PROPHETIC PRESERVATION (2)

“The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth’” – 1 Kings 17:14b

Elijah the Prophet manifested PROPHETIC PRESERVATION in his Zarephath encounter: “For thus says the Lord God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth’” (1 Kgs.17:14). Elijah burst into the Bible story unannounced, with a message of judgment from God, a direct challenge to Baal, the god many were beginning to worship who supposedly brought rain. Elijah faithfully delivered the short message and God told him to hide by a brook, and be fed by ravens twice a day while drinking water from the brook. As time passed, the water level continually dropped, making it increasingly difficult to drink from it.

Eventually, the brook dried up because there has been no rain in the land (1 Kgs. 17: 1-7). The brook dried up, but not the Word of the Lord: “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you” (vv.8-9). God told Elijah to go hide by the Brook Cherith and he obeyed. But God did not say how long he was supposed to stay there. Yet, he always knew that God remembered because his food was provided twice a day every day. The Word came only after the brook dried! And, Elijah remained at the brook until God told him to leave.

God sent Elijah to a poor widow, not a wealthy merchant. Not only was He directing Elijah to travel to a Gentile land where Baal worship was the official religion, He also told him that a widow would provide for him. Widows were among the most vulnerable people in society. But God knew all the widows who lived outside the borders of Israel. He used a poor widow from a pagan nation to provide for one of his greatest prophets. He took this person that most would have considered forsaken and used her to provide for His prophet, and be preserved in return.

Elijah promptly and faithfully obeyed. He didn’t question God or complain even though his life kept getting more difficult at each step. Sure enough, he saw a widow as he came to the gate of the city – a poor, ready-to-end-it-all widow! Surprisingly, Elijah asked the widow for water, which must have been really valuable at this time. As she was going, an additional demand came – a morsel of bread (v.11). The widow humbly informed Elijah of her plans for the future which comprised baking one last meal for herself and her son and slowly starving to death.

Elijah spoke the prophetic Word of Faith to the Widow’s heart, cast out fear, and God moved into action to execute Prophetic Preservation!