A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: THE RUNAWAY PROPHET /5

 

                                 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                   THE RUNAWAY PROPHET

                                    PART V 

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, have just been talking with a widow at the town gate at Zarephath in Sidon....God has sent me here to meet a widow to take care of me... I know that she did not seem to be the ideal candidate... For she was gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son.... I, furthermore, heard her say that she plans for her son and herself to die after they have eaten whatever food they have left over in their house... It was just as well that no one else was around when I asked her to make me a small cake first before making something for herself and her son....For anyone who would have heard me say these things would have thought me to be extremely selfish....Had anyone else been there they may well have come to me and tell me off for asking her for something that she could not possibly provide since she only had a little flour and oil left for herself and her son.... But I dared to ask her to do the impossible."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the prophet Elijah asks something quite impossible of the widow of Zarephath in Sidon....

 

                    ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                                   THE RUNAWAY PROPHET 

                                                                  PART V 

The prophet Elijah has no doubt that God has selected this widow at Zarephath in Sidon to take care of him 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 for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son."

You may well like to say to Elijah, "How can you ask this poor widow to bake you a cake first? How can you be so selfish? You must know that she does not have any spare flour left for you so how can you insist that she make a cake for you besides making one for her and her son. You ought to realise that this poor woman may not have enough flour and oil for three people. It will mean, therefore, that, very likely, she will end up giving her portion to you and that will surely mean death for her." 

 

 

             

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: THE RUNAWAY PROPHET P/4

 

                               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

                    THE RUNAWAY PROPHET 

                                     PART IV 

"I, Elijah the prophet of God, left the brook where I had been staying.... I then made my way to Zarephath in Sidon.....I looked for a widow the moment I arrived at the town gate... For God had told me He had commanded a widow to take care of me.... I was a little surprised at His words... For I know that widows are usually poor....It may therefore not be so easy for any widow to take care of me.... Moreover, He was not sending me to a widow in Israel.... But to a widow outside of Israel.... So things did not make much sense.... However, so far God has taken care of me.... By providing me with a brook with water and food via ravens.... I could, therefore, trust Him to take care of me in this new season.... I did, in fact, see a widow.... She was gathering sticks.... Not a very hopeful sign..... However, I decided to call out to her and ask her for some water.... She responded positively to my request.... I then decided to ask her for a piece of bread.... But this time her answer was not very promising... She first of all let me know that my God is not her God since she is not an Israelite... Moreover, she told me that she did not have any bread in the house...She had just a little flour and oil left for herself and her son..... God had not told me that the widow He had selected for me has a son....And she told me that she and her son will have one more meal before they will die... She sounded very desperate...." Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the prophet Elijah's encounter with a widow at Zarephath in Sidon....

 

              ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                    THE RUNAWAY PROPHET

                                                                   PART IV 

As directed by the Lord, the prophet Elijah went to Zarephath in Sidon to meet a widow the Lord had selected for him to take care of him as you can read in I Kings 17:10-12

So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread - only a handful of flour in a jar 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." 

Just imagine that you are Elijah. Would you not feel very uncomfortable after your encounter with this widow? You may well question yourself if you still have the prophetic ability you used to have when you accurately predicted to king Ahab that there would be no rain for three years. That word has proven to be all too true. However, in the case of the widow you may initially believe that you have approached the right widow but then she tells you she plans on dying. So either you have picked the wrong widow or, dare you think it, God has not done what He has promised He would do: He has not commanded this widow to take care of you. 

 

 

               

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: THE RUNAWAY PROPHET P/3

 

                                     

                           

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 there is no rain... So He sent me to the ravine to keep me safe and to provide me with water from a brook... I expected God to keep providing me with water from the 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 that He was not too early... He told me to pack my bags and go to Zaraphath 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 has been staying dries up. Now I am sure God could have done something supernatural so that the water in the brook would have continued to flow but God does not do this for he has a better plan in mind for His prophet. He tells Elijah to go to a widow who lives outside 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 the widow whom he knows has been prepared by God to take care of him as you can read in 1 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? 

P.S. Please not that this story on Elijah can be found in the Bible in the Old Testament about people who lived in the 9th Century BC.... 

 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: THE RUNAWAY PROPHET P/2

 

                                   

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                  THE RUNAWAY PROPHET

                                  PART II 

"I, Elijah, am the prophet of the God of Israel.... I live in Tishbe in Gilead... Our king is a man named 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's Elijah's visit to king Ahab....

 

                     ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                     THE RUNAWAY PROPHET 

                                                                        PART II

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

Now Elijah, the Tishbite from Tishbe 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 feed 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 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 known 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. 

P.S. Please note that this story can be found in part of the Bible called the Old Testament and is about people who lived in the 9th Century BC. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: THE RUNAWAY PROPHET P/1

 

Today I will return to the life of Elijah to share another story on him. I trust you will enjoy reading it....                       

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET 

                     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 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 then eventually prayed for rain to come on the land and that God had 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 PROPHET

                                              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 prayer 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.

P.S. Please note that Elijah's story can be found in the Bible in the part called the Old Testament. He lived in the 9th Century BC..... 

 

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING P/11

 

                                   

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

    AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING

                        PART XI 

"I, the young girl in Naaman's household, was so concerned for my master....For he had become leprous.... And no doctor had been able to cure him....That is why I decided to talk to my mistress about the prophet from my country....And I did....And my master went to my country....While he was there I kept praying for him....Today he has returned.... And my prayers have been answered!!....He has been healed of his leprosy... Isn't God good?... And my master has announced that from now on the whole household will no longer worship any false god but only the Lord!... I am full of joy!... God has used me.... A little no-body, a young girl who had been snatched from my home, to save this important man and his household.... I know too that this would not have happened if I had not gone through the challenges I have been through... What has happened to me is not good... But God in His infinite wisdom has been able to bring good out of it....... And I thank and praise Him for it."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that the young girl in Naaman's household had a very important role to play in the story of Naaman....

 

                  ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                 AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING 

                                                                      PART XI

It seems this story is primarily about two people: Naaman, the soldier, and Elisha, the prophet of God. However, they are not the reason I have chosen for us to look at this story....I chose this story because of "a young girl in Israel." You see, if not for this young girl, Naaman whould not have known about the prophet of God and he would not have received his healing. Therefore, this young girl has a very important role to play in this story... Let's read again what what has been written about her                        in II Kings 5:2-3 

Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

Now these are only a few lines but there is a story behind these lines that is worth investigating.First of all, you can learn from these few lines that there is a young girl who once lived in a village or town in Israel where she will have lived with her family. Every day she will have gone about her usual business of helping in the home. Then one day a group of enemy soldiers arrived in the village or town where she lived. No doubt, she will have hidden because she will have known that these soldiers will have been up to no good. But to no avail for she was snatched from her home and take far away to a strange country, where the people speak a different language, have different customs, and most of all, serve a false god. And, instead of being a beloved daughter of her parents, she has become the servant of the wife of a man named Naaman. Every day she will have cried as soon as she has gone to bed because she so desperately misses her mother and her father and her brothers and sisters.She will have worried about them for she does not know what has happened to them. She has often prayed to her God to bring her back home but He has not done so. However, she does know that He is taking care of her even in this strange land for He has given her kind people to serve. One day her master became ill with leprosy and his condition got worse and worse. So eventually she dared to speak with her mistress about the prophet of God in her own country who surely can bring healing to her master.She was very happy when her master went to her country.And so she waited for his return.And then today she heard voices outside the house, including the voice of her master. And his voice sounded full of life and strength. So she knew God had healed her master. Right there and then in the middle of the room where she was cleaning she knelt down and thanked God for the miracle that only He could have performed.

                                              

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES: AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING P/10

 

                                   

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES 

         AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING 

                            PART X 

"I, Naaman, the commander of the army of Aram, am full of gratitude.... I used to be full of pride.... But that is no longer the case.... I am now only full of gratitude.... Gratitude to the prophet of Israel... And gratitude to his God.... I returned to the home of the prophet after my miraculous healing....I wanted to express my gratitude to him by giving him a gift... This time I did speak with the prophet....However, he refused to receive my gift.... I then asked for a gift from him....I asked for a gift of soil.... For I determined that from that day on I would only bring sacrifices to the Lord ... But no longer to any other god....I must now go home and share the good news of my healing with my family....And I must thank the servant girl for introducing me to the the prophet of Samaria."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Naaman's gratitude towards the Lord......

 

                  ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                AN INSTRUMENT FOR HEALING

                                                                          PART X 

Naaman rides back to Elisha's home after his visit to the rider Jordan. This time is heart is no longer full of pride but full of gratitude to the prophet and to the God of Israel who has healed him.  And he determines that from now on he will only serve the God of Israel as you can read in II Kings 5:15-19a 

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant." The prophet answered, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing."And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. "If you will not," said Naaman, "Please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also - when I bow down in the Temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this." "Go in peace," Elisha said.

Naaman cannot wait to get home, There is so much he has to share. He has become a transformed man and he knows it.