1 Kings 17:22-23
“The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”
Though God was pleased to separate for himself a peculiar people to whom alone he communicated the knowledge of his will, he gave frequent intimations to them, that his mercy would in due time be extended unto the Gentiles also. The history of the widow of Zarephath was particularly noticed in that view by our Lord himself. In his first sermon at Nazareth, he warned the Jews, that they must not rest in their outward privileges, since, if they walked unworthy of them, God would again, as he had frequently done before, transfer to the Gentiles those blessings to which they foolishly supposed themselves exclusively entitled, Luke 4:25-27. The peculiar mercy referred to by him is that which we have already considered, the feeding of her by miracle during the years of famine, while no such mercy was granted to any widow in Israel.
But in our text we are informed of another mercy which she received, and which was the first of the kind that was ever given to any child of man, namely, the restoring of her son to life. In bringing this part of her history before you, we shall distinctly notice,
I. The widow’s trouble.
She had lost her son, her only son. This was a very heavy affliction to her; it would be so to any parent; but it was more especially so to her, because she had previously been reduced to widowhood, and therefore had none to be the support and comfort of her declining years. In her son all her affections were centered, and with her son all her hopes were destroyed. But the affliction was the heavier, because,
1. Her tragedy was unexpected.
Two years before, when she thought her child near to death, she spoke of it with the most perfect composure, verse 12; but now her distress and sorrow were exceeding great; on the former occasion she saw her little provision gradually being consumed, and death advancing with rapid strides; and therefore her mind was prepared for the event. But here the event was so sudden that she had not time even to go to the prophet, and desire his intercessions in her behalf; hence the stroke was almost insupportable; and made her even reflect upon the prophet, as though he had occasioned her calamity.
2. Her tragedy was singular.
Had the calamity been general, she would have found some consolation in the thought that she suffered nothing but what was common to those around her. We doubt not but that this consideration rendered the famine more supportable to each individual than it would have been if the calamity had been peculiar to himself. In like manner, if she had found many other widows despoiled of their children like herself, her sympathy with others would have lessened her grief on her own account. But no such consolatory thought was left for her—she seemed to be singled out to bear her burden alone.
3. Her tragedy was, in her apprehension, penal.
This adds a ten-fold weight to any calamity which we are called to suffer; the wrath of God is the bitterest ingredient that can be infused into any cup! Hence was her grief so different from that which she had manifested on the former occasion; she regarded her calamity as a judgment sent from God. She knew that the famine had been sent for the wickedness of Israel, in answer to Elijah’s prayers. She thought therefore that this affliction had been sent to her by the same means, and on the same account, namely, for some transgressions she had committed previous to his visit, or for some which he had seen during his continuance with her.
And here we may observe, that this is a view in which afflictions readily appear to a humble mind. A person truly humbled, is jealous of himself, and apt to fear that he has offended God; and while an affliction regarded as a paternal chastisement, would be borne by him with grateful submission, the same, as a vindictive judgment, would utterly overwhelm him. To this consideration we chiefly ascribe the impatience that was manifested in the widow’s address to the prophet on this occasion; she spoke, not the result of her deliberate judgment, but the hasty dictate of an oppressed mind.
Let us now turn our attention to,
II. The widow’s deliverance.
The prophet, animated by the highest and best of principles, overlooked her unjust reflections; and, filled with tenderest sympathy, took the child out of her bosom, and carried it to his chamber, and laid it on his own bed, and, as though he would have infused life into him out of his own body, thrice stretched himself upon the corpse. After crying earnestly to the Lord in behalf of the child, he restored him back again to the mother a living child. This was a wonderful deliverance to the afflicted mother. Let us notice,
1. How the deliverance was wrought.
It were absurd to imagine, though some have been guilty of the absurdity, that the physical warmth of the prophet had any efficacy towards restoring a dead corpse to life; it was by prayer alone that he prevailed. He begins with a humble expostulation with God; not as though he thought the stroke unjust, but as fearing lest the enemies of Jehovah should take occasion from it to represent God as a hard master, whom it was in vain, and even dangerous, to serve. Such was the expostulation which Moses offered, when God had threatened to destroy the whole Jewish nation, Numbers 14:13-16. No doubt, when dictated solely by a concern for the honor of God, Elijah’s prayer is highly pleasing unto God; as its prevalence on this occasion fully proved.
Next, he offers a petition, such as never had been before offered, “O Lord, my God, I beg you, let this boy’s life return to him!” What a wonderful petition!
How presumptuous does it at first sight appear! But it is our misfortune and our fault that we are not more enlarged in our petitions at the throne of grace. I mean not to say, that we are authorized to ask for such an exertion of Omnipotence as this; but this I say, that “we are not straitened in God, but are straitened in our own affections;” and that this is the true reason of our receiving so little from God. However “wide we might open our mouths, God would fill them,” provided we asked in faith, and according to his will. As great as the petition was, God answered it in its utmost extent, and enabled the prophet to present to the widow her child restored to life.
2. How the deliverance was received.
We may in some measure conceive the joy that would pervade the minds both of him who had obtained the blessing, and of her who received it. But the effect which the deliverance produced in enlarging her knowledge and confirming her faith, is that which particularly calls for our attention. Her trial had so discomposed her mind as for a moment to shake her faith in God: “How can this be the true God, who, after all his mercies to me, afflicts me thus? and how can this be a man of God, who makes me such a recompense for all my attention to him?”
Nor let us wonder that a poor Gentile was thus shaken in her faith, when a similar effect was produced by an unexpected trial on one of the most distinguished servants of the Lord. Joshua, on the defeat of Israel before Ai, and the loss of about thirty-six men, actually expressed more than this poor widow even ventured to imagine, Joshua 7:7-9.
Indeed this is the common fruit of affliction on our impatient minds; we are ready to ask, “Is the Lord among us, or not? Exodus 17:7.” But the manifestation of God’s power and mercy dispelled the cloud, and led her to confess him as a gracious and faithful God. This was the effect produced on Moses after the passage of Israel through the Red Sea, Exodus 15:11; and it is the proper effect to be produced on all.
Let us learn then from this history,
1. How to interpret providences.
We are apt to listen to sense rather than to faith, and to say, “All these things are against me!” But how can they be really against us, when God has promised, that all things shall work together for our good. In some points of view, they may be against us; but they shall be for us on the whole. With what abundant benefit did this widow receive her child again!
It is needless to repeat the benefits which Jacob ultimately received from the dispensation which he regarded as so calamitous. “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy! James 5:11.”
It may be that your temporal happiness may not be increased; but the loss of it shall be more than counter-balanced by your spiritual prosperity. What our Lord said respecting Lazarus, may be justly applied to every afflictive dispensation, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby! John 11:4.” The reproof which our Lord afterwards gave to Martha, may justly be given to most of us, “Did I not say unto you, that, if you would believe, you would see the glory of God, John 11:40.”
Let us learn to regard afflictions as blessings in disguise! Let it be our endeavor to walk more by faith and less by sight, according to that direction of the prophet, “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God! Isaiah 50:10.” If the dispensation is impenetrably dark, let it then suffice us to know, that “what we know not now, we shall know hereafter.”
2. How to improve providences.
Every leaf in the book of providence is full of instruction respecting the perfections of our God. O what might we not learn of his wisdom, his power, his love, his faithfulness, if we were observant of his dispensations towards us? Many a time would we exclaim with the widow, “Now I know that his Word is true!” I do not take it upon trust; I see it, I know it; and am ready to attest it before the whole universe. This is the kind of evidence which Job had, when he said, “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees you!”
A small measure of such experience as this is of unbounded value. If it were only for our own comfort, we should cultivate it to the uttermost; but it is of unspeakable benefit to those around us, inasmuch as it encourages them also to trust in God.
See how David represents this when emerging out of temporal affliction, “Many shall see it,” says he, “and fear, and shall trust in the Lord! Psalm 40:1-4.” And again, when brought up from the depths of spiritual trouble, “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto you in a time when you may be found, Psalm 32:3-6.”
The knowledge which we have of God and of Christ is mere theory, until we have learned the same by our own personal experience; but when our faith is confirmed by actual experience, then it is as convincing as sight itself. O that we may all aspire after this knowledge, and improve every dispensation for the attainment of it! Then will it be to us a source of unclouded peace, and prepare us for that blessed place, where faith shall be lost in sight, and hope in enjoyment!
Charles Simeon