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Then Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD lives, the God of Israel, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
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Then the word of the LORD came to him:
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“Depart from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.
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You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
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So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and lived by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.
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And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
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But after a while the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
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Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
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“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
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So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
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As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me also a morsel of bread.”
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And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
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And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake from it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and for your son.
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For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not fail, until the day the LORD sends rain upon the earth.”
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And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.
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The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.
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After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill, and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
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The woman said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause my son to die?”
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Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from the woman’s lap and carried him up to the upper room, and laid him on his bed.
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Then he cried out to the LORD, saying, “O LORD my God, have you also brought calamity upon this widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”
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Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times, and cried to the LORD, saying, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return into his body.”
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The LORD listened to Elijah’s request, and the child’s life returned into his body, and he lived again.
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Elijah took the child; he brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
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Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is true.”
⚡🕊️🌧️ Summary of 1 Kings 17 – Elijah and the Miracle in the Midst of Drought
1 Kings 17 introduces one of the great figures in the history of faith: the prophet Elijah. He appears suddenly to confront Ahab, the most wicked king of Israel. Without hesitation, Elijah announces a judgment of drought upon the land. This chapter is full of miracles and God’s provision in the midst of famine, showing that the Lord has power over nature and is faithful to His people, even in silence and hardship.
📌 1. Elijah Prophesies Drought (verse 1)
➡️ Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe in Gilead, appears and immediately confronts Ahab
➡️ He says that there will be no rain or dew for several years except at his word
🎯 A true servant of God is not afraid to speak the truth, even when facing a wicked ruler.
📌 2. Elijah Is Fed by Ravens (verses 2–7)
➡️ The Lord tells Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith
➡️ He drinks from the brook and is fed by ravens, morning and evening
➡️ But, because of the drought, the brook eventually dries up too
🎯 The Lord can sustain His people in unexpected ways — even through unclean birds such as ravens.
📌 3. Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath (verses 8–16)
➡️ The Lord sent Elijah to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon (a pagan land), to stay in the house of a widow
➡️ The widow had only a little flour and oil, enough for one last meal
➡️ Elijah asked for the food first, and promised that her flour and oil would not run out
➡️ The woman obeyed — and indeed, her supply never ran out throughout the time of drought
🎯 When faith is tested through giving, the Lord repays with wondrous provision.
📌 4. The Widow’s Son Raised to Life (verses 17–24)
➡️ The widow’s son suddenly became very ill and died
➡️ The mother blamed Elijah, as though his presence had brought judgment for her sin
➡️ Elijah took the child up to the upper room, prayed earnestly, and laid himself upon the child three times
➡️ The Lord brought the child back to life — the first recorded resurrection miracle in the Bible
🎯 In sorrow, the Lord answers sincere prayer and turns tragedy into a testimony of faith.
📖 Main Lessons
- The Lord has power over nature — He can withhold rain and command life
- Faithfulness in lack opens the door to miracles of provision
- The Lord uses the small and humble (a pagan widow) to support a great work
- Earnest and bold prayer can move the hand of God to restore life
- Personal experience of God’s power will turn doubt into conviction
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Elijah… prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain… then he prayed again, and rain fell.”
➡️ Elijah is a symbol of the power of righteous prayer, even affecting nature.
“In Elijah’s day… only to a widow in Zarephath was Elijah sent.”
➡️ Jesus affirmed that faith can be found outside the chosen people, as in this widow.
“Women received back their dead, raised to life again.”
➡️ The miracle of the widow’s son being raised is an example of faith triumphing over death.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
➡️ Elijah is a shadow of Christ’s power over death — Jesus fully fulfills what Elijah experienced in symbol.
🕊️ “There will be neither dew nor rain… except at my word.” – 1 Kings 17:1
🕊️ “I have commanded the ravens to feed you.” – 1 Kings 17:4
🕊️ “The flour in the jar was not used up, and the oil in the jug did not run dry.” – 1 Kings 17:16
🕊️ “The LORD listened to Elijah’s voice… and the child’s life returned to his body.” – 1 Kings 17:22
🕊️ “Now I know that you are a man of God…” – 1 Kings 17:24
