Story Producer 161 - Elijah and the Widow

Title ideas:God provided for Elijah and a widow who obeyed Him.God used a widow to help Elijah [his prophet].The prophet and a poor woman.

After King Solomon died, there were two [new] kings. One of those kings [Jeroboam] ruled over the North, and the other [Rehoboam] ruled over the South. They called the northern kingdom [king’s land] Israel, and they called the southern kingdom Judah.

Sixty years after Solomon died, a man named Ahab became king over [the northern kingdom which was called] Israel. Ahab ruled [over Israel] for twenty-two years and he was the most evil king who [had ever] ruled over Israel.

Evil King Ahab and his evil wife [Jezebel] would bow down before idols to worship foreign [false] gods. They built a temple [prayer-house] in which they worshiped a foreign god is called [named] Ba’al [Bakhal].Remember this! The Most High God is called the Lord, and the Lord forbids having idols.

There was a prophet [seer / man] who worshiped [served] the Lord and spoke to people messages from the Lord. His name was Elijah. One day, Elijah went to see King Ahab and said, “I serve [obey] the Lord. There will be no more rain [water] in Israel, until I myself pray to the Lord to ask for rain. Then you will know that it is the Lord who gives [makes] rain; and that the god Ba’al does not give [make] rain.”

Then, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go stay near a little river [creek] in the wilderness.” Elijah did that and every day, black birds [ravens] would bring food to Elijah. But one day, the river had no more water, because the rains had not come [because it had stopped raining].

In a [certain] village, the Lord spoke to a poor widow [woman whose husband has died], saying, “When you see Elijah, you must give him food.”The Lord then said to Elijah, “Go to this village. There you will see a poor widow. Ask her for food.”

When Elijah came near to this village, he saw a poor widow gathering firewood. He asked her, “Please, give me water to drink and some food [bread] to eat.”

The widow replied, “Sir! I have no food. I have only one handful of flour [raw food] and a little olive [cooking] oil. After I cook that flour and oil, my young son and I shall die, because we will have no more food.”

Elijah said, “Do not be afraid. First cook [make] a little bread for me with the flour and oil. After that, you will cook more food for you and for your son. The Lord has told me that you will always have enough flour and oil.”From that day forward, until rain later came, there was enough food and oil for the widow, for her son and for Elijah. [God miraculously provided and kept multiplying the flour and oil.]

After a few months, the widow’s young son became sick, and he died. The widow became angry with Elijah, because she believed [imagined] that he had let the boy die to punish her for her sins [secret bad deeds].

Elijah carried the boy’s body to his own room [hut / dwelling], where he laid it [him] on his own bed. Elijah felt angry [frustrated] with the Lord, so he prayed, “O Lord! You have let die the son of a poor widow who has helped me! [Why!?]”

Then Elijah put [extended] his own body three times over the boy’s body. Each time, he prayed, “O Lord, my God! Please, let this child's life come into him again.”

The Lord did as Elijah asked. The boy began to breathe again and he woke up, alive [again]! So Elijah led [brought] the boy to his mother. Then the woman exclaimed [said], “Elijah! Now I know that you are God’s messenger, and that the Lord puts truthful words in your mouth [so that you speak the words from the Lord.”