Luke the physician shared how people in Nazareth, “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of” Jesus' “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. 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”, and in chapter four and verse twenty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus, “unto none of them was sent Elias sent, save unto Sarepta” where we read:
But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta,
a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
The verse reads, “But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, ...” Luke began with the words, “But unto none of them” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding, moreover and toward not one of the other widows who lived in Elijah's time” “was Elias sent” which means “was Elijah whose name means my God is Jehovah and was a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah discharged and sent forth”, “save unto Sarepta” or “except toward Sarepta whose name means smelting and was the Greek name for Zarephath a Phoenician town between Tyre and Sidon”. Luke shared how “Sarepta” was the only town where there was a “widow” to whom Elijah was discharged.
The verse continues, “... a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” Luke added the words, “a city of Sidon” which means “a town, village, habitation and abode belonging to Sidon which means hunting and was an ancient and wealthy city of Phoenicia, on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, less than 20 miles (30 km) north of Tyre”, “unto a woman” or “to a female human being” “that was a widow” which means “who was lacking her husband through death”. Luke shared how Jesus said there was only one place, Sidon, where Elijah went to minster to the “widow” who lived there.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Elijah was limited in his ministry to only one “widow” during the time of drought in Israel. God knows the condition of every person, and whether they are a “widow”, single or married, God desires to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. Elijah was employed by Jesus as an example because He wanted people to know how He was sent to seek and to save people who are lost in their sins, and when He died upon the cross, He paid the penalty for the sins of everyone. However, only those who put their faith and trust in Him will be “saved” from their “sins” and live eternally with God. Those who are wise will make themselves available to God and pray that He will visit them as He did this “widow” and lead them into a relationship with His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says there were, “many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus”, 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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