Your Help Will Come From Unexpected Places-Part 2

Dalton Jenkins

I need A Miracle • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Crazy Miracle - 1 Kings 17:1–10 (NKJV)

1 Kings 17:8–15 (NKJV)

1 Kings 17:8–15 NKJV

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 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.’ ” 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

We have started to look at the theme surrounding the miraculous intervention of God. We have seen so far how God intervene in the lives of his people who obediently follow His instructions regardless of the impossibilities.

It must be noted that because we are christians that status does not prevent us from experiencing difficult times. Indeed because we are Christians we will face trials and tribulations.

We experience hard times because of one of three reasons:

Nature - there are things that will happen to us naturally.

Our choice - there are situations we will find ourselves in because of the choices we make.

God’s providence - God allow us to be tested in order to bring out the best in you resulting in Him getting the glory.

It is important to know that for those who chooses to follow God, he has a plan for your life. Nothing takes him by surprise.

Last week recap:

1- Don't Give Up, Help is on the Way - 2 Kings 7:1–20 NKJV

1-Be careful who you take instructions from when you are at your breaking point.

. The King - 2 kings 6:33

• The Prophet - 2 Kings 7:1

• The Solider - 2 Kings 7:2

• The Lepers - 2 Kings 7:3-5

2-You must have a balance evaluation of your circumstances. - 2 Kings 7:3–5 (NKJV)

3-God will always honor his words - 2 Kings 7:6-8

4-When you have receive your breakthrough, remember to share with others - 2 Kings 7:9-11

5-Not everyone will believe your testimony of God’s deliverance - 2 Kings 7:12-20

2 -Your Help Will Come From Unexpected Places

1- Do not hesitate to obey God - 1 Kings 17:1-3

2- Your obedience can sometimes result in hard times - 1 Kings 17:3

3- God always have provision secured for you - 1 Kings 17:4

a. The waters of the brook - 1 Kings 17:4

b. The meat delivered by a raven - 1 Kings 17:4

c. Food from A Widow at Zarephath - 1 Kings 17:8-24

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3: 1 Samuel–2 Kings (Revised Edition) Overview

The story develops as Elijah is led to Zarephath,

The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 5, Q–Z (Zarephath)

Zarephath zair’uh-fath (צָרְפַת H7673, possibly from ṣārap H7671, “to refine”; Σάρεπτα G4919).

A Phoenician town to which God instructed ELIJAH to go during a time of drought (1 Ki. 17:9–10). While there, the prophet miraculously provided food for himself and for a widow and her son, and later he raised the son from the dead (vv. 11–24). Jesus referred to that incident as an illustration that “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Lk. 4:23–26). The prophet OBADIAH predicted that Israelite exiles would “possess the land as far as Zarephath” (Obad. 20).

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3: 1 Samuel–2 Kings (Revised Edition) Notes

The name Elijah means “Yah is my God.”

Crazy - wild and uncontrolled

MIRACLE (δύναμις, dynamis). An event that defies common expectations of behavior and subsequently is attributed to a superhuman agent; an occurrence that demonstrates God’s involvement in the course of human affairs.

1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary (ii. The Widow of Zarephath (17:7–16))

9–14. Zarephath (modern Sarafand, thirteen kilometres south of Sidon) lay in the Phoenician territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law.

Elijah was visiting enemy territory and showing the power of God in an area where Baal was worshipped, though ineffective through drought.

BAAL (בַּעַל, ba'al). The Canaanite storm god and bringer of rain. Chief of the Canaanite pantheon.

Ultimately, Elijah was going to represent God on Mt Carmel. At Mt Carmel God’s intention was to demonstrate that He alone is the all powerful God.

The journey that God took Elijah solidify this fact in his mind. God show up for Elijah and perform crazy miracle every time.

Elijah’s spiritual journey was designed by God to bring all glory to he Name of God.

Let’s pick up on the part of the journey where God is now leading Elijah to the next level of faith.

1-Elijah’s Response to God’s call

i-God will lead you in even in the enemy’s territory - 1 Kings 17:8-9

1 Kings 17:8–9 NKJV

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

ii-God will lead you to the place design that will refine you (bring out the best in you) - 1 Kings 17:8-9

1 Kings 17:8–9 NKJV

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

iii-God will lead you to the provision he has prepared for you - 1 Kings 17:10-11

1 Kings 17:10–11 NKJV

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

iv-Don’t look down on the sources God has provided - 1 Kings 17:10-11

1 Kings 17:10–11 NKJV

v-Don’t limit your request for help; ask for what you need - 1 Kings 17:11

1 Kings 17:11 NKJV

11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

2-The widow’s response to God’s Call

i-Do not just obey when the request is easy push through in the difficult requests - 1 Kings 17:10-11

1 Kings 17:10–11 NKJV

ii-State your position with clarity and without reservation - 1 Kings 17:12

1 Kings 17:12 NKJV

12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

iii-Always give to God first and prove his crazy miracle in your life - 1 Kings 17:13-14

1 Kings 17:13–14 NKJV

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.’ ”

iv-Obedience to the impossible request from God will result in crazy miracle - 1 Kings 17:15-16

1 Kings 17:15–16 NKJV

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.

1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary (ii. The Widow of Zarephath (17:7–16))

9–14. Zarephath (modern Sarafand, thirteen kilometres south of Sidon) lay in the Phoenician territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law.

Elijah was visiting enemy territory and showing the power of God in an area where Baal was worshipped, though ineffective through drought.

BAAL (בַּעַל, ba'al). The Canaanite storm god and bringer of rain. Chief of the Canaanite pantheon.

He illustrates how a prophet can be accepted outside his own country (Luke 4:25–26). Elijah challenges a seemingly poor woman to help as she gathered mere stubble or sticks (‘twigs’, qšš) to respond to a stranger’s request. But he was sent by God. His request for ‘a bit of food’ (v. 11) evoked the reply that she had no ready food, for a cake of bread (v. 13) needed baking on charcoal and she had ‘nothing baked’ (RSV, rather than bread or ‘sustance’, NEB). Similarly she had only a handful of ‘barley-flour’ (Heb. ‘meal’) in a large pottery jar (cf. 18:33; Judg. 7:16) and very little oil in a small portable flask (ṣappaḥat, NEB; RSV ‘cruse’, NIV, NRSV jug) to prepare something to eat.This and the following incident are compared with the similar action of Elisha in providing oil and raising a child to life (2 Kgs 4). Because the latter is more detailed many find it to be the origin of both accounts (so Jones, Gray). However, details differ and there is no certainty that similar miracles were not performed more than once, as also by Christ and the early apostles, and this one may have been selected to show that Elisha had the same powers as his master.

Summary

1-Elijah’s Response to God’s call

i-God will lead you in even in the enemy’s territory - 1 Kings 17:8-9

ii-God will lead you to the place design that will refine you (bring out the best in you) - 1 Kings 17:8-9

iii-God will lead you to the provision he has prepared for you - 1 Kings 17:10-11

iv-Don’t look down on the sources God has provided - 1 Kings 17:10-11

v-Don’t limit your request for help; ask for what you need - 1 Kings 17:11

2The widow’s response to God’s Call

i-Do not just obey when the request is easy push through in the difficult requests - 1 Kings 17:10-11

ii-State your position with clarity and without reservation - 1 Kings 17:12

iii-Always give to God first and prove his crazy miracle in your life - 1 Kings 17:13-14

iv-Obedience to the impossible request from God will result in crazy miracle - 1 Kings 17:15-16

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