What Did I Do to Deserve This?
Provision seems to be the greatest problem of our existence in this life. In 1 Kings 17:1-16, Elijah’s need for provision is met miraculously and daily. Ravens fed him day and night in the wilderness. When God moves Elijah to Zarephath, he promises a widow that her supply of flour and oil wouldn’t be exhausted until the draught ended. It seems like this widow (and Elijah for that matter) wouldn’t have another care in the world. That’s when death came into the picture.
Death will come for all of us sooner or later. Death doesn’t care who you are. Death doesn’t care how much you’ve accomplished. Death doesn’t care how much money you have. Death comes for all of us. In 1 Kings 17:18, when this widow is faced with death she is overcome with grief—just like any of us would be. She had earlier lost her husband, now her son. Why was life so cruel? She essentially blames Elijah for this asking: “What did I ever do to you?” Or "What did I do to deserve this?”
All of us ask these questions when we go through trials and troubles. The fact of the matter is that life is much more complicated than this. Our suffering and trouble in this life isn’t always directly linked to our disobedience. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and sometimes good things happen to bad people. It doesn’t always make sense to us. Elijah understood this, so he doesn’t try to explain the mystery to this widow, he simply asks her for the body of her son.
Elijah carried the boy’s lifeless body up to his room and laid him down. Elijah stretches himself out upon the boy in a symbolic gesture indicating he is agonizing in prayer for the boy. Elijah prays something incredible in this moment: “O Lord my God, I pray you, let this child’s life return to him” (1 Kings 17:21). Elijah asks God to resurrect this boy. His faith here is incredible. Elijah had never heard of someone being raised from the dead. He had never seen a resurrection before. Yet, he knew that the living God could bring life to this boy.
God hears Elijah’s prayer and the boy returns to life. Elijah returns the boy to his mother and she responds in faith. God’s provision didn’t convince her to believe. She began to take that for granted. It took a resurrection for her to believe. That’s the big lesson of this passage. Not even death is a problem for the living God. This miracle is meant to point forward to Jesus who said: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
This passage invites those who are not believers in Christ into that relationship of faith. But for those of us who are followers of Christ, there are some great applications for us here. First, this passage encourages the disheartened. Our Savior has conquered death! No matter what our circumstances, we don’t have to walk around defeated and discouraged. We can take the corpse of our circumstances in prayer to the God who redeems, restores, and resurrects. Our God raises the dead (See also 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.). Second, the world needs to hear this message. Jesus used this passage as an example in His sermon in Luke 4 of God’s heart for the nations to know Him. The religious people of Jesus’ day felt entitled to the grace of God. Jesus made it clear that His grace is for the world. Jesus is the resurrection and the life!
Click here to check out the entire message.