The portrait of the widow of Zarephath is remarkably natural. Her calmness in speaking of the trouble that was only threatened (ver. 12), is contrasted with her agony when trouble actually comes (ver. 18). She believed in Jehovah though in a heathen kingdom; yet there was a blending of superstition with her faith. She supposed that God might have overlooked her sin, had it not been that He was present with His prophet in her home; and she confounded discipline with retribution. The latter was the mistake of the barbarians at Melita. (Compare Acts 28:4.) See also our Lord's teaching, Luke 13:4. The death of this child is to be explained on the principle which asserted itself in the blindness of the man whom Jesus cured (John 9:3), or in the illness of Lazarus, concerning which our Lord said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for glory of God" (John 11:4). Rembrandt has depicted the scene brought before us in this chapter. In a roughly built upper room the dead child lies upon the bed; one hand rests upon his breast, while the other has fallen heavily at his side, giving a wonderful idea of the weight of death. Elijah stands on the further side of the bed with his rugged, earnest face upturned towards heaven and his hands clasped in an agony of supplication as he says, "O Lord my God, I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again!" This event was not intended to be wondered at as a prodigy, nor was it merely to benefit the widow, but for all time has spiritual significance. With this belief we see in it -

I. AN EMBLEM OF SPIRITUAL DEATH. The child had died suddenly, Or Elijah would have been told of his illness. His death was real, and was more than the insensibility of Eutychus (Acts 20:10). We say that a thing, susceptible of life, is dead when it cannot receive what is essential to its growth and well being; e.g., a tree is dead when it is no longer able to absorb the nutriment without which it must fade, and ultimately fall. An animal is dead which can no longer breath air or assimilate food. The mind is dead - as is that of an idiot - when it receives no true mental impressions. The soul is dead which is insensible to spiritual influence. As it is possible to have physical without mental life, so it is possible to have mental without spiritual life. "Spiritual death" is not a mere figure of speech. It may be illustrated by the condition of this child. The food provided for him was useless now, the tenderest words of his mother were unheeded, and the voice that so lately was musical with laughter was silent. Similarly the spiritually dead are indifferent to God's provision, unconscious of their own possibilities, irresponsive to the Father's voice. "Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God." "He that hath not the Son hath not life." "Dead in trespasses and sins." "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live."

II. AN EXAMPLE OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER. A man of Elijah's strong nature would have strong affections, and we can imagine how intensely he had come to love this child. On hearing of his death he could only say to the distracted mother, "Give me thy son," and then carried him up to his own room, and cried to God in an agony of prayer.

1. It was offered in solitude. Not even the mother was there. Such intense crises in life must be met alone. Jesus Christ was wont to "depart into a solitary place" to pray. Understanding our needs He said, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut to the door, and pray to thy Father which seeth in secret." "Jacob was left alone" when he wrestled with the angel. Compare Elijah's miracle with that of the Lord, who, when He went into the room where Jairus' daughter lay dead, "suffered no man to go in," beyond those who were one with Him in sympathy and prayer.

2. It was peculiarly definite. There was one want in his heart, one cry on his lips. Our prayers too often are meditations on the Divine attributes, or general confessions, and thanksgivings. If our King asked "What is thy petition?" we should sometimes be at a logs for an answer. Pray for one grace, for one unbelieving friend, etc.

3. It was intensely earnest. Elijah could not be denied. His was not a speech, but a cry. He looked for the awakening, and flung himself on the dead in an agony of earnestness as if he would infuse his own warmth and life. The touch was similar to that of Peter, when he took the cripple by the hand (Acts 3:7) - not the cause of blessing, but the medium of blessing. The Divine power works through the human agency.

III. AN EARNEST OF TRUE RESURRECTION. Elijah could not give life, but he could ask God for it. Nor can we arouse to new life by preaching, though God can do so through preaching. Our words are only the media through which the Holy Spirit works. The Atlantic cable is useless except as the message is flashed forth by mysterious unseen power. This distinguishes the miracles of our Lord Jesus from those of His servants. (Compare Luke 7:14 with Acts 3:12-16.) There is a resurrection wherein saints shall be raised by the power of God to a life of immortality, the promise and pledge of which we have in the resurrection of Christ, who is the "firstfruits of them that sleep." There is also a spiritual resurrection, to which Paul refers when he appeals to Christians as those "risen with Christ; and of this, as well as of that, is there an illustration in our text. Raised to newness of life we, like the child Elijah prayed for, have to live for awhile in the old sphere. The prophet gave the child to his mother. Jesus restored Lazarus to his sisters, the young man at Nain to his mother, and the ruler's daughter to her parents; and so to us, who have "passed from death unto life," He says, "Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done for thee." This miracle constrained the widow to accept as God's truth the declaration of His servant (ver. 24). How much more reason have we, who believe in the supernatural works of His Son, to say, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him!" - A.R.

1. From whom does the testimonial come? "I know." These are the words of the heathen villager, a poor widow, living in an out-of-the-way place, probably as ignorant as she was poor. Possibly she had heard nothing of the controversy about Baal, and knew nothing of Elijah's great work; yet she it is who sets up as a judge in the matter. "I know." Quite so. Everybody is a judge of goodness. Like love, for which goodness is only another name, it is a thing which everybody can see and know and honour. There is no ignorance in the matter of goodness.(1) It is a testimonial from one of another religion. She was a heathen, belonging to another nation. She had her own notions of things, and held them as tenaciously as Elijah held to his religion. To her his belief and worship might be all unmeaning, possibly at first a matter of ridicule, even of scorn. Yet she cannot withhold her hearty confession, full of admiration, almost of envy — "I know that thou art a man of God." Goodness is greater than sects and more than names. Let the world see the goodness, and they do not care what church that man goes to; whether he uses a prayer book or not matters to nobody, or whether he is led up to service by a peal of bells or a big drum. "I know," said she. How much there was she did not know about the man. She had never seen him as the prophet of fire; had probably never heard how he had gone into the presence of the king and queen, and before all the priests of Baal, and the assembled hosts of Israel, and spoken the word of the Lord. Goodness is like love again in this, and like God whose name is Love, it is everywhere and in everything.(2) That this testimony comes from the right place. "I know," said this good woman of Zarephath. I think if anybody had questioned her right to an opinion she would have quickly silenced them. "The man lived in my house. I ought to know. There is nobody in the land who has seen more of him than I have, and I know that he is a man of God." You may accept that testimony. Depend upon it, if those at home do not believe in us, the less profession we make elsewhere the better. Our certificates of church membership are signed by the minister; it were well if they were countersigned at home.

2. Let us look at the character: a man of God. It is a grand title — the grandest ever conferred on any man. Let us think that day after day the character of each of us is being built up for eternity. The spirit and aim of the life is making more fixed and defined that which we shall be for ever. Let every one of us ask himself, Am I a man, a woman, of God? Whatever else we are, all must be a failure if we are not that. Whatever else we are, the best and highest life is ours only if we have surrendered ourselves to the love and service of God.(1) The man of God is much more than merely a religious person. There were many such, I doubt not, in those times; as there are in these. Listen to this one: "It is a mistake," he says quite angrily — "I knew it would be, and I said so all along — this religion of Jezebel's is all very well for the people of Phoenicia where she comes from; but it is not natural to bring it down here. It does not suit our soil." Here is another religious person. But hush — please do not speak so loud. Yes, he trusts that he is a true worshipper certainly — in heart, you know, in heart — and that is everything; isn't it? But please don't mention it — he would rather that it was not known. "Just now the times are really very trying, very; and it is difficult to know how to act for the best. To offend the queen would be so very damaging to one's prospects; and really Jezebel is so passionate that she would stop at nothing. Altogether it is very difficult to be what one would. So I do just go up to Jezreel and bow before Baal — only go through the form, you know, for the sake of peace; but at the heart I am, of course, a true Israelite." We know that man too. You may call him by very few names that are not too good. He certainly is no man of God.(2) A man of God! Make room for Elijah. A man who is given up to God; who lives to know God's will and to do it through and through him with all his might. Wherever that man goes, all know and feel that the God of Israel liveth. Think of the land from which God Himself is shut out: His voice is not heard; His authority is ignored; His worship is neglected. But here is one in whom God comes again into the very midst of men. That is ever the man of God — he brings a new light, by which things are seen aright: a new standard by which men do correct their estimate of things. Right and wrong are no mere names, but stand out sharply and severed from one another by a gulf like that which separates heaven from hell. Look at England in the last century, and at the transformation that was wrought from end to end of the land through the preaching of the Wesleys and Whitefield. Here and there, in town and village, some one got converted, and became a man or woman of God. Then there entered into the place a new light, a new conscience, a new authority. But many are children of God who do not become men of God. Feed upon the word; dwell in communion with God; exercise yourself day by day in His service. Set yourself every day in His strength to serve Him at any cost, and put yourself at His disposal; check and test yourself by the thought of His will. Push out after higher things; live in this spirit and exercise it in faithfulness to God and service to men: then shall this high joy and dignity be ours — we shall come to be enrolled amongst the men of God.

(M. G. Pearse.)