Hovering over a verse in 1Kings 17 this morning. Maybe an expected promise, but certainly fulfilled in unexpected ways.

There’s a drought in the land of Israel. The LORD God Himself has turned off the tap so that no rain falls in Israel because of her prevailing and persistent sin — sin sourced in and through their wicked, wicked king, Ahab. So, what’s a prophet of God gonna do when there’s no rain and he has no food? Short answer: rely on the Lord’s provision. And how does the LORD God provide for faithful, obedient, follow-the-law Elijah? With ravens and Gentiles and widows, on my!

First God sends unclean birds to serve up bread in the morning and meat in the evening to feed His touch-no-unclean-thing servant of God (1Kings 17:6). Unexpected? I’m thinking . . .

Then God sends His come-out-from-among-them-and-be-separate follower into “them’s” land. “Arise,” says the LORD to Elijah, “go to Zarepheth, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there” (1 Kings 17:9a). Go to a Gentile city, says the LORD, I’ll provide for you there. Unusual? Seems to me it could be seen that way.

Finally, Jehovah Jireh (Gen. 22:!4), Elijah’s Provider, sets the prophet up with a widow who is running out of resources to even feed herself and her son much less a guest. She’s the least of these with the least to offer — even before the drought. As Elijah shows up at her door looking from some hospitality she is preparing a last meal for her and her son, about to run out of what little flour and oil she has (1Kings 17:12). And Elijah, prompted of the LORD says to her, in effect, “Go ahead, cook up that last meal and let me eat first.” Unprecedented? For her for sure. For Elijah? Well, after ravens and Gentiles, why not be dependent upon a widow without any wherewithal?

And it all sets me up for the verse I’m chewing on this morning.

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that He spoke by Elijah.

(1Kings 17:13-16 ESV)

The jar shall not be spent, and the jug shall not be empty, until the day the LORD sends rain . . . how’s that for a promise to claim in famine? How’s that for a pillow on which to lay your head at night during the drought?

Though the season may be a wasteland, despite being at a loss of what could possibly nourish body or soul, regardless of how little you think you have to draw on, the jar shall not be spent, the jug shall not run empty, until the day the LORD sends the rain.

And the LORD will send the rain. Weeping may last for a night — maybe a really, really long night — but joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). And in that night, amidst the weeping, God will provide. The flour won’t run out, the oil won’t run dry. Provision will be made. Even if through unexpected or unanticipated ways — like through ravens and Gentiles and widows, oh my!

Hmm . . . worth chewing on, I think. Worth believing, I’m sure. The kind of promise that helps us to keep on keepin’ on.

All by God’s grace. All for God’s glory.