If you haven’t read the first parts of this series yet, please first read it before continuing here. We are busy with 1 Kings 17-19, so I trust you’ve read the chapters. We’re mirroring our hearts in the life of Elijah so we can see who the real men and women of God are. By the way, remember we spoke about the name of God in the message entitled ‘What’s in a name?’ Have you noticed how they addressed the Lord by His name ‘the Lord’ in these chapters?
We’re back with Elijah and the widow in chapter 17. After the panic with the food shortage in the home (V12), the Lord had once again proven how great and faithful He is by keeping the oil and flour topped up (v16). Yet when the widow’s son got ill and died, panic set in again. “She said to Elijah, ‘What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?’” (V18). Humans are so carnally minded, aren’t we? No wonder Jesus asked in Luke 18:8: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” We see the Lord at work in our lives, we see how people change, yet we still choose to worship our idols, serve Mammon and live as if the Lord doesn’t exist – only a spare wheel when we need Him.
Although this widow acknowledged the existence of the Lord; “as surely as the LORD your God lives... (V12)”, she didn’t really seem to believe, since she talked about ‘your’ God instead of ‘our’ God. This woman knew about the Lord and what He could do and therefore should have acted more in faith. How about you, how would you have reacted in her situation? It was a good test of faith, wasn’t it?
Elijah kept his cool and said “Give me your son”. I wonder whether he knew what to do when he took him up to the room, because once he was private again, his first reaction was to accuse the Lord. “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” (V19). Even though Elijah was used to experiencing the Lord’s power, seeing the Lord in action and to hearing His voice deep inside him, he was still human. Note the seriousness of this accusation. The great prophet Elijah in his human nature was nothing without the Lord. He had in the back of his mind all the tragedies the Lord had brought upon Israel in an attempt to get them to believe, such as the current drought, and at that moment failed to see why the Lord had allowed the son to die. The Lord, however, knew the widow wasn’t really a believer and He needed to show His power so she could believe. The Lord loves faith (Hebrews 11:6).
Elijah nevertheless acted in the faith that always followed his initial carnal reaction and therefore prayed and acted as the Lord showed him to, and the boy was brought to life (see V21-23). The end result was what the Lord anticipated. “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 the truth.’”
We need to get used to our carnal nature that will always interfere, but we need to be ready when the Lord needs us. Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17), but the Lord’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8) and therefore we need to make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5).
Lord, please use me in spite of myself.
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