Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

First Kings - Chapter 17

Elijah Appears, Verses 1-7

At this point in the history of Israel comes on the scene one of the most prominent characters in all the pages of the Old Testament. He is introduced as Elijah the Tishbite, meaning that he was probably a native of Thisbe, in the tribe of Naphtali. Some think there was another place called Tishbe in the tribe of Gad, the land of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. From some things which appear later in the account of Elijah’s deeds, it is suggested that Elijah was a fugitive from the eradication pro­gram of Jezebel, and had possibly crossed over to Gilead, and was liv­ing there in attempt to escape her wicked deeds (read 1 Kings 18:7-14).

But Elijah was bold under the power of the Lord. He suddenly ap­pears unannounced in the palace of Ahab with a message of judgment for the king. Notice the important emphases in his pronouncement to the king; 1) the Lord God of Israel is a living God in contrast to the false gods of Ahab and Jezebel; 2) Elijah recognized that he stood always be­fore the face of God, who knew who and what he was, and by whom he lived and served; 3) there would be neither dew nor rain in Israel in judg­ment for the sinful deeds of Israel and her kings; 4) this condition would continue until Elijah returned to announce its cessation, and that would be dependent on God’s leadership of him.

The immediate reaction of King Ahab to this dire prediction of the old prophet is not known. From his later feeling of desperation, however, it is known that he was repentant, but rather blamed Elijah with the whole affair. Elijah must have departed Ahab’s presence immediately, much as he had appeared there a few moments before. Ahab may have been too astounded to do anything to apprehend him at the moment.

The Lord spoke to Elijah again and directed him to cross over the Jordan to Gilead, to the brook Cherith, and hide himself there from the murderous hand of Jezebel and her weak-spitted husband, AHab Cherith is believed to be the small stream rising in the east of Gilead and flowing westward, through the city of Jabesh-gilead, and emptying into the Jordan about one-third of its distance from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. Elijah would drink water from the brook, and the Lord would command the ravens to bring his food. the raven was much like the crow, and though it eats fruit and seeds, also loves to eat carrion, for which it is included among the unclean fowl in Israel’s law. To a scrupulous Israelite it would have been very distasteful to eat anything associated with these birds. Yet these creatures brought bread for Elijah every morning and brought him meat in the evening. Elijah was centuries ahead of the Apostle Peter in accepting all things God commanded as clean and permissible (cf. Acts 10:15).

Elijah continued in this place for some time. Every day he must have witnessed his prediction coming to pass, as the brook ran down to a trickle and finally dried up altogether: Elijah did not become frantic as many do when it might appear the Lord has forgotten about them, and begin running off here and there hunting a new water-hole. He simply relied on the Lord to care for him and does not seem to have worried about the drying brook. God’s servants in all ages need to learn to have such confidence in Him (Hebrews 13:5-6).

God’s Provision, Verses 8-16

At God’s proper time He spoke to Elijah and gave him further instructions in keeping with His prophecy and His protection of His servant. As the drought continued and conditions became grimmer in Israel King Ahab began a desperate search for Elijah, probably hoping to compel him to call an end to the calamity (1 Kings 18:10). God therefore sent Elijah to the very last place Ahab would expect him to be, into the very nest of Baalism itself. This was the land of Jezebel, the land of Zidon, where her father ruled, and where the people regularly worshipped the false god.

The town of Zarephath was ruled by Zidon, though it was in the tribal allotment of Asher, who had not driven out the Phoenicians after its conquest by Joshua. Its location is uncertain, but tradition places it on the Mediterranean seacoast between Tyre and Zidon. The widow to whom Elijah was sent was likely an Israelite woman living among these heathen people, as was the case with many people of the times and area. Nothing is known of her previous life, but there is an intimation that it may have been tainted with the immorality of her environment (Verses 17ff). It seems also that she was a God-fearing woman, and possibly had some revelation of the coming of Elijah before he arrived (Verses 9, 12, 15).

The drought had taken its toll on the people of the Phoenician towns also. Water was still available, for when Elijah requested the woman to bring him a drink she interrupted her chore to comply with the request of the man of God. However, the prophet proceeded to test her faith in the Lord by asking for a morsel of bread as well. It was then that the woman replied, calling on the Lord as her living witness, that she had a very meager bit of meal and oil remaining in her meal barrel and oil cruse. Elijah had interrupted her at the task of gathering a few sticks to build a fire on which to cook a small cake of it for herself and her son. After that her future was hopeless, and she expected they would die of hunger.

The widow met the supreme test of her faith. Elijah instructed her to make a cake of the meal first for him, then make another for herself and son. Certainly there was insufficient ingredients to make two cakes, but Elijah consoled her by saying that the Lord had said the meal would not be depleted nor the oil exhausted until the day he brought rain again. And so she went in and made Elijah the first cake, and afterward prepared for herself and son. She had put the Lord and His servant first, and received an abundant blessing in return, providing all she needed for her livelihood. She had proved the truth of the words of Jesus to His servants today, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33)

Dead Boy Raised, Verses 17-24

When Elijah had been with the widow for some time a disaster came on her house. Her son became very ill, and the Scripture says, "there was no breath left in him." Some question whether the boy actually died, but the context certainly seems to indicate that he did. Note that it is said, 1) his breath left him; 2) the widow’s accusation of Elijah implied that he was at the point of death, or had died; 3) Elijah’s petition to the Lord, speaks of the son as having been slain; 4) Elijah prayed for the return of the boy’s soul into his body; 5) the Scripture says his soul returned, and he revived, or lived again.

The widow felt some moral compunction about the incident. There was a sin in her background, for which she felt the Lord was punishing her, and that it was a result of the prophet of God’s coming to her house. It has been speculated that her sin consisted of adultery by which the child had been born. This is possible, of course, but it may be also that she, as an Israelite, had violated God’s law in marriage with a heathen man of Phoenicia, where she lived, and he had fathered her son. Of course the Bible is silent concerning the actual cause.

Elijah took the body of the boy to an upper chamber and called on the Lord concerning his death, asking Him to allow the boy to live again. It appears that God restored the child’s life through the natural application of mouth to mouth resuscitation. The Lord uses means already present in nature to effect His own miracles sometimes, as in this case (cf. John 9:6-7).

The miracle of her son’s restoration to life erased all the widow’s doubts about the Lord, or of Elijah, His servant. She avowed that she now was convinced that Elijah’s preaching is the word of God in his mouth and that it is true and reliable. The sadness brought about by her son’s illness and death was replaced with great joy in his restoration and vastly strengthened faith in the Lord (Romans 8:28).

Some lessons from chapter 17 1) God will provide all needed boldness to speak His message by His servants; 2) faithfulness to the Lord in one place begets His care for His children in all places; 3) there is no scarcity with God, whose providential care is sufficient at all times (Philippians 4:18-19); 4) God has power in life or in death, to accomplish all His purpose in believers, or unbelievers (Philippians 1:19-21).