Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 17
Faith is active belief and trust in God. Simply to believe in God is not enough (James 2:19). We must also believe that God rewards his loyal people (Hebrews 11:6). In other words, we depend on his promises (2 Corinthians 1:20).
So, what makes our faith active is the word of God (Romans 10:17). He has made his promises to show us what he desires in our present situation. Those promises cause us to put our trust in him – then God acts powerfully on our behalf (1 John 5:14-15).
This woman had already received a command from God: she would provide food for Elijah (17:9). By any natural means that was impossible – she did not even have enough food for herself. However, God was directing her to depend upon him, and not on herself. Therefore, God gave her a very special promise in this situation. God himself would provide the food that she needed. She only needed to act her faith – she had to bake the bread and to provide food for Elijah. Each morning she would only seem to have enough food for that day. However, her supply would never run out. She would only need to buy food again after the present troubles had ended.
The woman’s basic food was a simple kind of flat bread. The flour was from the grain called barley, or perhaps wheat. The oil came from the fruits called olives. The addition of the oil would make the bread softer and more pleasant to eat, like a cake. She used wooden sticks to make the fire to bake it.
Next part: The widow's son dies (1 Kings 17:17-18)
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