Far from the multitudes, secluded from contaminating atmosphere, Elijah, a man of God, was born. The scant account of his early life given in Scripture permits us to gather only a general understanding of his childhood and upbringing. The sin among the people of God in his day was idolatry and unbelief, but through mercy this family was an exception, and the parents named their son "Elijah," which signifies "Jehovah, He is God." Perhaps they saw by faith that he was a "proper child," one whom God would use.
There was much to favor Elijah in the entire setting of his humble birth and background that would naturally qualify him for service for God. He could claim no kingly nor priestly credentials; his preparation must be moral. The signal failure in responsibility formally entrusted to God's people left room for only one alternative if there was to be blessing, the sovereignty of God to act as His Spirit would lead, with clay ready in the Potter's hand. He could profitably use a naive, informally taught servant, who, through isolation and separation from much that was of man, would properly discern the voice of his Maker and think clearly as to the need of the day among His people.
Those qualifications fit Elijah well. The experience gained in the wilderness where he lived enabled him to make clear decisions in his own path of testing and service. He knew by experience that the brook or torrent Cherith would flow fast with great volume in the rainy seasons but would have little or no water in the dry seasons and might be one of the first to dry up completely should there be a general drought. Experience in natural things had taught him that the voracious ravens could not be expected to provide him with anything, let alone flesh, to eat.
Elijah, a man of God, trusted God and believed that if He sent His servant, the mission would be effective and the means used to complete the work would be supplied by God. The Word of God was all that Elijah had. He dwelt on the east side of Jordan near the wilderness, far from Jerusalem, the center. The Spirit of God could move him, as He moved Samson and many others, but not until the preparatory work was complete in his soul in order that he act in faith. Prayer and wrestlings must precede the momentous task before him.
On the map Tishbe and Abelmeholah are about two miles apart, but Scripture does not say whether or not Elijah and Elisha knew each other in youth. It is possible that they were of different ages.
It would seem that Elijah was unknown before he confronted King Ahab but became well known later. Could there be such a thing and such a time when a servant would be known publicly only in that he spoke against evil? "Jehovah, He is God." Who would question this? Yet, in faithfulness, God raised up a servant in power with the name "Jehovah, He is God" to remind His people of its verity. Years must have passed. God dose not use a novice to do a man’s work. Elijah was a man of God. The mission before this honored servant was one of great importance. It required of the servant that he have God's mind, the result of communion, that he be wholly separated as a vessel for the Master's use, and that whatever was said or done would be on the principle of faith, for "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)). The ear must be opened to hear before the tongue is loosed to speak (Psa. 40:66Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. (Psalm 40:6)).
Self-control should be in exercise if God is to use a servant. Leaning on God alone is needful. "My heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord" would be the inward sentiment of a newborn soul in the power of faith and felt communion, arising from repeated experiences of testing so as to render the soul meek. It was never said that Moses was meek until after his exile in Midian. Paul could say, "I have learned," in his later years. It was David who said, "My soul is even as a weaned child." Ephraim cries out at last, "What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him."
short of at least some of these experiences. Moral power, which is greater than physical power, was needed. This required spiritual training.
Idolatry and unbelief had risen to such an alarming height that God's repeated warnings to Israel had no effect. Open defiance of God had replaced the spirit of submission which once clothed Israel upon their leaving Egypt for Canaan. How would God answer this? His people would be set aside and likened to a valley of dry bones (Ezek. 37:1,21The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. (Ezekiel 37:1‑2)).
No Dew nor Rain
Elijah came out of obscurity as a flaming meteor, was seen for a moment, then disappeared again. He cried to Ahab, the king of apostate Israel, "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (1 Kings 17:11And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (1 Kings 17:1)).
This spectacular utterance was not only divinely timed, but in consulting the epistle of James, it would seem that there was no fresh revelation to Elijah as to what he should do (James 5:1717Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (James 5:17)). This suggests that Elijah had God's mind, by faith, and felt that the time had come to act on behalf of God among His people, since they had given themselves over to the worship of Baal (Deut. 11:16,17;28:2416Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; 17And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. (Deuteronomy 11:16‑17)
24The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:24)).
King Ahab lived in Samaria, commanding a sizable army which he could seemingly have used to dispatch this insolent, itinerant stranger. But the king had not known before of the power invested in a man of God. Indeed, the same chariot of fire that protected Elijah on a later date as he ascended into the heavens, though not seen here, was at his right hand for his protection. Moral power excels!
The years spent at Tishbe beside the waters of Cherith, the floods, the drought, the loneliness, and the observing of God's ways were now rewarding to the prophet. Having been unknown at Cherith, God suddenly makes him well known, so much so that Ahab sent to every nation and kingdom to seek Elijah. In what way was Elijah so well known? Was it not in stopping the rain from heaven because of the land's having been given over to idolatry? He would again be known in a different way, in God's time, when He was pleased to send rain again, but in the interval a picture is used to set forth God's purpose and moral ways with an individual soul, as with each of us, magnifying His grace so much so that even the angels desire to look into it (1 Peter 1:1212Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:12)).
Israel having turned to idols, God turns the blessing in a different direction, to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to jealousy. After the nation of Israel, representing man under trial, failed, God was pleased to show Himself in a different character, that of love, seeking man, not on the basis of what He might find in man, but what He could bring to His helpless creature, raising him to His position in grace that man might have a capacity for the enjoyment of divine things.
The outward forms and traditions so tightly and proudly held by religious man were to be replaced by truth in the inward parts.
Under God's government, what a calamity will befall any, who, having been so favored as Israel was, would neglect and despise his Creator! Also, what will be God's answer to one who apostatizes the present testimony of grace where God's purposes are fully known?
God could never be rightly known nor man fully blessed under Israel's economy; yet in testing man so that he could know his own heart, the law must be given. Not only did God send from His right hand a fiery law, but "he hewed them by the prophets" (Hos. 6:55Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. (Hosea 6:5)).
The gospel of Matthew is the first in testimony by God to Israel after 400 years of prophetic silence. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)).
All of the prophets sought not only to rebuke the people for their wickedness but also to set before Israel the promise of better things for faith. All of this hinges upon the promise to the woman's seed in Gen. 3. The book of Hebrews often speaks in that way, using the term "better."
The picture before us shows the beginning of "better" things in a sort of typical preview. Truth can only be known in the inward parts in resurrection life where the Spirit of God is free to turn the thoughts away from wretched self to a pure Object that completely satisfies the human heart, providing blessings which have a lasting character.
Hide Thyself
"Get thee hence." How God jealously guards the path of the man of God so that he might be preserved at Cherith (cutting off) even though he is found for the moment in the place of defilement because of God's interests. When all efforts are fruitless and persecution arises, it is time to flee (Matt. 10:2323But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:23)). The 'glory must depart from Israel for a time.
Dayspring from on high hath visited us! In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 43:4, we read, "And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east." The wise men said, "We have seen his star in the east." What a contemplation for one who finds little or no fellowship among God's people here! One who waits upon God is permitted to turn the gaze eastward to the Origin of blessing and glory. We await the showing of the Morning Star which has already arisen in our hearts.
"And hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according to the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook" (1 Kings 17:3-63Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. (1 Kings 17:3‑6)).
This experience was a humbling one to Elijah, but it was an enlightening one as well. Nothing gives power and stability to the soul like experiences of need in the presence of God. This should be learned for ourselves before instructing others. Surprises for us are God's specialties. Nature would say, "The ravens would never feed me." God says, "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." The ravens are not commanded to feed anyone else nor in any other place, just there by the brook Cherith. This is specialty indeed. How good our God is to take notice of the individual need of each of His own. Faith says, "I will gladly accept my circumstances from the Lord; I will drink of the brook, this being the refreshment that God has provided to sustain me here."
What a sweet meditation this affords! As for the Lord Jesus in His pathway here, "In all of their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence followed them." As Israel felt the drought, so did Elijah, for Elijah was a man of like passions with us. We learn in this passage that a man of God must wait upon God, even when all apparent resources are gone. God is still there. How this truth rebukes our feverish flesh! The Lord is in His holy temple. Where is the brook of refreshment? Where are the ravens? This calls to mind the greatest of prophets, John, quailing under the trial of prison, "Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?" (Matt. 11:33And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (Matthew 11:3)) What a patient Master! How gracious in the behalf of John before the multitude! (Matt. 11:7-117And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:7‑11)) Here Elijah acts nobly: he waits until the word of the Lord comes. Christ never moved without a word from His Father.
A City of Zidon
"And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon" (1 Kings 17:8,98And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. (1 Kings 17:8‑9)).
If we think of Elijah as having self before him, we would feel naturally fa widow woman. it was a mistake to go to the very area from which Jezebel, Ahab's wife, came, the place which was the very source of Satan's power which introduced Baal into Israel and drove Elijah away. Such, however, are God's counsels. Faith can trust God to do what is best; and more, it was a part of the very counsels of God that in the place where Christ was slain, the Roman Empire, Jezebel's land, the church was to be cradled and reared, challenging the very gates of hell, and they cannot prevail, so Jesus has declared. What a mystery of iniquity it is that encloses the professing church of God. The Lord's power is manifested here.
The prophet is commanded to go to Zarephath where the woman is commanded to sustain him. The place has changed from the brook Cherith to Zarephath, the means of support, first, the ravens, then a widow woman.
"So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink" (1 Kings 17:1010So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. (1 Kings 17:10)).
Infinite patience is His as He teaches us here what would refresh and satisfy His heart. "For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chron. 29:1414But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. (1 Chronicles 29:14)). Water speaks of refreshment, but here it is connected with obedience. This is the command of love. Will she obey him at all cost to herself? The brook had dried up; this was his need.
Is it little to say that where he had come from in Israel there was no water? All was dried. She was ready to respond and had the means, faith. Faith is "the gift of God" (Eph. 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Do we really believe who it is that says, "Give me to drink"? "If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that says, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water" (John 4:7,107There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (John 4:7)
10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)). A poor Gentile sinner supplies Jesus with a drink, and He is dependent upon her for it.
She is being tested. With a morsel of bread? Yes, just a morsel to test our hearts. Yet he asked for it because he needed it. Beloved, it is our need that brings us to Jesus. It was Elijah's need, in his path of faith, that led him to Sarepta. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, truth, to open the inward parts sealed with sin, grace, to bind up, heal, and fill with eternal joy.
What made the widow woman comply with the request? Duty? Surely not. She knew of no traditional claims that he had upon her. Her heart was touched as he relates what the Lord God of Israel had said. Only Jesus knows what His Father has said, because He dwells in His bosom and makes all that is in that bosom known to us. We would never have known this as Gentiles unless grace had brought Him to us. This is what touches the heart. No wonder the little hymn says, "Grace is a mine of wealth laid open to the poor." This is more than a doctrine, dear fellow Christian. This is first love, which was soon lost in the church of God, the heart of God touching the heart of man and receiving the proper response. Has this been your experience, to have a harp and to have it tuned for the first time? We shall never lose this harp, though it may have to be retuned over and over again here on earth.
"As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake" (1 Kings 17:1212And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. (1 Kings 17:12)).
What a confession! When the heart is touched, the work can proceed. Ephesians says, "Without God, without Christ, aliens." This she owns, no claim whatever upon him for any blessing, only her need acknowledged. What a condition to be in before God! Gentile, without a husband, nothing to sustain her from the power of death, yet all of her hope, her son, is dependent upon what she can form with her own hands, after that, death. She knew that what she formed with her own hands could not sustain her son long.
How man labors for the meat that perishes! He knows no other. A precious thing it is to have the revelation of what God is to us in Christ unfold before our eyes. Her need was his need.
The Meal and the Oil
It is sure that where Jesus is, there is everything to meet the need of the widow. If the barrel or cruse suggests to us the lowly position that our Savior took to provide for our need, the meal and oil would surely present Christ ministered to us by His Holy Spirit in the day of rejection. Blessed grace, found only in the widow's house! More, the picture given is one of complete dependence, waiting each day upon God and the barrel that never gets empty and the cruse that never fails. "Is this the way of communion?" I ask my soul. How near is the lamb that feeds from the shepherd's hand! a handful a day, how precious, how satisfying.
"Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die" (1 Kings 17:1212And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. (1 Kings 17:12)).
When the assembly was formed in Acts 2, everything essential had been provided, the result of the work of Christ. Man was used through the Spirit of God to gather souls to the true Center by preaching. Here in her house, the woman learns little by little that grace provides everything. All that she could see in the house was enough meal for one cake, then death. Nature cannot look beyond the grave to a God of resurrection. Yet everything was there, the handful of meal in a barrel, the little oil in the cruse, the prophet, and her son.
"Trembling we had hoped for mercy -
Some lone place within His door;
But the crown, the throne, the mansion,
All were ready long before"
(L. F. Hymn Book, #93).
It is not that we have need of anything except to have our eyes opened to see what we do have, thus the prayer of Paul the apostle in Eph. 1.
"And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth"(1 Kings 17:13,1413And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 17:13‑14)).
There is one thing which never can be compromised. God must have His portion first. The precious portion which His people eat is the same that He eats, Christ in humiliation ministered to us by the Spirit. Yet the barrel of meal, not just the handful, shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail. How blessed the heart that has learned this lesson, Christ first in everything without being concerned as to our own needs. "Be careful for nothing", "The Lord is at hand." Was it not so, that while he was in the house with the widow woman, none of them lacked? Yet she gave all to him willingly, because it was the word of the God of Israel that she believed and trusted. Is He not worthy of our utmost confidence. Do we really believe that the Lord is at hand (present with us continually)?
He, the Creator Himself, loves to draw from that heavenly treasury and fill not only all of our needs but also our hearts. Yet we have valuable lessons to learn which we can only learn here in dependence. Perhaps we are sometimes like the disciples in the boat with Jesus while the storm raged. "Master, we perish," was their cry. Would He perish? Would those He loved so much as to die for be left unnoticed in trouble? Never!
"According to the word of the LORD which he spake by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).
Why by Elijah? It is faith in the Sent One. "If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins." Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Only "wisdom's children" really can understand God's ways. This is what the name Elijah intended to bring out, "Jehovah, He is God." Israel refused to bow and own Jehovah to be God but instead followed Ahab with Jezebel into idolatry. Here is a poor Gentile widow in simple faith taking the place of Israel in blessing, while the heavens are closed over them.
Blessing for the Gentiles
In the fourth chapter of the gospel of Luke, the reference to the woman that was a widow is of much interest and leads the heart to inquire further into this grand subject of sovereign mercy, so richly set forth in this gospel.
"And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias, sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian" (Luke 4:24-27).
The foregoing statements on the part of the Lord Jesus were in essence the opening of the door for blessing to the Gentiles. When Jesus was rejected by the elders of Israel in Matt. 12:1414Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. (Matthew 12:14), He referred to the prophecy of Isaiah concerning His exaltation over the Gentiles. In the same instance He showed how grace would replace the old covenant, bringing in the kingdom of God (Matt. 12:28,17-2128But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28)
17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. 19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12:17‑21)). (See also Isa. 49:5,65And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. 6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:5‑6).) The rejection by Israel caused the Lord Jesus to think of the Gentiles, from whom He receives His heavenly bride (Matt. 13:45,4645Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:45‑46)).
When God's stream of mercy has once begun to flow, there is no quenching it. If blocked in Jacob's land, it must break out elsewhere. The Divine Mind had anticipated this rejection of mercy, knowing man and what was in man (John 2:24,2524But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:24‑25)). But man did not know God, or what was in the heart of God for man, until Jesus came. Jesus has fully revealed Him as a Savior God.
If the Jews, who had the oracles of God with the accompanying benefits, refused the One who came desiring to bring them back to God, grace must flow in other channels in order that the full character of God might be displayed. Sovereign grace, to be fully displayed, must have suitable material in which to work. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence (1 Cor. 1:2729).
To speak of a Gentile widow, or a Syrian leper, as blessed of God, was more than proud religious flesh could stand, especially those who claimed to be the people of God. Let us be careful that we who are blessed with so much spiritually keep a place of lowliness.
But God had great counsels to be opened up for the Gentiles, and this to magnify His grace as nothing else could, because, as in creation, He took up that which in itself was nothing and made a vessel to His praise.
The forerunner, John the Baptist, had faithfully testified of the coming Savior (John 1:2727He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. (John 1:27)). Angels had made known the joyous announcement of. His birth to the humble shepherds (Luke 2:8-148And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8‑14)). Isaiah prophesied the coming of the virgin's Son, (Isa. 7:1414Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)), telling His name "Immanuel" (with us is God). These announcements had no effect upon Israel. Israel must be provoked to jealousy before she repent (Rom. 11:1111I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Romans 11:11)).
I Have Many Things to Say Unto You
The primary aspect of the ministry of the kingdom of God was given by the Lord Jesus while on earth and reaches on to its completeness in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Luke's ministry is Pauline in character.
The public ministry of the Lord Jesus, while on earth, was largely formative, calling for repentance, even as preached by the forerunner John, who was sent to prepare the way of the Lord (Luke 5:32;13:332I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)
3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3); Matt. 3:22And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)). This ministry may be illustrated by parts of the ministry of Elijah, in which may be seen several pictures of repentance bringing about the emptying, cleansing, and forming of the vessel (the believer).
When the Lord Jesus was here He could say, "I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now." Many of these things were reserved for the second part of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, through the Apostle Paul, which Elisha seems to suggest. This ministry was given after the Lord ascended into the heavens and gave gifts unto men. It was only after the Spirit of God came down that the Lord could open up the things that were chiefly on His heart, which He longed to impart to His own while here but could not at that time, if the church was to be formed through faith in an absent Christ.
The Apostle Paul received revelations from the Lord Jesus, completing the Word of God, as in Col. 1:2525Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25). These revelations have to do mainly with the mystery, Christ and the church, and chiefly among the Gentiles, something that was never revealed before. The apostle waited fourteen years before he was able to impart to the saints the things that were given to him by revelation. God's patience with Israel as a nation seemed to be the reason (Gal. 2:1,21Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. (Galatians 2:1‑2)).
Elijah ascended into the heavens before the ministry of Elisha began. Elisha gives some most helpful illustrations of this ministry of Paul.
This reaches to the Gentiles. Oh! the largeness of the heart of God!
"Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens: and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings" (Psa. 36:5-7).
Though Israel trod under foot the Son of God and insulted the Spirit of grace, they could not stop the flow of "the river of His grace, through righteousness supplied, (that) is flowing o'er the barren place where Jesus died" (L. F. Hymn Book, #48, app.).
The Kingdom of God
When Jesus came to His own nation, His coming was not accompanied by a display of power and outward splendor, but rather that which only a new nature, taught of God, would appreciate, "truth in the inward parts."
In the day of the widow woman of Zarephath, Christ had not come, but God, in anticipation of the tremendous blessing that would accompany the first advent of Christ to this world, sets this lovely gem in 1 Kings 17 to give us facets of truth, in type, which words alone could hardly express, introducing the kingdom of God.
The Jewish remnant who believed and were at Jerusalem at the time of Christ, (of whom Simeon, Anna, Zacharias, and Elisabeth were representative), if alive at the time of Pentecost, received the Spirit indwelling, but also were formed into one body. Later, Gentiles, such as Cornelius, believed and were brought into the same body with the Jews.
But, alas! the nation of Israel as a whole refused the testimony of sovereign grace. Therefore, in Acts 28:2828Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. (Acts 28:28), the Apostle Paul says to the chief men of the Jews, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." It was probably after this that the revelations of the "mystery" were sent to the respective assemblies.
A Man of God
Now we have come to a new part of the narrative.
Her all was in that son. She might value what mercy brings, but she still values that son above all; he is her hope. She has no husband.
We can be sure that God is in anything that happens for faith. "As for God, his way is perfect." We can also be sure that if our house is separated from all that is of the world, and if there is conscious communion with. God in Christ, with the joy of the presence of the Father and the Son abiding with us down here, the richest blessing will result to us. It is the Father's joy to bless. However, blessing can come only through the exercise of our hearts under testing. If there is deep testing where there is deep trust and communion, it is to let us into the more profound secrets of divine love that are shown to friends.
What a discovery is this! "Man of God." Yes, only one who exhibits the character of God down here is entitled to this name. No formal credentials accompanied with a display of outward glory called forth this, only the heart drawn to him in her sorrow. To whom else could she go? What a blessed paradox! Could she breathe forth defiance to one who had met her every need and sustained her when she and her son were ready to die? All she could say to him was, "O thou man of God." Have you been thus in the sanctuary of God, shut up with God, all else shut out? This is soul experience, never to be forgotten. Could she ever have been that close to the man of God except in trouble? Would she have known him as such?
It is no longer sustenance for the body, things that belong to time, material things, nor even life itself here. Eternal realities are dawning upon the soul. The entire being is carried away into the infinite. Which way will the prophet move next? Grace carries the spirit through grief into fair scenes that lie before every heavenly taught soul.
"Out of my sorrow into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee."
Truth in the Inward Parts
She has been shown grace. She must be shown truth, for He came by grace and truth. She was a Gentile without hope.
She could say, "As the LORD thy God liveth." She knew not God. Her husband was dead. ("Husband" symbolizes "rest" in Scripture. See Ruth 1:9;3:19The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. (Ruth 1:9)
1Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? (Ruth 3:1).) The fact that she had an upper room would remind her of happier days, because only the prosperous could afford this in her day. So she was a destitute woman who was a widow. Woman speaks of weakness. Widow speaks of need. Gentile! Woman! Widow! Son in death! Handful of meal in a barrel! A little oil in a cruse! Now in the quiet solitude of death in her house, with her mind reminiscing of all the strange circumstances to which she has been reduced, and the added sorrow of the loss of her all, her son, her hope, having come to herself as the prodigal of Luke 15, she cries in her distress and anguish of soul, "What have I to do with thee, 0 thou man of God?" (1 Kings 17:1818And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? (1 Kings 17:18)), What have we to do with Jesus? What rights have we? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Traditional institutions have crumbled and will all crumble, yet underneath it all there is a sublime truth not yet known by the masses of dying mankind, that God is a God of sovereign love, and down through the ages He had been waiting for an avenue to be opened in which this love could flow forth to its needy objects. The means by which it flows forth is the Son of God as Son of man, coming down to His creatures as one with them, sin apart, and undertaking a work of redemption to bring back to Himself worthless sinners, even of the Gentiles.
Here was a vessel empty indeed and about to be cleansed, upon the confession of sin. This is the first of several pictures of repentance in the ministry of Elijah. The effect is a new creature in Christ Jesus through resurrection.
Did he ever say he was a man of God? How did she know? It was truth in the inward parts. He came by grace and truth. The Lord Jesus, in applying His credentials to the conscience of the Jews, could say, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin." Also, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?"
Wisdom's children would instinctively be drawn to One whose nature they had, through grace, no matter how ignorant of God's ways or lacking in moral discernment Nathanael, the centurion, the woman of Sidon, the woman who was a sinner in Simon's house, publicans, and many others who had obeyed wisdom's voice in the baptism of John. "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Luke 6:4343For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Luke 6:43)).
"And the world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." Where is your hope, my friend? Is it in that which is to pass away forever? If "son" stands for "hope," how good to have it all changed by a God of resurrection.
Give me thy hope. I have a better one for you. Is there a better hope than what is in this world? "Moses endured as seeing him who is invisible," likewise all the children of faith and wisdom.
"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it" (Luke 16:1616The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16)). It is by way of the conscience that I receive lasting understanding. Truth must be in the inward parts (heart). Here it finds its eternal home.
"Our life is hid with Christ in God." Had she tasted mercy in receiving from the barrel and cruse? Now she is to know truth in the "portion" of her son. Nothing will do for God but to have the companion of His Son in His home enjoying the same pleasures which He enjoys. This is worthy of God and of His grace. Surely this is the fatness of the olive tree that Israel refused. Abraham, the father of faith and of many nations, dwelt at Hebron (communion) in the plain of Mamre fatness), God's fruitful fields. Yet a poor Gentile woman who was a widow, bereaved of all hope in the death of her son, finds in the prophet, the man of God, all that is needed in this world, and that which seals eternal blessing, all the desires of the renewed heart, in eternal glory in the Father's house.
If the flesh lies in death, hope lies in the place of utmost eternal tranquility. "When I awake, I am still with thee" (Psa. 139:1818If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. (Psalm 139:18)). God has called us to His own rest.
A God of Resurrection
In stretching himself upon the child, the prophet identifies the son with himself, here morally. I mean by this that the Spirit of God had so wrought that there was an inward change in this woman's hope. We are morally like Christ. This we have to learn by experience here by the Word of God, moral regeneration. Stretching himself upon the son three times would express this completeness. We may have to learn it practically, step by step, but essentially it was true when we were saved. We are in a new place, saved by the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)). This accompanies new birth for the Christian.
The mother would typify the affections of a new nature with all of her hopes in resurrection life enjoyed down here in the very scene of her poverty, need, and trials.
Can it be that a poor Gentile without God or hope now is able to say to the prophet of God, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth?" Surely the Spirit has been poured out upon the Gentiles to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. 11:1111I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Romans 11:11)). If Israel be gathered on earth, and surely they will be, still, they will never know anything about the upper room, the loft where the man of God rests in his own home, nor will Israel know or feel the comfort of the bed upon which he rests.
And now as we come to the close of this most interesting and instructive narrative, we are given to see clearly that salvation rests upon God and the faith on our part that receives it, the precious blood shed at Calvary by God's own Son being the means of paying the debt that we owed. Also, that by way of resurrection we as Gentiles have been brought into something new and heavenly.
Will not this cause our hearts to worship Him Who loved us and shed His blood to save us?
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matt. 13:45,4645Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:45‑46)). Having found, as Gentiles, the full blessing with the accompanying testimony, let us haste, lest, in our lethargy, the shell be nacred, hindering the pearl from attaining its luster or growth to set forth its character of "oneness."
Oh, precious pearl,
The fruit of sorrow, toil, and wasting,
The constant sore, the bitter grief
Of emptiness here tasting.
I cannot close the shell
To pain and nacre's flowing,
Lest, haply, in the harvest,
Naught but the shell be showing.