2. Northwestern University’s psychology department recently revealed that during the average housewife’s lifetime she performs the following tasks. She makes 10,000 to 40,000 beds, vacuums a rug a mile long and a tenth of a mile wide; cleans 7,000 plumbing fixtures, and cooks 35,000 meals. ¹

3. In an article dated February 22, 2001, the Greenville News released an article entitled, “Marriage May Be Hazardous to Your Health!” The article stated, according to a new book, that during the first 13 years of marriage a happy woman will gain 18.4 pounds, and an unhappy man will gain 42.6 pounds. Men, overall gain between 19 to 38 pounds. ² I would say that that statistic reveals that there a lot of unhappy men.

4. It reminds of a husband and wife who got into a heated argument after supper. They were fighting over the usual chores, when the wife said to her husband, “Honey, take out the trash.” He looked back and said, “I didn’t cook it. You take it out!”

5. Today, I want us to begin a new study of an interesting, yet important truth in the Word of God. And, it has little to do with cooking, or cleaning. It revolves around the use of the word “first”, and particularly how the word is used in relation to the things of God. Thus, reminding us that, spiritually speaking, it’s time to put first things first.

6. In the verses before us this morning we find a very familiar story. It involves two main characters; Elijah, the man of God, and a widow woman in the country of Zarephath.

7. You will remember that God has led Elijah to a brook in Cherith, which had dried up in the first part of this chapter. Zarephath was approximately 100 miles from Cherith. It was a land from which a lady by the name of Jezebel came, and it was ruled by Jezebel’s father, a heathen tyrant, and wicked idolater like his daughter.

8. The name Zarephath literally means, “refining.” Thus, it was there, and for that purpose that God sends Elijah specifically to this land. It was going to be used in his life as a refining fire to remove the dross of pride, and any self-reliance that was within him. It was in this land that God was going to take care of him by taking care of a widow woman.

9. It is the widow woman in the text that I want you to consider with this morning. It is in her character, and conduct that we seem to be reminded when it comes to the things of God, we need to put God first, and bake the cake before we clean the stove. I call your attention to three things that took place in the life of this woman. First of all there is:

1. These verses indicate that when Elijah comes to this widow woman she is surrounded by problems on every hand. She has absolutely nothing. Notice verse 12.

2. It is obvious that this woman has been reduced to sheer poverty, and is surrounded by a great problem. In fact, from the text we gather that:

1. Notice verse 9. God’s Word comes to Elijah and He says,

2. It is clear to see that this woman faced physical loneliness. She is a widow. We are not given her name, nor do we know about her background. All that we know is that she is a lonely widow.

3. We are not told who her husband was, or how long he had been dead. We do not know whether his death was a sudden matter, or the result of a prolonged illness. The only thing we can gather is that her husband had died and she was left behind to face years of physical loneliness.

4. I think of how Brian Harbour described the matter:

5. Dr. James Lynch, medical researcher at John Hopkins, in his book, “The Broken Heart,“ asserts that loneliness is the number -one physical killer in the world today. Thus, prompting Paul Tournier to refer to loneliness as,

5. I have always admired the legacy and career of Jackie Robinson. Robinson made history in 1947 when he became the first baseball player to play in the major leagues. As you can imagine, his achievement was not easy. From the beginning, people abused him from the stands, and players abused him on the field. He confronted the barbs of prejudicial treatment in every city where the team traveled. Consequently, Jackie Robinson had many rough days.

“That may have saved my career. PeeWee made me feel like I belonged!”⁵

7. Here is a widow woman who could well associate with these feelings. No one was longer there to share in her triumphs, or bear her trials. And, no one was there with her in the house. She was alone at the dinner table, in the den, and alone at the end of the day. She faced a time of physical loneliness. Notice, also, that:

1. The financial portfolio of this woman in listed in verse 12.

2. Here was a woman who was definitely on the bottom end of the socio-economic scale. She was not only physically lonely, but she was financially empty. The only thing she had to her name was contained in a barrel of meal. And, as soon as it was gone, she had made plans to die. She had absolutely nothing.

3. I think of something posted on a bulletin board that I saw sometime ago. It read:

“For Sale:

Radio, Record Player, and Tape recorder.

All in excellent condition.

I’m the one that’s broke!”

4. This woman could well relate to that. She was bankrupt, and broke. And, to think that God had sent Elijah to the poorest of the poor in a time of famine and drought to be sustained and nourished. It didn’t make sense.

5. However, there is an interesting piece of the puzzle found in verse 9, and 10. She is referred to by the use of two definite articles. In verse 9, she is called, “a widow woman. In verse 10, she is referred to as “the widow woman.” The definite article, “the, indicates that this was the very woman God had in mind. In indicates to us that though she faced physical loneliness and financial emptiness, this was still the woman had commanded to provide for His servant. God had something in mind for this lonely, empty widow woman. But, I not only want you to see the problem that surrounded her; but, notice, secondly:

1. I think of the words of William Cowper,

“God moves in mysterious ways,

His wonders to perform,

He plants his footprint in the sea,

And rides upon the storm!”

2. Those words hold true when you think of how that in the midst of her great problem, God, through His servant, delivered a very unique prescription. And, no doubt, it was that surprised her. In fact, notice:

1. Keep in mind, here is a woman with nothing. She is physically lonely, and financially empty. All that she has to her name is a little meal, a little oil, and a little water. And, once it is gone, she has already made plans to die. However, notice verse 13.

2. We now encounter the word for our study, the word, “First.” This woman has nothing in her cub bard, in her pantry, or in her kitchen. Yet, Elijah requests that before she does anything else, she is to go and make him a cake “FIRST“, and then one for her son and herself. I believe you would agree this constitutes a very unusual request.

3. Elijah’s request is totally contrary to the laws of economics (supply and demand), finance, and would cause many bankers and stock brokers to scratch their heads. It doesn’t make earthly sense.

4. On the surface, and to the natural eye, these requests would seem a bit selfish on the part of prophet of God. However, his motive did not involve himself. He knew God, and knew how God would provide for him, as well as her, and her son. If she was to expect a miracle in her situation, then she had to put God first, take care of His servant, and God would take care of her.

5. Perhaps I’m speaking to someone who feels, in many ways, like this woman. You feel as if you have nothing, and can offer little of nothing to God. Thus, whenever God may ask something of you it may seem unfair, simply because you feel as if you are at the bottom of the barrel.

6. However, God is not concerned with you have, but what He can do with what you have. He is not interested in your belongings, or possessions; but, rather what He can do with it if you will let Him have it. All of it.

7. If she will put God first, and bake His servant a cake, with all that she has, God is going to do more than she ever thought. It, indeed, constitutes an unusual request.

1. Elijah presents his case, and makes his request. Then, in verse 14, he declares the promise of God.

2. Notice her response in verse 15.

3. She never asked any questions. In the midst of an unusual request, she shows an unhindered response. She did exactly what God, through His servant, had commanded her to do. That is, she first baked the cake before she cleaned the stove. She put God first.

3. I have often said that I believe it is safe to say that this widow woman was not a Southern Baptist. That is, when the man of God made this unusual request, she didn’t form a committee, present in it in the business meeting, or place it in the bulletin. She heard what the man of God had said, and although her mind must have been filled with questions, doubts, and concerns, she immediately did what God had asked her to do. She had faith in God.

4. I love Theodore Epp’s description of faith,

5. You see, faith goes ahead and trusts God for the results. For example, I think of the priests who carried the ark. They had to step into the waters of the Jordan before they parted. I think of David and his championship title match with Goliath. He had to go into the field and face Goliath before he received the strength to overcome his evil foe.

6. Man, however, wants to see the end from the beginning. But, faith is a consent to take what God has said, trust Him, and rest in the fact that He knows what He doing, and He does all things well.

7. This widow woman didn’t have a full barrel of meal, only a little meal in the barrel. But, faith saw that small amount as quite sufficient because of what God had said. She came to the realization that is she first bake the cake before she cleaned the stove, God would provide. She knew that little was much if God was in it. Thus, not only do we see the problem that surrounded her, and the prescription that surprised her; but,

1. God kept His Word. He did what He promised He would do. Although the circumstances dictated otherwise, and problems surrounded her, and the prescription surprised her; God’s provision sustained her. It sustained her to the point that:

1. Notice verse 15.

2. God supplied her need. It was a day by day supply. He never gave her what she might have needed for hard times, but what she needed to live day to day.

3. In fact, God knew that He was going to send rain, and bring relief to a drought that had lasted for 3 1/2 years. Thus, the coming rain would provide for food where there had otherwise been famine. God was not looking down the road to her need; He was looking at her need at the present. And, He met it.

4. God was teaching her, as He is you and I, if we will first bake the cake before we clean the stove, He will give a supply for our need that will meet our need.

5. The truth of the matter is that God has not promised that He will, at this moment, supply everything we need for the rest of our lives and lay it before us so we can see it. If we can see it, then it removes faith from the equation.

6. Faith, and trust in God, however, looks to God for strength for the day, food for the day, every need for the day. In fact, Jesus in His model prayer, emphasized this point, when He prayed,

7. It is a step by step, moment by moment, day by day trust in a God who promised to meet our need. But, the text not only indicates the supply of her need that was met; but,

1. Notice verse 16. God put the icing on the cake. He multiplied His provision for her.

2. God not only met the supply of her need, but He multiplied the supply for her need. Every morning she got up, there was food in the cub bard, and meal in the barrel. If she prepared a meal for breakfast, there was meal there when she went back to make dinner. After she finished dinner, she went back, and found there was meal in the barrel for supper. It never ran out. It just kept multiplying.

3. I remember reading of Nansen, the great Artic explorer, and the time he was looking for the North Pole. His ship drifted one day into the very deep water. Needing to know the water’s depth, Nansen let down the sounding line to calculate. When he had played out all the line that he had on board the ship, and still he had not reached the bottom of the ocean, he noted in his logbook:

“35,000 fathoms and deeper than that!”⁷

4. No doubt when this woman considered the provision of God on her behalf; every time she went and looked in the barrel, she was reminded of God’s grace, that never ran reached the bottom, and she would go and log in her journal, “It’s 35,000 fathoms and even deeper than that!” Hallelujah!

5. Again here was a widow who had absolutely nothing. She faced physical loneliness and financial emptiness. She was on the bottom rung of the economic ladder. Yet, she obeyed the Word of God, trusted in the promises of God, put God first, and watched God met her need, and then multiply her need.

6. Do you need something from God today? Are you, as this widow, facing a time of desperation, depression, doubt and despair? I submit unto you that the God of Elijah is the same God this morning. The God that provided for a bankrupt widow in Zarephath is the same God who rules and reigns today.

7. Put Him first. Keep Him first. First bake the cake before you clean the stove, and I can report to you that the meal shall never run out of your barrel.

8. No doubt are familiar with the great hymn of the faith, ‘God Will Take Care of You.’ It was written by W. Stillman Martin, and composed by his wife, Civilla Martin. In 1904, the Martins were spending several weeks as guests at the Practical Bible Training school in Lestershire, New York. Rev. Martin, a well-known Baptist evangelist, was invited to be a guest speaker to the students and faculty of the school. While he there, Rev. Martin also had been invited to speak at several preaching engagements in the Northeast. Ones that he had accepted. And, all of the churches were a great distance from the school.

“Be not dismayed what're betide,

God will take care of you.

Beneath His wings of love abide,

God will take care of you.

All you need He will provide,

God will take care of you.

Nothing you ask will be denied,

God will take care of you.

God will take care of you,

Thru every day, o’er all the way.

He will take care of you,

God will take care of you!”⁸

11. I know many people today who think that they can fail to do what God asks of them, and expect the blessings of God. However, friend, it doesn’t work that way. You cannot do wrong, and expect anything from God, except correction and chastisement.