I’d like to take a look for a moment at the story of the widow at Zarephath. Elijah is directed by God to go to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee (1 Kings 17:9 KJV).
Elijah does this and he, the widow and her son survive the famine by the meal and oil not running out miraculously.
Then another hardship arises when her son dies. We’ll pick up in verse 18.
1 Kings 17:18-24 KJV 18 And 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? 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
Why did she all of the sudden realize that Elijah was a man of God? She had already seen a miracle everyday that she had food to eat. She had already in a sense received her son’s life seeing as she was preparing for them to die when she first met Elijah. So she was used to the miraculous, but when he raised her son this was different. It wasn’t the miracle itself, it was mercy and grace. Now how would she know of God’s mercy and His grace? She was from Zidon, these were the ones that cut cedar for the temple. She surely had heard the Psalms at times. If nothing else God’s characteristics always made it outside of Israel, we see this throughout the Bible. So with this understanding she knew that the God of Israel was merciful and gracious. She knew that he was a man of God because he showed mercy and grace. She thought he was calling her sins to remembrance, but when her son was raised she realized that was not the case. The God of Israel was a merciful and gracious God and she knew this. So when she received mercy and grace this proved that Elijah was a man of God.
Mercy and grace are some of God’s defining characteristics and we often underestimate them.
For example we read in Psalm 78:36-38 ISV 36 But they deceived him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. 37 For their hearts weren’t committed to him, and they weren’t faithful to his covenant. 38 But he, being merciful, forgave their iniquity and didn’t destroy them; He restrained his anger and didn’t vent all his wrath.
Look at how merciful God is that while speaking of their rebellious ways even before they repented He was merciful.
Romans 5:6-8 KJV 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus died for us when we weren’t looking for Him. He died for those that were crucifying Him. He could have stopped, but mercy and grace wouldn’t let Him. He extends mercy and grace when we are running from Him. When we are not thinking of Him, He’s thinking about us.
Because there is mercy there is grace and because there is grace we have hope. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5 KJV).
His mercy and grace are far beyond our understanding. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12 KJV).
Take time to thank God for His mercy and grace. We didn’t deserve it, but He gave it anyway.
Titus 3:4-6 KJV 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not 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; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;