Words, Cake, & Oil

One day the Lord spoke to Elijah about a woman in Zarephath. When he arrived at the gate of the city, he saw the woman gathering sticks. He asked her to bring him some water to drink and some bread to eat.

Prophets are known as spokesmen for God. They hear, see, and say. They also instruct. When you read of their ministries, pay particular attention to the words they speak. The woman answered Elijah, “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” (1 Kings 17:12).

This woman was filled with despair. She had no hope for the future. She saw herself as a poor woman who was just barely getting by. Her faithless words affected her and her son. This is an important lesson; faithless words can damage your entire household. Her life was full of fear, the opposite of faith. This kind of fear comes through worry and faithless words.

Elijah answered her fear with words from the Lord. “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” (1 Kings 17:13-14).

Again we see faith-filled words used as weapons against fear. Fear has never won a battle against faith. Elijah said to her fear not, make me a cake first, and you will have more than enough. Some would say this was cruel of Elijah asking this poor woman to make him a cake first. This, however, is what it took for this woman to get a breakthrough in her life. She needed to follow the instruction. The instruction you obey determines the experience you have with God.