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Elijah, the widow and her son

God provides for Elijah and resurrects a widow's son.
Contributed by Richard Gunther
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, German, French
1
After telling King Ahab that God was not going to send rain as people had become very disobedient, Elijah had hidden near a wilderness brook. God fed Elijah with bread and meat brought by ravens, but after a while the brook dried up. So the Lord spoke to Elijah, ’Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have made plans for a widow there to take care of you.’ – Slide 1
2
So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he reached the town gate, he saw a widow gathering wood for a fire. – Slide 2
3
Elijah asked her, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a cup? I would like to have a drink.’ As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, ‘Please bring me a piece of bread, too.’ – Slide 3
4
The woman answered, ‘As surely as the Lord your God lives, I tell you the truth. I have no bread. I have only a handful of flour in a jar. And I have only a little olive oil in a jug. I came here to gather some wood. I will take it home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and then die from hunger.’ – Slide 4
5
Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t worry. Go home and cook your food. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour you have. Bring it to me. Then cook something for yourself and your son. God says, ‘That jar of flour will never become empty. The jug will always have oil in it. This will continue until the day the Lord sends rain to the land.’ – Slide 5
6
So the woman went home and did what Elijah told her to do. – Slide 6
7
From then on, Elijah, the woman and her son had enough food every day. – Slide 7
8
The jar of flour and the jug of oil were never empty. This happened just as the Lord, through Elijah, said it would. – Slide 8
9
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. – Slide 9
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He grew worse and worse. – Slide 10
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Finally he stopped breathing. – Slide 11
12
The woman sobbed to Elijah, ‘You are a man of God. What have you done to me? Did you come here to remind me of my sin? Did you come here to kill my son?’ – Slide 12
13
Elijah said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ So Elijah took the boy from her and carried him upstairs. Elijah laid the boy on the bed in the room where he was staying. – Slide 13
14
Then he prayed, ‘Lord, this widow is letting me stay in her house. Why have you done this terrible thing to her? Why have you caused her son to die?’ Then Elijah held the boy closely and prayed three times. ‘Lord my God, let this boy live again!’ – Slide 14
15
The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer. The boy began breathing again, and he was alive. – Slide 15
16
Elijah carried the boy downstairs. He gave the boy to his mother – Slide 16
17
‘Look! Your son is alive!’ Elijah exclaimed. – Slide 17
18
The woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know you really are a man from God. I know that the Lord really speaks through you!’ – Slide 18
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Slide 19