Feb. 19, 2013
The story of the Gentile widow of Zarephath found in 1 Kings 17 is an amazing story, and it is the first account of the dead being brought back to life in the Bible. Elisha duplicates this miracle of Elijah's, by bringing an Israelite woman's son back to life in 2 Kings 4. I was researching something about ancient pagan gods and I found myself in Blueletterbible.com, one thing lead to another, and then this phrase - "the mistress of the house" in 1 Kings 17 caught my eye, so I looked it up in the concordance and I was quite amazed at what I found. The phrase in Hebrew is: "ba 'alah bayith", which can mean one of two things.
The story of the Gentile widow of Zarephath found in 1 Kings 17 is an amazing story, and it is the first account of the dead being brought back to life in the Bible. Elisha duplicates this miracle of Elijah's, by bringing an Israelite woman's son back to life in 2 Kings 4. I was researching something about ancient pagan gods and I found myself in Blueletterbible.com, one thing lead to another, and then this phrase - "the mistress of the house" in 1 Kings 17 caught my eye, so I looked it up in the concordance and I was quite amazed at what I found. The phrase in Hebrew is: "ba 'alah bayith", which can mean one of two things.
- One, it could mean she was the owner of the house,
- or two, it could mean she was a sorceress, or a necromancer.
Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mark 1:24
So, was the widow of Zarephath a sorceress, and did she talk to the dead? Was this the sin she was talking about, the one she claimed Elijah and his God were acting on behalf of [that is the idea behind the Hebrew word zakar (remember)]? It must be. Let us consider that Elijah was sent to her by God, while he was hiding from Ahab and Jezebel. Please note that he was not sent to an Israelite widow, which I'm sure, it would be just as easy to find one who worshiped Baal there as it was in Zarephath. Interestingly enough, Jezebel's father was a worshiper of Baal and the ruler of Zarephath at the time. Jezebel herself was a powerful witch, or sorceress in her own right.
Surly this widow knew what was going on, the reason for the drought, I mean Elijah must have told her something while they sojourned together through the famine. Did she think he was sent to her to punish her for her sins of idolatry by killing her only son, and thus killing her future, just like God was using him to punish Ahab and Jezebel? Perhaps, but the text doesn't outright say this. But she must have had a reason for saying what she did. Her guilty or convicted conscience was speaking through the grief of her loss, no doubt.
Surly this widow knew what was going on, the reason for the drought, I mean Elijah must have told her something while they sojourned together through the famine. Did she think he was sent to her to punish her for her sins of idolatry by killing her only son, and thus killing her future, just like God was using him to punish Ahab and Jezebel? Perhaps, but the text doesn't outright say this. But she must have had a reason for saying what she did. Her guilty or convicted conscience was speaking through the grief of her loss, no doubt.
God Shows Up Baal
Historically speaking, it was believed by the people of Zarephath that Baal could raise the dead back to life. Obviously this didn't happen in this widow's case, since her husband and then her son died. When Elijah took the boy from her arns and prayed over him, while asking God to restore his soul, it was after the third time that the boy's soul was finally restored to his body. Elijah then returned the boy to his mother, and I can only imagine the wondrous joy she must have felt. Is it any wonder that she declared that Elijah's God (and not Baal) is the one true God who can raise the dead to life, and obviously isn't hindered by land borders? This was also a common ancient belief, that a god's power didn't work across land borders. At any rate, God had mercy on this widowed Gentile whether she was really a sorceress or not, and she was brought to repentance and belief in the Almighty, by sending her a godly man, Elijah, to take care of her through a physical and spiritual famine. Praise God. Amen!