WORD OF THE LORD-NOVEMBER 11-3-2019

1 Kings 17:1-15-read

2 kings 4:1-7-read

Similarities:

Both women were widows.

Both women had sons.

Both Widows were poor and or almost out of resources.

In both cases the miracle and provision had to do with oil.

In both cases both widows were at the point where they were about to lose. everything, lose the little they had left.

2 kings 2: your maidservant has nothing in the house BUT a jar of oil.

1 kings 4:12: and a little olive oil in a jug.

In both cases their last possession was oil.

In both cases tragic circumstances were set to occur.

The virgins and the oil-10 virgins-10 number of divine order/complet

Went out with nothing:    

          FALL IS MEANT TO TRANSITION EVERYTHING INTO WINTER.

          SPRING IS MEANT TO TRANSITION EVERYTHING INTO SUMMER.

FALL IS MEANT TO PUT TO SLEEP AND REST SPRING IS MEANT TO WAKE UP AND RENEW.

1 Kings 17:1-15:

Many widows were found in Israel in the days of Elias.

Now yes, it is very possible that other widows would of surely came into their home.

However, Elijah is sent to Sidon, a Gentile city, Elijah becomes the first prophet of the gentiles

Now this is a foreshadowing, a picture f you may, of how Jesus went as well to the gentiles to heal them, and then Paul.

Here the seed is planting and thus forth will grow

Now we are aware that Elijah’s greatest enemy, besides satan himself, is jezebel.

Side note: Jezebel was the daughter of Ithobaal I of Sidon and the wife of Ahab, King of Israel, according to the Book of Kings of the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 16:31).who sought to lead the Jews into sin. She was a pawn and used by her own family to marry Ahab for political, financial, and for alliance for war, She was operated through by the enemy to contaminate the land with baal worship, she was possessed by a spirit  Wikipedia

So, jezebel is Elijah’s greatest enemy, however the Lord was going to demonstrate how powerless her malice and position was in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord facilitates a hiding place for Elijah in Jezebel's country.

The person appointed to entertain, or host Elijah is not a great ruler or man of wealth.

A poor widow woman in desperate need and want,

This is a shadowing of Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd I shall NOT be in WANT.

Elijah is appointed to act as the shepherd seeking out the member of the flock that s in the most desperate of need.

However, as we will see her willingness, her obedience is all the Lord needed to use her to help sustain Elijah.

This is the Lord’s way to make use of and honor not only obedience, but using the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

1 Corinthians 1:27: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Great was this women’s faith that there was none like her:

Matthew 8:10: Is a  parallel- When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

The widow took Elijah’s Word that she would not lose

Her last bit of flour and oil.

  The Hebrew word for oil (shemen שמן), which refers to olive oil, is used roughly 150 times in the Old Testament; this shows its value and importance. Olive oil was a part of everyday life and essential for monumental events, putting it on high demand. 
Olive oil was used for a wide variety of daily functions in Bible times. It was the oil that kept the lamps burning when it was dark and was an ingredient in cooking and baking. The oil was also used for medicinal purposes because of its antibacterial qualities, and as a body moisturizer.

One of the most significant uses of olive oil in the Bible was to anoint kings, priests, and prophets. The anointed would pour olive oil on the head of the one he was anointing as a sign that that person was chosen for the work of God. An example in Scripture is 1 Samuel 16, where Samuel anoints young David. Source; (sareltours.com).

So oil was very valuable and being in high demand it most likely was not cheap.

This was a test and venturing out into the promises of God and His faithfulness that He is not a man that he should lie.

Numbers 23:19: God is not a man, that he should lie.

Those who give themselves over to the service of the Lord in faith and obedience will have no problem giving unto the Lord what he requires FIRST.

This is not only a demonstration of faith and obedience BUT what happens when we do things with the Lord in the order he has set before us.

His widow with her last bit of flour and oil, the last bit of value to her name was ready to deny herself, give it unto the Lord, and trust in the promise of the Lord that came through the prophet Elijah.

This is what laid the foundation and set the stage for a creative miracle in her life By the Lord.

So basically, the widow took a third of that teeny bit of flour and oil that was barely enough for her and her son, their LAST MEAL, and gave unto the Lord and Elijah 1/3.

1 Kings 17:13: Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.

Bring it to me FIRST, here is the key, bring it before the Lord FIRST, then go make some for yourself and your son.

Most likely she brought Elijah about a third nor more of the little she had. This was bringing a huge offering before the Lord, remember this was all she had left there were no reserves, there was no social services, there were no programs back then. When one was widowed in some ways it was a death sentence because of the way women were viewed. Thus the importance of having sons to care for them and take possession of the family inheritance.

1 Kings:17: 14-16: 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.’ ”

¹⁵ So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

The Holy Spirit Spoke to Me about this The Last Supper and paralleled it to Jesus and his Disciples.

The last supper was really not an end it was a beginning, it was the last meal before the Fulfillment, key word, of the Law, in Jesus dying on the Cross, it was the beginning of a , new chapter, it was the start truly of the church, and kit was the beginning of us having a relationship with the Lord sanctified by the blood of Jesus, it also opened the gates of Heaven from that point forward.

This woman herself said it was their LAST meal, however truly it was not, it was not an end for her and her son, BUT a beginning of walking in true faith, obedience and, provision of God.

It was her last supper as a desolate woman because Jehovah Gyrah was coming onto the scene to be her provider and protector in the mist of a land racked with famine and terrorized by jezebel

Truly this “last supper’ was a start of something new

Isaiah 43:19: Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Vs 14: The act of this women’s faith unlocked in the spirit a continuous flow of provision until the rains came, the Lord held to this promise and I believe for 2 years they were fed and provided for. This was all done right under Jezebel's nose and the Lord protected the widow, and hid her in the secret place so Jezebel could not harm her or her son for housing Elijah

Psalm 91:1-2: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

This widow abides under the shadow of the Almighty for 2 years, she was hidden in the secret place with Elijah.

Note: When the Lord declares that no power, principality, or person shall find you and harm you, they will be completely oblivious and blind to the Lord and His workings in your life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLZxQ8305f8