This page gives you a complete set of study questions for 1 Kings 17, with a short overview and leader notes for each question. It suits a small group, a Sunday class or personal reflection. The questions move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes everyday faithfulness, so you can use them in order or pick the ones that fit your time.
1 Kings 17 at a Glance
Elijah the prophet announces a drought to King Ahab, then is sent to hide by the brook Cherith, where ravens bring him food. When the brook dries up, God sends him to Zarephath, where a widow and her son are facing starvation. Her small supply of flour and oil lasts through the famine, and later her son dies. Elijah prays, the boy is restored, and the widow confesses that Elijah speaks God’s truth.
The chapter moves from judgment, to provision, to loss, to restoration. Each section shows God caring for people in the middle of a crisis, and it gives the group natural places to pause and talk.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has the same facts before moving to meaning. Ask the group to answer from the text itself, pointing to verses, before offering opinions. Keep the discussion concrete and brief.
1 Kings 17:1
Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
(WEB)
Read this first to set the scene and remind the group that the whole chapter flows from Elijah’s declaration in the name of the living LORD. It gives the group a clear starting point for discussion about God’s authority over creation and the nation.
1 Kings 17:14-16
14 For the LORD, the God of Israel says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” 15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, ate many days. 16 The jar of meal didn’t run out, and the jar of oil did not fail, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
(WEB)
This passage holds God’s promise to the widow and its fulfillment. Reading it aloud lets the group hear the rhythm of provision and see how the promise held steady through the famine.
1 Kings 17:18
She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!”
(WEB)
Reading the widow’s words of grief and accusation helps the group feel the weight of her loss. It opens space for an honest conversation about how people process suffering and where they direct their anger.
1 Kings 17:21-22
21 He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to the LORD, and said, “The LORD my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again.” 22 The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
(WEB)
This is the turning point of the chapter, where Elijah’s prayer is heard and the child lives again. Reading it slowly helps the group recognize God’s power to restore and his willingness to listen.
1 Kings 17:24
The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the LORD’s word in your mouth is truth.”
(WEB)
Ending the reading with the widow’s confession gives the group a note of recognition and hope. It invites reflection on how God’s word is confirmed through lived experience and how faith grows through what we witness.
Memory Verse for 1 Kings 17
1 Kings 17:16
The jar of meal didn’t run out, and the jar of oil did not fail, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
(WEB)
This verse captures the heart of the chapter: God’s word keeps his people fed even when resources seem to be running out. Encourage the group to memorize it as a reminder that God’s provision is faithful and sufficient in each season.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you thankful that you see the people we are and the needs we carry, just as you saw the widow in Zarephath. We confess the times we have doubted your provision and reached for our own solutions instead of trusting your word. Thank you that you listen when we cry out, and that you restore what seemed lost. Help us to be attentive to the people around us who are running low, and give us courage to act in your name. Teach us to speak honestly to you in our pain and to recognize your faithfulness when we see it. Strengthen our group as we walk together through this chapter and into our daily lives. Amen.
