First Kings

Chapter 17-19

The Ministry of Elijah the Prophet (part 1): Introduction

by

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

In the Bible, there are many characters distinguished by a single trait, a single incident, or the particular accomplish to which much of their adult life was dedicated. One such man is Jeroboam. Jeroboam is known for one particular reason—he is referred to as the king who caused Israel to sin. This is the man who deliberately encouraged and provided for false worship in order to protect his position of power. Because of the character of his leadership, the northern kingdom was overcome by idolatry and never recovered.

In our previous sermon, we studied the last days of Jeroboam. God’s judgment began to fall on the house of this man and, as the LORD promised, it continued to fall until the house of Jeroboam was no more. Every male, through whom the line of Jeroboam might have been preserved, died.

In the south, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon ruled. Following the deaths of both men, several individuals are reported as having served as king over each section of the divided nation. Abijam, Asa, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri are recorded in rapid succession by the author of 1 Kings as men who came to power in one of the two realms (Judah or Israel) one after another. With one exception, Scripture says the same thing about these men: they walked according to the sins of those who came before them. The one exception was Asa, a man who accomplished a measure of reform during his time on the throne.

And then, a most familiar name appears on the pages of Scripture: Ahab. He was the son of Omri and ruled in the northern kingdom. Of this man, the writer says: “and he did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.” (cf. 16:30) Ahab took a wife, Jezebel, a foreign woman who leads Ahab into all manner of sin.

We are moving over those chapters that contain the short records of the kings I just named to the beginning of the record of king Ahab. And this is where we are introduced to our next main character, Elijah the prophet. In 1 Kings 17, the unusual ministry of this prophet is foreshadowed in three events. This is where we will turn our attention this morning.

01. The Prediction of Drought (17:1-7)

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe1 in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the LORD came to him, 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

This is the first of those three events I said would be cited to identify and distinguish Elijah as God’s prophet. The writer provides only a quick word or two about Elijah, naming his hometown and region of origin. Immediately thereafter, the text records Elijah’s first declaration to king Ahab. As the story unfolds, the primary issue is the power of the prophet contrasted to the power of Ahab’s idols.

Elijah begins with no small demonstration of authority. Invoking the living God of Israel as witness, Elijah announces that there will be no dew or rain in that place for years, except upon the prophet’s word. This appears to be Elijah’s first encounter with Ahab. By now, of course, Ahab has demonstrated his willingness to tolerate and promote idolatry in the land.

Elijah adds just a short phrase in his first words to the king that are telling: “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain . . . Elijah identifies himself with Jehovah immediately. There must be no question in Ahab’s mind regarding who Elijah is or who he represents. And, given what will happen to Elijah in his relationship with Ahab, it is to his benefit to know exactly who he is serving and who will bear him up when trouble comes.

Sometime after this, Elijah is told by the LORD to leave that place and hide himself by the brook Cherith. The exact location of this place is not known with absolute certainty. Most speculate that it was an area familiar to Elijah, a place where he would know his way around, so to speak. The odd journey of Elijah has just begun when he is told he’ll live by drinking water from the brook, which is not such a bad thought, and eating food delivered by ravens—that is a bit of an odd image even for those days. Nevertheless, the LORD is giving this command and promise—He is commanding Elijah to go and He is promising to sustain the prophet. Therefore, Elijah did exactly what he was told.

Although no identifying details are given, the ravens brought bread and meat in the morning and again at night. The main concern, of course, is that the prophet be kept alive and God chooses this unusual way to do just that. No one will be able to follow sympathizers to Elijah’s hiding place unless they can fly. He is, therefore, quite safe for the time being. Soon, however, after a period of no rain, as Elijah had warned, the brook dried up. The entire land, the writer notes, was without precipitation. I don’t know what the usually amount of rainfall might have been, but it was clearly enough to provide fresh water in the brook. The area would have grown dependent on that certain amount of water, whatever it was.

If a drought persists and affects a large enough region, it can trigger mass migrations. Sometimes entire populations have been forced to move to a more suitable place. And it’s easy to imagine the negative impact of even a short-lived drought on agricultural pursuits. A lack of rainfall for a sustained period can also create a huge humanitarian emergency. In our day, we see this phenomenon frequently. Just recently, Ethiopia issued a request for multiple missions of dollars from the world’s more stable countries so, supposedly, the government could provide food for the starving people. Even with corruption and the possible exaggeration of the situation, it is a known fact that Ethiopia has suffered from drought for approximately 25 years; it was then that a famine killed approximately one million people.

A drought, therefore, was a very serious threat. In Biblical times, it would have been as feared almost as much as news of an invading army. I’m emphasizing information about droughts so that we understand why Elijah’s first words to Ahab would have been so frightening to the king, frightening enough, in fact, to provoke a strong reaction against the prophet.

02. The Widow of Zarephath (vv. 8-16)

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

After recording Elijah’s initial encounter with Ahab, the writer moves to a second story by which he is informing the reader about the unique experiences and character of the prophet. This episode begins with another word from the LORD. Elijah is instructed to go to Zarephath, and to the home of a certain widow who will feed him. This time, the accommodations and food will be closer to what would be considered normal. But the truth is, whether God used ravens to bring food to Elijah or appointed a widow to feed him made little difference in terms of the safety of the prophet. The contrast in these two methods of providing for Elijah’s sustenance stresses God’s control of all things as He works out His purposes.

Though the plan sounded simple, Elijah soon found that there were a few elements that would be unusual. As he arrived at the city gate, the prophet noticed a woman gathering sticks—the writer, of course, recording the incident after the fact, identifies her as a “widow,” although it is uncertain whether Elijah was aware of her status in the beginning. He does know, however, that a widow in that location has been prepared by the LORD to provide for him. Therefore, Elijah speaks to the woman and asks for water and “a morsel of bread.”

People talk about discerning God’s will all the time. It is one of those tremendously important and engaging subjects that grab our attention. How can I know what God wants me to do in a certain situation? Elijah’s conduct is, I believe, a timely reminder of how to respond to questions about God’s will. Here is what I mean: Elijah was told that God had a particular plan in mind for the prophet when he reached Zeraphath; God told him a certain widow would provide for him. Elijah was not told who she was or what she looked like; in other words, he had no typical way to identify the widow.

What did he do? Instead of delaying and pondering whether he should go forth, Elijah left for Zarephath immediately. That part of God’s will was completely clear. Elijah demonstrates a helpful principle to keep in mind, therefore. When trying to discern God’s will in a matter, our duty is to go or do as much as we can with whatever information God has provided. He may not reveal His plan completely, but that is not sufficient reason to remain unmoved until we think we have the entire plan figured out. Elijah acted on what he did know and trusted God to provide the rest of the information at the proper time.

Elijah is, therefore, in the right place at the right time when the LORD is ready to reveal a bit more about His plan. After encountering this woman, Elijah hears some disturbing news. She is so poor that she has practically nothing left to keep herself alive. A handful of flour and a small amount of oil is all she had, she confesses to Elijah. And the reason she is out that day gathering sticks is because she planned to get some wood, build a small fire I presume, bake what little bit she could, and then die. The poor woman also indicates to the prophet that she has a son at home. She is obviously feeling hopeless. This widow has herself and her son to care for and there appears to have been no other help available. She reasoned that she and the boy would soon starve to death. The woman, sadly, seems to have resigned herself to such a terrible fate.

What is so wonderful about this situation, however, is that which is about to be revealed. This widow is as low as she can be; as far as she can see, her life is just about over. Adding to that weighty concern is the fact that she has a son for whom she cannot provide food. Yet, the LORD has sent a man, a prophet, to her; He has caused her to meet Elijah, a man who is going to demonstrate God’s love for her and her child. The widow’s perspective is understandably gloomy at this moment, but will change almost instantly in just a short time.

How many times do God and His servants say what Elijah says? “Do not fear.” In one form or another, throughout the Bible, those few words are spoken to people in the most dire of circumstances when it seems there is no possibility of escape. Joshua told his people, “Do not be afraid,” as they prepared to face the inhabitants of the promised land. King David spoke those words to a fearful servant as they both fled from Saul who was determined to kill David.

When the enemies were bearing down on Nehemiah and his men as they rebuilt the city walls, he rallied them by declaring: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (Neh. 4:4) Young Jeremiah expressed dismay at God’s choice of him: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the LORD replied: “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.” (Jer. 1:8)

In every case, someone was overwhelmed or afraid or bewildered. But in every case, their situation was not grim or hopeless or inevitable—but only because the LORD intended an outcome that pleased Him and accomplished His purposes. When the disciples were out on the sea with the waves rising up and the wind blowing against them, the Savior comes to them, walking on the water, and the first thing He said was: “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matt. 14:27). The women at the Lord’s tomb, assuming He was dead, heard these words from the angel: “Do not be afraid.” (Matt. 28:5)

There are dozens of additional examples. People are fearful, in despair, resigned to death, some assuming they were experiencing their last moments on earth—and then they hear those words: “Do not be afraid.” God speaks those words to His servants, kings speak them to their companions, angels speak those words to those overcome with sadness, and the Savior speaks those words to men suddenly overcome with fright and the torment of uncertainty. And in every case, as I said, God is behind those exhortations because He has decreed an outcome different from what is expected.

This is the difference between living in a world without God and living in His creation where His sovereign will governs all things right down to the waves of the sea and even, as in our present story, the birds of the air. All creation does His bidding and that is why His purposes are sure, as sure as if they have already come to pass. And that is why His servants can say “Do not be afraid” regardless of the threat being faced! And, finally, that is also why those who are told, “Do not be afraid,” can gather their courage and dismiss their fears. If God says “do not be afraid,” then there is no need to be afraid.

Think again of that poor woman in our story. She was sure she was going to die. And on top of that agonizing thought, she had to wrestle with the awful expectation that her son would perish with her. Talk about being in a hopeless setting! But Elijah comes along asking for drink and food, telling the woman to put aside her fear and do as he requests. In fact, he commands the woman to feed him with that small amount of flour she has left: “But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.” (v. 13)

Please notice the rest of Elijah’s words: “For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” The reason Elijah could say to that widow, “Do not fear,” is because the LORD is going to provide and His promise to provide is as good as done. For many people, running out of food would be a life-threatening situation, but not for the people of God. Circumstances that are normally dangerous and even potentially deadly, become the context for His displays of might, sovereignty, wisdom, and mercy.

And so we read: “She went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.” (vv. 15, 16)

03. The Raising of the Son (vv. 17-24)

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.”

Sometime later, the writer says that the son of the widow became ill and died. In her grief, the woman declared to the prophet: “What have you against me, O man of God?” (v. 18) The widow had seen the power of Elijah in connection with the provision of flour and oil when both substances were almost gone. She understood that Elijah was an unusual man and that he must walk with God. Why, then, she reasons, had this man allowed her son to die when he had the power to prevent it; was she being punished for her sins, as she asked Elijah.

In her mind and at this most tortuous moment, the widow could not make sense of what had happened. The prophet saved us from starving, she thought. Was that only so he could now see my son die a different way? We can sympathize with her confusion. This is happening, of course, to set the stage for another even more incredible demonstration of God’s power working through Elijah, but the poor widow doesn’t yet know that truth.

Elijah could think of only one thing to do—petition the LORD for help. He took the child into his arms, carried him up into the room where he was lodging, and placed the boy on his own bed. And then the faithful servant of God, the man who had seen God do miraculous things through him and for him, opens his heart to God and expresses his dismay: “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?”

Please notice Elijah’s perspective. It is God who gives life and it is God who takes life. The prophet turns without delay to the LORD in search of an answer for this calamity. I think it is completely safe to assume that Elijah was shocked by this development. His earnestness at this point in the story cannot be denied.

The text relates that Elijah then did something very strange—he stretched himself out upon the child three times crying, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” (v. 21) I’ll say once more that the prophet’s understanding of this life is partly revealed in this story. If the child died, it was of the LORD; if the child should live again, it will be of the LORD. That was Elijah’s perspective. So he pleads with God to return the life to the body. And then in a wonderfully understated verse, we read: “And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.” (v. 22)

The request of Elijah is a mixture of boldness and great faith. He had confidence in God’s ability to return the life and that confidence led him to make that bold petition—all done in humility and respect toward the LORD, but all done also in sincerity and out of genuine grief on the part of Elijah. Is there not a challenge here, a challenge to enlarge our prayers, so to speak? Is there not encouragement here, encouragement to ask God for that which is extraordinary in our eyes? It is not a matter of God having sufficient power when we ask such things; it’s only a matter of God’s will. In this case, the LORD was willing and the child lived again.

After the trauma of the previous minutes, Elijah returns to the widow and presents her son alive: “See,” the prophet declares to her, “your son lives.” What she witnessed astounded the widow, I’m sure, but it also drove her to confess that Elijah was, indeed, a man of God and that he did, in fact, speak the truth of God.

Application

These three short stories in the life of Elijah provide a lot of information regarding his relationship to God and his understanding of his responsibilities as a servant. A couple of simple, yet essential lessons stood out as I studied these verses. Therefore, I will offer these two quick lessons to you as practical applications of this text.

The first lesson is related to that question every Christian asks multiple times in life: What is God’s will in this matter? I’ve known Christians who spend as much time and even more time talking about discerning God’s will than actually doing God’s will. For some, unless the whole journey is known from the beginning, they struggle to begin; and unless they know what God is accomplishing in a particular circumstance, they have difficulty taking even that first step.

In looking again at the example of Elijah, what do you see? Elijah was told to go to Zarephath where a widow would provide for him. Instead of asking a dozen questions about how he would recognize her or how she would provide for him or how long he was to remain with the widow, Elijah did something extremely simple: he left for Zarephath. Elijah took the steps he could take at that point; he knew for certain he was supposed to go to that place, but did not know for certain what would happen after he arrived. Therefore, Elijah did as much as he could; he obeyed up to the point thus far revealed by God.

Think about your life. Can you relate to Elijah’s example? Are there issues with which you are struggling when it comes to discerning God’s will? If so, let me ask this: Even though the Lord has not yet revealed the entire plan to you, has He indicated anything about your responsibility right at the moment? You may not yet know the full story, but you may know that the first step that will have to be taken in this circumstance. If that is so, then take that first step and trust that the Lord will reveal the next step at the right time. Your duty as His servant is not to know everything; your duty is to respond rightly to what you do know.

The second lesson comes from Elijah’s reaction to the death of the son. The prophet was greatly disturbed by this event, as his first words to God indicate. He didn’t quite understand the timing of this event. But the prophet did know one truth unmistakably—he knew that if help were to be found, it would be found with God. Therefore, even in the matter of a dead child, Elijah turned to the LORD immediately and asked for help.

There is a great truth illustrated in Elijah’s quick petitioning of God once the child’s death is discovered. He did not think that restoring the life of the boy was something too difficult for God; he did not think he would be overstepping a boundary if he asked God to restore the child’s life. From Elijah’s perspective, the boy died and his death was confusing; he wanted the boy to live again, so he asked God to revive him.

Christians are often too slow to ask God for exactly what is needed. We are “ok” with asking Him for daily needs, but when it comes to some overwhelming trial, one in which the power of God is so desperately needed, we sometimes hesitate. We hesitate because we wonder if maybe this matter is more than we should ask for; or we wonder about the power of God—could He really do what is needed and will He be offended if asked to do something magnificent?

Elijah wanted the boy to live again, so that’s what he pleaded for. We frequently face situations, as I noted, in which God’s help is the only element that is going to bring relief. Don’t be afraid to ask God for mercy in such circumstances. Don’t be afraid to ask Him for the most extraordinary kind of help. If someone needs healing from your perspective, pray for that. If someone needs new employment right away, pray for that. If someone is facing a crisis and you see no way out, pray for a way out!

I’m convinced that we under-utilize this wonderful privilege of prayer. But if we would keep in mind what God did in redeeming us, we would never have a moment’s hesitation. Our cause was beyond hope, yet He ordained a way for our deliverance. God did the most remarkable thing ever imagined—He died for us Himself. No other payment would suffice, no other remedy would work, no other sacrifice would have the necessary worth. So, God came in the flesh—an incredibly fascination event all my itself—and took our place.

Think on that as you contemplate what you need from God right now.

Prayer

Hymn for Communion

Conclusion

Whenever we face that which overwhelms us in its implications, which is frequently in this life, we should remember the incarnation and the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. There we find the miracle of miracles. If God can and will do something like that, is there anything He cannot do? Is there anything He will not do to keep me now that I’m his?

These truths are bound up in this sacrament. Think about the implications of Christ going to the cross in your place. Think about what the implies concerning the love and power and wisdom of God.

Matt. 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”