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.
God sent Elijah to a widow who had almost nothing, and told her to feed him. Day after day her flour and oil held out, and the verse gives the reason: not the size of her supply, but the word spoken through Elijah. (The quotations below say "barrel of meal" and "cruse of oil." That is older wording for the jar of flour and the jug of oil.)
The word, not the jar, is the reason
The verse ends by tracing the miracle back to a promise. One writer draws several threads out of that single sentence — who funded her obedience, what her giving returned, and who is honoured at the end.
The Christian's FriendSeveral points in these words are worth attention. The first is that if God commanded the widow to sustain Elijah, He Himself supplied her with the means of doing it. The second follows from the first: using what we have for the Lord multiplies our means. Can anyone give to the Lord without reaping an abundant return? Another is that the text now says "her house" instead of the son. This shows God's ways of grace with His people: He blesses their households through the head of the house... Lastly, God will magnify His own faithfulness. His word had promised, and according to His word the blessing came — the word which He spoke by Elijah.
The little cake first
Elijah asked for his share before hers, and the request was not rudeness but a claim.
C. H. MackintoshElijah was simply putting in God's claim upon the widow's resources. As we know, a true and ready response to that claim brings a rich harvest of blessing to the soul. There was, however, a demand upon the widow's faith in all this. She had to act a trying and difficult part, in the strength of faith in a divine promise.
The order of the two cakes turned out to be the order of her whole future.
A. J. PollockBut how could it be done? Only this way: if she cared for God's interests FIRST, He would care for hers AFTER. This putting God first brought her the brightest reward of her life.
Enough for today, nothing stored for tomorrow
Notice what the promise did not say. It never offered a full barrel.
Hamilton SmithNot only does grace bring salvation to the needy, it teaches us how to live. The life given by grace is a dependent life. It was not a barrel of meal or a cruse of oil that was promised. The supplies of grace are unlimited. But grace gives no store in hand, the kind of store nature loves to have. The promise was that the handful of meal should not waste nor the oil in the cruse grow less. There would be enough for each day but no store for tomorrow. Grace teaches us to live in dependence on the Giver of the grace.
Commentators picture the containers differently — some see the quantity always replaced, others see her scraping the bottom every morning — but they agree the supply arrived as it was needed.
W. W. FeredayWe need not suppose that either the barrel or the cruse ever filled up. She would probably always be working on the bottom; but day after day there was enough for them all.
Fed outside Israel
God chose a home outside Israel for this. That says something about how He acts when His own people shut Him out.
The Christian's FriendWe learn this everywhere in the Scriptures. When God's people slide away from Him and refuse His testimony, He turns, as it were, to those outside, and shows there the sovereignty of His grace... So it was with Elijah. Israel would not listen to his message. So the LORD sent him for a time to a woman outside the community of Israel, a stranger to the covenants of promise. Yet the very service He sent him on tested his own faith. In Scripture a widow stands for someone left alone and without resources. Elijah had to go to such a person for support, so that he might learn the lesson himself... that when all created streams dry up, the fullness of God remains unchanged.
What the flour and the oil picture
Writers read the two containers as a picture, with a warning inside the comfort.
The Christian's FriendThe barrel of meal points to Christ and the cruse of oil to the Holy Spirit. And the lesson is twofold. First, Christ and the Holy Spirit richly supply all our needs, as long as faith is active... Christ is all-sufficient in our deepest needs. Yet even though we have the Holy Spirit, we cannot draw on the resources we have in Him without faith. Secondly, we may be cut off from the ordinary channels of blessing and isolated from all Christian fellowship. Even then the Lord will prove Himself enough for us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Summary
- Word. The flour and oil held out "according to the word of the LORD." The miracle rests on a promise, so that God magnifies His own faithfulness.
- First. She put God's interests first and her own after. That order brought her the brightest reward of her life.
- Daily. God never promised a full barrel. There was enough for each day and no store for tomorrow, because grace teaches us to live depending on the Giver.
- House. God supplied the very means she needed to obey Him, and the blessing widened from the son to "her house."
- Outside. Israel refused the message, so God sent His prophet to a widow outside Israel. When every created stream dries up, the fullness of God remains unchanged.