1 Kings 16:29-17:16

1 Kings 16:29-17:16

After going through quite a list of kings in Israel that had relatively short reigns (especially when compared to the reign of Asa in Judah), we come to Ahab. Now while Ahab was the worst king Israel had seen up to this point, even worse than Omri who had previously held that title, he was the king of Israel for 22 years. But because of his disobedience and choice to worship false gods such as Baal, God sent judgment on Ahab and his kingdom. Through the prophet Elijah, God sent word to Ahab warning him of a coming drought that would last for several years. With no rain, there would be no crops, and this was all in an effort to get Ahab’s attention.


As for Elijah, God sent him to the brook at Cherith, where God provided for him daily. There is a great contrast between Elijah and Ahab. Because of Ahab’s disobedience, he received judgment from God. The land went into a drought. Elijah, on the other hand, was given a place to stay, water to drink, and food to eat. God provided for Elijah, making sure that he had anything he needed. After some time, God spoke to Elijah again, sending him to Zarephath. The brook that Elijah had used to get his water had dried up, as a result of the drought. But God was not going to abandon his faithful prophet Elijah. He had already prepared another means of provision in Zarephath.

In Zarephath we see the extent of the drought that had plagued the land. Elijah met a widow that God had sent him to visit. Due to the drought, she had no way of providing food for herself or for her son. They had no water, and as a result they had no food. But when she was asked by a prophet of God to bring him some food, she was obedient. Elijah promised her that if she went and baked him a small cake, as well as fixing what would have been her last meal, then God would miraculously cause her flour jar and jug of oil to never run dry. He would provide for her daily until the end of the drought. The widow did as she was asked and God continued to provide for as He had promised.

These two stories in 1 Kings 17 illustrate the provision of God. We all go through rough times in life, and even those who follow God daily encounter financial difficulties. Being a child of God does not mean that we become exempt from the trials of life. However, we can trust that God will always provide what we need. We may not have everything we want, but we will always have exactly what we need to live. In the American culture, it is sometimes hard to grasp this concept. In a place and time where materialism reigns, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to only have enough to get by. We are driven by the desire to have more and more in life and feel as if we are less of a person if we struggling to make it. But consider this: would you rather be like Ahab who had everything in the world he could have ever wanted and was punished for his disobedience to God’s commands or would you rather be like Elijah and this widow who were fed daily by God (by ravens and through His miraculous provisions). They had to trust that He would be faithful every morning, sending them their food for the day, but they were also able to grow closer to the Lord as well.

Matt