I Kings 17:17-24

Have you ever been enjoying God’s mercy and kindness when a great trial suddenly came upon you? The woman of Zarephath understood afflictions as well as anyone. The king of her land worshiped idols. She was a widow. She lived during one of the greatest famines in history. She and her son had nearly died from starvation. Then, while the Lord miraculously provided the daily bread for her household, an illness came upon the woman’s son and he died (vs. 17).

God’s mercy is very great. And yet, death still comes upon all. The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness that miraculously came to them six days of the week, and yet all of those who ate that manna died (John 6:49). The son of the woman who himself had been eating the miraculous flour and oil that never ran out suddenly died.

In her grief and sorrow, the woman cried to Elijah with questions. What do you have against me? Why did you come? Are you trying to remind me of my sin by bringing death again to my family? Grief is never so bitter as when it comes suddenly on us with the death of those closest to us.

It is possible to read this passage and think the woman is speaking sinfully, but that should not be our thought for several reasons: 1) Elijah did not rebuke the woman; 2) The Scripture does not call her grief sin; 3) She still called Elijah a “man of God;” 4) she did not react in fear nor like the Israelites did she desire a former sinful way from which the Lord had mercifully delivered;* and 5) she demonstrated faith in God in the middle of her grief by giving her son to Elijah (v.19). 

It is more appropriate to see this God-fearing widow expressing her grief like the Psalmist in Psalm 77, “When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints…Will the Lord cast off forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”  (vs. 3,7-9).

Elijah took the boy and went to the Lord in prayer. The glory of the Lord is the basis for Elijah’s prayer. The prophet of God was living in this woman’s home. The implication of Elijah’s prayer is that if God allowed the boy to remain dead, mockery would come upon the name of the Lord. The presence of the prophet of the Lord at first seemed good but then led to death. So, Elijah made a request of the Lord: “Let this child’s soul come into him again” (vs. 21).

Elijah’s prayers in Kings can teach us several things: 1) Requests should be made to God according to His revealed will; 2) The goal of the requests should include the honor of the name of the Lord and the revelation of the glory of the Lord to all the world; and 3) We should come boldly to the throne of God in prayer.**

The Lord listened to the prayer and chose to restore this boy to life. The soul of the child came into him again and he revived.***

Sometimes grief and sorrow follow a time of mercy and joy. Perhaps you are facing this now. Perhaps you soon will. Perhaps coronavirus is troubling us now and something greater will trouble us shortly. Remember two things as you face these trials and turn to the Lord in prayer: 1) The widow of Zarephath was grieved and shaken but did not lose hope in her God, who did all things well; and 2) I Peter 4:12-13: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

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*The complaining of the Israelites was sinful in that they questioned the goodness of God and therefore rebelled against Him. They cried out against His deliverance from Egypt on multiple occasions (examples: Exodus 14:11-12; 16:3), even as they saw the salvation of their God on so many occasions: Plagues in Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea; bitter water made sweet; bread from heaven; victory over their enemies. This is far different from expressing grief and asking questions in that grief as this woman did at the death of her son.

** In Matthew Henry’s commentary on I Kings 17, he notes for us that this is the first time in Scripture we read of someone rising from the dead. Certainly we know that Abraham expected the Lord to do this after the sacrifice of Isaac (Hebrews 11:19) and all the Christians in the Old Testament looked forward to that hope but until I Kings 17 there is no example of the Lord raising anyone from the dead. What a tremendous comfort this would have been to the people of God.

*** Literally in Hebrew, “to restore to life.” He who had been dead has had his life restored to him.