah that she cannot give him a piece of bread.....

             ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                              ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART VII

The widow at the town gate of Zarepahath in Sidon speaks up as soon as the prophet Elijah has asked her for some water and bread as you can read in I Kings 17:12

"As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread - only a handful of flour and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat - and die."

This widow seems  to know that Elijah is a Jew, whose God she does not know nor serve. And Elijah needs to understand that she has only enough flour for one final meal for her son and herself before they die of starvation.