1 Kings 17 - 19

Jehosaphat said -

'...believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper..." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 20:20)

What does it mean to prosper?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides this definition -

"...to succeed in an enterprise or activity; especially : to achieve economic success : to become strong and flourishing..."

I thought of the words of Jehosaphat as I read of the widow of Zarephath. Elijah with his sealing power of the Priesthood -

"...said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:1)

The Savior during is mortal ministry spoke of this famine to the people of Nazareth saying -

"...I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land..." (New Testament Luke 4:25)

Of all the widows in the land, the Lord commands Elijah -

"Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:9)

"...And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:10)

I couldn't help but think of the similarities with the story of Alma and Amulek where Alma after having preached and been rejected by the people of Ammonihah -

"...being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people...behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying:
15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.
16 And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them." (Book of Mormon Alma 8:14 - 16)

"...after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way...And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?" (Book of Mormon Alma 8:18 - 19)

And the man, Amulek answered -

"...I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house." (Book of Mormon Alma 8:20)

With the story of the widow of Zarephath, it was much the same as Amulek where the Lord said -

"...I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee..." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:9)

Even though it isn't clear how she was told, I would tend to believe that the woman had anticipated the coming of Elijah. As the widow went to retrieve the requested water, the prophet Elijah follows -

"...he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:11)

You would have to believe the widow was a very humble, prayerful woman to have received the command to sustain a prophet. This simple request though of the prophet must have been more than she could bear as she confesses -

"...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." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:12)

She appears to be in her life at the point where all hope was lost and a prophet asks her to feed him first. It was not a selfish thing of the prophet Elijah anymore than the prophets of today have asked the saints to pay tithes even when it may seem all is lost. It was a test of faith to see if she would do as she had been commanded of the Lord to sustain a prophet of God. But lovingly and compassionately, Elijah says -

"...Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me..." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:13)

And in the same sentence suggests this great promise of faith -

"...and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 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." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:13 - 14)

This promise reminds me of the promise given to the faithful that are tithed -

"...Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field..." (Old Testament Malachi 3:10 - 11)

"...she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:15)

But even with this miraculous event, the windows of heaven were not closed, for a some point while Elijah still remained at her home -

"...the son of the woman...fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:17)

You can imagine the pain of the widow as she had done all, even taking in the prophet Elijah to now have lost her son. Elijah -

said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth." (Old Testament 1 Kings 17:19 - 23)

Now I ask - did the widow of Zarephath prosper? The world may consider prosperity to be economical and with little suffering or tribulation, but I would suggest prosperity would include more important things.

'...believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper..." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 20:20)