Luke the physician shared how Jesus, “came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, You will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country”, and in chapter four and verse twenty-five of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias” where we read:
But 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;
The verse reads, “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, ...” Luke began with the words, “But I tell you” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding, moreover and I, Jesus, utter, declare and proclaim to the people of Nazareth” “of a truth” which means “pertaining to the candor of mind, verity and pretense”, “many widows” or “a lot or great number of women who lack their husbands through death” “were in Israel” which means “existed in Israel which means he shall be a prince of God and referred to the family or descendants of Jacob” “in the days of Elias” or “in the time period pertaining to Elijah who was a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah and whose name means my God is Jehovah”. Luke shared how Jesus referred to the “many widows” who lived in “Israel” during the time when “Elijah” was alive.
The verse goes on to say, “when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;” Luke continued with the words, “when the heaven” which means “at the time and moment that the aerial heavens or sky and the region where the clouds and the tempests gather where thunder and lightning are produced” “was shut up three years” or “was closed off and withheld rain for three years” “and six months” which means “and six months of the year”, “when great famine” or “at the time and moment a large and massive scarcity of harvest and food as well as dearth” “was throughout all the land” which means “existed in each, every, the whole and everywhere within the territory, region and country of Israel”. Luke shared how Jesus referred to the time when there was no rain for a “three and one half year” period during the lifespan of Elijah.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus spoke specifically of the time period when this “widow” was served. During the time of “Elijah the prophet”, there was “no rain” upon the earth for three and a half years. (See 1 Kings 17 and 18). This is an important part of Jesus' teaching because “many widows” were affected by the drought. Jesus will point out what happened to that “widow” in the next verse, however, for now let it suffice to know how God chooses to whom He will minister and to whom He will not. He desires everyone to come to Him through His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, but those who doubt and refuse to believe in His Son will find themselves in a “spiritual drought” in which no one will be able to deliver them. The wise person will yield their life to Him by allowing Jesus to remove their “spiritual drought”, and even as Elijah was chosen to minister to this widow, Jesus will minister to all who believe and trust in Him.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “unto none of them was Elias sent”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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