The account of Elijah restoring a child to life is a profound demonstration of God's power working through His prophet. This miracle is recorded in 1 Kings 17:17-24 and serves as a testament to the divine authority bestowed upon Elijah, as well as the compassionate nature of God towards His people.

Context and Background

Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, was sent to the region of Zarephath during a severe drought and famine. There, he encountered a widow gathering sticks, preparing to make a final meal for herself and her son before succumbing to starvation. Elijah, under divine instruction, asked her for water and a small cake. Despite her dire circumstances, the widow obeyed, and God miraculously provided for her household, ensuring that her jar of flour and jug of oil did not run dry throughout the famine (1 Kings 17:8-16).

The Miracle

Sometime after this provision, tragedy struck the widow's household. Her son fell ill and eventually stopped breathing. In her distress, the widow questioned Elijah, expressing her anguish and wondering if her sins had brought this calamity upon her (1 Kings 17:17-18). Elijah, moved by compassion and faith, took the child from her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying.

Elijah laid the child on his own bed and cried out to the Lord, questioning why such misfortune had befallen the widow who had shown him hospitality. He then stretched himself upon the child three times and fervently prayed, "O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!" (1 Kings 17:21). The Lord heard Elijah's plea, and the child's life returned to him, reviving him.

Significance

This miracle is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it underscores the power of prayer and the importance of intercession. Elijah's earnest prayer and his physical act of stretching himself upon the child symbolize his deep empathy and connection with the suffering of the widow and her son. Secondly, it highlights God's sovereignty over life and death, affirming His ability to restore life and bring hope in seemingly hopeless situations.

Furthermore, the miracle served to strengthen the faith of the widow. Upon witnessing her son's revival, she declared to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17:24). This acknowledgment not only affirmed Elijah's prophetic authority but also reinforced the truth of God's word and His faithfulness to those who trust in Him.

Theological Implications

The restoration of the widow's son prefigures the resurrection power that is fully realized in the New Testament through Jesus Christ. It serves as a foreshadowing of the ultimate victory over death that is promised to all believers. Elijah's miracle is a reminder of God's compassion and His willingness to intervene in the lives of His people, demonstrating that He is a God who hears and responds to the cries of His servants.

In summary, the miracle of Elijah restoring the widow's son to life is a powerful narrative that illustrates God's miraculous power, the efficacy of prayer, and the deep compassion of the Lord for His people. It stands as a testament to the truth of God's word and His unwavering faithfulness.1 Kings 17:22,23
And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Christ Teaching by Miracles
... thirty and forty of the mighty works wrought by our ... John xi: 1-54, he was working
miracles to show ... sunshine pours in at every window, and through every crack.". ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/christ teaching by miracles.htm

Nothing but Leaves
... perhaps, a part of another, all the miracles of Jesus ... knew before, one which only
God could have wrought. ... the Lord confers upon his people through Christ, you ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/nothing but leaves.htm

The Gospel of Matthew
... It tells of the experiences through which they pass while being fitted ... the
Authentication of the King by the special miracles which He wrought), in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/why four gospels/the gospel of matthew.htm

An Essay on the Scriptural Doctrine of Immortality.
... spirit is thus made during its passage through this life ... who, after having proved
by his miracles that he ... slain, after great slaughter had been wrought by "the ...
/.../an essay on the scriptural.htm

Pricked in their Heart
... shall seldom see the very greatest wonders wrought when the ... in his face; to deny
his miracles, is to ... of their lamentation when they found that through the lust ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/pricked in their heart.htm

Rom. x. 14, 15
... [1496] Since both works and miracles come of ... and to show that it was His grace that
wrought the whole ... will Himself stand up, and not let them be broken through. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xviii rom x 14.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... of a bride; such weariness and faintness through their malignant ... that the prophets
or great men of old had wrought. ... of Egypt had imitated the miracles of Moses ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... While these were passing through the mountains they called ... alarmed at its advent,
and exclaimed, "God is come ... ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... He performed the most astonishing miracles"His doctrines ... the saddest condition, yet
they, through unbelief, or ... men, there are bondmen or servants, and slaves ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm

Another Wonderful Record of 25.
... to that faith to say, the age of miracles is past ... so impressed with the thought of
him, and so wrought upon that ... After a jaunt through the storm and snow in the ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/another wonderful record of 25 00.htm

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