AN UNPRECEDENTED CRY

          When the son of the widow of Zarephath died (1Kgs.17:17-18), Elijah carried the child to his upper room; laid him on his bed; and called to the Lord (1Kgs.17:19-20).  His fervent prayer was a petition that plowed new ground as there was no precedence for making such a plea.  Never be-fore in Holy Writ was there a case where God brought a dead man back to life.  That Elijah could make such a request speaks of his extremity.  It wasn’t an appeal to God to do again what He had previously done.  At this point in time there was no record of such ever taking place:  life return-ing to one who died.  Yet with great boldness Elijah cried out, O Lord my God, I pray Thee, LET THIS CHILD’S LIFE RETURN TO HIM (1Kgs.17:21).

          And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him (1Kgs.17:22).  Naturally this answered prayer was a marvelous blessing to the distraught widow.  When she saw her son alive again she declared, Now I know that you are a man of God; and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth (1Kgs.17:24).  What was a blessing to the widow also served to bolster Elijah’s confidence - - not in himself, but in the LORD GOD.  At Jezreel, Elijah prophesied a drought (which began immediately).  For a year at the brook Cherith, Elijah witnessed ravens delivering him daily sustenance.  At Zarephath, for over two-dozen months he had eaten bread from an almost-empty pantry that never became depleted.  

          These three years spent in two vastly differing settings had worked to further strengthen Elijah’s faith in Jehovah God.  In ancient times signs and wonders testified to the presence of God (Heb.2:4).  Soon Elijah will stand on Mount Carmel in a face-to-face confrontation with the false pro-phets of Baal and Asherah.  It is highly doubtful that Elijah could have won the battle on Mount Carmel without having first spent time at Cherith and Zarephath.  Let us remember Elijah’s story when we are prone to speculate that our years are being wasted while confronting hard times.

                                                                                                                          Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ