1. THE WIDOW & A HANDFUL OF MEAL
A LESSON BY ELISABETH C. TUNSTALL
“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day
that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth,” (I Kings 17: 4).
2. INTRODUCTION
AS THE CORONAVIRUS
CONTINUES TO TAKE THIS
WORLD BY STORM, EVERY
FACET OF OUR SOCIETY HAS TO
BRACE FOR IMPACT.
UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES
TO SPIKE AMID THIS INFAMOUS
PANDEMIC AND THE BASIC
NECESSITIES OF MANY
FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE
BEING THREATENED DAILY.
HOWEVER, GOD HAS PROMISED
HIS CHILDREN THAT OUR BREAD
AND WATER WILL BE SURE. BUT
HE ALSO WARNS US THAT “MAN
SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD
ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD
THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE
MOUTH OF GOD,” (MATTHEW 4:
4). THESE DAYS CAN
CHALLENGE ONE’S FAITH BUT
WE MUST LEAN WHOLLY ON
THE WORD OF GOD.
3. THE WIDOW & THE
HANDFUL OF MEAL
THE SPIRIT BROUGHT TO MIND
THE LESSON OF THE WIDOW
AND THE HANDFUL OF MEAL
AND HOW IT PERTAINS TO US
RIGHT NOW. THIS WAS
DURING THE TIME OF ELIJAH,
THE GREAT PROPHET WHO
LIVED DURING THE REIGN OF
KING AHAB, ONE OF THE
MOST WICKED KINGS THAT
RULED OVER ISRAEL. KING
AHAB AND HIS WIFE, JEZEBEL,
WERE SO DEEPLY IMMERSED
IN IDOLATRY AND
WICKEDNESS. THEY KILLED
MANY PROPHETS AND
WORSHIPPED BAAL, RAISING
UP ALTARS AND GROVES IN
HIS NAME. THIS ANGERED
THE LORD GREATLY.
4. THE WIDOW & THE
HANDFUL OF MEAL
ELIJAH SPOKE AGAINST AHAB AND
CURSED THE LAND, SAYING THERE
WOULD BE NO RAIN OR DEW. THIS
LASTED FOR 3 YEARS AND 6
MONTHS LEADING NOT ONLY TO A
GRIEVOUS DROUGHT BUT FAMINE
AS WELL. NOW THE LORD
CONTINUED TO TAKE CARE OF
ELIJAH AS HE DOES WITH ALL OF
HIS CHILDREN. HE INSTRUCTED
HIM TO GO TO THE BROOK
CHERITH, WHERE HE COULD DRINK
FRESH WATER AND THE RAVENS
WOULD COME TO BRING HIM FOOD
BOTH DAY AND NIGHT UNDER THE
DIRECTION AND MERCY OF GOD.
EVENTUALLY, THE BROOK DRIED UP.
SO THE LORD INSTRUCTED ELIJAH
TO GO TO ZAREPHATH TO SEE A
WIDOW WHO WOULD PROVIDE HIM
WITH FOOD AND DRINK. LET US
READ……
5. I KING 17: 8-16
“AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME
UNTO HIM, SAYING, ARISE, GET THEE
TO ZAREPHATH, WHICH BELONGETH
TO ZIDON, AND DWELL THERE:
BEHOLD, I HAVE COMMANDED A
WIDOW WOMAN THERE TO SUSTAIN
THEE. SO HE AROSE AND WENT TO
ZAREPHATH. AND WHEN HE CAME TO
THE GATE OF THE CITY, BEHOLD, THE
WIDOW WOMAN WAS THERE
GATHERING OF STICKS: AND HE
CALLED TO HER, AND SAID, FETCH ME,
I PRAY THEE, A LITTLE WATER IN A
VESSEL, THAT I MAY DRINK. AND AS
SHE WAS GOING TO FETCH IT, HE
CALLED TO HER, AND SAID, BRING ME,
I PRAY THEE, A MORSEL OF BREAD IN
THINE HAND. AND SHE SAID, AS THE
LORD THY GOD LIVETH, I HAVE NOT A
CAKE, BUT AN HANDFUL OF MEAL IN A
BARREL, AND A LITTLE OIL IN A CRUSE:
AND, BEHOLD, I AM GATHERING TWO
STICKS, THAT I MAY GO IN AND DRESS
IT FOR ME AND MY SON, THAT WE MAY
EAT IT, AND DIE.”
6. I KING 17: 8-16
“AND ELIJAH SAID UNTO HER, FEAR
NOT; GO AND DO AS THOU HAST
SAID: BUT MAKE ME THEREOF A
LITTLE CAKE FIRST, AND BRING IT
UNTO ME, AND AFTER MAKE FOR
THEE AND FOR THY SON. FOR THUS
SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL,
THE BARREL OF MEAL SHALL NOT
WASTE, NEITHER SHALL THE CRUSE
OF OIL FAIL, UNTIL THE DAY THAT
THE LORD SENDETH RAIN UPON
THE EARTH. AND SHE WENT AND
DID ACCORDING TO THE SAYING
OF ELIJAH: AND SHE, AND HE, AND
HER HOUSE, DID EAT MANY DAYS.
AND THE BARREL OF MEAL WASTED
NOT, NEITHER DID THE CRUSE OF
OIL FAIL, ACCORDING TO THE
WORD OF THE LORD, WHICH HE
SPAKE BY ELIJAH.” WHAT IS THE
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE AS IT
RELATES TO US TODAY?
7. ELIJAH
ELIJAH REPRESENTS THE HOLY
SPIRIT. AS WE KNOW, ELIJAH WAS
ONE OF THE GREATEST PROPHETS
THAT EVER LIVED ON THIS EARTH.
HE WAS SO RIGHTEOUS THAT THE
LORD SAW FIT TO TAKE HIM UP IN
A WHIRLWIND TO HEAVEN WITH
CHARIOTS AND HORSES OF FIRE
SO THAT HE WOULD NOT TASTE
OF DEATH. THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE
POWER AND STRENGTH TO
ELIJAH, ALLOWING HIM TO
COMPLETE MANY GREAT FEATS,
INCLUDING HEALING THE SICK,
BRINGING FIRE AND RAIN DOWN
TO THE EARTH, DIVIDING THE
RIVER JORDAN IN HALF AND
TEACHING AND DEFENDING THE
TRUTH. IN FACT, ONE OF THE
NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE
SPIRIT OF ELIJAH (2 KINGS 2: 15).
8. ELIJAH
LET US ALSO CONSIDER THE TIME
IN WHICH ELIJAH CHALLENGED
THE PROPHETS OF BAAL BEFORE
ALL OF ISRAEL TO PROVE WHO
THE TRUE LIVING GOD WAS.
THERE WAS JUST ELIJAH VS 450
PROPHETS OF BAAL. IN I KINGS
18: 21, “AND ELIJAH CAME
UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, AND
SAID, HOW LONG HALT YE
BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? IF THE
LORD BE GOD, FOLLOW HIM: BUT
IF BAAL, THEN FOLLOW HIM. AND
THE PEOPLE ANSWERED HIM NOT
A WORD.” NOW TO SUM IT UP IN
SHORT, THE PROPHETS OF BAAL
WERE NOT ABLE TO BRING DOWN
FIRE UPON THEIR ALTAR BECAUSE
THEY WERE CALLING ON A MERE
IDOL.
9. ELIJAH
WE KNOW THAT ELIJAH,
HOWEVER, WAS ABLE TO BRING
DOWN FIRE UPON HIS OFFERING
BECAUSE HE CALLED ON THE
TRUE GOD. THIS CHANGED THE
HEARTS OF MANY PEOPLE. THIS
SERVES AS A REFRAIN FOR US A
WELL. IN THE LAST DAYS WE
KNOW THAT THEIR WILL BE A
GREAT OUTPOURING OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS LIKEN TO
A BAPTISM OF FIRE. THIS
BAPTISM OF HOLY GHOST WILL
CHANGE THE HEARTS OF GOD’S
PEOPLE, OPENING THEIR EYES TO
THE TRUTH SO THAT THEY SEE
WHO THE TRUE GOD IS JUST AS
ELIJAH DID FOR THE PEOPLE
UNDER THE REIGN OF AHAB.
10. WIDOW
A WIDOW REPRESENTS
THE CHILDREN OF GOD
THAT EXPERIENCE GREAT
LOSS IN THEIR LIVES,
MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO
SUSTAIN. IN THIS
CONTEXT, IT NOT ONLY IS
A SPOUSE, BUT CAN BE
ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL,
SUCH AS ONE’S HEALTH,
JOB, OR HOME FOR
EXAMPLE. THESE TYPE OF
LOSSES CAN CAUSE A
GREAT DEAL OF
EMOTIONAL STRESS AND
SOMETIMES ANGUISH.
NOW
11. WIDOW
AS WE READ, THE POOR WIDOW HAD
BARELY ENOUGH TO FEED HERSELF
AND HER SON. TODAY, WE MIGHT FIND
OURSELVES IN SPIRITUAL AND
EMOTIONAL STATES, WHERE IT SEEMS
WE ARE BARELY HANGING ON OR
COPING DUE TO WHATEVER TRIAL WE
MIGHT BE FACING. OUR RESERVES
ARE VERY LOW AND WE HAVE ONLY A
LITTLE BIT OF STRENGTH TO KEEP
GOING AND TO SURVIVE. ALSO
RECALL THAT ELIJAH ASKED HER TO
MAKE SOME CAKE FOR HIM FIRST. THIS
MIGHT SEEM ODD. HOWEVER, THE
HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES US THAT WE
MUST ALWAYS GIVE OUR DUE TO GOD
FIRST. ALL ELSE IN OUR LIFE COMES
SECOND, EVEN OUR FAMILY. BY
MAKING GOD #1 IN YOUR LIFE, HE
WILL REMEMBER YOU IN TIMES OF
NEED AND PRESERVE YOU FROM
HARM. BECAUSE AS WE READ IN THE
LESSON, THE WIDOW OBEYED ELIJAH
AND SHE AND HER SON DID NOT GO
HUNGRY.
12. HANDFUL OF MEAL
MEAL IS A COARSE, UNSIFTED
POWDER GROUND FROM THE
EDIBLE SEEDS OF ANY GRAIN
SUCH AS WHEAT OR CORN.
THE WIDOW ONLY HAD A
HANDFUL IN A BARREL,
WHICH SHE WAS GOING TO
USE TO MAKE THE LAST BIT
OF BREAD FOR HER AND HER
SON DURING THIS DROUGHT
AND FAMINE. THIS MEAL
REPRESENTED THE WORD OF
GOD, WHICH IS CHRIST. WE
KNOW THAT CHRIST IS THE
BREAD OF HEAVEN THAT
SUSTAINS US IN SPIRITUAL
TIMES OF FAMINE AND
DROUGHT.
13. HANDFUL OF MEAL
IN ST. JOHN 6: 32-35, "THEN
JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, VERILY,
VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, MOSES
GAVE YOU NOT THAT BREAD
FROM HEAVEN; BUT MY FATHER
GIVETH YOU THE TRUE BREAD
FROM HEAVEN. FOR THE BREAD
OF GOD IS HE WHICH COMETH
DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND
GIVETH LIFE UNTO THE WORLD.
THEN SAID THEY UNTO HIM,
LORD, EVERMORE GIVE US THIS
BREAD. AND JESUS SAID UNTO
THEM, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE:
HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL
NEVER HUNGER; AND HE THAT
BELIEVETH ON ME SHALL NEVER
THIRST.”
14. CRUSE OF OIL
OIL IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF THE
WORD OF GOD. IN ANCIENT
ISRAEL, THEY WOULD USE OIL
TO LIGHT THE LAMPS AND TO
ANOINT WITH. THE WORD OF
GOD ENABLES US TO LET OUR
LIGHT SHINE, WHICH IS OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT
RADIATES FROM WITHIN. WHEN
WE ANOINT, THIS MEANS TO
SANCTIFY AND MAKE HOLY,
DEDICATING SOMETHING OR
SOMEONE TO GOD. WE WANT
TO BE AN HOLY OFFERING
UNTO THE LORD. THE WORD
OF GOD SANCTIFIES US THAT
WE MAY BE PLEASING AND
ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD.
15. WATER
THIS IS A SYMBOL OF JESUS CHRIST
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. WATER
ENABLES LIFE. IT CLEANSES AND
REFRESHES. IN OUR PREVIOUS
LESSON, WE LEARNED THAT THE
RAIN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS
ABOUT REPENTANCE, TEACHES US
THE TRUTH AND ENHANCES OUR
SKILLS AND TALENTS THAT WE MAY
EXCEL IN THE LORD. WE LEARNED
THAT CHRIST BRINGS LIVING
WATERS THROUGH HIS WORD AND
THAT BLOOD AND WATER FLOWED
OUT HIS SIDE AND PENETRATED THE
GROUND, WHICH IS LIKEN TO OUR
HEARTS. OUR SPIRITUAL WATER,
ENSURES THAT WE DO NOT THIRST
AND THAT WE CAN SURVIVE EVEN
DURING THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES,
DURING TIMES OF DROUGHT.
16. PERILOUS TIMES
DURING THESE PERILOUS TIMES,
WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO WORRY,
SORROW OR FEAR BECAUSE WE
TOO ARE IMPACTED BY THIS
CURRENT CRISIS. WE ARE
CONFINED TO OUR HOMES OR WE
HAVE TO GO OUT AND WORK,
PLACING OUR HEALTH AT RISK.
SOME OF US ARE UNABLE TO
WORK AND HAVE LOST
SIGNIFICANT INCOME. WE MAY BE
CONCERNED FOR SOME OF OUR
LOVED ONES WHO ARE AT HIGHER
RISK OF BEING INFECTED. WE
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
ASSEMBLE TOGETHER IN THE
SANCTUARY DUE TO STAY AT
HOME ORDERS. OUR FAITH IS
BEING TRIED IN THE FIRE AS WE
SPEAK.
17. FAITH & STRENGTH
EVERYDAY, WE MUST PRAY FOR
FAITH AND STRENGTH BECAUSE
WE MIGHT FIND OURSELVES
MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY
DRAINED, WEARIED OVER THE
CHALLENGES WE FACE. BUT
KNOW THIS, WE WILL BE
PRESERVED, OUR LIVES SUSTAINED
SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY, IF
WE CONTINUE TO FEED AND
DRINK FROM THE WORD OF GOD
AND LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LET US REMEMBER HIS WORDS,
“FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD
OF ISRAEL, THE BARREL OF MEAL
SHALL NOT WASTE, NEITHER SHALL
THE CRUSE OF OIL FAIL, UNTIL THE
DAY THAT THE LORD SENDETH
RAIN UPON THE EARTH.” THIS IS A
PROMISE UNTO US EVEN TODAY.
18. CONCLUSION
THE LORD WILL ENSURE THAT OUR BASIC
NECESSITIES WILL BE MET AND HE WILL
GIVE US THE THINGS WE NEED
SPIRITUALLY TO BE SAVED. HE ALWAYS
MAKES A WAY FOR HIS LITTLE ONES. WE
KNOW THAT THERE IS A FAMINE AND
DROUGHT OF TRUTH IN THIS WORLD.
AND THOUGH THE WICKED OFTEN
QUESTION AND CURSE GOD WHEN TIMES
ARE HARD, WE DO NOT. INSTEAD WE
SAY, LET HIS WILL BE DONE. LET GOD BE
MAGNIFIED. TODAY WE MAY FEEL WE
HAVE A HANDFUL OF MEAL AND A LITTLE
CRUSE OF OIL BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO
SUSTAIN US. HOWEVER, WE LOOK
FORWARD TO THE END OF THIS FAMINE
AND DROUGHT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
THE DAWNING OF SPRING, TO THE
SEASON OF PLENTY, WHEN AN
ABUNDANCE OF RAIN FROM THE HOLY
GHOST COMES POURING DOWN ON US,
THAT WE ALL MIGHT BE CHANGED AND
FLOURISH FOREVERMORE. AMEN.
