Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Kings 17:9

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Kings 17:9
"Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."

This is the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. There was drought and famine in the land. Elijah had hid by the brook Cherith and the ravens had feed him. When the brook dried up this verse is the word of the Lord that came to him. What I noticed is the Lord said He commanded the widow woman to sustain Elijah. Yet, when Elijah speaks to the widow to bring him a little water and a morsel of bread she says she was gathering stick to feed her and her son and then they would die. That does not sound like a women that had been waiting for a prophet of the Lord to come and she would feed him. It's very different than the story of Alma and Amulek. Amulek had been prepared to feed a prophet when he met him.

"And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?
And the man said unto him: I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house.
And it came to pass that the man received him into his house; and the man was called Amulek; and he brought forth bread and meat and set before Alma."
(Alma 8:19-21)

Why is the widow of Zarephath so different? As I was pondering on this I wondered if the word "command" could have a different meaning? I found it could also mean ordained, chosen or appointed. Any of those words would make sense. The Lord hadn't told the widow of His will to feed Elijah, but being a faithful women she came to know His will when the request was made. She had been chose of the Lord and prepared to act in faith.

Day 3847