Chapter Seventeen

 1Ki 17:1  And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Jehovah the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be no dew nor rain these years, except according to my word. 

1Ki 17:2  And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying, 

1Ki 17:3  Go away from here; and you shall turn eastward and shall hide by the torrent Cherith, that is before Jordan. 

1Ki 17:4  And it shall be, you shall drink of the torrent; and I shall command the ravens to feed you there. 

1Ki 17:5  And he went and did according to the Word of Jehovah; for he went and lived by the torrent Cherith, that is before Jordan. 

1Ki 17:6  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent. 

1Ki 17:7  And it happened after a while, that the torrent dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 

1Ki 17:8  And the Word of Jehovah came to him, saying, 

1Ki 17:9  Rise up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon; and you shall live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you. 

1Ki 17:10  And he rose up and went to Zarephath, and came in to the entrance of the city; and, behold, a widow woman was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please bring to me a little water in a vessel, and I shall drink. 

1Ki 17:11  And she went to bring it. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a bit of bread in your hand. 

1Ki 17:12  And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, only a handful of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am gathering two sticks and will go in and prepare for myself and for my son; and we shall eat it, and die. 

1Ki 17:13  And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son. 

1Ki 17:14  For so says Jehovah the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be consumed, and the jar of oil shall not fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the land. 

1Ki 17:15  And she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she ate, she and he and her household, many days; 

1Ki 17:16  the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the jar of oil did not fail, according to the Word of Jehovah that He spoke by the hand of Elijah. 

1Ki 17:17  And it happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house became sick; and his illness was very severe until he had no breath left to him. 

1Ki 17:18  And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to cause my iniquity to be remembered, and to cause my son to die? 

1Ki 17:19  And he said to her, Give me your son; and he took him out of her bosom, and caused him to go up into the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 

1Ki 17:20  And he cried to Jehovah and said, Jehovah my God, have You also brought evil on the widow with whom I am staying by slaying her son? 

1Ki 17:21  And he stretched himself on the child three times, and called to Jehovah and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray, let the soul of this boy return to him. 

1Ki 17:22  And Jehovah listened to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the boy returned to him, and he lived. 

1Ki 17:23  And Elijah took the boy and brought him down from the upper room of the house, and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, See your son lives! 

1Ki 17:24  And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know this, that you are a man of God, and the Word of Jehovah in your mouth is truth. 

Verses 1-7 Summary: (How might the famine have been an attack on Baal worship?)
God speaks to Elijah and sends him to a place to live. The ravens bring him food and he drinks from the brook there. Eventually, the brook dries up from lack of rain. 
Baal was the god of weather. This was a direct assault on the false faith for the idol.

LITV "torrent" - KJ "brook"

kerı̂yth ker-eeth' - From H3772; a cut; Kerith, a brook of Palestine - the root word brings meaning to the situation with Elijah:

kârath, kaw-rath'

A primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication to destroy or consume; specifically to covenant (that is, make an alliance or bargain- 
The context demands a physical interpretation. The brook was likely in a gorge. However, there is another word "nachal    nachlâh    nachălâh" which describes: (5158)  a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); 

Verses 8-16 Summary: (What lessons can we learn from this story?)
God sends Elijah to Zerephath. He is to stay with a widow. He sees her and asks her for water and bread. She is very poor. She tells Elijah that she will make bread for herself and her son, they will eat and die (due to starvation is assumed). Elijah sends her to do as he says. He tells here God will not let the meal or oil run out until there is relief from the famine. God's word does not fail. The food does not fail.

Notes: The brook Cherith is east of the Jordan river (where Elijah starts). He has to head north and then west to the coastal region of Zerephath, a trek of 40-60 miles. It's interesting to see Elijah's obedience/faith. There is a famine. God sends him to someone who is already needy and starving.
That's what God does. It begs the "why" and it reveals the power and mystery of Jehovah. 

Verses 17-24 Summary:

The widow's son becomes deathly ill. She blames Elijah's God. Elijah takes the boy to his room and places him on the bed and prays to God, reiterating the widow's accusation. 

*Why? Why is it that even with the miracle before them do they waiver? Why do we do that?

Elijah stretches himself over the boy three times and begs God to save his life. He does. Elijah returns the boy to the woman, "See, your son lives!"
*Her faith is strengthened. *Elijah exercises his faith and it is strengthened.
We know where this is headed. Elijah's faith needs to be rock solid.