Sketched XI Day 7 What Do You Have Against Me?: Digging Deeper

Marietta Taylor
June 27, 2023
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

1 Kings 17:17-24
21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times.ad He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!” 22 So the Lord listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived.
23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”
The Original Intent
1) Why did the widow ask Elijah if he was calling attention to her sin? (verse 18)
Elijah had lived in the widow’s home for a period of time (1 Kings 17:8-16) and she had experienced the miraculous power of God sustain her and her son in a devastating drought; by this, the widow knew God was with Elijah.
When her son fell ill, she likely expected God to again display His miraculous power. Instead, her son died. Maybe Elijah’s God was not the giver of life after all. In her grief, she began the age-old game of blaming. (Genesis 3:11-13) First, she blamed Elijah, then she blamed her own, unspecified sin for her son’s death. According to David Guzik, “Whatever her sin was, the guilty memory of it was always close to her.” (Enduring Word)
Now that the one closest to her was gone, all she could see was her sin and her grief. Self-loathing and Shame are horrible places to dwell, but this is exactly where this grief-ridden mama found herself.
Another likely reason for her self-shaming guilt was her cultural and spiritual background. Baal worshipers were taught that their sins would be met with anger and fury from Baal. (Cornerstone Church Kingston) Since this was what she believed of Baal, seeing her son die in the presence of the “Man of God”, caused her to naturally assume Elijah’s God operated the same as Baal.
Again, the question of, “Is it true that Elijah’s God is the giver of life” is up for debate in her heart and mind; she chooses her answer based on her spiritual background and not on her most recent experience with God.
The Everyday Application
1) Why did the widow ask Elijah if he was calling attention to her sin? (verse 18)
Many years ago, my husband and I went through a rough patch. He was in a car accident and had some minor injuries and resulting back pain. A week later, I had a car accident and had to be transported to the ER for observation. A couple weeks later, he started having trouble at his job, and on and on it went for a time. We had some professing Christians say to our faces that we needed to get rid of our sin so God would start blessing us and quit punishing us.
This is wrong theology! John 16:33 says, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” This world is a hard place and trouble will come. We cannot avoid it, but we have no fear because God is with us and will help us through it all. (John 14:18-21) God allows the sun to rise and the rain to fall on both the evil and the good. (Matthew 5:45)
Haven’t we all witnessed someone enjoying what looks like a blessing, but turns out to be an ill-gotten gain? Can hard things be the result of sin? Yes. Are we the ones who can absolutely determine that every time? No.
If we think something might be the result of a specific sin, we can ask the Lord to reveal it to us and convict us by His Spirit, allowing us to confess and repent. If He does not show us anything, then we can know this is most likely a growth opportunity as it was for the widow.
I like how Sermon Notebook phrases it, “God’s method for growing us isn’t always pleasant, nor is it fun. However, it is essential that we pass through the growing process so that we can be better used of the Lord. As God takes us through the battles, and we see Him win them all by His power, we are enabled, by faith, to trust Him for even greater victories.”
The Original Intent
2) Why did Elijah ask the Lord if He killed the widow’s son? (verse 20)
Elijah, and indirectly, God, had been blamed for the death of the widow’s son. Rain had not fallen, therefore, according to God’s promise in 1 Kings 17:13-14, flour and oil should still be plentiful, allowing everyone in the home to still be living.
That would be true, if flour and oil, if bread alone, were the Source of life. But Scripture teaches differently. (Colossians 1:17) In fact, Christ taught differently by saying, “Man should not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Perhaps the Lord took the boy’s life, proving His authority over life and death, that the woman’s heart might learn to lean on Truth instead of her own understanding.
Elijah could not make sense of this turn of events. Surely, it was very discouraging after all the life-giving things he had seen God do in his own life and the widow’s. So, he took his crisis of faith to the True Source, Yahweh. This is very reminiscent of King Hezekiah who took his concerns about his enemies’ death threats and even his failing health to the Lord, expecting God to handle it, regardless of Hezekiah’s personal confidence level. (Got Questions)
This was Elijah’s way of drawing near to God at a time when his faith was rattled, yet believing God could do the impossible, just like we see so many times on the Psalms. Elijah had learned a lesson the widow had not yet owned for herself, within God’s sustenance, Truth lived, regardless of circumstance, and He was worthy of Elijah’s worship.
The Everyday Application
2) Why did Elijah ask the Lord if He killed the widow’s son? (verse 20)
It’s so easy to have faith when things are going well. So easy to not doubt. But when things get really tough, does our faith flourish or does it wither? Elijah prayed such an honest prayer, bringing his confusion and doubt to the Lord, but then he immediately demonstrated his faith in God’s character.
If you read through even just a few psalms, you’ll see this rhythm played out over and over in the raw honesty of the psalmists. Another great example of a “Why God?! But I trust You, God” prayer is found in Daniel. Jami helps us understand these depths well in her Journey Study, “Why God?”. She beautifully offers us this encouragement, “God doesn’t require us to have all of the answers, and we can rest knowing we don’t need them. He simply welcomes us, right now, as we are, to trust Him for the Journey.”
Rest in the knowledge that if He did not chastise Moses (Exodus 33:12-26), or the man whose son was demon-possessed (Mark 9:23-24), or even doubting Thomas, His own disciple (John 20:25-29), He will not chastise us for our moments of doubt, unbelief or lack of faith either.
The Original Intent
3) What does the resurrection of the widow’s son teach us about truth? (verse 21)
The widow had decided God was not trustworthy. Meanwhile, Elijah was depending on God to be truthful and faithful to His character, which was why he was confident in asking God to resurrect the widow’s son. Elijah knew that nothing he specifically did would bring the boy back, But God…with God, nothing was impossible! (Luke 1:37)
The Sermon Notebook says, “God honored the faith of the prophet and raised the child to life again. Why? Because Elijah trusted God by faith!” If by faith we believe, God is ABLE to do the impossible, we have laid the necessary groundwork for coming before the Father who is “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) The widow, seeing her son brought back to life, realized that everything Elijah had ever spoken about his God was true. God was indeed both giver and sustainer of life.
“Elijah’s miraculous, never-ending oil jar hints at such life-giving power, but it is the widow’s witnessing of her child’s renewed life that convinces her.” (Working Preacher) She realizes that Yahweh is NOT like Baal. It is true that He is compassionate and does not cause harm just for harm’s sake. Everything He does is intentionally for good. (Genesis 50:20) And the truth is, it took suffering to get her to this place of firm belief. I believe in the end, that was okay with her.
The Everyday Application
3) What does the resurrection of the widow’s son teach us about truth? (verse 21)
There are so many promises in the Bible, but one that is commonly quoted and is among my favorites is Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you or abandon you”, which was first given in Deuteronomy 31:6.
God never changes, His character is always the same, and His promises never fail. Just read through Hebrews 11, listing out all the heroes of the faith. They all trusted God, but not all saw His final promise. What made them heroes in spite of this? They trusted that God’s Word was Truth.
We don’t even need to wing it, stretching beyond all reason that what God says is trustworthy, for He has provided His Word, His testimony in His people, and His Spirit to teach us all truth. In John 17:17, Jesus asks God the Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”
Every good thing that happens. Every hardship we endure. Every stronghold that is broken. Every wound that is bound and healed. Everything comes back to the character of God.
Can we trust Him? Resoundingly, Yes!
“God is not a man, that He might lie, or a son of man, that He might change His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)
Our God is Truth so we can always trust that no matter how the landscape of our lives appears, He is in control and He will keep His promises.
Can We Pray With You?
Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!
This Week's Lock Screen

Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!
