This chapter is based on 1 Kings 17:8-24; 18:1-18.
(SS 67)
Hidden in the mountains by the brook Cherith, for many months Elijah was miraculously provided with food. When, because of the continued drought, the brook became dry, God told His servant: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath [known in New Testament times as Sarepta] ... : behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”
(SS 67.1)
This woman was not an Israelite. She had never had the privileges that the chosen people of God had enjoyed, but she was a believer in the true God and had walked in all the light shining on her pathway. And now, when there was no safety for Elijah in Israel, God sent him to this woman to find asylum in her home.
(SS 67.2)
“So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And ... bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread.”
(SS 67.3)
In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life. But in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith. In response to Elijah’s request she said, “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”
(SS 67.4)
No greater test of faith could have been required. Regardless of the suffering that might result to herself and child and trusting in the God of Israel to supply her need, the widow met this supreme test of hospitality by doing “according to the saying of Elijah.”
(SS 68.1)
Wonderfully were her faith and generosity rewarded. “She, and he, and her house did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.”
(SS 68.2)
“After these things ... the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, ... Art thou come to me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?”
(SS 68.3)
“And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he ... carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed ... . And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord ... . And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
(SS 68.4)
“And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.”
(SS 68.5)
The widow of Zarephath shared her morsel with Elijah, and in return her life and that of her son were preserved. And to all who give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah. “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.” Matthew 10:41.
(SS 68.6)
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2. Our heavenly Father still places in the pathway of His children opportunities that are blessings in disguise; and those who improve these opportunities find great joy. “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then ... you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:10, 11, RSV.
(SS 69.1)
Today Christ says, “He that receiveth you receiveth Me.” No act of kindness shown in Christ’s name will fail to be rewarded. And Christ includes even the lowliest of the family of God: “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones”—those who are as children in faith and knowledge—“a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40-42.
(SS 69.2)
Through the long years of famine, Elijah prayed earnestly and waited patiently while the hand of the Lord rested heavily on the stricken land. As he saw suffering and want on every side, his heart was wrung with sorrow, and he longed to bring about a reformation quickly. But God was working out His plan, and His servant was to pray on and await the time for action.
(SS 69.3)
The apostasy in Ahab’s day was the result of many years of evildoing. Step by step Israel had been departing from the right way, and at last the great majority had yielded themselves to the powers of darkness.
(SS 69.4)
About a century had passed since, under King David, Israel had united in hymns of praise to the Most High in recognition of their entire dependence on Him for daily mercies. Then they sang:
(SS 69.5)
O God of our salvation, ... Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it. Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; And Thy paths drop fatness. Psalm 65:5, 8, 9, 11
(SS 70)
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man: That He may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man. O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: The earth is full of Thy riches. Psalm 104:14, 15, 24
(SS 70)
The land to which the Lord had brought Israel was flowing with milk and honey, a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. “The land, whither thou goest in to possess it,” He had told them, “is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: a land which the Lord thy God careth for.”
(SS 70.1)
The promise of abundance of rain had been given on condition of obedience: “If ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain.”
(SS 70.2)
“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then ... He [the Lord] shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14, 16, 17.
(SS 71.1)
“If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes,”“thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 23, 24.
(SS 71.2)
Plain were these commands, yet as the centuries passed, apostasy threatened to sweep aside every barrier of divine grace. Now the prediction of Elijah was meeting terrible fulfillment. For three years the messenger of woe was sought for. Many rulers had given their oath of honor that the strange prophet could not be found in their dominions. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah and spared no effort to bring him within reach of their power. And still there was no rain.
(SS 71.3)
At last “the word of the Lord came to Elijah ..., saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.” In obedience to the command, Elijah set forth on his journey.
(SS 71.4)
About this time Ahab proposed to Obadiah, the governor of his household, that they search for springs and brooks in the hope of finding pasture for their starving flocks. The king, deeply concerned over the outlook for his household, decided to unite personally with his servant in a search for some favored spots where pasture might be had. “Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.”“As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?”
(SS 71.5)
During the apostasy of Israel, Obadiah had remained faithful. The king had been unable to turn him from his allegiance to the living God. Now he was honored with a commission from Elijah: “Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.”
(SS 72.1)
Terrified, Obadiah exclaimed, “What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?” This was to court certain death! “As the Lord thy God liveth,” he explained to the prophet, “there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me.”
(SS 72.2)
With a solemn oath Elijah promised Obadiah that the errand should not be in vain. “As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today.” Thus assured, “Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him.”
(SS 72.3)
In astonishment mingled with terror the king listened to the message from the man whom he feared and hated, and for whom he had sought untiringly. Could it be possible that the prophet was about to utter another woe against Israel? The king’s heart was seized with dread. He remembered the withered arm of Jeroboam. Ahab could not avoid obeying the summons, neither dared he lift up his hand against the messenger of God. Accompanied by a bodyguard of soldiers, the trembling monarch went to meet the prophet.
(SS 72.4)
The king and the prophet stood face to face. In the presence of Elijah, Ahab seemed unmanned, powerless. In his first faltering words, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” he unconsciously revealed the inmost feelings of his heart and sought to cast on the prophet the blame for the heavy judgments resting on the land.
(SS 72.5)
It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the calamities that come as the result of departure from the way of righteousness. When the mirror of truth is held up before those in Satan’s power, they become indignant at receiving reproof. Blinded by sin, they feel that God’s servants have turned against them and are worthy of severest censure.
(SS 73.1)
Standing in conscious innocence, Elijah made no attempt to excuse himself or to flatter the king. Nor did he seek to evade the king’s wrath by the good news that the drought was almost over. Indignant, and jealous for the honor of God, he fearlessly declared to the king that it was his sins, and the sins of his fathers, that had brought this terrible calamity. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah boldly asserted, “but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.”
(SS 73.2)
Today there is need of the voice of stern rebuke, for grievous sins have separated the people from God. Infidelity is fashionable. “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14) is the language of thousands. The smooth sermons often preached make no lasting impression; the trumpet does not give a certain sound. Men are not cut to the heart by the plain, sharp truths of God’s Word.
(SS 73.3)
Many say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why need John the Baptist have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking.
(SS 73.4)
So men who should be guardians of God’s law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?
(SS 73.5)
“Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12:7. Words as plain as these spoken by Nathan to David are seldom heard in pulpits today, seldom seen in the public press. The Lord’s messengers should not complain that their efforts are without fruit until they repent of their desire to please men, which leads them to suppress truth.
(SS 74.1)
It is not from love for their neighbor that ministers smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God’s ministers will speak the word given them, refusing to excuse evil.
(SS 74.2)
Would that every minister might show the courage that Elijah showed! Ministers are to “convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2, RSV. In Christ’s stead they are to encourage the obedient and warn the disobedient. With them worldly policy is to have no weight. They are to go forward in faith. They are not to speak their own words, but their message is to be, “Thus saith the Lord.” God calls for men like Elijah, Nathan, and John the Baptist—men who will bear His message regardless of consequences; men who will speak the truth though it call for the sacrifice of all they have.
(SS 74.3)
God calls for men who will do faithful battle against wrong, warring against spiritual wickedness in high places. To such He will speak the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matthew 25:23.
(SS 74.4)