1Ki 17:21-22 | KingComments | STEP | Elijah listens to her need and says to her: “Give me your son.” Thus the Lord Jesus says to us “give Me your problem”, just as He once said to a desperate father that he should bring his son to Him ( ). At the same time, Elijah takes the son from her bosom. He disconnects the boy from the natural connection that exists between the boy and his mother. His mother can’t help him anymore. All the natural things on which a person can rely must first be taken away if God is to do His work through His life-giving power. Elijah brings the boy to his upper room. Later the woman in Shunem also brought her son to an upper room ( ); there the believers also laid Dorcas ( ); there Eutychus was also brought back after he fell out of the window of the upper room ( ). An upper room is a place above the earth, where those who are there are with God as it were. Elijah lays him on his bed, his deathbed, so to speak. Then he stretches himself upon him, making himself one with him symbolically. This he does up to three times. Each new life is based on the fact that the Lord Jesus made our problem of sin His on the cross. All subsequent problems that may arise in our life are also made His in His service in heaven as High Priest and Advocate. As Elijah calls to God, so does Christ pray for us. Elijah prays fervently to God to let life return to the child. Before this event we do not read of anyone who has been brought back to life from the dead. This makes Elijah’s faith in God as the God of the resurrection all the more remarkable. He is an example to us in his faith in the power of God over death. However, he is not an example for us to pray for the revival of a dead person. Thus David did not expect to bring his child back to life through prayer and fasting ( ). Elijah has a power to work wonders that David did not have. When Elijah calls to God as his personal God, God listens to the voice of Elijah and brings outcome. He restores life and thus confirms Elijah as the man who restores things. Elijah gives the child back to its mother. He is the prophet who restores the relationship between the generations and restores the hearts of the parents to the children and the hearts of children to the parents ( ). God also wants to do this with us if we can no longer live to His honor because of a problem of any kind. Elijah’s prayer is clear: “Let this child’s life return to him.” In this we clearly see the existence of the soul in a state separate of the body, which is also a proof that the soul does not die after death. The LORD hears the prayer. As a result, the woman acknowledges that Elijah is a man of God. We will also give all honor to the Lord Jesus when we have experienced His power to give life. Thus the death of this child, as well as later that of Lazarus ( ), becomes a reason to glorify God and to honor His prophet.

‏ 1 Kings 17:21-22

The Son Becomes Alive

Elijah listens to her need and says to her: “Give me your son.” Thus the Lord Jesus says to us “give Me your problem”, just as He once said to a desperate father that he should bring his son to Him (Mk 9:19b). At the same time, Elijah takes the son from her bosom. He disconnects the boy from the natural connection that exists between the boy and his mother. His mother can’t help him anymore. All the natural things on which a person can rely must first be taken away if God is to do His work through His life-giving power.

Elijah brings the boy to his upper room. Later the woman in Shunem also brought her son to an upper room (2Kgs 4:21); there the believers also laid Dorcas (Acts 9:37); there Eutychus was also brought back after he fell out of the window of the upper room (Acts 20:8-12). An upper room is a place above the earth, where those who are there are with God as it were. Elijah lays him on his bed, his deathbed, so to speak. Then he stretches himself upon him, making himself one with him symbolically. This he does up to three times.

Each new life is based on the fact that the Lord Jesus made our problem of sin His on the cross. All subsequent problems that may arise in our life are also made His in His service in heaven as High Priest and Advocate. As Elijah calls to God, so does Christ pray for us.

Elijah prays fervently to God to let life return to the child. Before this event we do not read of anyone who has been brought back to life from the dead. This makes Elijah’s faith in God as the God of the resurrection all the more remarkable. He is an example to us in his faith in the power of God over death. However, he is not an example for us to pray for the revival of a dead person. Thus David did not expect to bring his child back to life through prayer and fasting (2Sam 12:23). Elijah has a power to work wonders that David did not have.

When Elijah calls to God as his personal God, God listens to the voice of Elijah and brings outcome. He restores life and thus confirms Elijah as the man who restores things. Elijah gives the child back to its mother. He is the prophet who restores the relationship between the generations and restores the hearts of the parents to the children and the hearts of children to the parents (Mal 4:5a ; 6a). God also wants to do this with us if we can no longer live to His honor because of a problem of any kind.

Elijah’s prayer is clear: “Let this child’s life return to him.” In this we clearly see the existence of the soul in a state separate of the body, which is also a proof that the soul does not die after death. The LORD hears the prayer. As a result, the woman acknowledges that Elijah is a man of God. We will also give all honor to the Lord Jesus when we have experienced His power to give life. Thus the death of this child, as well as later that of Lazarus (Jn 11:4), becomes a reason to glorify God and to honor His prophet.