Once again, in order to set our context, in Biblical symbolism, the "woman" speaks of the soul. Thayers Greek Definitions defines the word most often translated as soul, which is psuche in Greek, as "the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)", or as we have so often heard it, the mind, will and emotions. Just as we have gleaned so much from the "woman at the well," I believe we would do well to turn our attention to another woman- the "widow woman" of 1 Kings chapter 17.
"The lady (woman) doth protest too much, methinks."- quote from Hamlet by William Shakespeare (My interpretation in parenthesis). I believe that Shakespeare, unbeknownst to him, captures the essence of our spiritual struggle! The woman, the soulish life, doth protest WAY too much, methinks! So methinks it would definitely be a good idea to explore this account of the widow woman.
"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, 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.... So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land." (1 Kings 17:1, 5-7)
Proclaiming the Word
We are joining Elijah at a very interesting juncture! He gets a "word" from God, it is burning in his bones and he boldly proclaims that "word." You have to admit, it takes some real "guts" to do something like that!
I am reminded of the first time I went to minister in Australia. In the area I was going to, they were in the worst drought they had experienced in many years. The reservoirs were almost empty, the farmers were in dire straits, and there was no rain forecast as it was the dry season. I felt in my spirit that this was just not right and I began to pray. In the early evening before services I would sit on the pastor's porch and speak to the cloudless sky. I told the pastor that before I left it was going to rain, and it would be a sign in the natural of the spiritual outpouring that Father was sending to them. The next day, cloudless skies and no rain. The day after that, cloudless skies and no rain. This went on for several days. I began thinking that the worst case scenario was that I would simply leave when scheduled and would probably not be invited back again. You see, I had exercised some boldness, but I had an escape clause! Elijah did NOT have an escape clause, he had no "Plan B" to fall back on!
To finish my story, the day I was scheduled to fly out, I taught Bible College in the morning. Still dry and sunny when I went into the building. When we came out of the building after class to head to the airport, it was cloudy and raining. It rained solid for many days, and rained every week for many months after that. The drought was broken! I know that's a pretty awesome story, however my point is that I really didn't exercise much faith... unlike Elijah, I had an escape clause!
So Elijah has stepped out in a tremendous amount of faith with his bold proclamation. However, just a few verses later we find Elijah caught right in the middle of his own prophecy; "And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up..." We don't know exactly what is going through his mind, but I know what might be going through my mind- "Wait a minute God, that prophecy was for everybody ELSE! My brook was not supposed to dry up!"
The Word is for Everybody Else
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? You feel like you have received a "word" from God, it is burning in your bones and you boldly proclaim that "word." It might have gone something like this, "Father is sending His all consuming fire, purifying His church and making her holy!" Before long you find yourself in the middle of the purifying fire and you are thinking, "That prophecy was for everybody ELSE, Lord!"
Well that is precisely where we find Elijah; "And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." (1 Kings 17:8-9) In Hebrew the name Zarephath means "refinery," a place of purification. So here is Elijah being sent to be refined... and he is going to be sustained by a widow woman. I don't know if a widow woman would have necessarily been MY first choice for sustenance, but she was definitely Father's plan! "So he arose and went to Zarephath. 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." (1 Kings 17:10)
I believe that a spiritual picture of the church is beginning to unfold. You see, the gate of the city is symbolic of the place of authority, also the place of definition and operation. Those at the gate of the city determined what came in and what went out and what went on within the walls. We, the church of Jesus Christ, are the "gatekeepers," those who sit in spiritual authority in this earth; "The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men." (Psalms 115:16) It is important to note that she was a WIDOW woman at the gate. As a widow, we know that her husband had died... in other words, she was married to a "dead man." In Biblical symbolism, the "dead man" speaks of the Adamic nature; "We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him..." (Romans 6:6 Amplified Bible)
When we put all this together, we have what I believe might be an unfortunately accurate picture of much of the church today. A soulish "woman" married to an old identity of the Adamic "dead man" sitting in the place of authority, determining what goes in and out! I believe however, that Father is raising up spiritual "Elijah's" to bring change to our mentalities!
"And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, 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." (1 Kings 17:11) What a mentality this widow woman has! I have to wonder what is going through Elijah's mind at this moment. Father had told him that this widow woman was going to be his sustenance, and when he asks for a mere morsel, she is not overly receptive or accommodating! In fact her statement, "As the LORD thy God liveth..." is more of an oath, not really a very nice thing to say. Her response was, "I have not a cake." Keep in mind, Elijah did not ask for a cake, he asked for a morsel. You see, he didn't ask for what she did not have! Her focus, however, was on what she did NOT have. Her focus was on the circumstances!
The more she talks, the more we have a glimpse into the reason for her mentality. She goes on to say, "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." The word translated as sticks is ets in Hebrew, and it means "a tree." Translated literally, she was gathering two trees... TWO TREES! Do you see it?... She was trying to feed from TWO trees! And what did she proclaim the result would be?... that we may eat it, and die! What has Father said about trying to eat from two trees? "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
Changing a Mentality
Elijah has been sent to change a mentality! Even though Father had said that this widow woman was going to be his sustenance, Elijah must first deal with her mentality. Perhaps this is where the church is today? "For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]." (Romans 8:19 Amplified Bible) All creation waits for sons of God to rise up as the "sustenance" the world is looking for, the answer to the worlds' problems. However I believe that Father is releasing spiritual "Elijah's" who must first deal with the mentality of the church!
In Biblical symbolism, the name of a person or thing speaks of its' nature or identity. Elijah's name means "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah is God." Elijah's identity is established in that there was absolute certainty as to WHO his God was! Another aspect of Elijah's identity is that he was a Tishbite. The word Tishbite, tishbiy in Hebrew, means "recourse." Recourse is defined as "the right to ACCESS payment from the maker or endorser of a negotiable instrument (as a check)." When you are given a check, that gives you the legal right to access what is in the account.
Father has opened up an "account" with His Name on it and has written us a "check!" Here is part of what is in that "account"- "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:18-19) "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you..." (1John 2:27)
You see, the widow woman's focus was on what she did NOT have. Let's take a moment and see what she DID have.... (To be continued!)
Doug Fortune
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