6 Inspiring Stories of Courageous Widows in the Bible

Shutterstock.com

God keeps a careful eye on the widow. He is profoundly concerned for her, together with the stranger and the fatherless. He is righteous and protects them for He is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows…in His holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). The incarnate Son of God is like him. He cared for His widowed mother. The Bible tells us, “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-30). He also raised from the dead the son of the widow of Nain and returned him to his mother (Luke 7:11-17), and, in the spirit of the prophets, condemned those who took advantage of widows (Matthew 23:24). There are 11 widows mentioned in the Bible and in both the New Testament and Hebrew Bible. In Scripture, widows are repeatedly the subject of miracles. Here are six inspiring stories of courageous widows in the Bible.

The Widow Who Gave Two Coins

Public Domain

In Luke 21:1-4, we read about the Widow’s offering: “As Jesus looked up, He saw the rich putting their gift into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ He said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” There are several things that the story of the widow’s mite teaches us. First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were surely noticed by people. But Jesus saw what no one else did. Second, God’s evaluation is different from man’s. The widow’s two mites added up to a penny, according to man’s tabulation. But Jesus said that she had given more than anyone else that day (Mark 12:43). Hers was a true sacrifice; the rich had not begun to give to the level of her sacrifice. Third, God commends giving in faith. Here was a woman in need of receiving charity, yet she had a heart to give.

The Widow at Zarephath

Public Domain

First Kings 17 introduces the prophet Elijah and gives the account of his dealings with a widow from Zarephath. The chapter notes that the Lord was withholding rain from Israel. The drought was in judgment of the nation’s rampant idolatry, led by the royal couple Ahab and Jezebel. In verse 8, the Lord commanded Elijah to go to Zarephath, a town outside of Israel, where a widow would provide food for him. He obeyed, finding a woman gathering sticks. He said to her, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink,’ and, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand’ (1 Kings 17:11-12). The widow, however, was in great need herself. She responded, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die' (1 Kings 17:13). She expected the meal she was about to fix to be the last for her family. She had no other prospect than to die of starvation. Elijah’s answer was surely a test of her faith. He told her that she was to make some food for him, anyway using the last of her ingredients for Him, making note of the Lord’s promise (1 Kings 17:14). The widow’s faith was evident in her obedience. And God was faithful to His promise. The widow’s food supply was supernaturally extended, as promised.

The Widow and the Unjust Judge

Public Domain

The parable of the unjust judge, also known as the Parable of the Importunate Widow or the Parable of the Persistent Widow, is one of the parables of Jesus which appears in Luke 18:1-8. In it, a judge who lacks compassion is repeatedly approached by a poor widow, seeking justice. Initially rejecting her demands, he eventually honors her request so he will not be worn out by her persistent. This parable encourages us to persevere in our faith against all odds. But it also has two applications for those who work in positions of leadership. First, the juxtaposition of a corrupt judge with a just God implies that God’s Will is at work even in a corrupt world. The second point is that only God can bring about justice in a corrupt world. That is why we must pray and not give up in our work.

Naomi and Ruth

Public Domain

Naomi and Ruth suffered terrible misfortune: the men in their family, including both their husbands, died. Marooned in Moab, the older woman Naomi decided to return to her home in Bethlehem. Ruth, though a Moabite herself, decided to go with her. She pledged her loyalty to Naomi and they set out on the long journey, arriving in time for the barley harvest. Ruth was poor and a foreigner, but she listened to the advice of an older, wiser woman. In turn, Naomi was rewarded by Ruth’s unfaltering loyalty. The message? Courage and ingenuity triumph over misfortune. The story of Ruth also celebrates the family and the way it continues through many generations. Ruth, a childless widow at the beginning of the story, became the great-grandmother of Israel’s great king, David. Finally, the story of Naomi’s family and the way it endured is a universal theme. Even Ruth, a foreigner from the despised Moabites, could move God’s plan toward fulfillment.

Anna

Public Domain

Anna is mentioned in the Bible as a prophetess and one of the people connected to Jesus’ childhood. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Her name, which she shares with Hannah in the Old Testament, means ‘favor’ or ‘grace,’ She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four (Luke 2:36-37). Anna had been married only seven years when she became a widow for the rest of her life. She had spent the vast majority of her life without a husband and was ministering before the Lord in the temple. The Bible tells us she never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying (Luke 2:37). After becoming a widow, Anna dedicated herself wholly to the Lord. Her many years of sacrifice and service were worth it all when she beheld the Messiah, the One for whom she had waited so long.