The story of the widow of sarepta – सरेप्टा की विधवा की कहानी
The story of “The Widow of Sarepta” (or Zarephath) is another significant episode from the life of the prophet Elijah. It highlights God’s miraculous provision and the faith of a poor widow during a time of great famine. This story is found in 1 Kings 17:8-24 in the Bible.
After the prophet Elijah had declared a severe drought in Israel as a judgment from God, the land suffered from a lack of rain, leading to a devastating famine. Following his time at the Brook Cherith, where God provided for him through ravens, the brook eventually dried up. God then gave Elijah new instructions.
God told Elijah to go to the town of Zarephath, located in the region of Sidon (a non-Israelite area). There, God had commanded a widow to provide for Elijah. When Elijah arrived at the city gate of Zarephath, he saw a poor widow gathering sticks. Elijah asked her for a drink of water and, as she was going to get it, he also asked for a piece of bread.
The widow responded with sorrow, explaining that she had only a handful of flour and a little oil left in her jar. She was gathering sticks to make a final meal for herself and her son, after which they expected to die due to the famine.
Elijah, however, assured her not to be afraid. He told her to first make a small cake of bread for him and then make something for herself and her son. He promised her that God would ensure her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out until the day the Lord sent rain on the land.
In faith, the widow obeyed Elijah’s request. She made bread for him first, and miraculously, her supply of flour and oil never ran out, just as Elijah had said. She and her household were able to eat for many days, sustained by God’s miraculous provision.
Later, the widow’s son became very ill and died. The widow was heartbroken and questioned Elijah, asking if he had come to remind her of her sins and cause her son’s death. Elijah took the boy’s lifeless body to the upper room where he was staying, laid him on his bed, and prayed earnestly to God to restore the boy’s life.
God heard Elijah’s prayer, and the boy’s life was restored. Elijah then brought the child back to his mother, and the widow was overwhelmed with gratitude. She declared her belief in Elijah as a man of God and affirmed that the word of the Lord spoken through him was the truth.
The widow’s faith in Elijah’s words, despite her dire circumstances, led to God’s miraculous provision for her and her son. God provides for His people in their time of need, often in unexpected and miraculous ways. The resurrection of the widow’s son demonstrates God’s power over life and death and foreshadows the resurrection power seen in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.
The story of the Widow of Sarepta is a profound testament to faith, trust in God, and the miraculous ways in which God can intervene in the lives of those who believe.
The story of the widow of sarepta – सरेप्टा की विधवा की कहानी
