To prepare for this Bible study guide, please read the Women in Christ Commentary A Widow in Zarephath.

Part I The Example of a Widow in Zarephath

1. I Kings 16:29-34 What was the political and spiritual condition of Israel when Elijah was giving God’s message?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2. I Kings 17:1-7 Why do you think God withheld rain from Israel for over three years?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. I Kings 17:8-9 What provision did God make for Elijah? Why do you think he chose this method?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4. I Kings 17:10-11 How did God “command” this widow?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5. I Kings 17: 12 Why do you think God chose someone who had nothing herself to sustain Elijah for months or years?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6. I Kings 17:13-14 God could have brought water out of a rock and rained manna from heaven to sustain Elijah in the desert. So what lesson(s) can we learn from God choosing a third party to participate in this miracle? What significance does God’s promise to the widow and to Elijah have for you?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

7. I Kings 17:15-16 Why do you think the woman was willing to give all she had left to Elijah?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

8. I Kings 17:17-18 What reason did the woman give for her child dying? Did she indicate she had any hope the child would survive?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9. I Kings 17:19-24 What was the result of Elijah’s prayers? What effect did this have on the widow?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Part II I Am The Bread Of Life

1. Luke 4:1-4; Matthew 4:4 Why did Jesus refuse the temptation to turn a stone into a loaf of bread? What harm could that do? After all, he was very hungry.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2. Luke 4:14-22 What did Jesus begin to do as soon as he returned to Galilee from the desert? How did people react at first? (vs. 15, 22)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. Luke 4:23-27 What do the words of Jesus indicate he saw in their hearts? What was the contrast Jesus was making between the attitudes of Jesus’ neighbors and the attitude of the widow of Zarephath?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4. Luke 4:28-29 What made these people angry enough to kill Jesus? What makes any person confronted with truth angry enough to kill the one who tells them the truth?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5. Luke 4:30-31; 42-44; 9:1-5; 10:1-16; Luke 13:6-9; Revelation 3:14-20 When truth is rejected in one area or heart, what does Jesus do?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6. Luke 15:1-7; 15:11-31; 16:14-15; 18:9-14 What attitude(s) prevents a person from turning from a sinful life to following Jesus’ way of truth and life?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

7. Luke 18:15-17, 18-30 What quality of a small child did the rich young ruler lack? What did Jesus ask him to do that he was unwilling to do? What did the twelve disciples do that the young ruler refused to do?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

8. John 6:35-40, 48-53, 60-69 Jesus used strong, even repulsive, hyperbole to say that no life exists apart from him--just as physical life cannot be sustained without bread (food.) What enables some to believe and accept Jesus as the Bread of life while others are offended and refuse to follow him?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9. Luke 13:22-30; Matthew 7:13-14 How did Jesus answer the question, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” Who will be excluded from the feast in the kingdom of God? And why?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

10. John 4:31-38; Matthew 9:35-38 What do you think Jesus means by “the harvest is plentiful” and yet also says “many…will try to enter and will not be able to?” (Luke 13:24) Do you think this is a contradiction? Why, or why not?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

11. Luke 9:10-17 (Note v. 13); John 21:15-19; Luke 12:42-43; John 4:34; Hebrews 5:14; I Corinthians 10:1-4; John 6: 53-58 Where would God have you go to keep from starving to death spiritually?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

12: John 8:12, 24, 31-32, 39, 47; Matthew 7:21-25; John 15:5-13 How does a follower of Jesus “eat his flesh” and “drink his blood” and “enter the narrow gate” that leads to life? How does the widow of Zarephath show us how to gain the Bread of life?