A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                    THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART III

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God in Israel have been staying in a ravine.... The reason I have been staying in this ravine is because I am hiding from king Ahab.... I told him that there would be no rain.... My words have come true.... There has been no rain.... My God knows it is not my fault that here is no rain.... So He sent me to this ravine to keep me safe and to provide me with water from a brook....I expected for God to keep providing water from this brook... After all, my God is a miracle working God.... But the brook has now dried up.... I have asked the Lord to fill it up with water.... But He has not done so.... This morning I had my last cup of water from the brook.... The Lord then spoke to me.... I have to say He was not too early.... He told me to pack my bags and go to Zarephath in Sidon.... I am to stay with a widow there.... I should go as soon as possible.... I do not have much to pack so it will not take me long to leave.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that God tells the prophet Elijah it is time for him to move on.....

     
         ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                               THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART III

In time even the prophet Elijah is affected by the drought he has pronounced because the brook where he stays dries up. Now I am sure God could have done something supernatural so that the water in the brook would have continues to flow but God does not do this for He has a better plan in mind for His prophet. So He tells Elijah to go to a widow who lives outside Israel, even though there will have been many widows in Israel. Elijah may well have questioned God's choice of this widow. Nevertheless, in obedience to God's command he goes to Zarephath and seeks out this widow, whom he knows has been prepared by God to take care of him as you can read in I Kings 17:7-9

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.

Surely, this widow must be the one who is very able to take care of Elijah.... Or is she?

 

                            A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                         THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART II

"I, Elijah, am a prophet of the God of Israel...I live in Tishbe in Gilead.... Our king is a man named king Ahab.... Unfortunately, he is not a good king.... In fact, he is a very bad king.... The other day God spoke to me... He told me to go to king Ahab.... I had to deliver a message to him from my God.... I obeyed my God and went to see the king.... I told him that there would be no rain for the next few years except at my word.... I then left the king.... I knew I could not go back home for it would not be safe to do so.... The Lord knew that as well.... So He told me to go and hide myself in a ravine.... I went there.... As a matter of fact I am still there.... My God is so good for He has made sure I have water....And twice a day food is brought to me by ravens....Only my God is able to command them to do so.... I may well stay here until the Lord tells me that He will send rain once again....."...... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the prophet Elijah's visit to king Ahab....


                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                        THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART

To help us begin to learn that Elijah was a man just like us let's start reading I King 17:1-6

Now Elijah the Tishbite fromTishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, "Leave here, turn eastwards, and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to fee you there." So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

We don't seem to know anything about Elijah's beginnings. All we know is that he is from a place called Tishbe. By the time we get to know him, he is, most likely, already established as a prophet and is know by king Ahab. What he has to say to the king is not very encouraging, but it does happen. In fact his words to the king will have caused the king to have become very angry so God tells him to hide from the king.

                         A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                   THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART I

"I, James, the half-brother of Jesus, made a perhaps surprising statement about the prophet Elijah in my letter... I wrote that he was a man just like us.... I mentioned as well that he had prayed that there would be no rain on his nation Israel.... And that as a result of his prayer there was no rain on the land for three and a half years.... I, furthermore, shared that Elijah had prayed for rain to come on the land and that God has answered his prayer by once again sending rain.... It is, of course, possible that you may not agree with my statement that Elijah was a man just like us... You may even want to try to explain to me why you think you are not like Elijah... If that is the case then I would like to suggest to you that you begin to study the life of Elijah.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the statement on Elijah by James, the half-brother of Jesus....


              ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                     THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART I

The prophet Elijah was a very bold person who has done some amazing things. Yet James seems to think that your prayers can be as effective as the prayers of Elijah. You can read that in James 5:16-17

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crop.

James makes here this interesting statement" Elijah was a man just like us"... Now to be honest, I don't think you really believe these words, do you now? After all, you may well have prayed at times that the rain would stop but that does not mean your prayer was answered at that time.And you certainly have never prayed for the rain to stop for three years and then to pray again for the rain to start and for the heavens to respond by pouring out rain. So I think, that deep in your heart you think, "Excuse me, James, Elijah might be like you, but after all, you were the half-brother of Jesus and that made you a special person. But James, you do not know me. I am just an ordinary person. I try to hold on to my faith and there are many times when I doubt God and struggle with issues in my life for I know that I am not supposed to behave in the way that I do and yet I continue to do these very things I know I am not supposed to. So how can you possibly tell me that Elijah was just like me...?" If James could know what you might be thinking he may well suggest that you study the life of Elijah to see whether or not he is right.

                               A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                   ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIX

"I, the widow at Zarephath of Sidon now know that the God of the prophet Elijah is a good God... And that He has always taken care of me and will always take care of me and my son.... I now realise that He chose me, a widow from Zarephath of Sidon, to take care of His servant.... God could have chosen a widow in Israel to take care of His servant.... But He did not.... He chose me for that special task.... He did not choose me because I had an abundant supply of flour and oil.... No, He chose me, despite the fact that I had hardly any flour and oil... In fact, I think He chose me because I had such a little supply.... That way He could perform a daily miracle of multiplying the little I had to keep us alive and well throughout the famine... Isn't God good?... I know that God wants to show His goodness not just to me but to anyone who is willing to be used by Him in whatever way He may want them to... So they can be as blessed as I am."... Please read the typed out attachment to learn that God wants to use you too....

             ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                            ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XIX

God selected this widow, who was not even a widow in Israel, to take care of His servant. This proves that He knew who she was, knew where she lived and knew her circumstances. And yet He chose her for this special task. His prophet needed a safe place to stay where he could rest and where he would be fed. We may have expected God to choose someone who have been better able to take care of Elijah, but God did not for He knew that He would multiply the little the widow had so that it would enough for all of them to last the time they would need it.
You may feel you are somewhat like this widow for no one knows you, knows where you live, nor knows your difficult circumstances. But I want you to know that just as God knew this widow, so God knows you, knows where you live and knows your circumstances. And just as God chose to use this widow so God wants to use you. And just as God used the little she had and multiplied it in her life, so He will use that little that you have as you give it to Him and He will multiply it in your life. You may say, "Well, I don't even have what she had for I do not have any flour or oil." But I tell you, you have something to give to God for Him to multiply in your life for the benefit of others. You can show kindness to someone who may not deserve it, can't you? You can give forgiveness to someone who has hurt you, can't you? These are some of the things God is looking for you to give away so He can multiply them in your life for the sake of others.. And as you give from your heart so more will be given to you so you have even more to give away. Jesus teaches these things in Luke 5:27-38 where He says,

"But I tell you who hear me, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners"love those who love them. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" lend to "sinners", expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

The widow gave what she had and, because of it, she and her son lived. Likewise, God will cause you to come truly alive in Him when you are willing to give whatever you can be it in the form of kindness, love, mercy, forgiveness to those who may not deserve it. And you will experience His joy, His peace and His very presence in a way you may not have known before.

P.S. We have now come to the end of my story "Only a Little Flour and Oil". Next week I will start a new story "The Runaway Prophet."

                        A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                           ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVIII

"I, the widow at Zarephath of Sidon cannot believe what I see.... My son, my only son, who was very ill and died has come back to life!!.... I know that I am not dreaming!!.... I am holding my boy in my arms.... And he is smiling at me and telling me that it is true.... That he is alive!!.... I don't know whether to laugh or to cry... I feel like doing both..... I am so overwhelmed by it all... One thing is for sure.... This man from Israel who one day came out of the blue to our town must be a man of God... I kind of knew that.... But I then lost faith that he was indeed a man of God since my son died.... But now I know for certain that he is a man of God... And that what comes out of his mouth is the truth!!... I can only praise his God.... May his God be my God too!!".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the widow at Zarephath of Sidon now understands why God has allowed her son to get ill and die.


      ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                     ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVIII

The widow at Zarephath of Sidon finally understands why God has allowed her this ordeal in her life as you can read in I Kings 17:24

Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."

This tragedy has been used by God to help the widow trust the man of God as well as his God more fully. She has already experienced the truth of Elijah's words and the trustworthiness of Elijah's God for some time because of the daily miraculous provision of flour and oil. Yet, God knows that this widow still has some doubts about the prophet Elijah and his God. Something more needs to happen in her life for her to overcome her doubt. He, therefore, allowed this tragedy in her life, knowing that it will make her fully accept Elijah as the man of God that he is and to trust his God completely.

   




                             A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVII

"After I, Elijah, the prophet of God, had prayed for the dead son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon, I waited to see how the Lord would work.... It did not take too long to see the result of my prayer... The boy's life returned to him.... I know my God is a good God.... And He is a prayer-answering God.... I know that.... But the boy's mother does not know that as yet.... I must take the boy to her at once.... I can't wait to see her face when she realises her son is no longer but but is alive and well!".... Please read the typed out attachment when the prophet Elijah brings the son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon to his mother....


           ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                             ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVII

You can find out what the prophet Elijah does next after the son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon comes back to life in I Kings 17:23

Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive."

When Elijah return with the boy to his mother, there is not really a need for much explanation. The mother can see that death has left her child. Joy overwhelms her soul. Her son has been returned to her.



    

                               A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                   ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVI

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, lifted myself up from the body of the son of the widow at Zarephath of Sidon... I had stretched myself out on him three times.... While doing so I had cried out to the Lord to give the boy back his life....I knew that the Lord would answer my prayer.... And He did.... As soon as I lifted myself up from the boy's body, his life began to return to him..... He opened his eyes.... He looked around the room.... It took him a while to recognise where he was.... He then smiled because he realised he was in my room.... On my bed.... Not in his own room.... He began to stretch his arms and legs....I could see he was alive and well.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that God answered the prayer of the prophet Elijah....


           ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                 ONLY A LITTLE FLOUR AND OIL PART XVI

How does God respond to the prophet Elijah's prayer? Let's read I Kings 17:22 to find out

The Lord heard Elijah's cry and the boy's life returned.

It seems the Lord waited patiently for Elijah to work through his emotions and then, in answer to his prayer, is delighted to give the boy back his life. Elijah is, of course, overjoyed. God has answered his prayer; the boy has come back to life. But what about his mother? Should she not be told?