Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 1. ANd Elijah the Tiſhbite, who was of the Inhabitants of Gilead, ſaid unto Ahab, &c.] Of all the Prophets that God raiſed up in the kingdome of Iſrael, we find not any, of whom ſo many ſtrange paſſages are recorded, both for his courage and miracles, as there are of Elijah; and therefore at the tranſfiguration of Chriſt, Matth. 17, 3. Elijah as chief of the prophets appeared together with Moſes talking with Chriſt; to ſignifie, that both Moſes and the prophets had in their ſeverall ſeaſons given teſtimony to Chriſt. The people of Iſrael were never ſo corrupt as they were at this time; (for now the worſhip of Baal was eſtabliſhed in the land, and the worſhip of the true God was quite diſregarded, and the prophets and ſervants of God, that would not bow to Baal, were perſecuted and ſlain, as Elijah complaines, chap. 19.10.) and yet there were never more prophets ſent unto them, then there was at that time, (we ſee that Obadiah hid an hundred of them in caves, chap. 18.13.) nor never more glorious prophets as we ſee amongſt the reſt in this Elijah, a man of tranſcendent courage and zeal (as ſitted for theſe corrupt times;) whence it is ſaid of the Baptiſt, who in his miniſtery was alſo fiery and fervent, Luke 1.17. And he ſhall go before him in the ſpirit, and in the power of Elias, &c. Againſt Ahab and Jezabels zeal to promote Idolatry, the Lord raiſed up a prophet that ſhould be as zealous for the oppoſing of their idolatry and the defence of Gods true worſhip; as we ſee in this his firſt encounter with Ahab, As the Lord God of Iſrael liveth, ſaith he, before whom I stand; that is, whom I continually ſerve, (according to that in Deut. 10.8. The Lord ſeparated the tribe of Levito beare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to ſtand before the Lord) or in whoſe preſence I now am, who is therefore a witneſſe of the truth of that which I ſay, there ſhall not be dew nor rain theſe yeares, but according to my word, that is, there ſhall not be dew nor rain theſe enſuing yeares, till I from the Lord ſhall ſay, that again it ſhall rain. Elijah moved with the horrible wickedneſſe of Ahab and Jezabel; and particularly perhaps with their contempt and ſcorn of Gods prophets, did it ſeemes by the inſtinct of Gods ſpirit, pray that the Lord would ſhut up the heavens for ſome yeares, and not ſuffer it to rain till he ſought unto God that it might rain; that ſo the wrath of God againſt the iniquitie of thoſe times might be diſcovered; and the pretious account he makes of his Prophets might be manifeſted; and being by the ſame ſpirit of God aſſured, that his prayer was heard: he came to Ahab and threatned him before hand (as is here expreſſed, that he might ſee it was of God) with this approaching drought; and as he threatned, it came to paſſe; for three yeares and ſix moneths it rained not, Jam. 5.17.
Verſ. 3. Turn thee eastward, and hide thy ſelf by the brook Cherith, &c. When Elijah was gone from Ahab, or at leaſt, when Ahab began to ſee there was no rain indeed for a long time, as Elijah had ſaid, he began to be nettled with his words, and enraged againſt the Prophet and ſtirred up thereto, no doubt, by Jezabel, ſent preſently out to take him, that he might be revenged on him: as Obadiah afterwards told him, chap. 18.10. As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation nor kingdome whither my lord hath not ſent to ſeek thee: but the Lord foreſeeing what would be▪ gave his Prophet warning of it, and appointed him to withdraw and hide himſelf by the brook Cherith; there being doubtleſſe in that place, ſome woods or caves, where it was likely the Prophet might ſome good time conceal himſelf.
Verſ. 4. I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.] That is, I have decreed and will take order that the ravens ſhall bring thee competent food thither: and the reaſons given by Expoſitours, why the Lord was pleaſed to make uſe of ravens in this ſervice, rather then any other creature, are theſe: Firſt, becauſe ravens do naturally delight to live in ſuch places as this was, by the brook Cherith, where Elijah was appointed to hide himſelf, to wit, in ſolitary places, where there are caves and vaults, eſpecially in valleys, where there are brooks of water, whence is that, Prov. 30.17. The eye that mocketh at his father, the ravens of the valley ſhall pick it out: Secondly, becauſe they are a theeviſh kind of birds, watching all occaſions to ſnatch up and carry away pigeons, and chickens, or any other proviſion they can any where come at: And thirdly, eſpecially becauſe the ravens being ſuch a greedy and ravenous bird, that as it is ſaid, they uſually diſregard the feeding of their own young ones, to feed themſelves, it was the more miraculous that God ſhould make them caterers for Elijah, in ſuch an orderly manner to bring him in his proviſion both morning and evening; hereby the power of God was the more clearly diſcovered, and a plain proof was given by what contrary means God can provide for his ſervants in all their ſtraits: God might have ſent Elijah to his fellow Prophets in Obadiahs caves, or to ſome other of thoſe faithfull Iſraelites, that had not bowed their knees to Baal; but he choſe rather by this unlikely way to provide for him, that it might be ſeen that God hath all creatures at his command for the help of his ſervants: it was no leſſe ſtrange to feed him by ravens, then if he had ſuſtained him without any food at all; and yet this God did, cauſing the ravens to bring him both morning and evening, bread and fleſh, to wit, roſted or ſod; the Lord directing them where they ſhould have it.
Verſ. 7. And it came to paſſe after a while, that the brook dried up.] God could eaſily have prevented this brook from drying up, notwithſtanding the drought; but the Lord was pleaſed rather now to find out another way for the ſuſtaining of Elijah, to wit, Firſt, that he might for a while, by the drying up of this brook, try the faith of the Prophet: Secondly, that the Iſraelites in thoſe parts might be the more ſtraitened for want of water: Thirdly, that he might the more abundantly manifeſt how many ſeverall wayes he had to provide for his ſervants in times of extremitie: And fourthly, that he might together with him, provide for the poore widow of Zarephath too. Some Expoſitours hold, that there had been no rain for half a yeare when this brook dried up, and that afterward Elijah lived with the widow of Zarephath three yeares (which is the full time of the drought, Luke 4.25.) and that therefore it is ſaid in the beginning of the next chapter, that in the third yeare, Elijah was ſent to Ahab with a promiſe of rain.
Verſ. 9. Ariſe, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to ſuſtain thee.] There is not the leaſt intimation of any want of rain that was in the land of Judah; yet was Elijah ſent to a ſtranger rather then to the widows of Iſrael, both becauſe ſuch an one might ſeem moſt unlikely to relieve him, and alſo herein to ſhadow forth Gods future merciemercy to the Gentiles, the Jews being rejected; whence is that of our Saviour, Luke 4.25, 26. Many widows were in Iſrael in the dayes of Elias, &c. But unto none of them was Elias ſent, ſave unto Sarepta a citie of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow: as for that phraſe, I have commanded a widow, ſee the note above, verſ. 4.
Verſ. 10. The widow woman was there gathering of ſticks, and he called to her, &c.] As knowing by the ſpeciall inſtinct of Gods Spirit, that this was the widow of whom God had ſpoken to him; or elſe, having received direction hereby to diſcover the widow to whom he was ſent, when he came to the citie.
Verſ. 12. As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, &c.] This widow living upon the borders of Iſrael, had learnt to know a Prophet of Iſrael by his habit: yea, as it may ſeem, both to know and fear the God of Iſrael: and yet to ſuch a ſtrait ſhe was brought, being a poore woman, (though the drought had been yet, as it is thought, but ſix moneths in the land) that had not God come in to her help at this pinch, ſhe was now ready to eat her laſt meal: I have ſaid ſhe, but a handfull of meal in a barrell, and a little oyl in a cruſe, and behold I am gathering two ſticks, that is a few ſticks, as we uſe to ſay, a ſtick or two, that I may go in, and dreſſe it for me and my ſonne, that we may eat it, and die; however hereby it is evident, that the drought and famine was in the countrey of Tyre and Sidon, as well as amongſt the Iſraelites: and indeed, being it was ſent upon the Iſraelites for that idolatry of Baal, which Jezebel the daughter of the king of the Zidonians had brought in amongſt them, no marvell though the Zidonians were involved in the ſame judgement together with them.
Verſ. 13. Fear not, go, and do as thou haſt ſaid, &c.] That is, Go in and dreſſe thy meal and thy oyl for thee and thy ſonne; but then withall ſhe is enjoyned, firſt, to feed him with her laſt victualls, and then after to provide for her ſelf and her ſon: but make me thereof a little cake firſt, which was doubtleſſe for the triall of her faith, as concerning that promiſe which he addes in the following verſe.
Verſ. 15. And ſhe, and he, and her houſe did eat many dayes.] That is, a long time together; and indeed it is the judgement of ſome Expoſitours, as was noted before, that for three full years they all lived upon this poore remainder of the widows meal and oyle, which makes the miracle farre the more wonderfull; but yet this may be ſpoken with relation to ſome part of this time, and happely to the time of her ſonnes falling ſick, which is next related, verſ. 17.
Verſ. 17. And his ſickneſſe was ſo ſore, that there was not breath left in him.] This is mentioned becauſe hereby the widdow perceived that her ſonne was dead: for that he was indeed dead, and was not onelyonly fallen into a ſwoun, is evident in many following paſſages, as verſ. 18. and 20. where the widow and the Prophet bemoan that God had ſlain her ſonne; and verſ. 21. where it is ſaid, that Eliah prayed, My God I pray thee let this childs ſoul come into him again: and then again, ver. 22. And the ſoul of the child came into him again and he revived; which may alſo be confirmed by that of the Apoſtle, Heb. 10.35. which many think was written, partly with reference to this ſtory, Women received their dead raiſed to life again, this being the firſt we reade of in the Scriptures, that being dead, was reſtored again to life.
Verſ. 18. And ſhe ſaid unto Elijah. What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God, &c.] That is, wherein have I offended thee? or whence is it that thou a holy Prophet of the Lord ſhouldeſt come to me a mere ſtranger to thee, thus to puniſh me for my ſinnes? wherefore art thou come to me? art thou come to call my ſinnes to Gods remembrance, and ſo to move him to kill my ſonne? to what end were our lives ſaved when we were in danger to periſh for want of food, if now my ſonne muſt die with ſickneſſe? when God puniſheth thoſe for their ſinnes, whom a while he did forbear, he is ſaid in the Scripture to remember their ſinnes, 1. Sam. 15.2. Now the conſcience of this poore widow telling her, that the death of her ſonne was for her ſinnes, and therefore apprehending that his dwelling with her had been accidentally, through her not profiting by his preſence as ſhe ought to have done, the occaſion of her ſonnes death; or rather, that he had beſought God thus to puniſh her, as by his prayer he had brought the drought and famine upon the land; or that he was ſent as the miniſter of Gods wrath to take away her ſonne from her; hence it was that ſhe break forth into this impatient bewailing her loſſe, and her ſinnes that had been the cauſe of it: the expreſſion ſhe uſeth, is much like that of Peter, when the ſhip began to ſink, Luke 5.8. Depart from me, for I am a ſinfull man O Lord.
Verſ. 20. O Lord my God, haſt thou alſo brought evil upon the widow, with whom I ſojourn by ſlaying her ſonne?] Herein the Prophet pleads, firſt, his own intereſt in God. O Lord my God: ſecondly, the condition of the woman, a widdow, and that becauſe women in that eſtate are leaſt able to endure the loſſe of thoſe that ſhould be a ſtay and ſupport to them, and God is wont to be very compaſſionately tender over them: and thirdly, the intereſt ſhe had in him, becauſe he ſojourned with her, as grieving that the woman that had harboured him ſo long, and for whoſe preſervation God had wrought ſo great a miracle, ſhould now have all her joy daſhed with ſuch a ſad loſſe; or that it ſhould be ſaid by any, that it had been well for her, if the Prophet had never come into her houſe.
Verſ. 21. And he ſtretched himſelf upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, &c.] The meaning of this is, either that he ſtretched himſelf upon the child, and ſo in that poſture of body prayed, and then left off again, doing this three ſeverall times; or elſe, rather, that he ſtretched himſelf upon the child, and then went and prayed unto the Lord, and ſo did by turns three ſeverall times: however, doubtleſſe his ſtretching himſelf upon the child, was partly, that feeling the coldneſſe of the childs body, he might be ſtirred up thereby to pray the more earneſtly for him; and partly, that he might perceive when heat and life begun to come into the child; and partly alſo, thereby to expreſſe his exceeding grief for the death of the child, and his earneſt deſire that God would be pleaſed to reſtore him to life; there being an intimation in this geſture of his, that he could have been glad to infuſe of his own life into the child, and that to move the Lord, the rather, to heare his prayer, and grant his requeſt; the like we reade of Eliſha, 2. Kings 4.34. and of Paul to Eutichus, Acts 20.10.
Verſ. 24. And the woman ſaid to Elijah, Now by this I know thou art a man of God▪ &c.] That is, now her faith was ſtrengthened concerning this; ſhe had called him a man of God, verſ. 18. yet perhaps her faith was ſhaken with the death of her child, and now with this miracle it was ſtrengthened again.