Trusting God to Provide
Introduction
Today’s sermon is called “Trusting God to Provide.”
Our reading tells a story about God’s provision, a poor widow and a prophet called Elijah.
Elijah, you will remember, is the one who appears at Jesus’ transfiguration
Elijah represented all the Prophets of the OT, while Moses appears to represent the Law.
You will find that story in Mark chapter 9.
Strange Directions:
Elijah lived in “interesting times.”
Being chased out of his own country into the desert of Sidon by the wicked idolater Ahab, and his devilish wife Jezebel, Elijah is in a dreadful position.
But God was providing for him. At the beginning of the chapter we are told how, in extreme conditions, God was caring for His prophet.
God protected him from death at the hands of the king and queen by sending him away.
God fed him by means of ravens and watered him at the brook Cherith.
Then when the drought took full effect, God told Elijah, I will have “a widow…to provide for you.” (9)
Hearing such a message in his distress may have put off a lesser man.
“I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”(9) What?
Elijah might have thought: “So you are sending me to a place where there is a famine and to the lowest person in the food chain there, and they are going to provide for me? Obviously, Lord, you know what you are doing, because I certainly don’t!”
If we are given directions from God that we cannot understand, or that seem strange, we must discern whether we are going to use our reason or faith in order to do what God wants. In other words, we may be asked to do something that is not logical or sensible to us, but is nevertheless God’s will for us.
It was not logical to go to a poor widow during a time of famine to get food and lodging, but it was God’s will for Elijah.
It was not logical for Abraham to offer up his only son Isaac as a sacrifice, yet it was God’s will for them both. (Gen 22:2)
It was not logical for Jesus to allow himself to be arrested in Gethsemane, as He could have called down twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. But then He would have missed the will of God for Him and our salvation would have been forfeited. (Mt 26:53)
It was not logical or reasonable for Jesus to submit to His death on the cross, yet it was by that means, and that means alone, that we have our full and complete salvation from sin and death.
I Cor 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
1:22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
The Wisdom of the Widow:
So Elijah obeys God and goes to Zarephath to meet the widow.
Elijah meets her at the gate of the city.
Elijah has the directions (the word of God) and she has the means to begin the miracle. She has gathered the sticks for the fire and she has a little flour and a little oil. She has some means. Now she needs God’s help, for she has obviously run out of hope (see v. 12)…she said she was going to go home and bake their last meal and then die with her child; a heart rending position to be in, for sure.
She has little but we can learn from this that if we begin with what we have and offer it to God in faith He will provide what we lack.
So Elijah is in no better position than he was with the ravens to feed him. (v.1-7) He still has almost nothing and is totally dependant on the will, and word and provision of God.
The widow also is in no better position than Elijah unless God intervenes.
Why do you suppose that she did what Elijah told her to do?
What made her not just a needy widow but a wise widow?
He was a Jew; she was not; she was a Sidonian, unused to hearing such demands from someone who by all accounts was a stranger to her.
So why did she do what she was asked?
After all, he asked her to prepare a little cake for him FIRST, (v13) and only after that to prepare food for her child and herself.
Was she not more inclined to care for her child and herself FIRST as she said she was going to do? (12) A mother is very protective of her children when they are threatened.
Why did she do what Elijah asked then?
What turned her from a poor, needy widow into a wise widow?
She heard and obeyed the word of God.
‘As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread…” (12)
She says “Your God,” she does not say ‘my God.’
Not her God, your God, Elijah!
And yet Elijah’s God had spoken to her. The pre-evangelism was done by God Himself. God prepared her heart to listen and to obey.
She understood that the God of Israel had done great things on Israel’s behalf, that He is the living God.
She did what she was asked because she heard the word of God.
13 “And 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. 14 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.’
Now she could have told Elijah not to be so silly. In her circumstances she could have remained bitter, and told him to go away and let her and her child die. For that was the alternative; and she knew it well. She had nothing to lose and here was a man who spoke with authority in the name of the God of Israel whom she respected.
Those who come to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
It was when she had nothing, nothing to lose that is, that the widow became wise and trusted God. Sometimes we may go through hard times before we come to see our need of God.
When she came to see that she had nothing left, she was open to hear the word of God and she chose to trust God for her salvation.
The song we sing says:
“Jehovah Jireh, my Provider His grace is sufficient for me.”
It was when she had nothing, nothing to lose that is, that the widow became wise and trusted God.
We can have no doubt that on hearing the word of the prophet she diligently sought God in her heart.
As she went to prepare the fire, she was busy, busy seeking God in her heart…
As she mixed the last of the little flour and oil that she had, she diligently sought God in her heart.
As she laid out the unleavened bread on the griddle (Note *1) to bake it, she diligently sought God in her heart.
She was greatly rewarded. Not only was she and the child saved from the famine, but later, her boy was brought back from the dead by the ministry of the prophet Elijah. Her response is found in verse 24: ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.’
So what did she discover? Did she discover what C.H.Spurgeon says?: “Let us, then, put the question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will most surely do as he hath said.” (Spurgeon: “Morning and Evening,” Evening, June 8th on Num 11:23)
What will it take for you?
God expects no less, and, expects no more from us.
When we hear the word of God, we must believe God.
When we hear the word of God, we must act on it.
It is by faith that we are saved and that by the word of God. Because it says in Rom 10:16-17 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
It is God who is the rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him.
Some say ‘I have tried that. I went forward at a meeting years ago, I bowed down and prayed in my room many years ago. It did not work for me…’
As G. K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.” (Gilbert K. Chesterton: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/gilbertkc102389.html)
It is those who DILIGENTLY seek Him who are rewarded, not just those who casually seek God, but who figure it out in their hearts that they will determinedly follow Christ and Christ alone for salvation.
ACTS 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Back to the story...
Verse 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.”
As you think about your need, do not be anxious because God is even more gracious than that. He has by His own plan and provision made a wonderful way of salvation from sin and provided a way of escape from sin and death which is pictured in a meal.
Just as the wise widow, her son and Elijah ate for many days so the Lord has provided food for us which has lasted down through the churches history providing for all the faithful until today. It is called the Lord’s Supper.
As we prepare our hearts to receive it, let us remember that it has no magical powers, but is given for us from Jesus own hands to sustain us spiritually.
The Apostle Paul says: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you…” (I Cor 11:23)
It is spiritual food from Christ Himself.
As we put our trust in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us as He went to the cross, died and was buried and rose again for our justification, He will come again to take His own to Himself.
All is prepared, come by faith and eat. Amen.
Notes: 1. “a frying pan with a handle and a slightly raised edge, for cooking pancakes, bacon, etc., over direct heat.”
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=griddle
