A Woman of faith in the City of Baal

Topic: A Woman of faith in the City of Baal
Ministering: Pastor I.S James
Text: 1 Kings 17: 1-16

Baal literally means master; he was the chief god of the Syro-Phoenicians – their god of fertility
The worship of Baal was widespread in biblical times & had different identities, ranging from Dagon, the sun to Jupiter
Baal was the male deity & had a female counterpart usually called Ashteroth or Astarte.
Idol worship was widespread and had permeated into the fabric of life of people’s everyday lives & culture
Jehovah expressly forbids His people from any form of idol worship. Everything Baal espouses is diametrically opposed to Jehovah
Under the rule of Ahab & Jezebel, the worship of Baal & Ashteroth was imported into & institutionalised in Israel (1Kings 16:33)
Don’t be deceived, the worship of Baal still exists today, it hasn’t died with time. It’s seeped into different cultures in different places
Baal was said to control fertility, nature, weather etc, are there any modern equivalents of this you can think of in your culture today?
1Kings 17:9-God asked Elijah to go to Zarephath of Sidon that was under the rule of Eth-Baal (Jezebel’s) father for succour from Ahab
There are 2 main lessons to be learnt today on how to survive difficult times:
1. Listen to the right voice & words.
Elijah’s declaration was a word of judgment, but also an instruction for survival
So, which voice are you listening to, the voice of judgment or the one giving instruction for survival?
God’s plan isn’t to kill His children from punitive measures. He’s provided us with a way out the judgement.
The 2nd way out of difficult times is to be TOTALLY OBEDIENT to God. What would’ve happened to Elijah if he’d not gone to Zarephath?
In Malachi 3:8, you see God’s instruction for financial security. Obedience to Him here ensures your pocket is secure
The 3rd way out, trust God to deliver you through unconventional means
Elijah was fed by ravens (1Kings 17:6), which are unclean birds (Deut. 14:14)
Recap:
1. Listen to the right voice
2. Be totally obedient to God’s financial laws
3. Trust God to deliver you – even through unconventional means

Who are the heroes of this story?

1. The widow of Zarephath – who despite her difficult situation obeyed Elijah & fed him at the time
Why does God ask those who have little or nothing for favours? It’s likely because He wants to bless them.
Elijah’s requests of the widow were a test of her faith. She had to give to Elijah 1st from what was to be her last meal
This is akin to you giving the last of what you have to God’s service; it’s a test of your faith in God that He can sustain you
2. Elijah – he acted like he was exploiting the widow based on his status as a man of God
However, it took courage, obedience & good timing from him to make this demand of the widow in order to save her
At times, it’s tough for men of God to make you do God’s will
3. The “pastor” (spiritual teacher) of the widow.
Faith is never accidental & someone had instructed the woman in its workings.
Exhibiting faith is risky, this woman took a risk & she must have been taught about the potential benefits of taking such risks
Without faith it’s impossible to please god (Heb 11:6), but when you exhibit it, God stands up on your behalf
Without her faith, the widow would have been just a statistic; her faith saved her.
Matt. 17:5-6 – Having faith is good, but we all need to move to the point of exhibiting that faith by speaking to the mountains in your life
Faith’s an investment, when you sow it in the ground, you will reap the results. You sow your faith by speaking/declaring it.
Prayer: Let the hold of everything that hinders my growth be broken now in Jesus’ name
Prayer: Let everything that’s stopping us from exhibiting our faith be removed from our lives now! In Jesus’ name
Prayer: LORD raise men & women of faith from our midst who aren’t afraid of the associated risks in Jesus’ name.