The Prophet Sustained by Ravens and a Widow

[1 Kings 17:2-4, 9] “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’… ‘Go at once to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.'”

God commanded ravens to provide for Elijah, an order completely against common sense. He was to rely daily on unreliable and unclean ravens for sustenance. Yet, Elijah completely obeyed, going to the Kerith Ravine without question. This was not only an experience of God’s provision and protection but also a training in faith and obedience for Elijah.

Zarephath was a Phoenician town on the Mediterranean coast, located between Tyre and Sidon—Jezebel’s hometown. In ancient times, widows were among the most vulnerable, needing help from others (Deuteronomy 14:29). The widow in Zarephath was moreover a Gentile who worshipped Baal. Jezebel, the princess of Sidon, was leading all of Israel to worship Baal, yet God specifically commanded Elijah to return to a place of Baal worship, to live there, and to be sustained by one of Jezebel’s own people—a Baal-worshipping widow. This particular command, like relying on ravens for provision, defied human common sense. It exposed the “nothingness” of Baal and clearly showed that “the LORD alone is God.” It was both a test of Elijah’s faith and a demonstration to the people that “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

When Elijah arrived in Zarephath, he found that the famine had already spread there. Baal had brought no rain; the drought was as severe as in the Kerith Ravine, and the widow herself could barely survive. Through Elijah, God brought salvation to a Gentile.

Only the LORD God is the one who provides for humanity.