Called to Prayer
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17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
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17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
He died. The son became so ill, the son died.
18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”
The lie of Job’s friends was that there is a correlation between a person’s sin and the calamities of life. God has stated no such correlation, no such principle.
The test for Elijah was a brook that dried up. The test for this widow was that her son died.
In fact, Jesus said that calamities sometimes come so that we can see God at work. Look at John 9:3;
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed.
20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?”
Elijah was puzzled as to the Lord’s purpose in all this.
Elijah’s first prayer (v. 20) simply expressed his compassion for the woman who, in addition to the trials of the famine, now also had to bear this tragedy
21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.”
Pleading with the Lord for the lad’s life, he followed prayer with active faith, stretching himself out on the boy three times (vv.20–21).
In this instance Elijah out of heartfelt concern stretched himself out placing the whole body of the lad in contact with his own. Three times Elijah did this, praying each time that God would restore the boy’s life. Persistence in prayer is a fundamental requisite for obtaining one’s petitions
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”
24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
Miracles are meant to bring faith.
First miracle, water into wine.
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
Nicodemus
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
At the death of Lazarus.
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
This miracle proved to the woman that Elijah was indeed a man of God and that the word of the LORD that Elijah claimed to speak was indeed the truth.
But I want to focus for a moment on the “why” question: Why did this child fall ill and die in the first place. The messenger of God is in his house. His mother is doing as the man of God said.
And yet, this boy falls ill.
Faith is meant to be a lifelong confession not a momentary profession.
Honest Confession
Honest Confession
A profession is an outward, temporal expression of what one does.
It is seen in clerical robes and baptismal certificates, it is seen in aep helmets and McDonald’s uniforms. It is something you put on and put off. It is temporary and sometimes momentary- you could liken it to a time card being punched… one is on duty and then off duty.
This woman, living in a land of a multitude of Gods has been confronted by Elijah, the man of THE God- Yahweh. And she, in the face of a drought and famine has placed her trust in this man of God, Elijah. She fed him, she continues to get water for him, she continues to prepare meals for him and the flour doesn’t run dry and the cruze of oil never fails.
But something new has entered this story. Her son dies.
You would hope for a response like Paul in the book of Romans. Romans 14:8
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
You would have hoped that this widow would have responded with a great statement on her faith. That because Yahweh had fed her in a famine and filled her shelves with food that she had a great trust in Yahweh’s ways.
You would have expected an obedience like Abraham in Genesis 22 when God said
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Honest Confession
Honest Confession
Even a life time confession begins with a mustard seed beginning.
Look for a moment at the response of the widow at the death of her son in the 18th verse
18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”
Remember: The dry brook was Elijah’s test; the dead son was the widow’s test.
Remember: The dry brook was Elijah’s test; the dead son was the widow’s test.
Great blessings are often followed by great testings.
Great blessings are often followed by great testings.
It is often the mountaintop experience of your life that will bring the valley of the shadow of death.
Look again at what the widow said. 1 kings 17.18
18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”
First, what does this event have to do with her sin?
Good things can have evil in them. Bad things happen. Be warned…the darkest and the most demonic can lurk in holy places. Bad things happen.
But her sin wasn’t the issue here anymore than Job’s was there.
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
When Jesus was presented with this boy born blind, the question was who sinned? And that was the wrong question. You see, what many see as a response to sin God sees as an opportunity to reveal who He is in a deeper way.
This widow’s sin was not the issue- her newly formed faith being brought to a settled maturity probably was at issue.
The response of this widow reveals the maturity of her faith. It is unfortunate, but it is a teaching moment for us.
18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”
Look at what the Psalmist said in psalm 118.75
75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
In faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Listen to Hebrews 12.7 in the Message
God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
10 While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. 11 At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
Re-read the story of John 9.3
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Great blessings are often followed by great testings.
Great blessings are often followed by great testings.
The testing grows our faith. It takes it from the momentary profession to the lifetime confession stage.
Maturity. Grown up faith. A life that walks knowing that God is good no matter what.
Bottom Line:
FAITH IS MEANT TO BE A LIFELONG CONFESSION NOT A MOMENTARY PROFESSION.
FAITH IS MEANT TO BE A LIFELONG CONFESSION NOT A MOMENTARY PROFESSION.
the words of the widow tell the purpose of this event.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
Elijah, now I know that you’re not the paid professional cleric of the God called Yahweh. I now see this isn’t about the paycheck or any other temporal benefit- it’s about who you are and more importantly who you serve. And, now, Elijah, because I see that in you I’m going to deepen my own faith because I see God in you and He’s growing in me.
Much like the woman at the well, who said, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.”… and the whole town comes to faith because of that testimony, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.” This widow woman would forever be able to point to Elijah and His God as the one who fed them in the famine and raised her son from death to life.
I think we should realize that Elijah really is a significant individual. He had so much of a relationship with God that he one day would find him on the mount of transfiguration with Christ.
Mount of transfiguration pix
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
But even at that, Elijah was just a life pointing not at himself in a momentary profession- but pointing to Jesus in a lifetime confession.
The perfect model of the “man or woman of God” is not Moses or Elijah- it is Jesus.
