Chosen To Be Blessed
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 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?" "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, "LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, "LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
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!"
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."
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!"
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."
I Kings 17:17-24
The story of this widow was referenced by Jesus in Luke 4:25. Jesus said, "I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon."
There were many widows in Israel but God looked with favor on this particular widow in Zarephath to bless her with two miracles. So, did this woman do anything to deserve this special divine favor? Her own words seem to give us a bit of a glimpse into her life. When her child died, her words to Elijah were: "Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" Those words seem to be a reminder that she felt unworthy probably because of a particular sin or sins she had committed. She felt that the death of her son was divine judgment.
Even the prayer of Elijah is a bit telling: "Have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with by causing her son to die?" Was Elijah alluding to a possible divine justification for the death of the boy? Granted my surmising might be rather stretched, but I stand in awe of our merciful and gracious God. The widow felt unworthy and undeserving but God chose her household for miracles and honor -- an honor that was going to be used as an illustration even by Jesus!
Scripture gives us no indication as to why God chose this particular widow out of the possible thousands in Israel. We can only conclude that our gracious God has a way of choosing the most unlikely people to use for His glory. He saw a widow in need who was about to die with her son and He chose to bless her with two amazing miracles.
May God look beyond whatever shortcomings you may have and bless your household with a double miracle. May you be chosen to be blessed by God.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you choose purely by grace and not by merit. Undeserving as I am please shower your grace upon me and release favor upon my life. Amen.