1 Kings 17:17 – 24 “Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”
But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived. Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared.
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
God has saved the widow of Zarephath, her son, and every member of her household by providing miraculously through Elijah the prophet. But somehow this lady has yet to believe that Elijah is really a man of God and that his God really is true. It takes another miracle for this lady to believe.
The son of the widow falls sick and becomes increasingly worse until he dies. These days, rainy season has arrived in northern Ghana, and we are treating lots of children with malaria and severe anemia each day. Those children who receive blood and medicines rapidly enough live, while others who arrive too late will die. The same thing can happen for children with typhoid fever. Given the drought that has gripped the land, typhoid from infected food or water might be a good possibility here. At any rate, the son dies.
In many parts of the world, sons of widows are critically important. It is those sons who give a woman hope that they will grow up and will support her in her old age. In Elijah’s day, such a widow with one son would still be regarded as a productive member of the community. But if that son were to die, the poor woman would be left with little hope for the future.
Elijah can scarcely believe that this tragedy has taken place. Why would a loving God allow such a thing to happen to the very woman who has sheltered God’s prophet at the cost of her own resources? But God has a much better plan. God knows that even though this woman has seen the miracles of the multiplication of her resources, she has yet to truly believe.
Elijah is distraught at the death of this lively young boy whom he has come to love as if he were his own son. Calling out to God, Elijah bears the boy’s body upstairs to the place where he is staying. Elijah stretches his body out over the boy’s as if he could pour his life into the boy. And Elijah does this not once, but three times. It is after the third time that God raises the boy from the dead. What if Elijah were to only stretch himself out twice? Would the boy remain dead? Elijah is desperate and is ready to continue to stretch himself out over the boy’s body until God either raises the boy from the dead or orders him to stop. Blessedly, after the third time, the boy begins breathing, opens his eyes, and is alive and fine. And it is then that the boy’s mother says, ““Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
APPLICATION: We read this story and wonder. After all, God has already saved this lady and her entire household by multiplying their resources in a time of drought. Why hasn’t she believed already? But this woman lives in a culture in which magic abounds. Perhaps she has assumed that Elijah is really some kind of magician. At any rate, it takes the death and resurrection of the woman’s son for her to truly believe that Elijah is a man of God and that the word of the Lord is true.
What about us? What does it take for us to believe? The widow nearly lost her only son, but God has sent His only Son, Jesus, to live as a man and to die for the sins of the whole world. Jesus did not need a prophet to raise him from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead by the power of the Living God, defeating death, hell and the grave for all time. Elijah was only the means by which God raised one young boy from the dead. But Jesus has shed his blood so that all who will believe in Him and who will follow Him will have eternal life, even though their physical bodies will die and decay.
God has already given us His Word in the Bible and has given us many accounts by faithful witnesses as to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God gave the widow of Zarephath the opportunity to believe when He raised her son from the dead. God has given us many opportunities, but we must choose and choose wisely.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let everyone who reads these words feel the gentle tug of Your Love on their hearts. Let them truly believe in You and in Your Son Jesus Christ. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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